Columbus Company Sued By AG For Telemarketing Violations

Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is suing a Columbus mortgage company for allegedly violating the state's no-call law and engaging in dangerous and misleading business practices.

The lawsuit was filed against the First American Funding Co. in Columbus, which is owned by Michael Eisenga.

Van Hollen's lawsuit said more than 60 consumers filed complaints with the state Department of Trade, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (DATCP) regarding the mortgage company?s telemarketing practices. DATCP conducted an investigation after getting the complaints.

The lawsuit states that the investigation by DATCP showed the company not only engaged in misleading and deceptive practices while telemarketing, it also made hundreds of thousands of calls to Wisconsin residents registered on the state?s no-call list in 2010.

?This company used extremely misleading language in their telemarketing practices,? Van Hollen said in a statement. ?They sometimes even used language that implied they were calling on behalf of the consumer?s home mortgage. When consumers called back, concerned there was a problem with their loan, they were surprised and frustrated to learn it was, in fact, a sales pitch.?

The lawsuit asks for civil forfeitures of $100 for each no-call violation and larger amounts for each direct marketing violation. State officials previously won a judgment against the company for telemarketing violations in 2006.

Officials aid that consumers who believe they might have been harmed by First American Funding Co. should call DATCP at 608-224-4976 or 800-422-7128.