Answer to Debt Collection Lawsuit (with FDCPA Affirmative Defenses) - Oklahoma

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF [____________] COUNTY, STATE OF OKLAHOMA

Case No. [____________]

DEFENDANT'S ANSWER AND AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES

Filed Pursuant to Okla. Stat. tit. 12, §§ 2008 and 2012

COMES NOW the Defendant, [____________] ("Defendant"), appearing [☐ pro se / ☐ by and through undersigned counsel], and for Defendant's Answer to the Petition filed by Plaintiff, [____________] ("Plaintiff"), states as follows:

I. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT AND RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

1. Defendant timely files this Answer within the twenty (20) day period prescribed by Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2012(A)(1). Defendant reserves all rights, defenses, and objections available under the Oklahoma Pleading Code, including those enumerated in Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2012(B).

2. By filing this Answer, Defendant does not admit that Plaintiff has stated a claim upon which relief may be granted, that Plaintiff owns or has standing to sue upon the alleged debt, that this Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendant, or that venue is proper. Defendant expressly preserves the right to raise any applicable motion, defense, or objection.

3. Defendant does not have possession of the underlying account documents and demands that Plaintiff produce strict legal proof of each element of its claim, including the existence, ownership, amount, and enforceability of the alleged debt.

II. RESPONSES TO THE NUMBERED ALLEGATIONS

4. Paragraph 1 of the Petition: [____________]
   ☐ Admitted ☐ Denied; strict proof demanded ☐ Defendant is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of this allegation and therefore denies it.

5. Paragraph 2 of the Petition: [____________]
   ☐ Admitted ☐ Denied; strict proof demanded ☐ Defendant is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of this allegation and therefore denies it.

6. Paragraph 3 of the Petition: [____________]
   ☐ Admitted ☐ Denied; strict proof demanded ☐ Defendant is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of this allegation and therefore denies it.

7. Paragraph 4 of the Petition: [____________]
   ☐ Admitted ☐ Denied; strict proof demanded ☐ Defendant is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of this allegation and therefore denies it.

8. Paragraph 5 of the Petition: [____________]
   ☐ Admitted ☐ Denied; strict proof demanded ☐ Defendant is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of this allegation and therefore denies it.

9. Paragraph [____] of the Petition: [____________]
   ☐ Admitted ☐ Denied; strict proof demanded ☐ Defendant is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of this allegation and therefore denies it.

10. Pursuant to Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2008(B), Defendant denies each and every allegation of the Petition not expressly admitted above and demands strict proof thereof.

III. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES

Without assuming any burden of proof not imposed on Defendant by law, and expressly reserving the right to amend or supplement under Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2015 as discovery proceeds, Defendant asserts the following affirmative defenses pursuant to Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2008(C). Defendant should select only those defenses supported by the facts; pleading clearly inapplicable defenses may be subject to Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2011.

☐ First Defense — Statute of Limitations. Plaintiff's claim is barred, in whole or in part, by the applicable statute of limitations. Under Oklahoma law, an action upon any contract, agreement, or promise in writing must be commenced within five (5) years (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(1)); an action upon a contract express or implied not in writing, an action upon a liability created by statute, or an action on a foreign judgment must be commenced within three (3) years (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(2)). The alleged debt accrued more than the limitations period before this action was filed, and the claim is time-barred.

☐ Second Defense — Lack of Standing; Failure to Prove Ownership and Chain of Assignment. Plaintiff is not the original creditor and has failed to plead or prove that it owns the alleged debt or is the real party in interest under Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2017. Plaintiff must establish a complete, unbroken chain of assignment from the original creditor to Plaintiff, including each bill of sale and assignment document specifically identifying Defendant's account. Absent such proof, Plaintiff lacks standing to bring or maintain this action.

☐ Third Defense — Failure to State a Claim. The Petition fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted and is subject to dismissal under Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2012(B)(6).

☐ Fourth Defense — FDCPA Violations; Failure to Validate. Plaintiff and/or its predecessors are "debt collectors" subject to the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq., and failed to provide the validation notice and verification required by 15 U.S.C. § 1692g and/or engaged in false, deceptive, abusive, or unfair collection practices in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692d, 1692e, and 1692f, including filing or threatening suit on a time-barred or unverified debt.

☐ Fifth Defense — Plaintiff Not Authorized to Collect. To the extent Plaintiff is required to register, be bonded, or be otherwise authorized to engage in the collection of claims, or to qualify to do business in Oklahoma as a foreign entity, Plaintiff has failed to plead or prove compliance, and is therefore barred from maintaining this action. [verify the applicable requirement before relying on this defense — see guidance note below.]

☐ Sixth Defense — Payment, Accord and Satisfaction, Discharge. The alleged debt has been paid, satisfied, settled, released, discharged (including by discharge in bankruptcy), or otherwise extinguished, in whole or in part.

☐ Seventh Defense — No Account Stated; No Agreement to the Balance. Defendant never received, reviewed, or assented to the balance alleged, and never agreed that the stated sum was a true and correct statement of the account. The elements of an account stated are not satisfied.

☐ Eighth Defense — Statute of Frauds. To the extent Plaintiff relies on an agreement required to be in writing, the claim is barred by the statute of frauds, Okla. Stat. tit. 15, § 136.

☐ Ninth Defense — Erroneous or Unauthorized Amount; Unauthorized Fees; Usury. The amount claimed is incorrect, inflated, or includes interest, fees, or charges that were not authorized by any agreement, are unconscionable, or exceed the rate permitted by law. Plaintiff must itemize and substantiate every component of the amount demanded.

☐ Tenth Defense — Improper Service / Lack of Personal Jurisdiction. Service of process was insufficient or defective, and/or this Court lacks personal jurisdiction over Defendant. Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2012(B)(2), (4), (5).

☐ Eleventh Defense — Failure to Mitigate. Plaintiff and/or its predecessors failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate the damages alleged.

☐ Twelfth Defense — Hearsay; Lack of Foundation for Account Records. Plaintiff's account records, affidavits, and computer printouts are inadmissible hearsay and lack the foundation required for the business-records exception under Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2803(6) and § 2901 et seq. Plaintiff cannot establish the records through a witness with personal knowledge of the original creditor's record-keeping practices, and "robo-signed" affidavits are insufficient.

☐ Thirteenth Defense — Reservation of Right to Amend. Defendant reserves the right to assert additional affirmative defenses, counterclaims, cross-claims, or third-party claims that become known through investigation or discovery, consistent with Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2015.

IV. DEMAND FOR DOCUMENTATION AND STRICT PROOF

11. Defendant demands that, before judgment, Plaintiff produce admissible evidence of each of the following:

a. The signed account agreement, cardholder agreement, or contract under which the alleged debt arose, together with all amendments and change-of-terms notices;

b. A complete set of monthly account statements from inception through charge-off, evidencing the transactions, charges, payments, interest, and fees that make up the balance claimed;

c. An itemization of the principal, interest, fees, and other charges comprising the amount demanded, with the contractual or statutory authority for each charge;

d. The complete chain of title to the alleged debt — every bill of sale, assignment, and account-transfer document from the original creditor through each intermediate owner to Plaintiff — together with the specific account-level data showing Defendant's account was among those transferred; and

e. Proof that Plaintiff is the present owner and real party in interest entitled to enforce the alleged debt.

V. NOTICE OF POTENTIAL FDCPA COUNTERCLAIM

12. Defendant gives notice that the facts of this matter may give rise to a counterclaim against Plaintiff and/or its predecessors under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq., including but not limited to claims for actual damages, court-allowed additional damages up to $1,000 in an individual action and, upon a successful action, costs and a reasonable attorney's fee under 15 U.S.C. § 1692k, for conduct such as filing suit on a time-barred or unverified debt, failing to provide § 1692g validation, or using false, deceptive, or unfair means to collect.

☐ Defendant asserts no counterclaim at this time and reserves all rights.
☐ Defendant asserts the FDCPA and/or Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act counterclaim set forth in the attached/following pleading.

VI. PRAYER FOR RELIEF

WHEREFORE, Defendant respectfully requests that this Court:

A. Dismiss Plaintiff's Petition with prejudice and order that Plaintiff take nothing;

B. Enter judgment in favor of Defendant on all claims;

C. Award Defendant the costs of this action and, to the extent permitted by law or contract, reasonable attorney's fees;

D. Grant Defendant any counterclaim relief asserted herein; and

E. Grant such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper.

VII. JURY DEMAND

☐ Yes — Defendant demands trial by jury on all issues so triable, pursuant to Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 556 and Okla. Const. Art. II, § 19.

☐ No — Defendant does not demand a jury trial at this time.

VIII. SIGNATURE

Respectfully submitted this [____] day of [____________], 20[____].

/s/ [____________________________________]

[____________________________________]
☐ Defendant, pro se ☐ Attorney for Defendant
Oklahoma Bar Association No. (if attorney): [____________]
[Street Address]
[City], Oklahoma [____]
Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[________]
Email: [____________________________________]

IX. CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on the [____] day of [____________], 20[____], I served a true and correct copy of the foregoing Defendant's Answer and Affirmative Defenses upon Plaintiff's counsel of record (or upon Plaintiff, if unrepresented) in accordance with Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2005, by the following method:

☐ Court electronic-filing system (notice to all counsel of record)
☐ U.S. First-Class Mail, postage prepaid
☐ Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested
☐ Hand Delivery
☐ Email (by agreement / where permitted)

Addressed to:

[____________________________________]
[____________________________________]
[____________________________________]

/s/ [____________________________________]

[____________________________________]

OKLAHOMA PRACTICE NOTES

• Answer deadline: 20 days after service of the summons and petition in District Court (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2012(A)(1)(a)). A 35-day period may be elected by the party requesting the summons or filing a counterclaim/cross-claim (§ 2012(A)(4)). A reservation of time extends the deadline 20 more days but waives the § 2012(B)(2)-(6) and (9) defenses. Small claims defendants must follow the date/instructions on the summons. A default judgment may be entered if no timely answer is filed.
• Courts: The District Court is the court of general jurisdiction. Small claims procedure (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 1751 et seq.) applies to claims generally up to $10,000 — verify the current threshold and which docket the case is on.
• Statute of limitations on debt: written contract — 5 years (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(1)); oral/implied contract, liability created by statute, and foreign judgment — 3 years (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95(A)(2)). Credit-card debt is commonly treated as a written contract (5 years) where supported by a signed agreement. A choice-of-law clause may import another state's period. Confirm characterization and accrual before relying.
• Service of process: A plaintiff generally has 180 days from filing to serve the defendant (Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2004(I)); failure can support dismissal and may support a defense if service was untimely or defective.
• Licensing: Oklahoma is generally identified among the states that do not license or register collection agencies. Do not assert a defense based on a nonexistent state collection-agency license; the licensing-style defense in this template is framed narrowly and flagged for verification.
• FDCPA / state UDAP: Plead FDCPA claims under federal law (15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq.). The Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act (Okla. Stat. tit. 15, § 751 et seq.) may provide an additional state remedy; verify its applicability to private debt-collection conduct.
• Compulsory counterclaim: An FDCPA claim arising from the collection of this debt may be compulsory under Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2013(A).

Sources and References

• Oklahoma Statutes Title 12 (Civil Procedure) — § 2012 (answer/time): https://law.justia.com/codes/oklahoma/title-12/section-12-2012/
• Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 95 (limitation of actions): https://law.justia.com/codes/oklahoma/title-12/section-12-95/
• Okla. Stat. tit. 12, § 2004(I) (time to serve): https://www.okbar.org/barjournal/october-2022/humphreys/
• Okla. Stat. tit. 15, § 751 et seq. (Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act): https://law.justia.com/codes/oklahoma/title-15/
• Collection Agency Licensing and Exemptions (Oklahoma among non-licensing states): https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/collection-agency-licensing-and-7611051/
• Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692 et seq.: https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/rules/fair-debt-collection-practices-act-text
• CFPB — debt that is several years old / time-barred debt: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/can-debt-collectors-collect-a-debt-thats-several-years-old-en-1423/