"WWJD" Debt Collection Suit Voluntarily Dismissed After Counterclaims Filed

Both AP and a Liberty Counsel press release yesterday report that a lawsuit under the Fair Debt Practices Collection Act against Bullseye Collection Agency of Monticello, MN has been voluntarily dismissed. The suit was brought by Mark and Sarah Neill who received a collection letter from Bullseye with "WWJD" (What Would Jesus Do?) at the top. The lawsuit claimed that this was an unfair collections practice because it had the effect of invoking shame or guilt. (See prior posting.) It turns out, however that plaintiff Mark Neill is the president of a rival collection agency, Bureau of Collection Recovery. So defendants filed a counterclaim alleging abuse of legal process and conspiracy to harm Bullseye competitively and to infringe its constitutional rights. Both sides have agreed to a dismissal with prejudice.