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A Texas lawsuit filed by Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, often shortened to PRA, usually involves an account that started with someone else: a credit card, store card or loan that the original lender charged off and sold. PRA then sues in its own name as the new owner. Because PRA has to prove it bought your specific account, the documents behind the sale are central to the case.
PRA is also subject to a 2023 federal court order that spells out what records it must have before it files a collection suit. This guide explains that order, its 2015 predecessor, and how both relate to a case in Texas.
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Who Is Portfolio Recovery Associates?
Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of PRA Group, Inc., according to PRA Group's annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The report describes PRA Group as a specialty finance company headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, whose primary business is purchasing, collecting and managing portfolios of nonperforming loans. It also says that for legal recovery it uses a combination of internal attorneys and staff, external law firms and other third-party service providers. So the lawyer on your petition may be a PRA employee or an outside Texas firm.
PRA's consumer website lists its customer care number as 1-800-772-1413 and its mailing address as Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, 120 Corporate Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23502. The site also has a Spanish version.
The Texas Secretary of State's debt collector registry shows an active bond for "Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC dba PRA, LLC" (file 20160114), filed June 20, 2016 with Hartford Casualty Insurance Company at that Norfolk address, and a separate active bond for PRA Receivables Management, LLC (file 20160016), as of our search on November 3, 2026. Third-party collectors must keep such a bond on file to collect in Texas (Finance Code § 392.101).
Texas Debt Law is not affiliated with Portfolio Recovery Associates or PRA Group.
First Steps: Verify the Case and Calendar the Deadline
Look up the case with the court clerk using a number from the court's official site, not one printed on a letter. Then note which court you are in:
- In a justice court, the written answer is due by the end of the 14th day after service (Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 502.5).
- In a county court at law or district court, it is due by 10:00 a.m. on the Monday after 20 days from service (Rule 99(b)).
Our answer deadline calculator does the counting. Missing the deadline can lead to a default judgment.
The 2015 CFPB Consent Order
On September 9, 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a consent order against PRA (File No. 2015-CFPB-0023). The CFPB's enforcement page states that the order required $19 million in consumer relief and an $8 million civil penalty, and that PRA stop collecting on about $3 million in judgments. The CFPB described prohibitions on stating a debt's amount or validity without substantiation, selling debt, threatening or filing collection suits without intending to prove the debt, filing false or misleading affidavits, and suing on or collecting time-barred debt without specified disclosures. The CFPB lists the 2015 order's status as expired, terminated or dismissed.
The 2023 Stipulated Judgment
On March 23, 2023, the CFPB sued PRA in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (No. 2:23-cv-00110), alleging violations of the 2015 order, the FDCPA, the Consumer Financial Protection Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The court entered a stipulated final judgment and order on April 13, 2023. PRA neither admitted nor denied the complaint's allegations, except as stated in the order. The order requires at least $12.18 million in consumer redress and a $12 million civil penalty.
For seven years after the order's effective date, the order bars PRA from:
- collecting any time-barred debt through litigation, arbitration or other legal collections;
- collecting time-barred debt by other means, such as calls and letters, without a specified disclosure that because of the debt's age PRA will not sue;
- engaging in legal collections, other than post-judgment collection, on accounts placed for legal collection more than 60 days after the effective date unless it has the account documents the order defines, a chronological list of all prior owners and the date of each transfer starting with the creditor at charge-off, each bill of sale or other transfer document that refers to the particular debt, and either a document the consumer signed opening the account or original account-level documentation reflecting a purchase or payment; and
- filing a breach-of-contract collection suit without the contractual terms and conditions that apply to the debt.
Our law update on PRA's 2023 CFPB order covers the allegations and the redress provisions in more detail.
Two cautions. The order is enforced by the CFPB through the federal court, not by individual consumers in their own collection cases. And it reflects the CFPB's allegations and the terms PRA agreed to in that matter; it says nothing about whether your debt is owed or how your case will come out. Its list of required documents is still a practical checklist for what to ask PRA to produce.
What PRA Must Prove in a Texas Court
As the plaintiff, PRA must prove the account agreement, your default, the balance, and its ownership of the account through every transfer. In justice court, a debt buyer's suit is governed by Rule 508. The petition must list, among other things, the original creditor, the account number, the date of assignment and the names of prior holders (Rule 508.2), and the plaintiff's evidence must show it owns the account and how it acquired it (Rule 508.3). In county or district court, a plaintiff may move for summary judgment based on affidavits. For motions filed on or after March 1, 2026, a response is due 21 days after the motion is filed (Rule 166a). See what is a motion for summary judgment?
Affidavits in debt-buyer cases generally rely on Texas Rules of Evidence 803(6) and 902(10), the business records rules. Questions to ask about PRA's records:
- Does a bill of sale or account list identify your account, or only a portfolio?
- Does the chain of ownership run without gaps from the original lender to PRA?
- Do the statements support the balance claimed, including any interest added after charge-off?
- Is the person signing the affidavit able to vouch for records created by the original lender?
Discovery is the tool for getting those documents; see what is discovery in a debt case?
Time-Barred Accounts
Texas generally sets a four-year limitations period for debt suits (Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.004). Finance Code § 392.307 prohibits a debt buyer from suing or starting arbitration on consumer debt once that period has run, and a later payment does not revive the claim. Regulation F, which applies to debt collectors nationwide, bans suits and threatened suits on time-barred debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26(b)). Compare the charge-off date and your last payment with the filing date, and raise limitations in your answer if it applies.
Your Rights When Dealing With PRA
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act's definition of "debt collector" includes a company whose principal purpose is collecting debts (15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6)), and PRA Group describes purchasing and collecting nonperforming loans as its primary business. The FDCPA bars false or misleading representations (15 U.S.C. § 1692e) and unfair practices (§ 1692f). Once PRA or its law firm knows you have a lawyer, it generally must contact your lawyer, not you (§ 1692c(a)(2)). The Texas Debt Collection Act adds state protections. If PRA or a firm collecting for it violates these laws, you may have a claim. We bring those claims as a separate lawsuit in federal court, never as a counterclaim in the collection suit, and they are a separate legal service from your debt defense. FDCPA claims generally must be filed within one year (§ 1692k(d)). Learn more on our Texas FDCPA attorneys page.
If you decide to settle, file an answer first, get the terms in writing, and make sure the agreement ends in a dismissal rather than an agreed judgment unless you understand and accept the difference.
How Texas Debt Law Helps
We file your answer, compare the petition and PRA's exhibits with Rule 508 and the evidence rules, request the ownership chain and account documents, check limitations, and respond to summary judgment motions. When a negotiated resolution makes more sense, we handle it in writing. We represent clients across Texas, mostly by phone, email and e-filing. We speak Spanish, and our phones are answered every day.
Debt defense is a flat fee based on the amount of the suit, from $400, with payment plans available:
| Amount of the Lawsuit | Our Flat Legal Fee | Payment Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Less than $1,000 | $400 | Up to 2 months |
| $1,001 – $3,000 | $500 | Up to 2 months |
| $3,001 – $5,000 | $750 | Up to 3 months |
| $5,001 – $7,500 | $1,000 | Up to 4 months |
| $7,501 – $10,000 | $1,250 | Up to 6 months |
| $10,001 – $12,500 | $1,500 | Up to 6 months |
| $12,501 – $15,000 | $1,750 | Up to 6 months |
| $15,001 – $20,000 | $2,000 | Up to 6 months |
| Over $20,000 | Call for Pricing | |
Call or text for a free review, or visit our Texas debt defense attorneys page.
Sources
- PRA Group, Inc., Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 (business, subsidiary, legal recovery, 2023 order)
- Portfolio Recovery Associates, Contact & FAQs (phone, mailing address)
- Texas Secretary of State, Debt Collector Search (search "Portfolio Recovery")
- CFPB enforcement action: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, File No. 2015-CFPB-0023
- CFPB enforcement action: CFPB v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, No. 2:23-cv-00110 (E.D. Va.)
- Stipulated Final Judgment and Order, entered April 13, 2023
- Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Rules 99, 166a, 502.5, 508)
- Texas Rules of Evidence (Rules 803(6), 902(10))
- Texas Finance Code ch. 392 (§§ 392.101, 392.307)
- Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code ch. 16 (§ 16.004)
- Regulation F, 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692–1692p
Helpful guides
General information, not legal advice for your case.