The Moore Law Group APC is a debt collection and creditor representation law firm headquartered in Santa Ana, California. This page covers the firm’s FDCPA obligations, documented consumer complaint patterns, and the options available to you, whether you have received a collection letter, a payment demand, or a civil court summons.
Who Is The Moore Law Group APC?
The Moore Law Group APC is a high-volume debt collection law firm headquartered in Santa Ana, California, and operating primarily across California and the western United States, with an additional office in Henderson, Nevada.
The firm is principled by Harvey M. Moore and focuses on civil collections litigation, commercial debt recovery, and consumer debt enforcement on behalf of major national banks, retail credit card issuers, and junk debt buyers. Rather than purchasing debt, the firm is retained as legal counsel to represent creditors suing consumers in state court.
Its documented clients include Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, Synchrony Bank, Portfolio Recovery Associates, Midland Credit Management, and LVNV Funding.
The firm processes its caseload through automated case management software and call center negotiators rather than individual attorney review of each file, a model that generates significant FDCPA compliance exposure. Because the firm employs licensed attorneys who collect consumer debts, it qualifies as a “debt collector” under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and is fully subject to its requirements. Heintz v. Jenkins, 514 U.S. 291 (1995).
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Primary Address | Santa Ana, California |
| Additional Office | Henderson, Nevada |
| Primary Function | Debt collection litigation and creditors’ rights |
| FDCPA Status | Debt collector — subject to 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692–1692p |
| Major Clients | Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, Synchrony Bank, Portfolio Recovery Associates, Midland Credit Management, LVNV Funding |
| BBB Status | A+ rated, not BBB-accredited |
| Official Website | collectmoore.com |
Your Legal Rights Under the FDCPA
The FDCPA grants you four immediately enforceable rights the moment The Moore Law Group contacts you, with statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation available under 15 U.S.C. § 1692k if the firm violates any of them. California consumers have additional protections under the Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Cal. Civ. Code § 1788 et seq., which applies FDCPA-equivalent restrictions to original creditors as well as third-party collectors.
Right to Debt Verification — 15 U.S.C. § 1692g
Within five days of its first written communication, The Moore Law Group must send you a validation notice stating the amount of the debt, the name of the current creditor, and your right to dispute within 30 days. If you dispute the debt in writing within that 30-day window, the firm must cease all collection activity until it provides written verification.
Send your dispute by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the firm’s Santa Ana address and retain the tracking confirmation. Because the firm represents junk debt buyers, including Portfolio Recovery Associates and LVNV Funding, the chain of title from the original creditor to the current owner is frequently incomplete, and a verification demand forces them to produce it.
Right to Be Free from Deceptive Representations — 15 U.S.C. § 1692e
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692e, the Moore Law Group may not make any false, deceptive, or misleading representation in connection with collecting a debt. This section specifically prohibits threatening legal action that the firm does not intend to take. In Black v. The Moore Law Group, A Professional Corporation, a federal class action, the firm was sued for sending letters stating its “intention to file a lawsuit” while retaining accounts for over nine months without filing, a practice courts have found constitutes a violation of § 1692e. The court filing is publicly available and documents the deceptive threat pattern in detail.
Right to Be Free from Harassment — 15 U.S.C. § 1692d
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692d, the Moore Law Group may not engage in conduct whose natural consequence is to harass, oppress, or abuse. Consumer complaints on the BBB profile and on Yelp describe representatives hanging up on consumers attempting to arrange payment, refusing to provide documentation before collecting routing numbers, and delivering ultimatums that settlement offers will expire immediately. Conduct that rises from inflexibility to intimidation or misrepresentation may constitute a violation of this section.
Right to Cease Communication — 15 U.S.C. § 1692c
You may send The Moore Law Group a written cease-communication request under 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c). Once the firm receives it, it may contact you only to confirm it will stop, to notify you of a specific legal remedy it intends to invoke, or to advise that no further action will be taken. A cease letter does not stop a pending lawsuit or eliminate the underlying debt, but it legally terminates ongoing phone and written collection contact.
Documented Consumer Complaints
Consumer complaints about The Moore Law Group APC appear on the Better Business Bureau complaint database, with 14 complaints filed in the last three years and 4 closed in the most recent 12-month period, and in the federal class action record at classaction.org.
Threatening Lawsuit Without Intent to File — Federal Class Action: In Black v. The Moore Law Group, A Professional Corporation, a federal class action, plaintiffs documented that the firm sent letters threatening imminent litigation while holding accounts for more than nine months without filing suit. Courts have recognized this pattern as a violation of 15 U.S.C. § 1692e, which bars misrepresenting the character or legal status of a debt and threatening action not intended to be taken.
Refusing Written Settlement Agreements Before Payment: BBB complaint records and consumer reviews document a consistent pattern in which representatives request checking account routing numbers over the phone to establish payment plans while refusing to provide a written settlement confirmation before payment is authorized. Consumers who paid without a written agreement subsequently disputed whether the account was resolved and on what terms. Never authorize electronic payment before receiving written confirmation of the settled amount.
Default Judgments After Defective Service: Consumer complaint records describe instances in which consumers discovered a lawsuit only after their bank account was frozen or wages were garnished, suggesting court papers were not properly delivered before the answer deadline passed. Consumer defense attorneys refer to this tactic as “sewer service.” A default judgment obtained through defective service can be challenged in a motion to vacate, though success depends on acting quickly and establishing that service was legally inadequate.
To file a complaint, submit it to the , the Federal Trade Commission, or the California Attorney General’s consumer protection office. Federal CFPB complaints become part of a public database and can support an FDCPA enforcement action filed in federal court within one year of the violation.
If The Moore Law Group Has Filed a Lawsuit Against You
A civil summons from The Moore Law Group requires a written Answer filed with the court clerk before the deadline stated on the papers. In California, the deadline for most civil complaints is 30 days from the date of service. Missing that deadline results in the court entering a default judgment against you automatically, which the firm then uses to levy bank accounts and garnish wages.
Step 1 — Confirm the service date and deadline. The summons states the date you were served and the deadline by which you must respond. Count calendar days from the date of service, not business days, and mark the filing deadline immediately. If you are uncertain whether you were properly served, an attorney can evaluate whether the service was legally valid.
Step 2 — File a written Answer with the court. Your Answer does not need to win the case at filing. It needs to deny the claims and preserve your right to raise defenses. Filing a formal response immediately forces The Moore Law Group to produce the original signed credit agreement, the complete account statement, and the chain of assignment documentation from the original creditor to any subsequent debt buyer. Because the firm relies on automated processing of high-volume files, those documents are frequently missing or incomplete at the time of filing, and a formal Answer compels them to gather records they may not have.
Step 3 — Understand the consequences of a default judgment. A default judgment entered in California gives The Moore Law Group the legal authority to levy your bank account without advance notice, garnish up to 25 percent of your disposable wages under California law, and record a judgment lien against real property you own in any county where the judgment is docketed.
Step 4 — Assert your affirmative defenses. Viable defenses include expiration of the statute of limitations on the underlying debt, lack of legal standing if a junk debt buyer cannot produce a complete chain of assignment from the original creditor, FDCPA violations committed during the collection process, and payment or discharge in a prior bankruptcy. California’s statute of limitations for written contracts, including credit card agreements, is four years from the date of last payment under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337.
Call 877-700-5790 or visit our free case review page before your answer deadline passes.
Payments, Settlements, and Resolution Options
The Moore Law Group APC settles the majority of the accounts it pursues before trial, particularly when a consumer has filed a formal Answer and raised evidentiary challenges to the firm’s documentation. Because the firm represents debt buyers that acquired charged-off accounts at a fraction of face value, there is typically room to negotiate a significant reduction.
Lump-sum settlement before a lawsuit is filed. Pre-suit settlement is available on most accounts and generally produces the best reduction. Consumer defense attorneys report that firms representing junk debt buyers regularly settle for 40 to 60 percent of the claimed balance, and sometimes less on older or heavily disputed accounts. Initiating contact through an attorney rather than calling the firm directly consistently produces more favorable terms and creates a documented record.
Structured payment plan. The Moore Law Group accepts installment arrangements on some accounts. Confirm the total payoff amount, the number of payments, any interest accruing during the plan period, and the final balance in a signed written agreement before the first payment is made. Do not authorize electronic bank transfers or provide routing numbers before receiving that written confirmation.
Post-lawsuit litigation settlement. Once you file a formal Answer, the case enters a discovery phase. Demanding that The Moore Law Group produce the original signed credit agreement, the complete account statement from the original creditor, and all assignment documentation from each subsequent owner creates legal leverage. Consumer defense attorneys report that firms regularly offer settlement discounts of 40 to 60 percent off the claimed balance to avoid the cost of trial preparation when a consumer has competent legal representation.
Vacating a default judgment. If the firm obtained a default judgment through defective service, or if you were not aware of the lawsuit until after the deadline passed, a motion to vacate the default can be filed in the court that entered it. California allows a motion to vacate a default judgment for lack of actual notice under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 473.5. Time limits apply and vary by circumstance.
Bankruptcy. If The Moore Law Group has obtained a judgment and is pursuing bank levies or wage garnishment, the automatic stay issued by the bankruptcy court halts all enforcement action the moment the petition is filed. Whether bankruptcy is the appropriate response depends on the full scope of your debts, assets, and income.
Important: Always require a signed written settlement agreement before authorizing any payment. The agreement must state the settled amount, the specific account number, and that the payment resolves the account in full. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, credit bureaus report “paid in full” and “settled for less than the full amount” as distinct notations, and both remain on your credit file for up to seven years from the date of first delinquency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Moore Law Group a legitimate law firm?
Yes. The Moore Law Group APC is a licensed California law firm headquartered in Santa Ana, California, operating under principal Harvey M. Moore. The firm carries an A+ BBB rating on its unaccredited profile. Contact from the firm is real and should not be ignored. The firm files civil collection lawsuits in volume and obtains enforceable court judgments.
Why is The Moore Law Group contacting me?
The firm is contacting you on behalf of a creditor client that claims you owe an unpaid balance. Its most common clients are Bank of America, Capital One, Citibank, Synchrony Bank, and junk debt buyers including Portfolio Recovery Associates, Midland Credit Management, and LVNV Funding. The Moore Law Group does not purchase debts; it represents the entity claiming to own the account and is evaluating or has already filed a civil lawsuit to obtain a judgment against you.
How do I request verification of the debt?
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1692g, you have 30 days from the firm’s first written communication to dispute the debt and demand written verification. Send your dispute by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the firm’s Santa Ana office. Once the firm receives your written dispute, it must cease all collection activity until it provides written verification of the debt, the amount, and the creditor’s identity. For accounts owned by junk debt buyers, verification must include documentation of the chain of assignment from the original creditor, which these firms frequently cannot produce.
How do I stop calls from The Moore Law Group?
Send a written cease-communication notice under 15 U.S.C. § 1692c(c) to the firm’s Santa Ana office by certified mail. Once received, the firm may contact you only to confirm it will stop, to state that a specific remedy will be invoked, or to advise that no further action will be taken. A cease letter does not stop a pending lawsuit or eliminate the underlying debt, but it legally ends ongoing phone and written collection contact.
What is the statute of limitations on a debt that The Moore Law Group is collecting in California?
California’s statute of limitations for written contracts, including credit card agreements governed by a written cardholder agreement, is four years from the date of last payment under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337. If The Moore Law Group files suit after the four years has expired, you may raise the expired statute as a complete affirmative defense requiring dismissal. Review your last payment date carefully. State-specific limits are available on our statute of limitations by state page.
What happens if I ignore a lawsuit from The Moore Law Group?
The court enters a default judgment against you automatically if you miss the 30-day answer deadline on the California summons. The Moore Law Group then applies that judgment to levy your bank account without advance notice, garnish up to 25 percent of your disposable wages, or place a lien on real property. Default judgments can be extremely difficult and expensive to vacate after the fact. Call 877-700-5790 before your answer deadline to understand your options.
Can I negotiate a payment or settlement with The Moore Law Group?
Yes. The Moore Law Group settles most of the accounts it pursues, typically for 40 to 60 percent of the claimed balance when a consumer has filed a formal Answer and demanded the firm’s documentation through discovery. Pre-suit settlement is also available, though terms are typically better when negotiated through a consumer rights attorney rather than directly. Never authorize electronic payment before receiving a written agreement confirming the settled amount and that payment resolves the account in full.
Where can I file a complaint against The Moore Law Group?
File complaints with the , the Federal Trade Commission, and the California Attorney General. If the firm violated the FDCPA, you may file a civil lawsuit in federal district court within one year of the violation under 15 U.S.C. § 1692k, which provides for statutory damages up to $1,000 per violation plus recovery of attorney’s fees and costs from the violating collector.
Facing The Moore Law Group APC?
Consumer Rights Law Firm PLLC has defended consumers against debt collection law firms since 2010, holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, and recovers attorney’s fees from violating collectors under 15 U.S.C. § 1692k, meaning representation is often available at no out-of-pocket cost to you.
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