MADISON - ST. CLAIR RECORD

A man has filed suit against a bank that he says wrongly charged off a loan.

Kenneth Kitson claims the Bank of Edwardsville sent a report in May 2007 to a credit reporting agency indicating that a loan had been charged off due to fraud.

Only after he was given a credit report on July 24, 2007, and in August 2007 was Kitson made aware of the derogatory remark, according to the complaint filed July 20 in St. Clair County Circuit Court.

"The accusation of fraud on the part of the plaintiff constitutes libel, per se," the suit states. "The plaintiff's character has been maligned and defamed by said derogatory and false statements."

Kitson is seeking a judgment of more than $15,000, plus costs.

P.K. Johnson of Johnson and Johnson in Belleville will be representing him.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-385.