Debt buyer

You are being sued by Crown Asset Management

Crown Asset Management buys portfolios and places them with servicers and law firms for collection. Because Crown itself rarely holds the underlying records, the proof usually depends on documents created by someone else.

Also appears as: CAM

The deadline is the only thing that is urgent today

Your summons states how many days you have to file a written response, generally 14 to 35 days from the date you were served. If that date passes without a filing, Crown Asset Management can ask the clerk for a default judgment and win without producing any document at all. Everything else can wait until after your Answer is filed.

Where their paperwork usually falls short

  • Records obtained from a servicer rather than the original creditor
  • Assignment documents that skip an intermediate owner
  • No signed agreement establishing the account terms

Defenses commonly raised in these cases

  • Broken chain of title
  • Hearsay affidavit
  • Lack of standing / no proof of assignment
  • Statute of limitations

Raise the defenses that match your facts. The toolkit explains each one and when it applies before you select it.

Who usually files these cases

Local collection counsel. The name of the law firm on your papers is not the plaintiff. The plaintiff is the company listed in the caption, and it is the plaintiff that has to prove ownership of your account.

Your next four steps

  1. 1Write the date you were served on the first page and calculate your deadline.
  2. 2File a written Answer with the clerk of the court named on the summons, and mail a copy to the plaintiff's attorney with a certificate of service.
  3. 3Serve discovery asking Crown Asset Management for the bill of sale and the account-level schedule naming your account number.
  4. 4Calendar the response deadline and keep copies of everything you send and receive.
Build these documents — $47

Sued by someone else?

Educational information and document preparation only. Make Them Prove It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Rules and deadlines differ by state and by court, so confirm them with your court clerk or a licensed attorney in your state.