TCPA Demand Letter - Iowa

IOWA TCPA DEMAND LETTER

Quick-Reference Summary

Sender Letterhead

[LAW FIRM NAME]
[________________________________]
[Street Address]
[City], Iowa [Zip Code]
Phone: [________________________________]
Fax: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Iowa Bar No.: [________________________________]

Date and Recipient

SENT VIA:

☐ Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested — Tracking No. [________________________________]
☐ U.S. First-Class Mail
☐ Email to: [________________________________]
☐ FedEx/UPS Overnight Delivery — Tracking No. [________________________________]
☐ Hand Delivery
☐ Registered Agent Service via Iowa Secretary of State records

Date: [__/__/____]

TO (Respondent):

[Respondent Business Name]
Attn: [Registered Agent / Officer / General Counsel]
[Street Address]
[City], [State] [Zip Code]

Subject Line / Re: Block

Re: Demand to Cease Unlawful Calls/Texts and for Settlement — Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227

I. Parties

A. Claimant

[________________________________] ("Claimant") is a natural person residing at [________________________________], [City], Iowa [Zip Code]. Claimant is the regular user and subscriber of the telephone number(s) identified above and is a "called party" entitled to the protections of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227.

B. Respondent

[________________________________] ("Respondent") is a [corporation / LLC / partnership / sole proprietor] organized under the laws of [________________________________], with its principal place of business at [________________________________]. Respondent, directly or through agents, vendors, or lead generators acting on its behalf, placed or caused to be placed the calls, texts, or faxes described below.

Respondent:

• ☐ Is registered with the Iowa Secretary of State to transact business in Iowa
• ☐ Made the calls/texts itself
• ☐ Used a third-party dialer, marketing vendor, or lead generator: [________________________________]
• ☐ Is vicariously liable for calls placed on its behalf (actual/apparent authority or ratification)

II. Factual Background

A. The Telephone Number(s)

Claimant's number(s) [________________________________] is/are:

• ☐ Assigned to a cellular telephone service (protected under 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(A)(iii))
• ☐ A residential landline (protected under 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(B) and 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c))
• ☐ Registered on the National Do-Not-Call Registry since [__/__/____] (47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(2))
• ☐ Never provided to Respondent, and Claimant never gave prior express consent or prior express written consent to be contacted

B. The Offending Communications

Respondent (or its agent) contacted Claimant on the following occasions without consent. Each row is a separate alleged violation:

Total documented violations: [____]

C. Revocation of Consent / Stop Requests

• ☐ Claimant never provided consent to Respondent.
• ☐ Claimant orally asked Respondent to stop on [__/__/____]; calls continued.
• ☐ Claimant replied "STOP" to a text message on [__/__/____]; messages continued.
• ☐ Claimant's number was on the National DNC Registry; Respondent had no established business relationship or written consent.

D. Indicia of Autodialer / Prerecorded Voice

• ☐ Pause or "dead air" before a live agent connected
• ☐ Artificial or prerecorded voice / "press 1 to be connected"
• ☐ Identical scripted message across multiple calls
• ☐ "Spoofed" or rotating caller-ID numbers
• ☐ Ringless voicemail drops
• ☐ Other: [________________________________]

III. Legal Basis

A. Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act — 47 U.S.C. § 227

The TCPA and the FCC's implementing rules at 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 prohibit, among other things:

• ☐ Autodialed or prerecorded calls/texts to a cell phone without prior express consent — 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(A)(iii)
• ☐ Prerecorded telemarketing calls to a residential line without prior express written consent — 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(B); 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(a)(3)
• ☐ Telemarketing calls to a number on the National Do-Not-Call Registry — 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(c)(2)
• ☐ Calls to a number on Respondent's internal do-not-call list / failure to maintain such a list — 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(d)
• ☐ Unsolicited advertisements sent to a fax machine — 47 U.S.C. § 227(b)(1)(C)
• ☐ Failure to transmit accurate caller-ID information — 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200(d)(4)

Statutory damages. Section 227(b)(3) permits actual loss or $500 per violation, with a discretionary increase to no more than $1,500 for a willful or knowing violation. Section 227(c)(5) separately requires more than one call within a 12-month period by or on behalf of the same entity and permits actual loss or up to $500 per qualifying violation, with a discretionary increase to no more than three times that amount. Injunctive relief is available. The federal statute of limitations is four (4) years. 28 U.S.C. § 1658(a).

B. Iowa State-Law Claims — Iowa Consumer-Fraud Framework

Iowa repealed its standalone automatic dialing-announcing device (ADAD) statute, former Iowa Code § 476.57, in 2018, and has no freestanding state mini-TCPA. Iowa's telemarketing protections now operate through its consumer-fraud statutes:

• Iowa Code § 714.16 prohibits the use of an "unfair practice, deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, or misrepresentation … in connection with the lease, sale, or advertisement of any merchandise," including by telephone solicitation. Section 714.16 is enforced by the Iowa Attorney General (no private action arises under § 714.16 itself).
• Iowa Code ch. 714H (Private Right of Action for Consumer Frauds Act) supplies a private right of action under Iowa Code § 714H.5 for a consumer who suffers an ascertainable loss as the result of a prohibited practice the defendant "knows or reasonably should know" is unfair or deceptive (§ 714H.3). Treble damages (up to 3x actual) are available for willful and wanton disregard (§ 714H.5(4)), with mandatory attorney's fees to a prevailing consumer (§ 714H.5(2)). The limitations period is 2 years from the later of the last event or discovery (§ 714H.5(5)).

IV. Demand

Within fourteen (14) days of receipt of this letter, Respondent must:

1. ☐ Immediately and permanently cease all calls, texts, and faxes to Claimant and place Claimant's number(s) on Respondent's internal do-not-call list;
2. ☐ Preserve all records relating to the communications (see Litigation Hold below);
3. ☐ Identify every vendor, dialer platform, lead source, and entity involved in placing the communications;
4. ☐ Produce the consent record, if any, Respondent contends authorized the contacts;
5. ☐ Pay a settlement sum of $[________________________________] in full resolution of Claimant's TCPA and Iowa consumer-fraud claims; and
6. ☐ Other: [________________________________].

Settlement Calculation

V. Litigation Hold / Evidence Preservation Notice

Respondent and its officers, agents, employees, vendors, and successors are directed to immediately suspend any document-destruction practice and to preserve all documents and electronically stored information ("ESI") relating to the communications, including but not limited to:

• ☐ Call-detail records, dialer logs, and campaign records for Claimant's number(s)
• ☐ Outbound calling lists, "scrub" records, and DNC suppression files
• ☐ Records of consent, opt-in, lead-purchase, and the source of Claimant's number
• ☐ Internal do-not-call list and opt-out/stop-request records
• ☐ Prerecorded message audio, text-message content, and fax images
• ☐ Contracts with dialer platforms, lead generators, and marketing vendors
• ☐ Caller-ID configuration, spoofing/number-rotation records
• ☐ ESI metadata, audit logs, server backups, and cloud-storage data

Spoliation may result in adverse-inference instructions, monetary sanctions, and independent liability.

VI. Response Deadline and Consequences

Respondent must provide a written response within fourteen (14) days of receipt, directed to undersigned counsel at the address above.

If Respondent fails to respond or to resolve this matter, Claimant will, without further notice:

1. File suit under the TCPA, 47 U.S.C. § 227, in the U.S. District Court for the [Northern/Southern] District of Iowa (or Iowa District Court for [________________________________] County), seeking actual loss or $500 per violation (whichever is greater), with a discretionary increase up to 3× for willful or knowing violations and injunctive relief;
2. Assert pendent claims under Iowa Code ch. 714H where an ascertainable loss is supported, with treble damages and mandatory attorney's fees (§§ 714H.5(2), (4)), and mail a copy of the complaint to the Iowa Attorney General as required by Iowa Code § 714H.6;
3. File complaints with the FCC (consumercomplaints.fcc.gov), the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov / DoNotCall.gov), and the Iowa Attorney General Consumer Protection Division for enforcement under Iowa Code § 714.16; and
4. Pursue all other available remedies.

All rights, claims, defenses, and remedies are expressly reserved. Nothing herein waives any right or remedy under state or federal law.

Signature Block

This demand is made in good faith and without prejudice to any rights, claims, or remedies available under Iowa or federal law.

Respectfully,

_______________________________________________
[Attorney Name]
[Law Firm Name]
[Street Address]
[City], Iowa [Zip Code]
Phone: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Iowa Bar No.: [________________________________]

Attorney for [________________________________]

Enclosures:

• ☐ Call log / screenshots of texts / fax images
• ☐ Phone records evidencing the calls
• ☐ DNC Registry confirmation
• ☐ Prior stop/opt-out correspondence
• ☐ Other: [________________________________]

cc:

• ☐ Client file
• ☐ [________________________________]

Pre-Send Checklist

• ☐ Confirm number type (cell vs. residential) and DNC registration date
• ☐ Confirm no prior express consent / prior express written consent exists
• ☐ Document each call/text/fax with date, time, and caller ID (each is a separate violation)
• ☐ Confirm 4-year federal SOL (28 U.S.C. § 1658(a)) has not run
• ☐ Do NOT cite repealed Iowa Code § 476.57 as live law
• ☐ Evaluate whether an Iowa ch. 714H "ascertainable loss" is supportable for any pendent state claim
• ☐ Identify vendor/lead-source for vicarious-liability theory
• ☐ Send certified mail, return receipt requested; retain green card and tracking
• ☐ Calendar 14-day response deadline
• ☐ Document litigation-hold delivery

Sources and References

• 47 U.S.C. § 227 — Telephone Consumer Protection Act: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/227
• 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200 — FCC TCPA implementing rules: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-64/subpart-L/section-64.1200
• 28 U.S.C. § 1658 — 4-year federal statute of limitations: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1658
• Iowa Code § 714.16 — Consumer frauds (AG enforcement): https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/714.16.pdf
• Iowa Code ch. 714H — Private Right of Action for Consumer Frauds Act: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/714H.pdf
• Iowa Code § 714H.5 (Justia): https://law.justia.com/codes/iowa/title-xvi/chapter-714h/section-714h-5/
• Note: Iowa Code § 476.57 (ADAD statute) repealed in 2018 — do not cite as current law
• FCC Consumer Complaint Center: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/
• National Do Not Call Registry: https://www.donotcall.gov/
• FTC Report Fraud: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
• Iowa Attorney General — Consumer Protection Division: https://www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov/for-consumers