Bank of America collection calls netting people $40

If you got collection calls on your cell phone from Bank of America in the last few years, you could be in line for $40.

The Charlotte bank agreed to a $32 million settlement in September, resolving several class action lawsuits alleging Bank of America illegally used robocall systems to contact credit card and mortgage customers on their cell phones. A judge approved the deal in December. Bank of Amerca denies it did anything wrong but says it decided to settle to avoid costly litigation.

Attorneys in the Bank of America case are now looking for people to sign up to be part of the settlement. The deadline to file a claim is next month. People will get between $20 and $40, depending on how many file claims.

It's the latest in a wave of legal actions related to Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The law restricts businesses from using automatic dialers to call cell phones unless they have specific permission to do so. Companies from Sallie Mae to Papa John's have all settled claims in the last few years.

Last week, a Davidson man sued Wells Fargo claiming the bank repeatedly called his cell phone in error despite being asked to stop.

Consumer advocates are happy about the rise in litigation, saying the law is meant not just to keep people from losing cell minutes, but also to keep from repeated daily interruptions, the Wall Street Journal reported. Companies, though, say that auto-dialers are the only efficient way to reach people and point out that a lot of people only have cell phones these days.

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