A Florida woman is suing a mortgage company in the US after claiming that their constant demands and threats of debt collection were responsible for the death of her husband.

Elizabeth Dianne McLeod claims that what she described as persistent demands and harassment from their mortgage company over debt repayments exasperated her husband Stanley’s heart condition, leading to his death in 1995.

Mr McLeod experienced debt problems after being unable to work from 2002 due to his heart condition, falling behind with his mortgage repayments. The problems became so serious that at one point, Mr McLeod had to be airlifted to hospital by helicopter.

But rather than offer sympathy to their customer’s plight, the mortgage lender, Green Tree Servicing, LLC, mocked Mr McLeod, leaving a message on their answering machine suggesting "Why don't you have that helicopter pick you up and bring that payment to the office."

Now, four years after her husband’s death, Elizabeth Dianne McLeod is suing Green Tree Servicing, LLC, for unspecified damages, claiming that the company made harassing debt collection phone calls that ultimately led to her husband’s death. The total outstanding debt, it was claimed, was just $700 (approx £430).

The debt problems began in 2003 when the couple, contending with Stanley’s medical bills and a lower income, began sending some of their mortgage payments in late. Each time they did, Green Tree would call to demand payment, said McLeod's lawyer, Billy Howard.

By 2005, Howard claimed that the situation had grown considerably worse: According to the law suit, Green Tree was calling on back-to-back days, even contacting Stanley's neighbour, brother and grandson; and once called at least nine times in one day.

"If somebody tells you they don't have the money in the morning, the only reason you call them back the same day is to harass them," Howard told ABC News.

Elizabeth Dianne McLeod said her husband experienced chest pains, spikes in blood pressure and heavy breathing after many of the phone calls.

"The unrelenting calls visibly (were) destroying his body," she said.