CS-2026-27 - Midland Credit Management, Inc. v. Taylor Tennyson Johnson

What's This Case About?

Let’s be honest: we’ve all gotten a little behind on a credit card bill. Maybe you forgot to cancel a subscription, or maybe you bought a couch during a rough patch and figured you’d deal with it later. But few of us expect to wake up one day and find out that a faceless corporation in Minnesota has sworn under penalty of perjury that we owe $4,780.87—down to the penny—and that they’re dragging us into court over it. Welcome to the life of Taylor Tennyson Johnson, Oklahoma resident and, according to a stack of notarized affidavits, apparently a man who forgot how money works.

Now, who is Taylor Tennyson Johnson? Honestly, we don’t know much. The court filing doesn’t tell us if he’s a rancher, a teacher, a TikTok influencer, or just a guy who really likes CareCredit for his dental work. What we do know is that at some point between 2021 and 2022, he opened not one, not two, but three credit accounts—two with Synchrony Bank (one under the CareCredit brand, the other with Mathis Brothers, a furniture store that sounds like it sells bedroom sets to people who still own VHS players), and one with Credit One Bank, the financial institution that specializes in credit cards for people who may not be best friends with their FICO scores. These weren’t small lines of credit, either. We’re talking thousands of dollars in spending, presumably on medical procedures, furniture, or perhaps a very ambitious online shopping spree. At some point, the payments stopped. The accounts were “charged off,” which is banker-speak for “we’ve given up on you ever paying us back… but not really.”

Enter Midland Credit Management, Inc.—the real star of this drama. Midland isn’t a bank. It’s not even a store. It’s a debt buyer. These are the folks who show up at the financial morgue, flip through the corpses of dead credit accounts, and say, “Ooh, this one’s got potential.” For pennies on the dollar, Midland scooped up Taylor’s unpaid balances, like a thrift store shopper buying a designer jacket with a missing button. Now, they’re not just collecting the debt—they own it. And they’re not shy about flexing that ownership. In fact, they’ve sent an entire legal SWAT team from the law firm Love, Beal & Nixon, P.C. (yes, that’s a real name, and no, we’re not making that up) to file a lawsuit in Canadian County, Oklahoma, because apparently, love and beals aren’t enough—sometimes you need a little Nixon to get your money back.

So what exactly happened? Well, according to the filing, nothing particularly dramatic. No betrayal. No stolen heirlooms. No dramatic courtroom confessions. Just a series of quiet defaults. Taylor stopped paying. The banks gave up. Midland bought the debt. And now, Midland wants its money. The petition breaks it down with the cold precision of a spreadsheet: $1,837.64 from the CareCredit account, opened in June 2022. $682.34 from the Credit One card, opened in February 2022. And $2,260.89 from the Mathis Brothers Synchrony account, which dates all the way back to March 2021. The last payment on any of these? April 2025. So either Taylor had a brief moment of financial redemption before the lawsuit dropped, or someone hit “autopay” one last time before the account got sold.

Now, why are they in court? Because Midland wants a judgment. That’s legalese for “We want a judge to officially say Taylor owes us this money.” Once they have that judgment, they can potentially garnish wages, freeze bank accounts, or just haunt Taylor’s credit report like a financial ghost. The claim? “Petition for indebtedness.” Which, in plain English, means: “He borrowed money. He didn’t pay it back. We own the debt now. Pay up.” There’s no accusation of fraud, no claim that Taylor maxed out the cards and fled the country. It’s just… debt. The most American of all legal dramas.

And what do they want? $4,780.87. Plus interest. Plus court costs. Now, is that a lot? Well, it’s not a Lamborghini. It’s not even a used Toyota. But it is enough to cover a year of rent in a studio apartment in El Reno, or a solid down payment on a mid-tier wedding band. It’s also the kind of sum that can feel massive if you’re already underwater. For Midland, though? Chump change. They likely paid way less than that to acquire all three accounts. Debt buyers operate on volume—they lose some, win some, and rake in millions overall. This lawsuit is probably one of a hundred filed that week. But for Taylor? This could mean months of stress, a court date, and a judgment that follows him like a shadow.

Now, here’s our take: the most absurd part of this case isn’t the amount, or the fact that a Minnesota notary is swearing under oath about an Oklahoma man’s furniture debt. It’s the sheer bureaucratic theater of it all. We’ve got a woman named Jennifer Dittberner, Legal Specialist (we assume that’s a real job title and not a Dungeons & Dragons character), signing three nearly identical affidavits, each one a masterclass in corporate monotony. She’s never met Taylor. She’s never seen his face. She’s never even touched a paper record—everything’s digital, everything’s automated, everything’s “in the regular course of business.” And yet, she’s swearing under penalty of perjury that Taylor owes this money, based solely on data that was handed to her company by someone else. It’s like a game of financial telephone, where the original message—“Taylor bought a mattress”—has been passed through so many hands that it’s now a court filing with a notary seal.

We’re not rooting for debt evasion. We’re not saying people should get to stiff companies and walk away scot-free. But there’s something deeply dystopian about a system where your financial sins—real or perceived—can be packaged, sold, and litigated by a company that didn’t lend you a dime, represented by a law firm with a name straight out of a 1950s detective novel, all based on affidavits that read like AI-generated boilerplate.

So here’s to Taylor Tennyson Johnson, a man caught in the machine. May his defense be swift, his settlement be fair, and his future credit score be brighter than the fluorescent lights of a debt collection call center. And to Midland Credit Management? Well, we see you. We see your spreadsheets. We see your notarized affirmations. And we’re watching.

Case Overview

$4,781 Demand Petition

Jurisdiction

District Court, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

William L. Nixon, Jr.

LOVE, BEAL & NIXON, P.C.

Relief Sought

$4,781 Monetary

Plaintiffs

Midland Credit Management, Inc. business
Rep: LOVE, BEAL & NIXON, P.C.

Defendants

Taylor Tennyson Johnson individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	petition for indebtedness	allegations of debt owed by defendant to plaintiff

Petition Text

1,715 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF CANADIAN COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA Midland Credit Management, Inc. Plaintiff, vs. Taylor Tennyson Johnso, Defendant. PETITION FOR INDEBTEDNESS COMES NOW Plaintiff, by and through its undersigned attorneys who hereby enter their appearance herein, and for cause of action against Defendant alleges and states: COUNT I 1. SYNCHRONY BANK, provided credit to the defendant on account number XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX1500. Defendant defaulted on the obligation. The account has been assigned to Plaintiff. 2. Defendant owes Plaintiff $1,837.64. An Affidavit of Account is attached hereto and incorporated by reference. COUNT 2 1. CREDIT ONE BANK, N.A., provided credit to the defendant on account number XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX6626. Defendant defaulted on the obligation. The account has been assigned to Plaintiff. 2. Defendant owes Plaintiff $682.34. An Affidavit of Account is attached hereto and incorporated by reference. COUNT 3 1. SYNCHRONY BANK, provided credit to the defendant on account number XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX5179. Defendant defaulted on the obligation. The account has been assigned to Plaintiff. 2. Defendant owes Plaintiff $2,260.89. An Affidavit of Account is attached hereto and incorporated by reference. WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for Judgment against the Defendant in the sum of $4,780.87, with interest at the statutory rate, all court costs, and for such other relief as the Court may deem just and proper. William L. Nixon, Jr., #012804 Harley L. Homjak, #019736 Alexander M. Hall, #33900 Peggy S. Horinek, #010344 Jenifer A Gani, #021876 Mariah S. Ellicot, #36309 Benjamin F. Brackett, #36580 LOVE, BEAL & NIXON, P.C. Attorney for Plaintiff P.O. Box 32738 Oklahoma City, OK 73123 Telephone: 405/720-0565 Fax: 405/720-9570 E-Mail: [email protected] STATE OF OKLAHOMA Midland Credit Management, Inc, Plaintiff -vs- Tennyson Johnso, Taylor, Defendant(s). AFFIDAVIT OF JENNIFER DITTBERNER Jennifer Dittberner, whose business address is 600 W. Saint Germain St Suite 200, St. Cloud, MN 56301-3616, certifies and says: 1. I am employed as a Legal Specialist and have access to pertinent account records for Midland Credit Management, Inc. ("Plaintiff" or "MCM"). I am a competent person over eighteen years of age, and make the statements herein based upon personal knowledge of those account records maintained by Plaintiff. Plaintiff is the current owner of, and was assigned all the rights, title and interest to Defendant's SYNCHRONY BANK/CARECREDIT account XXXXXXXXXXXXXX1500 (MCM Number 324478153) (hereinafter "the Account"). 2. I have access to and have reviewed the electronic records pertaining to the Account maintained by MCM and am authorized to make this affidavit on MCM's behalf. The electronic records reviewed consist of (i) data and records acquired from the seller or assignor when MCM purchased or was assigned the Account, which were incorporated into MCM's business records upon purchase or assignment, and (ii) data and records generated by MCM in connection with servicing the Account since the date the Account was purchased by or was assigned to MCM. 3. I am familiar with and trained on the manner and method by which MCM creates and maintains its business records pertaining to the Account, which consist of (i) data and documents acquired from the seller or assignor, and (ii) subsequent collection and/or servicing activities by MCM. The records are acquired or created, and are kept in the regular course of MCM's business. It was in the regular course of MCM's business for a person with knowledge of the subsequent collection and/or servicing activities recorded, and a business duty to report, to make the record or data compilation, or to transmit information thereof to be included in such record, or for such information to be posted in MCM's records by a computer or similar digital means. In the regular course of MCM's business, the record or compilation of the subsequent collection activities is made at or near the time of the act or event by MCM as a regular practice. 4. MCM's records show that Defendant(s) owed a balance of $1,837.64 as of 2025-10-13. 5. On or about 2023-10-25, Midland Credit Management, Inc became the successor in interest to this Account. 6. MCM's records show that: 1) the Account was opened on 2022-06-08; 2) the Account was charged off on 2023-08-30; and 3) the last payment posted to the Account on 2025-04-01. 7. If called to testify as a witness thereon, I could and would competently testify as to all the facts stated herein. Left Blank Intentionally I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statements are true and correct. OCT 2 8 2025 Date STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF STEARNS Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on OCT 2 8 2025 by Jennifer Dittberner. Julie A Kimmes Notary Public - Minnesota My Commission Expires 01/31/2030 Notary Public STATE OF OKLAHOMA Midland Credit Management, Inc, Plaintiff -vs- Tennyson Johnso, Taylor, Defendant(s). AFFIDAVIT OF JENNIFER DITTBERNER Jennifer Dittberner, whose business address is 600 W. Saint Germain St Suite 200, St. Cloud, MN 56301-3616, certifies and says: 1. I am employed as a Legal Specialist and have access to pertinent account records for Midland Credit Management, Inc. ("Plaintiff" or "MCM"). I am a competent person over eighteen years of age, and make the statements herein based upon personal knowledge of those account records maintained by Plaintiff. Plaintiff is the current owner of, and was assigned all the rights, title and interest to Defendant's CREDIT ONE BANK, N.A. account XXXXXXXXXXXXX6626 (MCM Number 326377061) (hereinafter "the Account"). 2. I have access to and have reviewed the electronic records pertaining to the Account maintained by MCM and am authorized to make this affidavit on MCM's behalf. The electronic records reviewed consist of (i) data and records acquired from the seller or assignor when MCM purchased or was assigned the Account, which were incorporated into MCM's business records upon purchase or assignment, and (ii) data and records generated by MCM in connection with servicing the Account since the date the Account was purchased by or was assigned to MCM. 3. I am familiar with and trained on the manner and method by which MCM creates and maintains its business records pertaining to the Account, which consist of (i) data and documents acquired from the seller or assignor, and (ii) subsequent collection and/or servicing activities by MCM. The records are acquired or created, and are kept in the regular course of MCM's business. It was in the regular course of MCM's business for a person with knowledge of the subsequent collection and/or servicing activities recorded, and a business duty to report, to make the record or data compilation, or to transmit information thereof to be included in such record, or for such information to be posted in MCM's records by a computer or similar digital means. In the regular course of MCM's business, the record or compilation of the subsequent collection activities is made at or near the time of the act or event by MCM as a regular practice. 4. MCM's records show that Defendant(s) owed a balance of $682.34 as of 2025-10-13. 5. On or about 2024-03-20, Midland Credit Management, Inc became the successor in interest to this Account. 6. MCM's records show that: 1) the Account was opened on 2022-02-14; 2) the last payment posted to the Account on 2024-01-22; and 3) the Account was charged off on 2024-02-27. 7. If called to testify as a witness thereon, I could and would competently testify as to all the facts stated herein. Left Blank Intentionally I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statements are true and correct. OCT 28 2025 Date STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF STEARNS Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on OCT 28 2025 by Jennifer Dittberner. Julie A Kimmes Notary Public - Minnesota My Commission Expires 01/31/2030 OK038 STATE OF OKLAHOMA Midland Credit Management, Inc, Plaintiff -vs- AFFIDAVIT OF JENNIFER DITTBERNER Tennyson Johnson, Taylor N, Defendant(s). Jennifer Dittberner, whose business address is 600 W. Saint Germain St Suite 200, St. Cloud, MN 56301-3616, certifies and says: 1. I am employed as a Legal Specialist and have access to pertinent account records for Midland Credit Management, Inc. ("Plaintiff" or "MCM"). I am a competent person over eighteen years of age, and make the statements herein based upon personal knowledge of those account records maintained by Plaintiff. Plaintiff is the current owner of, and was assigned all the rights, title and interest to Defendant's SYNCHRONY BANK/MATHIS BROTHERS account XXXXXXXXXXXXX5179 (MCM Number 329531937) (hereinafter "the Account"). 2. I have access to and have reviewed the electronic records pertaining to the Account maintained by MCM and am authorized to make this affidavit on MCM's behalf. The electronic records reviewed consist of (i) data and records acquired from the seller or assignor when MCM purchased or was assigned the Account, which were incorporated into MCM's business records upon purchase or assignment, and (ii) data and records generated by MCM in connection with servicing the Account since the date the Account was purchased by or was assigned to MCM. 3. I am familiar with and trained on the manner and method by which MCM creates and maintains its business records pertaining to the Account, which consist of (i) data and documents acquired from the seller or assignor, and (ii) subsequent collection and/or servicing activities by MCM. The records are acquired or created, and are kept in the regular course of MCM's business. It was in the regular course of MCM's business for a person with knowledge of the subsequent collection and/or servicing activities recorded, and a business duty to report, to make the record or data compilation, or to transmit information thereof to be included in such record, or for such information to be posted in MCM's records by a computer or similar digital means. In the regular course of MCM's business, the record or compilation of the subsequent collection activities is made at or near the time of the act or event by MCM as a regular practice. 4. MCM's records show that Defendant(s) owed a balance of $2,260.89 as of 2025-10-13. 5. On or about 2024-10-28, Midland Credit Management, Inc became the successor in interest to this Account. 6. MCM's records show that the Account was opened on 2021-03-12 and the Account was charged off on 2023-08-21. 7. If called to testify as a witness thereon, I could and would competently testify as to all the facts stated herein. Left Blank Intentionally I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing statements are true and correct. OCT 28 2025 Date STATE OF MINNESOTA COUNTY OF STEARNS Signed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me on OCT 28 2025 by Jennifer Dittberner. Julie A Kimmes Notary Public - Minnesota My Commission Expires 01/31/2030 OK038