Capital One Sues McDowell County Resident Harold Sparks in Circuit Court

Capital One, N.A., filing under its legal identity as successor by merger to Discover Bank, brought a civil action against McDowell County resident Harold Sparks in the Welch-based circuit court on March 25, 2026. The case, docketed as CC-27-2026-C-26, was recorded at McDowell County's circuit court, which comprises the Eighth Judicial Circuit and is seated in Welch.

The plaintiff's designation reflects a corporate change that formally closed less than a year ago. Capital One Financial Corporation completed its acquisition of Discover Financial Services on May 18, 2025. Discover Bank merged into Capital One, N.A., and as a result of the merger, Discover no longer exists as a separate entity, with Capital One continuing to operate as the sole surviving entity. Under that structure, Capital One, N.A., successor by merger to Discover Bank, now appears as the plaintiff in all pending, future, and post-judgment filings where Discover Bank was previously named.

The nature of the claim against Sparks, including the dollar amount sought and the type of debt alleged, was not detailed in the initial filing. West Virginia Circuit Courts are trial courts of record with general jurisdiction, overseeing all civil cases at law over $7,500, which establishes the threshold that brings a matter before the circuit bench rather than magistrate court.

Capital One and Discover combined to become the sixth-largest U.S. bank by asset size following the deal's close, and the Sparks filing is one of many civil actions the bank has initiated nationwide under its new consolidated identity. Similar cases carrying the "successor by merger to Discover Bank" caption have been filed in circuit and district courts across multiple states in the months since the merger closed.

Court records for the case can be accessed through the West Virginia Judiciary's electronic docketing system, or in person through the McDowell County Circuit Clerk's office at 90 Wyoming Street, Suite 201, in Welch. Circuit Clerk Francine Spencer's office can be reached at 304-436-8535.