Midland Credit Management Inc.

Corporate structure

Who owns Midland Credit Management Inc.?

Midland Credit Management Inc. is owned by or affiliated with Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECPG).

Common original creditors whose accounts Midland Credit Management Inc. has purchased include: Citibank, Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, HSBC, GE Money Bank, Washington Mutual, Target (TD Bank).

Is it legit?

Is Midland Credit Management Inc. legit — and can it still lose in court?

Midland Credit Management Inc. is a real debt buyer and collector operating since 1953, headquartered in San Diego, CA, and part of Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECPG) — not a fake company or a phishing scam. But "legitimate" is not the same as "proven." A debt buyer that sues still has to prove it owns your specific account and the exact amount it claims — and Midland Credit Management Inc. or its parent has faced regulatory enforcement over exactly these documentation and affidavit problems. If you were served, treat the lawsuit seriously: check your deadline first, then make Midland Credit Management Inc. document ownership, the amount, and timing before you admit anything or pay.

Proof checklist

What to check before you admit, pay, or ignore the lawsuit

A debt-buyer profile is useful only if it helps you act on the papers in front of you. Start with deadline and court track, then review these proof points before default pressure becomes the main issue.

Common issues to review may include whether the plaintiff can prove ownership chain, amount, standing or authority to sue, account documents, timing, service, and assignment paperwork. Answered helps you preserve and organize issues for review; it does not decide what arguments you should make. Consumer debt lawsuit defense in 32 states. Start free — Answered checks whether it can build your defense before you pay anything. Check your deadline free before any paid packet decision.

Court filing data

How often Midland Credit Management Inc. sues — official court data

The Massachusetts Trial Court publishes filing counts for the state's top consumer-debt plaintiffs. Midland Funding filed 28,461 consumer debt cases there in 2025 — 19.6% of every consumer debt case filed in the state that year.

Scope: Massachusetts Trial Court "consumer debt" cases: civil consumer revolving credit, small claims (plaintiffs filing 2+ actions), civil foreign judgments, and other civil money actions where a company sued an individual. 2025 figures include Superior Court actions. Source: Massachusetts Trial Court, Department of Research and Planning (retrieved 2026-07-13). One state's official data — filing patterns differ by state; more states will be added as official datasets are published.

Regulatory history

CFPB and regulatory enforcement

Primary sources: CFPB press release: action against the two largest debt buyers (2015) · CFPB settlement with Encore Capital Group and Midland subsidiaries (2020) · Encore press release: settlement agreement with 42 states and D.C. (2018) · FTC, The Structure and Practices of the Debt Buying Industry (2013) · CFPB public enforcement-actions database

Your next steps

What to do if Midland Credit Management Inc. is suing you

1. 1
   Find your deadline immediatelyYou have a limited number of days to file your Answer after being served — typically 20 to 35 days depending on your state. Missing this deadline results in a default judgment. Check your state’s guide for the exact deadline.
2. 2
   Review proof of ownershipMidland Credit Management Inc. generally needs evidence connecting your account from the original creditor to the named plaintiff. Your Answer and follow-up documents can preserve standing and chain-of-title issues for review.
3. 3
   Check the statute of limitationsDebt buyers sometimes sue on old accounts. If the limitations period in your state has run since your last payment or the charge-off date, you may have a complete defense. Look up the state guide for your jurisdiction.
4. 4
   File your Answer — even if you plan to settleFiling a timely Answer preserves all your defenses and gives you leverage to negotiate a better settlement. Do not ignore the lawsuit expecting it to go away. See your state’s defense guide.

State-specific defense guides

Read the Midland Credit Management Inc. defense guide for your state

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Midland Credit Management Inc.

• Who is Midland Credit Management and Midland Funding LLC?

  Both entities are part of Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ECPG). Midland Funding LLC holds purchased debt portfolios and is typically named as plaintiff in lawsuits. Midland Credit Management Inc. (MCM) is the servicer that handles collections. Encore is the largest publicly traded debt buyer in the United States.

• Why is Midland Funding LLC suing me?

  Midland Funding purchased your charged-off account from your original creditor. When voluntary collection by MCM is unsuccessful, Encore's entities file lawsuits through local attorneys or in-house counsel to obtain a judgment they can use to garnish wages or bank accounts.

• What was the 2015 CFPB consent order against Encore Capital?

  In 2015, the CFPB entered a federal consent order with Encore Capital Group for collecting inaccurate debts, suing consumers using false affidavits, and suing without adequate documentation. The order imposed significant practice reforms and restricted Encore from suing on debts it cannot document. It is separate from the December 2018 multistate settlement between Encore's Midland subsidiaries and 42 state attorneys general plus DC.

• How do I challenge Midland's standing to sue me?

  You can raise lack of standing as an affirmative defense in your Answer, requiring Midland Funding to produce a complete chain of assignment from the original creditor. Under the 2015 consent order, Encore was specifically required to have documentation before suing — if it cannot produce it, courts have dismissed the case.

• Is the statute of limitations relevant to a Midland lawsuit?

  Yes. If the limitations period in your state has expired since your last payment or the account charge-off, you can assert this as an affirmative defense. The specific limitations period varies by state and debt type — check the state guide for your jurisdiction.

• Should I try to settle or fight a Midland lawsuit?

  Both options are worth evaluating. Many consumers successfully negotiate lump-sum settlements for significantly less than the full amount claimed. However, filing an Answer first — before settling — preserves your leverage and your defenses. Do not let a deadline pass without responding.

State defense guides

Sued by Midland Credit Management Inc.? Find your state