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L0IBY TANu, inuiviuually anu on behalf )
of a class, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. )
)
STELLAR REC0vERY, INC, )
)
Befenuant. )

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1. Plaintiff, Loiuy Tang ("Plaintiff"), biings this action inuiviuually anu on
behalf of a class uefineu heiein against Befenuant Stellai Recoveiy, Inc.
("Befenuant").
2. Befenuant impiopeily calleu Plaintiff using a pieuictive uialei
accompanieu with a pieiecoiueu voice message on Plaintiff's anu the class
membeis' cellulai telephones without expiess piioi consent in violation of the
Telephone Consumei Piotection Act, 47 0.S.C. 227 ("TCPA").
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S. This Couit has juiisuiction unuei 28 0.S.C. 1SS1 (Feueial Question),
28 0.S.C. 1SS7 (Inteistate Commeice); 1S 0.S.C. 1692k ("FBCPA"); anu 47 0.S.C.
227 ("TCPA") !"#$$ &' ()*+,"-.#/0 1)20 3)4+56 7+8'6 427 F.Su 446 (7th Cii. 2uuS).
4. venue anu peisonal juiisuiction ovei Befenuant in this Bistiict is
piopei because:
a. Plaintiff iesiues in the Bistiict;
Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 1 of 10 PageID #:1
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b. Befenuant tiansacts business in the Bistiict via the
telephone lines; anu
c. Befenuant's collection activities complaineu of occuiieu
within the Bistiict.
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S. Plaintiff is an inuiviuual who iesiues in the Noithein Bistiict of
Illinois.
6. Stellai Recoveiy Inc., is a Floiiua company with an office locateu
Kalisoell, Nontana. Seivice of piocess in Illinois can be maue on Befenuant at
Business Filings Incoipoiateu, 6uu S. Seconu Stieet, Spiingfielu, Illinois 627uS.
.*,$)

7. Plaintiff has a cellulai telephone assigneu the telephone numbei XXX-
XXX-848S. The fiist seven uigits of Plaintiff's cellulai telephone numbei aie
ieuacteu heiein uue to piivacy consiueiations.
8. Befenuant uses one oi moie telephone systems that aie capable of
uialing telephone numbeis without human inteivention (i.e. the system, iathei than
a human being, uials the uigits to make telephone calls.) Foi puiposes of this
complaint, such a telephone system will be iefeiieu to as a Pieuictive Bialei.
9. 0pon infoimation anu belief, one oi moie of uefenuant's calls to XXX-
XXX-848S. was maue using a Pieuictive Bialei.
1u. 0pon infoimation anu belief, a Pieuictive Bialei uialeu phone numbei
XXX-XXX-848S foi Befenuant calls to that numbei.
Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 2 of 10 PageID #:2
S
11. 0pon infoimation anu belief, one oi moie of the Pieuictive Bialei(s)
uefenuant uses aie capable of ueliveiing a "foim" oi "stock" auuio message that has
been pieviously iecoiueu. In othei woius, the same iecoiuing (oi copy theieof)
message is useu ovei anu ovei foi uiffeient calls. Foi puiposes of this complaint,
such a message shall be iefeiieu to as a "Pieiecoiueu Nessage."
12. Fuithei, upon infoimation anu belief, one oi moie of uefenuant's
Pieuictive Bialei(s) that uses Pieiecoiueu Nessages is also capable of using text-to-
speech customization to inseit, foi example, the name of the peison whom
Befenuant is tiying to ieach into the message. Foi puiposes of this complaint, the
inseiteu poition of the message is iefeiieu to as an "Aitificial voice."
1S. 0n infoimation anu belief the Pieuictive Bialei is piogiammeu with
softwaie that uses an algoiithm which ueteimines to uial in sequence telephone
numbeis telephone numbeis that have been imputeu into a uata base; in shoit the
Nobel Pieuictive Bialei uials one numbei anu then moves on to the next numbei in
the uatabase, not calling the same numbei ovei anu ovei.
14. Befenuant left the following message on plaintiff's voice mail:
This message is foi |pausej Floience Nussat. If you aie not |pausej Floience
Nussat please hang up oi uisconnect. If you aie |pausej Floience Nussat
please continue to listen to this message. Theie will now be a thiee seconu
pause in this message. By continuing to listen to this message you
acknowleuge that you aie |pausej Floience Nussat. You shoulu not listen to
this message so that othei people can heai it as it contains peisonal anu
piivate infoimation. Theie will now be a thiee seconu pause in this message
to allow you to listen to this message in piivate. This is Stellai Recoveiy, Inc.
at 866-86u-8796. This communication is fiom a uebt collectoi. This is an
attempt to collect a uebt anu any infoimation obtaineu will be useu foi that
puipose. Please contact me about an impoitant business mattei at 866-86u-
8796. uoou-bye.

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1S. Poitions of this message weie a Pieiecoiueu Nessage, as uefineu
heiein.
16. Poitions of this message weie maue with an Aitificial voice.
17. 0pon infoimation anu belief the placement of the name "Floience
Nussat"" is text-to-speech customization that inseits, in pait, the peison's name of
whom Befenuant was tiying to ieach into the foim pieiecoiueu message anu a
iefeience numbei Befenuant has assigneu to that peison's account.
18. Befenuant has no ielationship with Plaintiff.
19. Floience Nussat is Plaintiff's employei.
2u. The numbei that was captuieu by calleu-iu foi the call above was S12-
878-8627. The numbei S12-878-8627 is "spoofeu", not the ieal telephone numbei
that placeu the call to Plaintiff. Befenuant's conuuct violateu the technical iules of
the TCPA 227(e)(1).
21. The telephone numbei 866-86u-8796 is a numbei useu by Befenuant.
0pon calling the telephone numbei 866-86u-8796, the callei is piompteu to input
the ten uigit numbei that Befenuant was attempting to call the peison at.
22. 0n infoimation anu belief, given that one puipose of a Pieuictive
Bialei is to ieach a laige volume of peisons quickly, Befenuant has calleu thousanus
of othei consumeis using its Pieuictive Bialei(s). Noie than fifty of these calls weie
to cellulai telephones.
2S. 0n infoimation anu belief, given that one puipose of a Pieiecoiueu
Nessage is to piomote unifoimity of messages to multiple uebtois anu to pioviue
that message to multiple call iecipients quickly, Befenuant has useu Pieiecoiueu
Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 4 of 10 PageID #:4
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Nessages in calls with thousanus of consumeis othei than plaintiff. Noie than fifty
of these calls weie to cellulai telephones.
24. 0n infoimation anu belief, given that one puipose of an Aitificial voice
is to peimit uefenuant to peisonalize laige volumes of Pieiecoiueu Nessage calls,
Befenuant has useu an Aitificial voice in calls to thousanus of consumeis othei than
plaintiff. Noie than fifty of these calls weie to cellulai telephones.
2S. The Association of Cieuit anu Collection Piofessionals ("ACA
Inteinational") has stateu that, "|Ijt is cleai |the FBCPA anu TCPAj apply to
consumeis anu non-consumeis. Theiefoie, collectois shoulu take steps to scan
theii collection lists anu ensuie uebt collectois aie contacting the coiiect
consumei."
26. 0pon infoimation anu belief, baseu upon the fact that plaintiff, a non-
uebtoi, ieceiveu calls maue with a Pieuictive Bialei, that useu Pieiecoiueu voice
Nessages anu Aitificial voices, whatevei steps uefenuant has taken to ensuie it is
contacting the coiiect consumei aie insufficient.
27. ACA Inteinational has also concluueu that, "|Ejiioneously uialeu
numbeis likely aie not exempteu fiom the |TCPA anu FCC iegulationsj peitaining to
autouialeis anu pieiecoiueu messages. Thus, a uebt collectoi may face liability
unuei the TCPA anu coiiesponuing FCC iegulations foi autouialeu anu pieiecoiueu
message calls placeu to the wiong inuiviuual.").
28. Befenuant coulu have ueteimineu that the telephone numbei enuing
in S7S7 that it uialeu was a cellulai telephone numbei. 900 0':', 7+ "0 ;*$05 4+/
;0:*$4,#)+5 72<$020+,#+: ,=0 >0$0<=)+0 ()+5*20" ?"),08,#)+ @8, )A BCCB ;0D*05, )A
Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 5 of 10 PageID #:5
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@(@ 7+,0"+4,#)+4$ A)" ($4"#A#84,#)+ 4+/ E08$4"4,)"- ;*$#+:, uC Bocket No. u2-278, p.
9 n. S4 (}an 4, 2uu8) ("900 FGGH >(?@ I"/0", 18 FCC Rcu at 14117, paia. 17u. 900 4$5)
BNA Wiieless Numbei Suppiession List at http:piefeience.the-
uma.oigpiouucts wiieless.shtml. Neustai also has available a seivice that
pioviues uata on numbeis poiteu fiom wiieline to wiieless seivice on a uaily basis.
900 http:www.tcpacompliance.com.").
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29. Plaintiff incoipoiates paiagiaphs 1-Su above.
Su. The Telephone Consumei Piotection Act, 47 0.S.C. 227 pioviues in
peitinent pait:
(b) Restiictions on use of automateu telephone equipment.
(1) Piohibitions. It shall be unlawful foi any peison within the 0niteu
States, oi any peison outsiue the 0niteu States if the iecipient is
within the 0niteu States-
(A) to make any call (othei than a call maue foi emeigency
puiposes oi maue with the piioi expiess consent of the calleu
paity) using any automatic telephone uialing system oi an
aitificial oi pieiecoiueu voice-
* * *
(iii) to any telephone numbei assigneu to a paging seivice,
cellulai telephone seivice, specializeu mobile iauio seivice,
oi othei iauio common caiiiei seivice, oi any seivice foi
which the calleu paity is chaigeu foi the call; . . .

S1. Befenuant's phone calls to Plaintiff anu the Class' cellulai telephones
using automatic telephone uialing systems anuoi an aitificial oi pieiecoiueu voice,
as piosciibeu violateu the TCPA.
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S2. Plaintiff biings this class action seeking uamages on behalf of a class
Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 6 of 10 PageID #:6
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puisuant to FEB. R. CIv. P. 2S(a) anu 2S(b)(S).
SS. Plaintiff also biings this class action seeking ueclaiatoiy anu
injunctive ielief to piohibit Befenuant fiom placing futuie telephone calls with an
automatic telephone uialing seivice anuoi an aitificial oi pieiecoiueu voice to
peisons who uiu not pioviue piioi expiess consent foi theii cellulai telephone
numbei to be calleu by Befenuant, puisuant to FEB. R. CIv. P. 2S(a) anu 2S(b)(2).
S4. The class consists of: (a) all natuial peisons with a cellulai telephone
numbei coiiesponuing to an Illinois aiea coue (b) that was calleu by Befenuant (c)
with an automatic telephone uialing seivice anuoi an aitificial oi pieiecoiueu
voice uuiing a peiiou (u) wheie Befenuant's iecoius show that the peison ieceiveu
at lease one phone call placeu by the automatic telephone uialing seivice anuoi an
aitificial oi pieiecoiueu voice (e) wheie Befenuant's iecoius uo not show any
expiess piioi consent to call that peison's cellulai telephone piioi to the fiist call
placeu by the automatic telephone uialing seivice anuoi an aitificial oi
pieiecoiueu voice, (f) fiom }anuaiy 27, 2uu7 to }anuaiy 27, 2u11. Excluueu aie
peisons who poiteu theii cellulai telephone numbei uuiing the class time peiiou.
SS. Theie aie questions of law anu fact common to the membeis of the
class, which common questions pieuominate ovei any questions ielating to
inuiviuual class membeis.
S6. The pieuominant question is whethei calling peisons' cellulai
telephone with an automatic telephone uialing seivice anuoi an aitificial oi
pieiecoiueu voice who aie not the peison who contiacteu foi anu is obligateu to the
unueilying uebt Befenuant was tiying to collect, violates the TCPA.
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S7. Plaintiff's claims aie typical of the claims of the class membeis in that
the allegeu violations aie all baseu on the lack of piioi expiess consent.
S8. The class is so numeious that joinuei of all the membeis is
impiactical.
S9. 0n infoimation anu belief theie aie 4u peisons who aie iuentifieu by
the class uefinition above.
4u. Plaintiff will faiily anu auequately iepiesent the membeis of the class.
41. Plaintiff has ietaineu expeiienceu counsel in TCPA matteis anu class
action litigation.
42. A class action is supeiioi foi the faii anu efficient aujuuication of this
mattei in that:
a. Befenuant's couise of conuuct affects a laige gioup of
inuiviuuals;
b. Nultiple inuiviuual actions aie not juuicially economical; anu
c. The Class membeis aie unawaie that theii iights have been
violateu.
6%&+.-+&, Plaintiff iequests this Bonoiable Couit to entei juugment foi
Plaintiff anu the Class anu against Befenuant foi:
(1) Appiopiiate statutoiy uamages unuei the TCPA;
(2) Costs of litigation; anu
(S) An injunction piohibiting uefenuant fiom futuie
violations of the TCPA with iespect to Plaintiff anu the class,
along with coiiesponuing ueclaiatoiy ielief.
Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 8 of 10 PageID #:8
9

Respectfully submitteu,

s Cuitis C. Wainei
Cuitis C. Wainei

Cuitis C. Wainei (6282197)
cwaineiwaineilawllc.com
Wainei Law Fiim, LLC
Nillennium Paik Plaza
1SS N. Nichigan Ave. Ste. S6u
Chicago, Illinois 6u6u1
(S12) 2S8-982u (TEL)

Alexanuei B. Buike
B0RKE LAW 0FFICES, LLC
1SS N. Nichigan Ave., Suite 9u2u
Chicago, IL 6u6u1
(S12) 729-S288
(S12) 729-S289 (fax)
ABuikeBuikeLawLLC.com

"-$!,& -. /!&"

Please be auviseu that the Wainei Law Fiim, LLC anu Buike Law 0ffices, LLC
claim a lien upon any iecoveiy heiein foi 1S of that amount oi such an amount as
the Couit awaius.
Respectfully submitteu,

s Cuitis C. Wainei
Cuitis C. Wainei

Cuitis C. Wainei (6282197) Alexanuei B. Buike
cwaineiwaineilawllc.com Buike Law 0ffices, LLC
Wainei Law Fiim, LLC 1SS N. Nichigan Ave., Suite 9u2u
Nillennium Paik Plaza Chicago, IL 6u6u1
1SS N. Nichigan Ave. Ste. S6u (S12) 729-S288
Chicago, Illinois 6u6u1 (S12) 729-S289 (fax)
(S12) 2S8-982u (TEL) ABuikeBuikeLawLLC.com



Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 9 of 10 PageID #:9
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Plaintiff heieby uemanus that the uefenuant take affiimative steps to
pieseive all iecoiuings, uata, uocuments anu all othei tangible things that ielate to
plaintiff oi the putative class membeis, the events uesciibeu heiein, any thiiu paity
associateu with any telephone call, campaign, account, sale oi file associateu with
plaintiff oi the putative class membeis, anu any account oi numbei oi symbol
ielating to any of them. These mateiials aie veiy likely ielevant to the litigation of
this claim. If uefenuant is awaie of any thiiu paity that has possession, custouy oi
contiol of any such mateiials, plaintiff uemanus that uefenuant iequest that such
thiiu paity also take steps to pieseive the mateiials. This uemanu shall not naiiow
the scope of any inuepenuent uocument pieseivation uuties of the uefenuant.

sCuitis C. Wainei

Case: 1:11-cv-00600 Document #: 1 Filed: 01/27/11 Page 10 of 10 PageID #:10

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