When Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery (LMM) first contacts you – maybe through a text from shortcode 47327, or a letter about a medical bill you never saw, or a call about debt from years ago – your immediate reaction is confusion mixed with panic.
You check your credit report, review your accounts, and find nothing. Yet they’re insisting you owe money, and their professional tone makes you wonder if somehow you missed something important.
This confusion makes sense. You’re dealing with a company that maintains a 4.4-star Google rating from 675 reviews while facing over 50 federal lawsuits for collection practices.
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Understanding how they operate – and where their practices may cross legal lines – can help you determine whether you actually owe this debt and how to protect your rights.
Who Is Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery
Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery, Inc. operates as a third-party debt collection agency headquartered in Richardson, Texas. Founded in 2007 with their website established in 2015, they specialize in medical debt, telecommunications, and financial services collections.
Contact information:
- Address: 1401 N Central Expy, Suite 225, Richardson, TX 75080
- Main: (877) 214-3355
- Other: (214) 522-6424, (214) 861-7201
- Text shortcode: 47327
Who they collect for: Major medical providers, telecommunications companies (AT&T, Verizon), financial institutions, and third-party debt buyers. If you had medical tests sent to third-party labs, hospital visits, or telecommunications services, LMM might be contacting you on behalf of these creditors.
Is Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery Legitimate or a Scam
Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery is a legitimate debt collection agency, not a scam. Their phone number (877-214-3355) is real, their website has been operating since 2015, and they maintain a 4.4-star rating from 675 Google reviews. They use legitimate shortcode 47327 for text messages – something scammers cannot easily spoof.
However, legitimacy doesn’t mean their collection practices are always legal or that you actually owe the debt. With over 50 federal lawsuits filed against them, there’s documented evidence of practices that may violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
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Why Medical Debt Creates Confusion With LMM
If you’re wondering how you could owe medical debt you never knew about, you’re experiencing one of the most common problems with medical collections.
- Here’s what happens: Medical tests get sent to third-party labs for analysis. These third parties bill you separately – but frequently have outdated contact information. The bills never reach you. Months later, the account goes to collections.
- Recent changes make this worse: Medical debt no longer shows up on credit reports until it’s been in collections for a while. You can incur medical debt, have it go to collections, and never see it on your credit report until LMM contacts you.
- Real consumer experience: “I had surgery and provided my insurance – I would only be paying a few hundred dollars. I then get a letter like a year later saying I need to pay more because my insurance didn’t cover as much as they said.”
The Text Message From Shortcode 47327
You receive a text from 47327 claiming to be a debt collection for “Parc.Ref#” requesting your Social Security Number. Every instinct screams “scam.”
- But here’s the reality: LMM uses shortcode 47327 for legitimate texts. The formatting looks suspicious because texts are character-limited. They request your SSN to verify identity, which is proper protocol for privacy protection.
- How to verify safely: Don’t provide your SSN via text. Reply “STOP” to prevent further texts. When they call, request a debt validation letter before providing information. Check annualcreditreport.com for any medical or telecom debts.
Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery Reviews: The Full Picture
Their 4.4-star Google rating from 675 reviews seems impressive. But you find a divide between consumers who successfully resolved legitimate debts and those who faced aggressive tactics.
- Positive experiences: Quick responses when consumers initiated contact, willingness to work out payment plans, and professional communication when the debt was clearly valid.
- Negative experiences: Continued contact after explaining a wrong number, collection attempts on medical debt with proof of payment, reopening of disputes that had fallen off credit reports, and refusal to accept low settlements.
- What this reveals: When you legitimately owe a debt you’re aware of and initiate contact, LMM may be reasonable. When there’s confusion about debt validity, their practices reportedly become more aggressive.
Federal Lawsuits Show Pattern of FDCPA Violations
With over 50 federal cases, they face consistent allegations of FDCPA violations. Key cases include
- Wright v. Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery (0:14-cv-62653-JIC),
- Lopez v. Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery (1:17-cv-03367-RA),
- Franz v. Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery (2:11-cv-02307-KJM-DAD),
- Thompson v. Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery (3:15-cv-00465-BJD-JRK), and
- Ingham v. Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery (1:16-cv-24255-PCH).
When a company faces this volume of federal litigation, it indicates systematic practices that may violate consumer protection laws.
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How to Remove Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery From Your Credit Report
If LMM appears on your credit report, you have several strategies.
- If the debt is NOT yours: File disputes with all three credit bureaus, documenting why it’s inaccurate. Send LMM a debt validation letter demanding proof. If they cannot validate, they must cease collection and remove the tradeline.
- If the debt IS yours: Negotiate “pay for delete” – removal in exchange for payment. Real success: “I got my debt removed by paying $60.” Or contact the original creditor to recall the debt in exchange for direct payment – once recalled, LMM must remove themselves. Make deletion contingent on payment and get it in writing.
- Critical warning: “Do not send any money unless you receive a settlement letter. Pay with a check and keep copies.”
Important: Medical debt no longer shows on credit reports once paid.
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Settlement Strategies That Work With LMM
Real consumer experiences reveal what works when negotiating.
- From a debt negotiator: “You should be able to settle for 50% or less. Offer them a low ball and have them counter. Do not tell them you have money on hand. Tell them you are borrowing the money.”
- Real example: Consumer owed $4,772, offered $1,200 as a starting point. Negotiators suggest settling for 50% or less.
- Key tactics: Start with 25-30% of balance, never admit you have cash, wait until the end of the month when collectors have quotas, request deletion as part of the settlement, get everything in writing BEFORE payment, pay with a check, not a card, keep copies of everything.
Understanding Their Letters and Communications
The initial contact letter should include: the amount they claim you owe, the original creditor’s name, your right to dispute within 30 days, and a statement that they’ll assume the debt is valid unless you dispute.
If their letter is missing this information or is confusing about who owns the debt, this may violate FDCPA requirements.
Text messages from 47327: Will reference a creditor, may request contact via phone, should not demand immediate SSN via text.
Phone calls: May come from multiple numbers, should identify themselves as debt collectors, cannot call before 8 AM or after 9 PM, must stop workplace calls if you tell them your employer prohibits them.
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When Medical Debt Reopens On Your Credit Report
One frustrating experience: disputing LMM collection, having it fall off, then seeing it “reopen” months later.
- What’s happening: The dispute temporarily removed it during investigation, then it was re-reported after LMM verified. The “reopening” isn’t a new collection – it’s the same debt being re-reported.
- Critical clarification: The reporting date is based on the date of delinquency – NOT when LMM acquired the debt. Even if it appears “reopened,” it should still fall off 7 years from the original delinquency date.
- What to do: Pull official credit reports from annualcreditreport.com (not Credit Karma), verify the “date of first delinquency,” and if they’re reporting a newer date than the actual delinquency, dispute this as inaccurate.
How The Wood Law Firm Stops LMM and Holds Them Accountable
When facing a company with 50+ federal lawsuits while maintaining a 4.4-star rating, you need representation that understands the gap between their image and documented practices.
- What we do: Send cease-and-desist demands, stopping contact. Investigate medical debt you never received bills for due to third-party lab confusion. Challenge collection authority when they lack clear documentation. Verify insurance explanations of benefits. Pursue damages for violations, including workplace calls after notice, contact outside legal hours, or failure to provide proper validation.
- Why they’re vulnerable: Medical debt focus means they often lack documentation proving proper billing. Their 50+ federal lawsuits create precedent. Text message collections create documentation of violations.
You pay nothing unless we win. They pay attorney fees if we prevail. Contact stops within 48 hours.
About Attorney Jeff Wood
Attorney Jeff Wood has spent over 15 years fighting for consumers against debt collectors using illegal tactics. Licensed in Arkansas and admitted to practice in federal courts across nine districts, Mr. Wood focuses exclusively on FDCPA, FCRA, and TCPA violations.
Contact The Wood Law Firm at +1 844-638-1122.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery
1. How can I find reviews for Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery?
Check Google Reviews (4.4 stars from 675 reviews), Better Business Bureau, and consumer forums like Reddit, where consumers share real experiences with their collection practices and settlement negotiations.
2. What services does Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery provide?
Third-party debt collection primarily focused on medical debt, telecommunications (AT&T, Verizon), and financial services. They handle both first-party collections and purchased debt portfolios.
3. Is the text from shortcode 47327 legitimate?
Yes. LMM uses shortcode 47327 for legitimate debt collection texts. However, don’t provide your SSN via text – reply STOP and request written validation by mail.
4. Who does Lockhart, Morris & Montgomery collect for?
Major medical providers (hospitals, third-party labs), telecommunications companies (AT&T, Verizon), and financial institutions, and they purchase older debt portfolios from various creditors.
5. How do I remove them from my credit report?
Options include: (1) Dispute if inaccurate, (2) Negotiate “pay for delete,” (3) Ask original creditor to recall debt in exchange for direct payment, (4) For medical debt, simply paying removes it from reports.
6. Can they garnish my wages?
Only after suing you and obtaining a court judgment. They cannot garnish wages just because you owe debt.
7. Why did my collection “reopen” on my credit report?
Likely it was temporarily removed during dispute investigation, then re-reported after verification. The date of first delinquency (not the re-reporting date) determines when it falls off.
8. What settlement percentage should I offer?
Start with 25-30% of the balance. Debt negotiators suggest LMM typically settles for 50% or less. Never admit you have cash on hand – claim you’re borrowing funds.
9. What should their validation letter include?
Amount owed, original creditor name, date of delinquency, your right to dispute within 30 days, and a statement about how they’ll verify if you dispute.
10. What if they won’t accept less than $200 payments?
Their minimum payment requirements are negotiable, especially on older debt. This is a business preference, not a legal requirement. Counter with what you can afford.
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