CJ-2026-59 - Tinker Federal Credit Union v. Traci D. Jenkins

What's This Case About?

Let’s be honest—nobody wakes up dreaming of a $22,000 credit card bill from 2008 finally catching up with them in 2025. But that’s exactly what happened to Traci D. Jenkins, a woman who, according to her own credit application, has been “disabled” with zero annual income since at least 2008, and is now being hunted down by a federal credit union like she’s some kind of financial fugitive. Tinker Federal Credit Union didn’t just send a dunning letter or call her once or twice—they filed a lawsuit, refiled it after a dismissal, checked her military status like she might be hiding out on an aircraft carrier, and are now demanding she pay up or face the full wrath of the Oklahoma civil justice system. This isn’t just a debt collection case. This is a 16-year-long financial ghost story with receipts.

So who is Traci D. Jenkins? Well, according to a credit application signed in September 2008, she was 52 years old, living in Enid, Oklahoma, renting a place on South Wilson Street, and had no job—just a disability status and a home phone number. Her application lists no annual income. Not a dollar. No alimony, no interest, no side hustle selling essential oils. Just a big, bold $0.00 across the board. And yet, somehow, Tinker Federal Credit Union approved her for a credit card with a $5,000 limit. Let that sink in: a woman with no income got a credit card in 2008—right before the financial collapse—during the golden age of “Hey, let’s lend money to people who can’t pay it back!” We’ve all seen The Big Short. This is the personal finance version, but instead of mortgage-backed securities, it’s one lady’s Visa Classic card spiraling into $22,039.19 of debt. And now, 16 years later, the bill has finally come due.

What happened? Honestly, it’s less a mystery and more a slow-motion financial train wreck. Back in 2008, Traci signed up for a credit card with TFCU—likely one of those “pre-approved” offers they hand out like candy at military bases (Tinker Air Force Base, anyone?). She started using it. Then she stopped paying. The interest piled up. The fees stacked on. The balance ballooned from a $5,000 limit to over four times that amount. By November 2024, the total owed was $22,039.19—down to the penny, like they’ve been watching this account like a hawk. The credit union tried to collect. The lawsuit says this case was refiled after being dismissed without prejudice in April 2025, meaning they screwed something up the first time—maybe a paperwork error, maybe a missed deadline—but not to worry, because the statute of limitations hadn’t expired yet. So back they came, like a debt zombie rising from the grave, ready to feast on Traci’s nonexistent bank account.

But here’s where it gets weird. Before even filing the lawsuit, Tinker Federal Credit Union didn’t just assume Traci wasn’t in the military—they checked. Like, officially. They pulled up the Department of Defense’s Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) website, ran her name and Social Security number, and got a full certificate saying, nope, Traci D. Jenkins is not on active duty, hasn’t been in the last 367 days, and hasn’t received any future orders to report. They even attached a notarized affidavit from Lisa J. Ludlam, attorney at law, swearing under penalty of perjury that Traci is, in fact, not secretly a Navy SEAL on a covert mission in the Arctic. All of this is required under the SCRA, which protects active-duty service members from certain civil actions—like wage garnishment or default judgments—because, you know, they’re busy defending the country, not fighting credit card lawsuits. But Traci isn’t in the military. She’s a disabled woman in her late 60s with no income, and TFCU still felt the need to dot every i and cross every t before coming after her for $22k. It’s almost respectful. In a deeply unsettling way.

Now, why are they in court? Simple: breach of contract. That’s the legal way of saying, “You signed a piece of paper promising to pay us back, and you didn’t.” The credit card agreement Traci signed in 2008 is considered a binding contract under Oklahoma law. She used the card, didn’t pay, and now TFCU wants the money—plus interest, attorney’s fees, and court costs. They’re also asking the court for a special order under Oklahoma law that would force the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to hand over Traci’s employment information. Which is… odd. Because her application says she’s disabled and unemployed. Is TFCU hoping she suddenly started working as a TikTok influencer? Did she win the lottery and forget to tell her credit card company? This request feels less like due diligence and more like financial stalking. “We don’t know where the money is, but somewhere, somehow, she might have a job, so please, state government, help us find it.”

And what do they want? $22,039.19. That’s not chump change. That’s a new car down payment. A year of rent in most Oklahoma towns. A full college semester. But in the context of a 16-year-old debt with zero income on record, it’s absurd. How do you expect someone to pay that? Wage garnishment? Social Security disability checks? Because under federal law, most of those are protected from garnishment unless it’s for child support or taxes. So even if TFCU wins—and they probably will—they might end up with a judgment they can’t collect. This isn’t just a money grab. It’s a paperwork marathon for a payday that may never come.

Our take? The most absurd part isn’t the debt. It’s not even the military check (though yes, it’s wild they treated Traci like a potential Navy pilot). It’s the sheer persistence of this chase. Sixteen years. Multiple filings. Affidavits. Government data pulls. Lawyers drafting motions. All for a debt that likely originated with a $5,000 credit line given to someone with no income in the first place. Who’s really at fault here? The woman who couldn’t pay, or the institution that handed out credit like it was Monopoly money and now wants full repayment with interest, fees, and legal costs? We’re not rooting for debt evasion. But we’re also not blind to the predatory patterns of lending that set people up to fail. If TFCU thought this was a good risk in 2008, they should’ve accepted the consequences when it went south. Instead, they’re treating Traci D. Jenkins like a financial criminal, when she’s probably just a woman who got a credit card during the Wild West era of lending and has been paying the price ever since. And honestly? That’s the real tragedy here—not the $22,000, but the fact that this is how the system works. You don’t have to be a villain to get dragged into court. You just have to be poor, disabled, and once, just once, sign your name on a credit application.

Case Overview

$22,039 Demand Petition

Jurisdiction

District Court, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

Jeffery S. Ludlam

Hall & Ludlam, PLLC

Relief Sought

$22,039 Monetary

Plaintiffs

Tinker Federal Credit Union business
Rep: Jeffery S. Ludlam, OBA #17822

Defendants

Traci D. Jenkins individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	breach of contract	defaulted on credit card account

Petition Text

2,113 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF GARFIELD COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA TINKER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION ) ) Plaintiff, vs. ) TRACI D. JENKINS, Defendant. ) Case No. PETITION Plaintiff, Tinker Federal Credit Union ("TFCU"), for its cause of action against Defendant, Traci D. Jenkins ("Defendant"), alleges and states as follows: 1. This matter is being refiled pursuant to 12 O.S. §100, as the original cause of action herein, filed in the Oklahoma County District Court under case number CJ-2024-344 was dismissed without prejudice by Court Order on or about April 8, 2025. Refiling this suit is proper as the Statute of Limitations has not run on TFCU's claim. 2. On or about September 1, 2008, Defendant executed a credit card open account (hereinafter referred to as the "Contract") and became obligated to pay TFCU for all charges made thereon. See Exhibit "A". 3. Defendant defaulted on the Contract by failing to timely pay and is indebted to TFCU in the amount of $22,039.19 as of November 26, 2024. 4. TFCU is entitled to contractual interest, reasonable attorney's fees and its reasonable costs of collection under the terms of the Contract and under 12 O.S. §936. 5. Pursuant to the Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act of 2003, TFCU has reviewed the Department of Defense website and determined Defendant is not in the military. See the Affidavit attached hereto as Exhibit “B”. 6. Pursuant to 40 O.S. §4-508(D), TFCU requests an Order that at any time or times subsequent to the filing of this order, the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission shall produce, within thirty (30) days of receipt of this order, employment information of the Defendant. WHEREFORE, Tinker Federal Credit Union prays for judgment against Defendant, Traci D. Jenkins for $22,039.19, plus contractual interest, TFCU’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in pursuit of this action, TFCU’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs incurred in collection of the Judgment and for such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper. Respectfully submitted, [Signature] Jeffery S. Ludlam, OBA #17822 HALL & LUBLAM, PLLC 210 Park Ave, Suite 3001 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 (405) 600-9500 Telephone (405) 871-5403 Facsimile [email protected] Tinker Federal Credit Union Application for Credit Date of Application 09/23/08 Account # 0000 Application # 0000 Credit Limit Requested 5K Mother's Maiden Name HYATT TFCU Heritage Club Member? We intend to apply for joint credit: Applicant (initials) Co-Applicant (initials) Request for: Visa Platinum visa Classic MasterCard Gold MasterCard MasterCard Classic Select One for Classic Card Option A ☐ Option B ☐ (See rate disclosures. If preference not indicated, Option A will be given.) <table> <tr> <th>Applicant</th> <th>Co-Applicant</th> <th>Co-Signer</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Name<br>TRACI D JENKINS<br>Date of Birth 12/1955<br>TIN (SSN)<br>Address 410 S Wilson<br>City and State Enid, OK 73703,<br>Rent, Own or Other Rent<br>Home Phone 580-234-6223<br>Prev. Address,<br>Curr. Employer Disabled<br>Job Title None<br>How long? 0Y 7<br>Work phone 580-234-6223<br>Prev. Employer</td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Name<br>TIN (SSN)<br>Address<br>City and State<br>Rent, Own or Other Unknown<br>Home Phone<br>Prev. Address<br>Curr. Employer<br>Job Title<br>How long?<br>Work phone<br>Prev. Employer</td> </tr> </table> Income Allimony, child support or separate maintenance income need not be revealed if you do not wish to have it considered a basis for repaying this loan. <table> <tr> <th>Employer / Source</th> <th>Annual Gross Income</th> <th>Employer / Source</th> <th>Annual Gross Income</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Disabled</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>0.00</td> </tr> <tr> <td>interest income</td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>0.00</td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td></td> <td></td> <td>0.00</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Name and address of nearest relative not living with you:</td> <td>Name</td> <td>Name and address of nearest relative not living with you: Name</td> <td>Address</td> <td>Address</td> <td>Home Phone</td> <td>Home Phone</td> </tr> </table> I/we certify that everything stated in this application and on any attachment is true and that I/we understand that TFCU will rely upon the accuracy of this information in reviewing my/our loan request. I/we authorize TFCU to check my/our credit, employment history, and to answer questions others may ask about my/our credit record with TFCU in compliance with all Federal and State Regulations. If I/we are accepting a credit card offer, I/we have read and agreed to the terms and conditions given with this application. I/we also agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Cardholder Agreement and Disclosure Statement accompanying the Visa, MasterCard, Gold MasterCard, and Platinum products and all amendments thereto. The USA Patriot Act requires that TFCU verify the identity of all account holders. TFCU may ask me or my co-applicant to show proof of our identity. [Signature] 09/23/2008 Applicant Signature Date [Signature] 09/23/2008 Co-Applicant / Co-Signer Signature Date Loan Officer Approval Code: 1202 Referring Employee BARBARA SMITHASA Branch 6100 Closing Employee MSA S1te Branch 6100 Transfer Balance (Optional) The amount of transfer will be posted to your TFCU credit card account as a cash advance, subject to the terms of the Cardholder Agreement and Disclosure Statement. The total amount of transfer requests cannot exceed your credit line. TFCU sends either full or partial payment to your creditors in the order you list them. Any charges you make to your other account after you transfer the balance should be paid directly to that credit card center; instead of Tinker Federal Credit Union. If the next payment on your other credit card is due within 30 days, you should make the payment and deduct the amount from the "Amount to Transfer" below. Account Number: ____________________________ Card Name: ____________________________ Amount to Transfer: ____________________________ Billing Address: ____________________________ SEP 24 2008 CPO JENKINS,TRACI**1314 N GARLAND RD APT 302**ENID*OK*73703-2764*4 PER DAY INTEREST .0000 ACCOUNT PAYOFF 11/26/24 22,039.1900 11/27/24 22,039.1900 11/28/24 22,039.1900 11/29/24 22,039.1900 11/30/24 22,039.1900 12/01/24 22,039.1900 12/02/24 22,039.1900 12/03/24 22,039.1900 12/04/24 22,039.1900 12/05/24 22,039.1900 12/06/24 22,039.1900 IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF TULSA COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA TINKER FEDERAL CREDIT UNION ) ) Plaintiff, ) vs. Case No. ) ) TRACI D. JENKINS, ) ) Defendant. ) SCRA AFFIDAVIT State of Oklahoma ) County of Oklahoma ) I, Lisa J. Ludlam, state that I am an attorney for Hall & Ludlam, PLLC, authorized to make this affidavit on its behalf in this case. As of the current date, the Defendant, TRACI D. JENKINS, is not in military service according to the SCRA website. I have used the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act Website (https://scra.dmdc.osd.mil/) to determine the Defendant’s military status as attached hereto. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746 and 12 O.S. § 426, I state under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on _February 17, 2026. Lisa J. Ludlam, OBA 18267 Jeffery S. Ludlam, OBA # 17822 HALL & LUDLAM, PLLC 210 Park Ave., Ste. 3001 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 P: 405-600-9500 | E: [email protected] [email protected] Attorneys for Tinker Federal Credit Union Status Report Pursuant to Servicemembers Civil Relief Act SSN: XXX-XX-8381 Birth Date: Dec-XX-1955 Last Name: JENKINS First Name: TRACI Middle Name: D Status As Of: Feb-17-2026 Certificate ID: 4VQBCKWBXH4PSQV On Active Duty On Active Duty Status Date <table> <tr> <th>Active Duty Start Date</th> <th>Active Duty End Date</th> <th>Status</th> <th>Service Component</th> </tr> <tr> <td>NA</td> <td>NA</td> <td>No</td> <td>NA</td> </tr> </table> This response reflects the individual's active duty status based on the Active Duty Status Date. Left Active Duty Within 367 Days of Active Duty Status Date <table> <tr> <th>Active Duty Start Date</th> <th>Active Duty End Date</th> <th>Status</th> <th>Service Component</th> </tr> <tr> <td>NA</td> <td>NA</td> <td>No</td> <td>NA</td> </tr> </table> This response reflects where the individual left active duty status within 367 days preceding the Active Duty Status Date. The Member or His/Her Unit Was Notified of a Future Call-Up to Active Duty on Active Duty Status Date <table> <tr> <th>Order Notification Start Date</th> <th>Order Notification End Date</th> <th>Status</th> <th>Service Component</th> </tr> <tr> <td>NA</td> <td>NA</td> <td>No</td> <td>NA</td> </tr> </table> This response reflects whether the individual or higher unit has received early notification to report for active duty. Upon searching the data banks of the Department of Defense Manpower Data Center, based on the information that you provided, the above is the status of the individual on the active duty status date as to all branches of the Uniformed Services (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, NOAA, Public Health, and Coast Guard). This status includes information on a Servicemember or his/her unit receiving notification of future orders to report for Active Duty. The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) is an organization of the Department of Defense (DoD) that maintains the Defense Enrollment and Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) database which is the official source of data on eligibility for military medical care and other eligibility systems. The DoD strongly supports the enforcement of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 USC App. § 3901 et seq, as amended) (SCRA) (formerly known as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940). DMDC has issued hundreds of thousands of "does not possess any information indicating that the individual is currently on active duty" responses, and has experienced only a small error rate. In the event the individual referenced above, or any family member, friend, or representative asserts in any manner that the individual was on active duty for the active duty status date, or is otherwise entitled to the protections of the SCRA, you are strongly encouraged to obtain further verification of the person's status by contacting that person's Service. Service contact information can be found on the SCRA website's FAQ page (Q35) via this URL: https://scra.mdmc.osd.mil/scra/#faqs. If you have evidence the person was on active duty for the active duty status date and you fail to obtain this additional Service verification, punitive provisions of the SCRA may be invoked against you. See 50 USC App. § 3921(c). This response reflects the following information: (1) The individual's Active Duty status on the Active Duty Status Date (2) Whether the individual left Active Duty status within 367 days preceding the Active Duty Status Date (3) Whether the individual or his/her unit received early notification to report for active duty on the Active Duty Status Date. More information on "Active Duty Status" Active duty status as reported in this certificate is defined in accordance with 10 USC § 101(d)(1). Prior to 2010 only some of the active duty periods less than 30 consecutive days in length were available. In the case of a member of the National Guard, this includes service under a call to active service authorized by the President or the Secretary of Defense under 32 USC § 502(f) for purposes of responding to a national emergency declared by the President and supported by Federal funds. All Active Guard Reserve (AGR) members must be assigned against an authorized mobilization position in the unit they support. This includes Navy Training and Administration of the Reserves (TARs), Marine Corps Active Reserve (ARs) and Coast Guard Reserve Program Administrator (RPAs). Active Duty status also applies to a Uniformed Service member who is an active duty commissioned officer of the U.S. Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Commissioned Corps). Coverage Under the SCRA is Broader in Some Cases Coverage under the SCRA is broader in some cases and includes some categories of persons on active duty for purposes of the SCRA who would not be reported as on Active Duty under this certificate. SCRA protections are for Title 10 and Title 14 active duty records for all the Uniformed Services periods. Title 32 periods of Active Duty are not covered by SCRA, as defined in accordance with 10 USC § 101(d)(1). Many times orders are amended to extend the period of active duty, which would extend SCRA protections. Persons seeking to rely on this website certification should check to make sure the orders on which SCRA protections are based have not been amended to extend the inclusive dates of service. Furthermore, some protections of the SCRA may extend to persons who have received orders to report for active duty or to be inducted, but who have not actually begun active duty or actually reported for induction. The Last Date on Active Duty entry is important because a number of protections of the SCRA extend beyond the last dates of active duty. Those who could rely on this certificate are urged to seek qualified legal counsel to ensure that all rights guaranteed to Service members under the SCRA are protected WARNING: This certificate was provided based on a last name, SSN/date of birth, and active duty status date provided by the requester. Providing erroneous information will cause an erroneous certificate to be provided.