IAP Industry Advancement Program Helps Member Defeat FDCPA Claim in Ninth Circuit Citing Diaz v. Kubler Corp., the federal appellate court ruled that the agency's collection of interest did not violate the FDCPA. By Karen Scheibe Eliason A CA International's Industry Advancement Program helped rack up another win for the accounts receivable management industry when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the lower court and affirmed its decision that ACA member company Medcah, Inc. did not violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act when it sought to collect interest on all of a consumer's debts. The Ninth Circuit held that the 46 collection agency was not liable under the FDCPA for imposing interest because it was authorized by the underlying agreements between the consumer and her creditors or permitted by law. The collection of interest is an important and integral part of ACA members' businesses, which is why the association supported its member in obtaining this important FDCPA decision positively impacting the accounts receivable management industry by providing Industry Advancement Funds to help defray the cost of appellate litigation. In the case Sivongxay v. Medcah, Inc., 2019 WL 965139 (9th Cir. Feb. 26, 2019), the consumer filed a complaint against the agency, alleging it violated the FDCPA and related Hawaii Revised Statutes by attempting to collect prejudgment interest on her unpaid debts at the statutory rate of 10 percent, where the original contracts ACAINTERNATIONAL.ORGhttp://www.ACAINTERNATIONAL.ORG