Reference no: EM131473691

Question: Prior to September 1, 1994, Richard Whiteside signed a lease with Park Towne Place Apartments in Philadelphia for an apartment to be leased from September 1, 1994, to March 31, 1997. Whiteside failed to pay the rent and voluntarily vacated the apartment in early March, 1997. Whiteside owed Park Town Place $4,342 for back rent. Park Town Place then retained National Credit Systems (NCS) to collect the back rent due. During the first week of May, 1999, NCS telephoned Whiteside attempting to collect payment. On May 25, 1999, an NCS representative and Whiteside discussed on the telephone resolving the debt for less than the full amount owing but did not come to an agreement.

Whiteside received one additional call from NCS after May 25, 1999. On June 9, 1999, NCS forwarded collection correspondence addressed collectively to Larry Hill (Whiteside's former roommate) and Whiteside to Hill and Whiteside. Whiteside had also lost his job, had numerous other debts, and was forced to sleep on a friend's couch because of lack of money. He testified at trial that he experienced headaches and that his blood pressure increased because of these multiple problems. Whiteside filed suit, alleging that NCS's debt collection practices violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Do they? Explain.