Midland Credit Management is one of the most sued debt collectors in California. It is also one of the most commonly misnamed defendants — because “Midland” actually refers to two distinct legal entities that play different roles in the debt collection process, and confusing them creates service problems that defense counsel will not hesitate to exploit.
If you are suing over an aggressive collection call, a lawsuit filed on a time-barred debt, or a credit report dispute, you need to know exactly which Midland entity you are serving — and where to find them.
The Correct Legal Entity (and Why There Are Two of Them)
Midland Credit Management, Inc. and Midland Funding, LLC are separate legal entities, both owned by Encore Capital Group — a San Diego-based publicly traded debt buyer. Understanding the difference matters for your complaint and your service:
• Midland Funding, LLC is the debt buyer. It purchases charged-off consumer debt portfolios from original creditors (credit card companies, banks, medical providers) for pennies on the dollar. Midland Funding, LLC is typically the plaintiff in collection lawsuits — it is the entity that actually owns the debt and has standing to sue the consumer.
• Midland Credit Management, Inc. is the debt servicer and collector. It contacts consumers, sends collection letters, and manages the collection process on behalf of Midland Funding and other portfolio owners. MCM is the entity making the phone calls and sending the letters that generate FDCPA complaints.
In practice, both entities are often named together. If you received abusive collection calls and were sued on a debt you dispute, you may have claims against both MCM (for the collection conduct) and Midland Funding (as the party that filed the suit or owns the debt).
Search bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov to confirm the current registered agent for both entities before you serve.
Where to Serve
Both Midland Credit Management, Inc. and Midland Funding, LLC have designated CSC Lawyers Incorporating Service as their registered agent for service of process in California, with the Sacramento office handling service for both entities. See our CSC Lawyers Sacramento guide for location and intake details.
Verify both agent designations on the Secretary of State’s website before serving, and confirm that both entities are still registered to do business in California. Serve each entity separately — a single set of papers delivered once is not sufficient if you are naming both entities as defendants.
What Documents Are Commonly Served
Midland Credit Management and Midland Funding are among the top three most-sued debt collectors in California. Common documents include:
• Summons and complaints under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) — federal law prohibiting deceptive, abusive, and unfair collection practices
• Rosenthal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act complaints — California’s state equivalent, which has broader coverage and provides for statutory damages and attorney’s fees
• CCPA complaints — consumer data rights claims arising from MCM’s data practices
• Cross-complaints and counterclaims in Midland Funding collection lawsuits — when Midland Funding sues a consumer and the consumer countersues for FDCPA violations, they must properly serve MCM if it is a separate named party
• Subpoenas seeking collection call recordings, account histories, and debt purchase records
California consumers have robust protections under both the FDCPA and the Rosenthal Act. Attorney’s fee-shifting provisions in both statutes make these claims economically viable to litigate, which is why California has such high litigation volume against debt collectors.
How We Handle It
We serve the CSC Sacramento office regularly and are experienced with multi-entity corporate defendants where separate service is required for each named party. We track which entity is being served and provide separate court-ready proof of service for each.
Service Level | Timeframe | Price
Standard | 10 business days | \$99
Expedited | 3 business days | \$150
Rush | 24 hours | \$175
Court Filing Add-on | — | +\$30
