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You request a copy of your credit report and begin to review it. Suddenly you notice something: there's a collection account from a company called Johnson Mark LLC.
This item is hurting your credit score, and you don't have the slightest idea what it pertains to, or who this company even is. You definitely don't remember granting them permission to put negative information on your credit report, either.
This situation happens to thousands of people on a regular basis. Getting a collection notice can be incredibly frustrating, especially if it's from a law firm that threatens to sue you or garnish your wages. But once you understand who this company is, and the intricacies of how credit reporting works, you'll realize you have more power than you think.
In fact, according to a study conducted by U.S. PIRGs, around 79 percent of credit reports contain some kind of error or inaccuracy. That fact alone should change the way you react to this debt. It's not a question of whether you owe money or not. It's a question of whether Johnson Mark LLC can verify that they have the right to collect this debt from you, and report it to the credit bureaus.
Who is Johnson Mark LLC?
Johnson Mark LLC is a debt collection law firm. Their main office is located in the state of Utah, and they have been in business since January 2005. That means they've been around for over two decades. Here is some basic information about the company:
Address: 4548 S. Atherton Dr., Suite 100 Salt Lake City (Taylorsville), Utah 84123
Secondary office: 901 Brutscher St Suite D204 PMB 401 Newberg, OR 97132
Phone: (888) 599-6333 or (801) 285-5700
Email: customercare@jmlaw.com
Years in business: 21 (founded January 26, 2005)
Trade name: JM Law
Johnson Mark LLC primarily represents major debt buyers and original creditors like:
- LVNV Funding LLC
- Midland Funding LLC
- Portfolio Recovery Associates
- Capital One Bank
- Credit One Bank
- Barclays Bank
This means that the debts they're trying to collect are often bought and sold several times before you even see them on your credit report.
What Their Record Says About Them
Johnson Mark LLC has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau, based in Oregon. This is the lowest possible rating that the BBB gives to any company. They received this rating because they failed to respond to multiple complaints filed through the BBB system. In fact, out of 22 recent complaints, Johnson Mark LLC failed to respond to several of them at all.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received over 94 complaints about Johnson Mark LLC. In 2021, the CFPB received 12 complaints about this company. This means they rank #961 for all companies in the entire country for the number of complaints they received in 2021.
32 percent of the complaints that the CFPB received about Johnson Mark LLC were disputed by the consumer, even after the company responded to the complaint.
In addition, the company has been sued at least 11 times for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. These lawsuits have taken place in several different states, including:
- Utah
- Arizona
- Oregon
- Texas
Here's what one consumer had to say about them in a BBB complaint:
"This company is in the business of harassment. I have received at least 2 calls a day asking for a person that I have informed them on several occasions is NOT associated with this phone number. Still they call."
Your Rights When Dealing with Johnson Mark LLC
The FCRA and FDCPA Give You Leverage
The two laws that govern credit reporting and debt collection in this country are the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. These laws aren't just something you can use as a defense if a debt collection company sues you. Instead, you can use them as offense when you're communicating with the credit bureaus and debt collection agencies.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, everything on your credit report has to be 100 percent accurate and verifiable. When you dispute something on your credit report, the credit bureau has 30 days to investigate and respond to your dispute. This creates a time crunch for collection agencies because they must respond within 30 days. In many cases, they're unable to do so. Many debts that have been sold to a third party agency cannot be verified with the proper documentation.
Under the FDCPA, collection agencies can't harass or abuse you. They also have to validate the debt if you request it. Johnson Mark LLC has been sued multiple times for violating the FDCPA. In fact, one court ruled that the language they used in one of their collection letters was confusing under the "least sophisticated consumer test."
Why You Should Dispute First
When you see a collection account pop up on your credit report, your first instinct is probably to just pay the collection agency so that it goes away. But this can be a huge mistake.
When you pay a collection account, you're not making the account go away. Instead, you're simply changing the status of the account from unpaid to paid. The account will still remain on your credit report for 7 years from the original date of delinquency. You'll be wasting your money and still have the negative account on your report.
If you dispute the account instead, you force the credit reporting agency to remove the account if it's inaccurate, incorrect, fraudulent, or unverifiable within the 30 day time period. If the account is completely removed, that's the best outcome you can get because it means the negative account is gone.
The 30 day clock is in your favor here because the credit reporting agency must investigate and respond within that time period. Often, the collection agency is unable to respond within that time period with the information that's needed to verify the debt. This is particularly true for third-party debts because they may not have all of the proper documentation to verify the debt.
Purchased Debt Collection
Debt as a Commodity
As previously mentioned, Johnson Mark LLC primarily represents debt buyers like:
- LVNV Funding
- Midland Funding
- Portfolio Recovery Associates
This means the debts they're collecting have already been charged off by the original creditor. The original creditor has written the debt off their books, and is no longer involved in collecting it. Instead, the debt has been sold to a third party agency that's trying to collect it in order to make a profit.
So the next time you get a letter from a collection agency, you should realize that the agency did not lend you any money or provide you with any kind of service. Instead, they purchased your debt for pennies on the dollar and are now trying to collect it from you to make a profit.
This should completely shift the way you think about the debt. After all, the debt collection agency does not have the same right to collect a debt from you that the original creditor did. All they have is a right to attempt to collect it and make a profit. But in order to exercise that right, they have to be able to verify that they own the debt and that it's valid. And every time the debt is sold, the documentation gets lost or destroyed a little bit more.
CFPB Complaints Allege Inflated Amounts
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has received many complaints about Johnson Mark LLC. Here's what one of them says:
"I received papers for a garnishment at my place of employment and had no knowledge of the judgement. The debt was from 2011. I called the company and told them I had not received any notification of the debt or the judgement. The debt does not even appear on my credit report."
What's interesting about this complaint is that the consumer is completely unaware that a judgement against them even exists, let alone that the company is trying to garnish their wages over it. There are several other complaints just like this one. Apparently, it's common for Johnson Mark LLC to attempt to collect debts that the consumer is not even aware of.
But this could create an opportunity for you. After all, if the company is attempting to collect a debt without properly notifying you, that could be considered harassment. And if the amount they're attempting to collect is incorrect, that's another problem altogether.
You have the right to request validation of the debt at any time. When you do, the company is required to cease all collection activities until they can provide you with proper validation of the debt. If they're unable to do so, that could be a sign that they do not have the proper documentation to collect the debt. And that could mean that they're unable to put the debt on your credit report.
In fact, one CFPB complaint against the company alleges that they attempted to collect an incorrect amount.
"I do not feel this company has any right to collect this debt from me, as it is not mine. They are attempting to collect more money from me than is owed on the debt."
Apparently this is a common practice among debt collectors. In fact, this is why many states require collection agencies to notify you in writing before they attempt to collect a debt from you. The written notification should include information about the original debt, such as:
- The amount of the debt
- The name of the original creditor
- The date of the debt
Your Rights
When a debt is sold, the chain of documentation is only as strong as its weakest link. If the chain of documentation is broken at any point, that could invalidate the debt. So if Johnson Mark LLC is attempting to collect a debt from you that's been sold multiple times, that could create an opportunity for you to get out of the debt.
Here's why: Every time a debt is sold, the documentation gets lost or destroyed a little bit more. For example, the original contract that you signed with the creditor may be lost. The payment history may be destroyed. The account number may be incorrect. All of these things could potentially invalidate the debt in your favor.
The CFPB has received several complaints about this company, alleging that their customer service is horrible and that they often attempt to collect the incorrect amount.
"I called to make a payment arrangement on a debt and was told they would not accept payments for this debt. Now they are trying to sue me for this debt."
Apparently, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing at this company.
We previously mentioned that the company has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau. Much of this rating comes from their complete and utter failure to respond to consumer complaints filed through the BBB system. In fact, out of 22 recent complaints filed against the company, they failed to respond to several of them.
If they can't or won't respond to complaints filed through the BBB, why would they respond to disputes filed through the credit reporting agency? The answer is, they probably won't.
So if Johnson Mark LLC puts a debt on your credit report and you dispute it, they may not respond to the dispute in time. And if they don't respond, the credit reporting agency is required to remove the debt completely. So this could create an opportunity for you to get out of the debt completely, simply because the company can't or won't respond to disputes in a timely manner.
Common Debt Collection Practices
Playing on Urgency and Fear
Debt collection revolves around urgency. Letters and calls are meant to prompt you into action without verifying the debt or the balance. Johnson Mark is a law firm, adding legal pressure to their collection attempts.
Consumer complaints describe hard line wage and bank garnishment efforts. Many first learn about judgments only after wages or bank funds are seized. A December 2025 BBB complaint read, in part: "Johnson Mark never served me Court paperwork but said they did for a debt I don't owe and drained my bank account."
The threat of a court judgment drives the reaction of many to seek immediate payment. Stepping back to calm down allows you to consider your options carefully. You have legal rights. You can dispute. Paying due to urgency and pressure often means giving up options you did not know existed.
Asymmetry of Information
Debt collection agencies understand credit reporting, collection practices, and litigation. Most consumers do not. This information imbalance enables debt collection agencies to pursue questionable debts, relying on the consumer to simply pay up.
Johnson Mark reportedly generates $13.4 million in annual revenue, employing between 51 and 200 people in their collection business. They have procedures, protocols, and attorneys dedicated to maximizing collection revenue. Most consumers facing a collection for the first time are woefully unprepared to deal with this imbalance of resources.
The FCRA and FDCPA are filled with nuances and strategies that attorneys understand but consumers do not. Knowing when and how to dispute, what to ask for, and how to respond are not intuitive. They represent specialized knowledge that can mean the difference between paying a collection and leaving it on a credit report or getting it deleted completely.
The Consumer's Best Next Step
Why Silence is Golden
No conversation with a debt collector is without risk. Admitting to a debt, even in passing, can extend a statute of limitations or build evidence against you. Providing identifying information confirms who you are and how to contact you. Agreeing to make a payment, even hypothetically, can be used against you.
Several consumer complaints against Johnson Mark describe communication issues related to phone calls. A FindLaw review included the comment: "They do not answer the phone. On hold forever. Then gave me the runaround." Several BBB complaints detail instances of consumers being hung up on when calling to address wage or bank garnishment issues.
Direct engagement with this collector has proven to be counter-productive for many. Engaging through proper, formal channels with professional representation avoids the risk of saying something that diminishes your position. Disputes sent through the credit bureaus leave paper trails. Potential lawsuits initiated by a consumer protection attorney can address FDCPA violations. These structured communications offer protection not always found in phone calls.
Why Professional Help Yields the Best Outcome
Managing a collection from a law firm that has been sued at least 11 times in federal court for FDCPA violations requires more than a passing familiarity with your rights. Navigating a dispute with a firm that operates on the scale of Johnson Mark requires fluency in both credit reporting and debt collection.
Credit repair experts grasp the most effective ways to word a dispute to compel a proper response. They understand which information requests place the most burden on the collector. They recognize when responses do not meet verification standards. This fluency yields outcomes that self-advocacy cannot match.
The objective is deletion of the collection account. Not negotiating. Not settling. Not making payments and leaving the negative account on your report. Professional representatives grasp the pathways to this objective through intelligent application of consumer protection law.
Recap
Being contacted by Johnson Mark on your credit report does not mean you have to accept the account or make a rush payment. The firm carries an F rating from the Better Business Bureau and has drawn over 94 CFPB complaints as well as at least 11 federal lawsuits alleging Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations. This history suggests not every debt is documented or reported correctly.
The credit reporting system demands accuracy and verifiability. If a collection account fails to meet these standards, it can be deleted. Disputing inaccurate, erroneous, or unverifiable information is not shirking responsibility. It is exercising rights explicitly provided to consumers under federal law.
Recognizing purchased debt as a commodity, the exploitation of urgency and information, and the opportunities created by the 30-day dispute window can fundamentally shift how you approach this challenge. Deletion of the collection account is possible if you utilize the right strategies.
Act Now
A collection account from Johnson Mark does not have to remain on your credit report and continue to lower your credit score. The firm's history of consumer complaints, failure to meet BBB standards, and exposure to federal litigation suggests susceptibility to well-crafted disputes.
FightCollections.com specializes in helping consumers deal with debt collectors by disputing inaccurate information on credit reports. Our staff has deep knowledge of the most effective strategies for disputing collections accounts. We know how to work the verification process to your advantage, how to leverage federal consumer protection law, and pursue the deletion that represents the best outcome for you.
Contact FightCollections.com today for a free consultation. Allow us to put our knowledge to work for you in disputing Johnson Mark and pursuing deletion of their collection account from your credit report. Your credit score should not be held hostage by a debt collector who cannot properly verify their claims.