Capital Recovery Systems

What Capital Recovery Systems does

Capital Recovery Systems, Inc. is a receivables management and customer service agency headquartered in Gahanna, Ohio (with mailing address in Columbus), founded in 1997 and operating as a privately held corporation with 11-50 employees. The firm specializes in contingency-based collections of delinquent fines, costs, tax liabilities, and non-tax liabilities (property damage, permit fees, alarm fees, ambulance run fees) for city and municipal courts, county governments, city attorneys, and village/town governments across the Midwest, Southeast, and Indiana. Under its registered "No-Cost Court Collection Program©," the firm earns zero commission until a case is collected in full, with the contingency fee added to the case as permitted by state statute, aligning firm economics with client recovery outcomes.

The company's technology stack centers on three core components: a Client Web Portal (built in partnership with Belvista Software) for account placement, auditing, performance reporting, and client communication; Account Extraction Programs developed through court-software partnerships that allow clients to electronically extract and transmit eligible accounts; and a multi-channel Payment Processing Center — integrating Payscout, phone IVR, mail, Western Union, and cash — that accepts credit cards, electronic checks, and offline payments from debtors. Distribution relies on direct enterprise sales to court systems and municipal entities, supplemented by self-serve debtor-facing payment channels and top-of-funnel credibility built through BBB accreditation and memberships in eight industry associations (ACA International, ORMA, NACM, OAMCCC, IACT, among others).

Commercially, the firm earns revenue exclusively through contingency transaction fees on successfully collected balances, with the Columbus City Attorney's Office — a client since 1998 — having generated over $3.3 million in collections over nine years and CRS outperforming competition 71% of the time for that client. The current leadership team comprises President Katie Borchers, Consultant Dennis Johnson, and Consultant Craig Klein (the prior President), with the company operating free of any disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional ownership. Compliance posture is anchored by full adherence to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and the firm's self-reported rarity of constituent complaints, which underpins its eligibility to work with elected officials and judges who require high compliance standards.

Name

Capital Recovery Systems

Legal name

Capital Recovery Systems, Inc.

Website

https://caprecsys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Capital Recovery Systems is a privately held receivables management agency that collects delinquent fines, costs, and tax/non-tax liabilities for city courts, county governments, and municipal entities across the U.S. Midwest and Indiana, operating on a contingency-fee model under its registered "No-Cost Court Collection Program©."

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Debt Collection Services

NAICS

Collection Agencies (56144), Collection Agencies (561440)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Collections Support (Pre-Lit, Litigation Admin, Judgment Recovery) (BPAAAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Third-Party Debt Collection Agencies (Consumer & Commercial) (BPAAAEAB), Legal Collections & Litigation Support (Judgments, Garnishments) (FSAKAJAD)

Keywords

• Government debt collection
• Court collections
• Receivables management
• Contingency debt recovery
• Municipal collections services

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Contingency-based Collections: Capital Recovery Systems operates on a contingency/performance-based model where they take zero commission until cases are collected in full. Revenue is earned only upon successful debt recovery, aligning the company's interests with client outcomes.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Capital Recovery Systems provides receivables management and delinquent debt collection services for government court systems, municipalities, and villages. Under its signature No-Cost Court Collection Program©, the company recovers unpaid fines, costs, tax liabilities (individual, withholding, and corporate income tax), and non-tax liabilities such as property damage fees, permit fees, alarm fees, and ambulance run fees. The company operates on a contingency basis, charging zero commission until cases are collected in full, and supports its services with a proprietary Client Web Portal, electronic data interchange via Account Extraction Programs, and multi-channel payment processing.

Product overview

Capital Recovery Systems offers a unified receivables management platform anchored by their No-Cost Court Collection Program©, which operates on a zero-commission-until-collection model. The platform includes a Client Web Portal for account management and auditing, Account Extraction Programs developed through software partnerships for electronic data transfer, and a Payment Processing Center supporting multiple payment methods. These components work together to provide end-to-end debt collection services for courts and municipal clients while maintaining compliance and constituent dignity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• No-Cost Court Collection Program© A commission-free receivables management and debt collection program for government courts, city attorneys, and municipalities that recovers delinquent accounts, fines, costs, tax liabilities, and non-tax liabilities on a contingency basis (zero commission until cases are collected in full). Designed to improve cash flow for clients while preserving constituent relationships.
• Client Web Portal Secure online portal providing client court systems and municipalities with access to all accounts for auditing purposes, performance reports, account placement file uploads, and direct communication with Capital Recovery Systems staff.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PRA Group (Portfolio Recovery Associates): Public, large-scale debt buyer and contingency collections operator purchasing and recovering charged-off consumer and government receivables. Adjacent to CRS through government and court receivables, but operates via portfolio acquisition rather than pure contingency agency model.
• Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP: Major Texas-based law firm focused on collection of delinquent taxes, court fines, and other government receivables on behalf of cities, counties, and school districts. Closely comparable to CRS’s contingency-based court and municipal collections work, with broader geographic reach.
• Encore Capital Group (Midland Funding): Public, global specialty finance company purchasing and collecting defaulted consumer receivables, including government and court debts, through its subsidiaries. Comparable to CRS in underlying receivables category but operates at massive scale with a debt-buying model.
• EOS (formerly EOS CCA): International, publicly listed receivables management group providing B2B debt collection, business process outsourcing, and receivables purchasing across multiple verticals. Comparable in collections service line to CRS but at enterprise scale and with European footprint.
• Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP: Largest law firm in the U.S. dedicated to government collections, recovering delinquent taxes, fines, and fees for municipalities, courts, and state agencies. Directly comparable to CRS in serving court and municipal clients on a contingency basis, but operating at far greater national scale.

Direct peers

• IC System, Inc. Family-owned, privately held third-party collection agency serving healthcare, government, financial, and commercial creditors. Similar mid-sized, owner-operated profile to CRS, with a comparable contingency collections offering for public-sector clients.
• Wakefield & Associates, Inc. Mid-sized third-party collection agency with government, court, and commercial receivables recovery on a contingency basis. Comparable to CRS in client mix and fee structure, with deeper commercial collections exposure.
• Credit Solutions LLC: Texas-based contingency debt collection agency serving healthcare, government, and commercial clients. Closely comparable to CRS in the contingency-based small/mid-market segment, with overlapping government receivables work.
• Municipal Collection Services, Inc. Small, privately held collection agency serving municipalities, courts, and police/traffic departments with a similar contingency-based recovery model. Most directly comparable peer to CRS in size, vertical focus, and no-cost program structure.
• Transworld Systems Inc. National third-party debt collection and accounts-receivable management provider offering contingency and debt-buying services to small businesses, government entities, and debt sellers. Comparable to CRS on the contingency collections side, though it operates at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Capital Recovery Systems