TCPA Demand Letter - Maine

MAINE TCPA DEMAND LETTER

Quick-Reference Summary

Sender Letterhead

[LAW FIRM NAME]
[________________________________]
[Street Address]
[City], Maine [Zip Code]
Phone: [________________________________]
Fax: [________________________________]
Email: [________________________________]
Maine 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 Maine 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, Statutory 30-Day MUTPA Demand (5 M.R.S. § 213), and Settlement — Telephone Consumer Protection Act, 47 U.S.C. § 227, and the Maine Telephone Solicitation Act, 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B

I. Parties

A. Claimant

[________________________________] ("Claimant") is a natural person and Maine resident residing at [________________________________], [City], Maine [Zip Code]. Claimant is the regular user and subscriber of the telephone number(s) identified above, is a "called party" protected by the federal TCPA, and is a "consumer" and residential telephone subscriber within the meaning of the Maine Telephone Solicitation Act, 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B(1).

B. Respondent

[________________________________] ("Respondent") is a [corporation / LLC / partnership / sole proprietor] organized under the laws of [________________________________], with its principal place of business at [________________________________]. Respondent is a "telephone solicitor" "doing business in Maine" under 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B(1) and a "person" engaged in "trade or commerce" under the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act, 5 M.R.S. § 206. Respondent, directly or through agents, vendors, or lead generators, placed or caused to be placed the calls described below.

Respondent:

• ☐ Is registered with the Maine Secretary of State to transact business in Maine
• ☐ 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 [__/__/____]
• ☐ Registered on the Maine Do-Not-Call Registry (maintained by the AG's Consumer Protection Division) since [__/__/____] (10 M.R.S. § 1499-B(1)(E))
• ☐ Never provided to Respondent, and Claimant never gave consent or made an express request

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 and/or Maine DNC registry; Respondent had no established business relationship (18-month window, 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B(1)(D-1)) and no express request.

D. Indicia of Autodialer / Prerecorded Voice / Caller-ID Issues

• ☐ Pause or "dead air" before a live agent connected
• ☐ Artificial or prerecorded voice — a "telephone sales call" by automated dialing/recorded message device (10 M.R.S. § 1499-B(1)(H))
• ☐ Identical scripted message across multiple calls
• ☐ Blocked or "spoofed" caller-ID (prohibited under 10 M.R.S. § 1499-A)
• ☐ Ringless voicemail drops
• ☐ Other: [________________________________]

III. Legal Basis

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

The TCPA and the FCC's 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)

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. The federal statute of limitations is four (4) years. 28 U.S.C. § 1658(a). The federal TCPA is the primary private vehicle here.

B. Maine Telephone Solicitation Act — 10 M.R.S. §§ 1499-B, 1499-A

The Maine Telephone Solicitation Act prohibits a telephone solicitor from initiating a "telephone sales call" — including calls made by automated dialing or recorded message devices — to a consumer whose number has been on the national or state do-not-call registry for at least 3 months. As amended in 2024, the Act also requires solicitors to scrub against the FCC's National Reassigned Numbers Database before placing telephone sales calls. 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B. Section 1499-A separately prohibits telemarketers from blocking the transmission of caller-ID information.

Enforcement note: The Maine Telephone Solicitation Act is enforced by the Maine Attorney General and carries civil penalties of up to $10,000 for a first violation and up to $25,000 for each subsequent violation. It does not itself create a private right of action. Claimant's individual recovery therefore proceeds under the federal TCPA and the Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act below; a violation of § 1499-B/§ 1499-A is referred to the Maine AG for enforcement.

C. Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act — 5 M.R.S. §§ 207, 213

Maine's UTPA declares unlawful "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce." 5 M.R.S. § 207. A person who purchases or leases goods, services, or property primarily for personal, family, or household purposes and thereby suffers a loss may bring a private action under 5 M.R.S. § 213 for actual damages, restitution, equitable relief, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

Critical procedural prerequisite — this letter serves as the statutory demand. Section 213(1-A) requires that, at least 30 days before filing a private MUTPA action, the consumer give the prospective respondent a written demand for relief identifying the claimant and reasonably describing the unfair or deceptive act and the injury. This letter is intended to satisfy, and hereby satisfies, that 30-day written-demand requirement.

IV. Demand

Within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter (and immediately as to cessation), Respondent must:

1. ☐ Immediately and permanently cease all calls, texts, and faxes to Claimant and add Claimant's number(s) to 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;
4. ☐ Produce any consent record Respondent contends authorized the contacts;
5. ☐ Pay a settlement sum of $[________________________________] in full resolution of Claimant's TCPA and Maine UTPA 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 (national and Maine)
• ☐ Reassigned Numbers Database query/scrub logs (10 M.R.S. § 1499-B)
• ☐ 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/automated message audio, text-message content, and fax images
• ☐ Caller-ID configuration and any number-blocking records (10 M.R.S. § 1499-A)
• ☐ Contracts with dialer platforms, lead generators, and marketing vendors
• ☐ 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 thirty (30) days of receipt, directed to undersigned counsel at the address above. This 30-day period is intended to satisfy the MUTPA pre-suit demand requirement of 5 M.R.S. § 213(1-A).

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 District of Maine, 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. File a private MUTPA action under 5 M.R.S. § 213 in the Superior Court for [________________________________] County, Maine, seeking actual damages, restitution, equitable relief, and attorney's fees;
3. Refer Respondent's conduct to the Maine Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division for enforcement of the Maine Telephone Solicitation Act (10 M.R.S. §§ 1499-A, 1499-B), with civil penalties up to $10,000/$25,000 per violation;
4. File complaints with the FCC and the FTC (DoNotCall.gov / ReportFraud.ftc.gov); and
5. Pursue all other available remedies.

All rights, claims, defenses, and remedies are expressly reserved.

Signature Block

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

Respectfully,

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

Attorney for [________________________________]

Enclosures:

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

cc:

• ☐ Client file
• ☐ [________________________________]

Pre-Send Checklist

• ☐ Confirm number type (cell vs. residential) and national/Maine DNC registration dates
• ☐ Confirm no consent, express request, or established business relationship (18-month window, 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B(1)(D-1))
• ☐ 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
• ☐ Recognize that 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B is AG-enforced only — frame private recovery under the TCPA and 5 M.R.S. § 213
• ☐ Ensure this letter satisfies the 30-day written-demand prerequisite of 5 M.R.S. § 213(1-A) before any private MUTPA filing
• ☐ Confirm a MUTPA "personal, family, or household" purchase/transaction supports the § 213 claim
• ☐ Identify vendor/lead-source for vicarious-liability theory
• ☐ Send certified mail, return receipt requested; retain green card and tracking
• ☐ Calendar 30-day response/demand period
• ☐ 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
• 10 M.R.S. § 1499-B — Telephone solicitation: https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/10/title10sec1499-B.html
• 10 M.R.S. § 1499-A — Telemarketing; prohibition on number blocking: https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/10/title10sec1499-A.html
• 5 M.R.S. § 207 — Maine Unfair Trade Practices Act, unlawful acts: https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec207.html
• 5 M.R.S. § 213 — MUTPA private remedies (30-day demand): https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/5/title5sec213.html
• L.D. 2234 (2024) — Reassigned Numbers Database scrubbing requirement: https://legislature.maine.gov/bills/display_ps.asp?paper=HP1433&snum=131
• FCC Consumer Complaint Center: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/
• National Do Not Call Registry: https://www.donotcall.gov/
• Maine Attorney General — Consumer Protection Division: https://www.maine.gov/ag/consumer/
• FTC Report Fraud: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/