At A Glance
- Who Does This Lawsuit Affect?
People who shared a joint account that was discharged in bankruptcy, where a credit bureau showed the account as discharged for one account holder but as past due or open for the other. The proposed class is nationwide.
- What Is Going On with the Dennis Goyette Lawsuit?
Dennis Goyette filed three proposed class actions in July 2026 against Equifax, Experian and TransUnion in federal court in Florida. The cases are at an early stage with no class certified and no settlement.
- What Could I Get From the Dennis Goyette Lawsuit?
Nothing yet. The suits seek statutory damages of $100 to $1,000 per person for willful violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, plus punitive damages and court ordered fixes.
- Can I File a Dennis Goyette Lawsuit?
You do not need to file anything to stay in a proposed class. You can also dispute the error yourself or bring your own FCRA case, usually within two years of finding the error.
- How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?
FCRA lawyers usually take cases on contingency, and the law makes the credit bureau pay your attorney's fees if you win.
Dennis Goyette Sues All Three Credit Bureaus Over Joint Account Errors After Bankruptcy
Dennis and Peggy Goyette filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy together, and their joint Achieva Credit Union account was discharged on or about April 8, 2025. Peggy’s credit reports from all three bureaus showed the account correctly as discharged. Dennis’s reports from the same bureaus kept showing it as past due.
In July 2026, Dennis Goyette filed three proposed class actions in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, one against each of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The suits claim the bureaus’ systems mishandle joint accounts after a bankruptcy discharge, and that many other couples have been hit by the same error.
The bureaus deny wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled on the claims.
Important Dennis Goyette lawsuit update
As of October 28, 2026, there is no settlement and no claim form in the Goyette cases. If you had a bankruptcy related error on a TransUnion report, a separate $8.31 million TransUnion settlement (Brooks v. Trans Union) has a claim deadline of October 30, 2026. Check BrooksBankruptcyClassAction.com to see if you qualify.
Who Is Being Sued in the Dennis Goyette Lawsuit?
The three nationwide credit reporting agencies are each sued in a separate case, all filed in the Tampa area federal court.
The parties include:
- Equifax Information Services LLC: Goyette v. Equifax, No. 8:26-cv-01838.
- Experian Information Solutions Inc.: Goyette v. Experian, No. 8:26-cv-01840. The complaint says Experian also labeled the account "closed at consumer's request".
- TransUnion LLC: Goyette v. TransUnion, No. 8:26-cv-01841.
- Dennis Goyette: The named plaintiff, represented by consumer law firm Marcus & Zelman LLC.
Who Could Be in the Proposed Class?
Each complaint proposes a nationwide class. The court has not certified it, so the final definition could change.
What Circumstances Might Be Relevant?
- You had a joint account, such as a credit card or loan, with a spouse or another person.
- The account was discharged in a bankruptcy case.
- A credit bureau reported the account correctly as discharged on the other account holder's report.
- The same bureau reported it incorrectly on your report, for example as past due, open or closed at your request.
- This happened within two years before the lawsuit against that bureau was filed.
You do not need to sign up to be part of a proposed class. If the court certifies a class or a settlement is reached, notice will explain your options. Our guide on what to do when you get a class action notice covers that step.
What Is the Dennis Goyette Lawsuit About?
A bankruptcy discharge legally wipes out covered debts. After a discharge, a credit report should show those accounts with a zero balance and a discharged status, not as past due. Reporting a discharged debt as delinquent can drag down a credit score for years.
The Goyette cases focus on a specific gap. When two people share an account and both file bankruptcy, the bureaus allegedly update the discharge for one person but not the other. The complaints argue that this shows the bureaus lack reasonable procedures for matching discharge records to every person on a joint account.
Dennis Goyette says the errors lowered his credit score and caused frustration, embarrassment and emotional distress.
| Case | Case number | Court |
|---|---|---|
| Goyette v. Equifax Information Services LLC | 8:26-cv-01838 | M.D. Florida |
| Goyette v. Experian Information Solutions Inc. | 8:26-cv-01840 | M.D. Florida |
| Goyette v. TransUnion LLC | 8:26-cv-01841 | M.D. Florida |
What Laws Are Involved?
All three cases are brought under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
The key provisions include:
- 15 U.S.C. 1681e(b): Requires credit bureaus to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy.
- 15 U.S.C. 1681n: Allows statutory damages of $100 to $1,000, punitive damages and attorney's fees for willful violations.
- 15 U.S.C. 1681o: Allows actual damages and attorney's fees for negligent violations.
- 15 U.S.C. 1681p: Generally gives two years from discovering the violation, and no more than five years from the violation, to sue.
How Do Other Bankruptcy Reporting Cases Compare?
Bankruptcy reporting errors are a frequent source of FCRA class actions. In Brooks v. Trans Union, TransUnion agreed to an $8.31 million settlement over reports that showed bankruptcy remarks on accounts without a matching bankruptcy record. About 57,000 people are covered, and some receive an automatic $100 payment. The final approval hearing is December 2, 2026.
Credit bureaus have also paid large sums in data breach cases, such as the Equifax data breach settlement. Those cases involve security failures rather than reporting accuracy, but they show how class settlements with the bureaus are usually structured.
Results in other cases do not predict the Goyette outcome. See how class action settlements work for the usual path from complaint to payment.
Went through a joint bankruptcy?
Check all three credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com and compare them with your co-filer’s. If a discharged account shows as past due on yours, dispute it now and keep copies of everything.
What Is Involved in Fixing a Bankruptcy Error on Your Credit Report?
You do not have to wait for the lawsuit. The FCRA gives you the right to dispute errors directly, and the CFPB explains the dispute process.
- Pull your reports. Get free reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
- Gather proof. Keep a copy of your bankruptcy discharge order and the list of discharged debts.
- Dispute with each bureau. Explain the error in writing, attach the discharge order and ask for the account to show as discharged with a zero balance.
- Dispute with the creditor. Send the same information to the company that reports the account.
- Escalate if needed. If the error stays, file a CFPB complaint or talk to an FCRA lawyer.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Attorney
- Do I fit the proposed class, or is my own FCRA case stronger?
- Can I show the bureau acted willfully, which unlocks statutory damages?
- What are my actual damages, such as a denied loan or higher interest rate?
- Will the bureau pay your fees if we win, and what do I owe if we lose?
What Happens Next in the Goyette Cases?
The bureaus will respond to the complaints, often with motions to dismiss or to send claims to arbitration. If the cases survive, Goyette must ask the court to certify a class before any classwide payment is possible. We found no ruling on certification as of October 2026.
Credit reporting class actions often take one to three years to settle. Related reading: our guides to debt collector rights and LVNV Funding explain your rights when old debts keep showing up.
Consumers may wish to:
- Dispute any discharged account that still shows a balance or past due status.
- Save copies of your credit reports, discharge order and dispute letters.
- Ignore anyone charging a fee to "register" you for a credit bureau settlement.
- Check our open class action settlements for claims you can file today.
Is There a Filing Deadline for the Dennis Goyette Lawsuit?
There is no claim deadline because there is no settlement. These dates matter so far:
Key Dates in the Goyette Cases:
- December 26, 2024: Dennis and Peggy Goyette file a joint Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
- April 8, 2025: Bankruptcy discharge, including the Achieva Credit Union account.
- July 2026: Three proposed class actions filed in the Middle District of Florida.
- October 30, 2026: Claim deadline in the separate Brooks v. Trans Union settlement.
- Next: Bureau responses and any motion for class certification.
If you want to bring your own FCRA case, the two year clock usually starts when you discover the error. Our guide on how to sue a company explains the basics.
Cases: Goyette v. Equifax (8:26-cv-01838), Goyette v. Experian (8:26-cv-01840), Goyette v. TransUnion (8:26-cv-01841)
Court: U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Filed: July 2026
Law: Fair Credit Reporting Act
Status: Pending. No class certified, no settlement
You May Also Want to Know
No. As of October 28, 2026, none of the three Goyette cases has settled, and there is no claim form.
He is a consumer who filed a joint Chapter 7 bankruptcy with his wife, Peggy. He sued Equifax, Experian and TransUnion after his credit reports showed a discharged joint account as past due.
Goyette v. Equifax is 8:26-cv-01838, Goyette v. Experian is 8:26-cv-01840 and Goyette v. TransUnion is 8:26-cv-01841, all in the Middle District of Florida.
You may if a bureau showed a discharged joint account correctly for your co-borrower but incorrectly for you within the last two years. The court has not certified a class yet.
Willful violations allow $100 to $1,000 in statutory damages per person plus punitive damages. Negligent violations allow actual damages. Any class payment would depend on a settlement.
Send a written dispute to each bureau and the creditor with a copy of your discharge order. Bureaus generally must investigate within 30 days.
No. Brooks v. Trans Union is a separate case about bankruptcy remarks on reports without a matching bankruptcy record. Its claim deadline is October 30, 2026.
Not always. Creditors and bureaus should update discharged accounts, but errors happen. Check your reports a few months after discharge and dispute anything wrong.