Receivables Performance Management (RPM): How to Respond and Make Them Stop

If Receivables Performance Management is contacting you, there's a good chance it's about a government-related debt — a student loan, a toll violation, a court fine, a tax balance. And your first instinct might be that you can't push back because it's the government.

That instinct is wrong. You have 30 days from RPM's first contact to demand proof that you owe this debt. That right is federal law — FDCPA § 1692g — and it applies to RPM no matter who hired them.

This page explains who RPM is, why government-debt collection is different (and why it doesn't matter as much as you think), and the two letters that can stop their calls.

Who Is Receivables Performance Management?

Receivables Performance Management — commonly called RPM — is a third-party debt collection agency based in Lynnwood, Washington, just outside Seattle. They specialize in an area most other collectors don't touch: government debts.

RPM holds contracts with multiple federal and state agencies to collect unpaid obligations — federal student loans, municipal court fines, unpaid tolls, tax debts, and government overpayments. They also collect commercial and healthcare debts, but government accounts are their bread and butter.

This makes RPM unusual. Most debt collectors you hear about — Midland, Portfolio Recovery, LVNV Funding — are debt buyers who purchase old credit card and medical debt. RPM is different. They don't typically buy the debt. Instead, government agencies hire them to collect on active obligations. The government is still the creditor; RPM is just the company making the calls and sending the letters.

Here's the critical point many consumers miss: RPM is not the government. They're a private, for-profit company that happens to have government contracts. And because they're a third-party collector, the FDCPA applies to them. You can demand validation. You can send a cease and desist. You can hold them to every rule in the book.

What RPM Can and Cannot Do

Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), RPM is bound by the same rules as every other third-party debt collector — government contracts don't give them a pass.

They cannot:

• +Call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. (§ 1692c)
• +Call you at work if you tell them your employer doesn't allow it (§ 1692c)
• +Contact you at all after you send a written cease and desist (§ 1692c)
• +Use threatening, abusive, or obscene language (§ 1692d)
• +Misrepresent the debt amount or their authority (§ 1692e)
• +Threaten consequences they can't deliver, like arrest or jail time (§ 1692e)

That last one is worth highlighting. Because RPM collects government debts, some of their representatives may imply more severe consequences than they can actually enforce — license suspension, wage garnishment, even criminal penalties. Under the FDCPA, implying consequences they don't have the power to carry out is a violation worth up to $1,000 in statutory damages under § 1692k, plus attorney's fees.

They can:

• +Contact you by phone, mail, or text (until you restrict it in writing)
• +Report the debt to credit bureaus
• +Refer the account back to the government agency for further action

Your 30-Day Validation Window — Don't Miss It

This is the most powerful tool you have against RPM, and most people never use it.

Under FDCPA § 1692g, within 5 days of first contacting you, a debt collector must send you a written notice that includes:

• +The amount of the debt
• +The name of the creditor (in RPM's case, usually a government agency)
• +A statement that you have 30 days to dispute it

If you dispute the debt in writing within those 30 days, RPM must stop all collection activity until they send you verification. That means they need to produce documentation from the government agency showing the debt is yours, that the balance is accurate, and that they're authorized to collect it.

Government debts are especially worth validating. Toll violations get attributed to the wrong driver. Student loan balances include fees that were improperly applied. Court fines get sent to collections even after they've been paid. RPM's records are only as good as what the agency gave them — and agencies make mistakes.

The clock starts from the date of RPM's first contact — not when you open the letter. Act quickly.

Two Letters That Change Everything

Letter 1: Debt Validation Letter

This letter does three things at once:

1. +Invokes your right under § 1692g to demand proof of the debt
2. +Formally disputes the debt until they provide verification
3. +Requires RPM to pause all collection activity while the dispute is pending

For government debts, validation is especially important. You want to see the original documentation from the agency — the toll record, the court order, the student loan account history, the tax assessment. Not just RPM's internal spreadsheet telling you what you owe. Make them produce the source documents.

Letter 2: Cease and Desist Letter

Under FDCPA § 1692c(c), you can tell any debt collector to stop contacting you. Period. Once RPM receives your written cease and desist, their only options are:

• +Send one final letter confirming they'll stop
• +Notify you of a specific action they intend to take (like referring the account back to the agency)

Any other contact is a federal violation.

One important note about government debts: a cease and desist stops RPM from contacting you, but it doesn't stop the underlying government agency from taking its own action — like administrative wage garnishment for federal student loans or license holds for unpaid fines. The letter protects you from RPM specifically. If the underlying debt is legitimate, you may want to work directly with the agency on a payment plan after silencing RPM.

You can combine both letters into a single document. DebtStrike generates your personalized Debt Validation + Cease and Desist letter in under 60 seconds.

Generate Your Letter Now →

How to Send It (This Part Matters)

Send your letter by USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested. Here's why:

• +Certified Mail gives you a tracking number that proves the exact date RPM received it
• +The Return Receipt (green card) comes back with their signature
• +This becomes your evidence if they violate the law after getting your letter

Keep everything. The tracking receipt, the green card, your copy of the letter. If RPM calls you one day after that delivery date, you have a documented federal violation.

Do not call them. Do not email. Certified mail only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I really send a validation letter for a government debt?

Yes. The FDCPA applies to third-party debt collectors regardless of who the original creditor is — including government agencies. RPM is not the government. They're a private company hired to collect on behalf of government entities. That makes them a third-party collector, and that means you have every right to demand validation under § 1692g and to send a cease and desist under § 1692c. The government origin of the debt doesn't change your rights against the collector.

Will sending a cease and desist make my government debt go away?

No — and it's important to understand the difference. A cease and desist stops RPM from contacting you, but it doesn't erase the underlying debt. If the debt is owed to a government agency, the agency may assign it to a different collector, pursue wage garnishment (especially for federal debts), or take other administrative action. The cease and desist protects you from RPM's harassment, but you should still address the underlying obligation if it's legitimate.

RPM says they're collecting a toll violation — can they really do that?

They can try. Many state and local agencies hire third-party collectors like RPM to pursue unpaid tolls, court fines, and municipal fees. But RPM still has to follow the FDCPA. They have to prove the debt is yours, that the amount is correct, and that they're authorized to collect it. Toll violations in particular are often attributed to the wrong driver or the wrong vehicle. Demand validation before paying anything.

Can RPM garnish my wages for a government debt?

RPM itself generally cannot garnish your wages — they're a collection agency, not a court or government body. However, certain federal debts (like federal student loans and tax debts) have special garnishment rules that allow the government agency itself to pursue administrative wage garnishment without a court order. Sending a validation letter to RPM doesn't stop the government agency from taking separate action, but it does force RPM to prove the debt before they can keep calling you about it.

What if RPM is collecting on a debt I already paid or disputed with the agency?

This happens more often than you'd think. Government agencies sometimes refer accounts to collections even after the consumer has paid, entered a payment plan, or successfully disputed the charge. Your validation letter forces RPM to produce current documentation from the agency showing you actually owe this money. If you have receipts, payment confirmations, or dispute resolution letters from the agency, keep those ready — they're your proof that RPM's claim is wrong.

The Bottom Line

RPM collects government debts, and that makes people assume they have no choice but to pay up. But RPM is a private collection agency, not a government office. They have to follow the same rules as every other collector — and they have to prove you owe the debt before they can keep coming after you.

You have 30 days to demand that proof. You have the right to make them stop calling. Every contact they make after your cease and desist is a federal violation worth up to $1,000.

One letter — sent certified mail — is your first move.

Generate Your Debt Validation + Cease and Desist Letter →

DebtStrike letters cite FDCPA § 1692g and § 1692c by name. They are personalized to you and the specific collector. Nothing on this page is legal advice — it is plain-language information about your federal rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.