CS-2026-00056 - Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union v. Katie Wooten

What's This Case About?

Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a murder. There’s no missing person, no secret affair, no body in a trunk. But what we do have is something almost more terrifying in today’s world — a Michigan credit union hunting down a woman in rural Oklahoma like she owes them a kidney. And technically? She does owe them something: $7,929.22, to be exact. That’s not chump change — that’s a used car down payment, a year of therapy, or, if you're really fancy, a single night at a Vegas resort with bottle service. But instead of a showdown with guns or lawyers in pinstripe suits, we get a stack of paperwork, a notary public named Cameo Farrell (yes, Cameo, like the ‘80s band), and a debt so cold it survived a cross-state legal extradition like a zombie with a calculator.

So who are these people? On one side: Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union, which sounds less like a financial institution and more like a side quest in a dystopian video game where you pay tribute to the Education Overlords. This is a credit union based in Troy, Michigan — a place that probably has very strong opinions about snow tires and hockey. They’re not some shadowy Wall Street vulture fund (at least not officially), but they are serious enough about getting paid that they’ve sent their legal gladiators — the law firm Faber and Brand LLC — all the way to Oklahoma to collect. And on the other side? Katie Wooten, a woman living on a rural road in Sawyer, Oklahoma — population: so small it probably has one stop sign and a suspiciously active chicken coop. We don’t know what she does for a living, whether she has goats, or if she even remembers this debt. But we do know she didn’t show up to court. In Michigan. In 2021. And that, my friends, is how you accidentally sign up for a legal horror story.

Here’s how this whole mess went down: back in April 2020, the credit union filed a lawsuit against Katie in Michigan — even though she lives in Oklahoma. That’s the first eyebrow-raiser. How does a Michigan credit union sue an Oklahoma resident? Well, apparently, at some point, Katie had an account or a loan with them. Maybe she moved from Michigan to Oklahoma and forgot to close it. Maybe she took out a loan for a car she no longer owns. Maybe she borrowed money to buy a pontoon boat and then fled the state in shame when winter came. We don’t know — the filing doesn’t say. But what we do know is that the credit union claimed she owed them $7,747.32, plus $106.90 in costs and $75 in attorney fees. That’s a very specific $75 — not $74, not $76. Someone billed exactly one hour at $75 and said, “Yep, that’s justice.”

Katie, for whatever reason, never responded. No answer, no defense, not even a “lol I don’t live there anymore” letter. So on January 29, 2021, the credit union filed a default request — which is legal speak for “she ghosted us, so we win by forfeit.” The court, seeing no resistance, entered a default judgment on February 19, 2021, ordering Katie to pay the full $7,929.22. And because the U.S. legal system loves paperwork, they even noted that the judgment would earn interest at a whopping 12.75% — a rate so high it sounds like a payday loan ad. By the time they got around to enforcing it in Oklahoma, that interest had already piled up another $642.17. So now, if she ever wants to buy a house, rent a car, or apply for a credit card, she might get flagged like a fugitive.

But here’s where it gets extra petty: the credit union didn’t just let it sit. No, they waited a few years, let the interest simmer, and then decided, “You know what? Let’s go full National Treasure and register this judgment in Oklahoma.” That’s what this whole filing is — not a new lawsuit, but a registration of a foreign judgment. Translation: “Hey Oklahoma, we already won in Michigan. Can you please help us collect?” It’s like when you win a bet in one state and then try to collect from your buddy who moved to another time zone. “Dude, you said you’d pay me back. I have it in writing. Your new landlord can’t protect you.”

Now, what do they want? $7,939.22 — a slight bump from the original judgment, probably due to more interest or administrative fees. Is that a lot? Well, for most people living on a rural road in Oklahoma, yes. That’s several months of groceries. A new HVAC system. A small farm animal empire. But for a credit union? That’s pocket lint. They’re not suing for millions. They’re not trying to bankrupt her. They’re just saying, “We have a piece of paper that says you owe us. Pay up.” And they’re using a law firm in Missouri (Faber and Brand LLC) to do it — because apparently, Michigan lawyers aren’t licensed in Oklahoma, but Missouri ones apparently are, or at least know how to file paperwork there.

And what’s the most absurd part? The sheer bureaucratic audacity of it all. A woman in Oklahoma gets hit with a legal claim from a Michigan court, enforced by a Missouri law firm, over a debt that accrued during the early days of the pandemic — when, let’s be honest, a lot of people were just trying to survive. Did Katie forget? Did she not get the notice? Was she in the military at the time (the form says “it is unknown,” which is… not reassuring)? We don’t know. But the system didn’t care. It just kept rolling: judgment entered, interest accrued, paperwork stamped, notarized by Cameo Farrell, and now — boom — a debt collector’s letter with a fancy seal.

Our take? We’re not rooting for the credit union. We’re not even really rooting against them — they’re just doing their job, and if you borrow money, you should probably pay it back. But come on. This is like sending a SWAT team to collect a library fine. There’s something deeply unromantic about a legal system that can track down a woman in rural Oklahoma over $7,900 but can’t seem to fix potholes or fund schools. And yet, here we are. A credit union. A default judgment. A notary named Cameo. And a woman who probably just wanted to live quietly with her chickens and her peace.

If there’s a moral here, it’s this: never ignore legal mail. Especially if it comes from a state you no longer live in. Because apparently, debts don’t expire — they just get extradited.

Case Overview

$7,939 Demand Petition

Jurisdiction

District Court, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

Faber and Brand LLC

Relief Sought

$7,939 Monetary

Plaintiffs

Michigan Schools and Government Credit Union business
Rep: Faber and Brand LLC

Defendants

Katie Wooten individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	Registration of Foreign Judgment

Petition Text

930 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF CHOCTAW COUNTY, STATE OF OKLAHOMA MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT CREDIT UNION Plaintiff, vs. Case No. - CS-36-56 KATIE WOOTEN Defendant(s). AFFIDAVIT COMES NOW, Faber and Brand LLC, being first duly sworn, and states: 1. I am the attorney representing MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT CREDIT UNION in this action for the registration of a foreign judgment. 2. On 02/19/2021, Judgment Creditor, MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT CREDIT UNION obtained a judgment against Judgment Debtor, KATIE WOOTEN, in an action entitled MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT CREDIT UNION v. KATIE WOOTEN, Case No. 2084532GC in the STATE OF MICHIGAN 18TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT. A Certified copy of the Judgment is attached as Exhibit 1. 3. The Judgment has not been satisfied and is entitled to full faith and credit/recognition in Oklahoma. 4. The name and address of the judgment-creditor, MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT CREDIT UNION, is 4555 INVESTMENT DR., TROY, MI 48098. 5. The address for the above-mentioned judgment-debtor, KATIE WOOTEN, is 3222 W 2010 RD Sawyer, OK 74756. Respectfully Submitted, FABER AND BRAND L.L.C. BY: Michael L. Foster Michael L. Foster OK #20701 Jason P. Gubbins OK #22576 James M. Mucklestone OK #36520 P.O. Box 10110 Columbia, Missouri 65205-4000 (888) 233-3141 (573) 442-1072 FAX [email protected] ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF Subscribed and sworn to before me, a Notary Public, this 4 day of March, 2026. My Commission Expires: 1-21-2028 Cameo Farrell Notary Public THIS IS A COMMUNICATION FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR IN AN ATTEMPT TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. F&B Acct. No: 584076 STATE OF MICHIGAN JUDICIAL DISTRICT 18TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COUNTY PROBATE CERTIFICATION OF RECORDS/ ATTESTATION OF EXEMPLIFIED COPIES CASE NO. 2084532GC Court address 36675 FORD ROAD WESTLAND, MI 48185 Court telephone no. 734-595-8720 Plaintiff MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT CREDIT UNION c/o Attorney Defendant KATIE L WOOTEN 3222 W 2010 RD SAWYER, OK 74756 Juvenile In the matter of Probate In the matter of ATTESTATION OF CLERK/REGISTER I am the clerk/register of the court and I attest that: 1. I am the custodian of the records of the ________________________________ court. 2. I have compared the annexed copies of ____________________________________________ ____________________________ from the above case with the originals on file and of record in this court, and I find the copies to be true copies of the whole of such originals. _________________________ ___________________________ Date Signature Clerk/Register (type or print) By: _____________________________________________ Deputy clerk/register (type or print) CERTIFICATION OF JUDGE I, ____________________________________________, judge of the ____________________________ Name (type or print) court, certify that the above attestation is in proper form and that the signature is genuine. _________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ Date Judge Bar no. (SEAL) NOTE: The Certification of Judge is completed only when records are being sent out of the state. MC 202 (6/03) CERTIFICATION OF RECORDS/ATTESTATION OF EXEMPLIFIED COPIES STATE OF MICHIGAN 18TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT JUDICIAL CIRCUIT DEFAULT REQUEST, ENTRY, AND JUDGMENT (SUM CERTAIN) CASE NO. 2084532GC Court address: 36675 FORD ROAD WESTLAND, MI 48185 Court telephone no.: 734-595-8720 Plaintiff name, address, and telephone no.: MICHIGAN SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT CREDIT UNION c/o Attorney Plaintiff's attorney, bar no., address, and telephone no.: WELTMAN, WEINBERG & REIS CO., L.P.A. JEFFREY K. BEARSS , P41693 2155 BUTTERFIELD DRIVE SUITE 200-S TROY, MI 48084 248-362-6100 Defendant name, address, and telephone no.: KATIE L WOOTEN 3222 W 2010 RD SAWYER, OK 74756 Defendant's attorney, bar no., address, and telephone no.: USE NOTE: Plaintiff must complete the Request and the Default Judgment before filing with the court. REQUEST 1. I request a default entry against KATIE L WOOTEN for failure to appear. 2. The claim against the defaulted party is for a sum certain or for a sum, which by computation can be made certain. I request judgment for: Damages: $ 7,747.32 Costs: $ 106.90 Attorney fee/Other: $ 75.00 Total judgment: $ 7,929.22 3. The amount requested for damages is not greater than the amount stated in the complaint. 4. The defaulted party is not an infant or incompetent person 5. ☒ It is unknown whether the defaulted party is in the military service. ✗ The defaulted party is not in the military service. ☐ The defaulted party is in the military but there has been notice of pendency of the action and adequate time and opportunity to appear and defend has been provided. Attached, as appropriate, is a waiver of rights and protections provided under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Facts upon which this conclusion is based are: (Specify): SCRA Search, see attached. 6. This request is made on my personal knowledge and, if sworn as a witness, I can testify competently to the facts in this request. I declare under the penalties of perjury that this request has been examined by me and that its contents are true to the best of my information, knowledge, and belief. Date: 1/29/21 WWR# 040561233 Applicant/Attorney signature: JEFFREY K. BEARSS, P41693 Bar no. DEFAULT ENTRY The default of the party named above for failure to appear is entered. Date DEFAULT JUDGMENT IT IS ORDERED this judgment is granted in favor of the plaintiff(s) as follows: Attach bill of costs if statutory limit is exceeded. Damages: $ 7,747.32 Costs: $ 106.90 Attorney fee/Other: $ 75.00 Total judgment: $ 7,929.22 This judgment will earn interest at statutory rates, computed from the filing date of the complaint. Judgment interest accrued thus far is $ 642.17 and is based on: if needed, attach separate sheet. ☒ the statutory rate of 12.75% % from April 27, 2020 to January 20, 2021 ☐ the statutory 6-month rate(s) of ____ % from ________ to ________ Date: 2-19-21 2-19-21 Court clerk/judge CERTIFICATE OF MAILING I certify that on this date I served a copy of this default entry and judgment on the parties or their attorneys by first-class mail addressed to their last-known addresses as defined by MCR 2.107(C)(3). Date: 2-19-21 Signature: ____________________________ MCL 32.517; MCL 600 2441; MCL 600 5759; MCL 600.6013; MCR 2.603(B)(2); 50 USC 3831 MC 07a (8/19) DEFAULT REQUEST, ENTRY, AND JUDGMENT (SUM CERTAIN)