Complaint Review: Weltman Weinberg & Reis. LPA - Troy Michigan

I would like to say that I am not one to be hounded by debt collectors...well lately.  I did get myself into a mess several years ago with a couple of credit cards, but worked through it and managed to pay them off a little at a time.  

Then it happened, a knock on the door, and papers were shoved into my hands.  I opened it and realized that a judgement had been warranted against me for 900.00.  I was in shock and horror.  I couldn't believe that I was being held liable for a debt that I thought I had paid off.  As it turns out, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis, managed to buy a debt that was still outstanding and on the verge of expiring.  It had been years, close to seven.  I completely forgot about this debt and was pretty shocked to discover that they filed a judgement against me.  

I am unemployed, have zero assests, and have nothing of any value.  How do they expect me to pay this off?  I wrote a letter stating that I did not feel that I owed this debt, but it was denied, and proven that I do.  I get a job in the Halloween season at a Halloween store, and a few weeks into the job I get a judgement filed that they are going to take my money!  Never in my life had I experienced such aggressive behavior from any credit collector.  This is plain out bullying as far as I'm concerned.  This isn't their actual debt, they bought it, for a small price.  I find this to be outrageous.  I was making only 7.50 an hour and worked 20 hours a week for five weeks.  They garnished my wages, but were quite limited in what they could take since the earnings were so minimal.  The season ends and so does the garnishments.

Tax season comes, they send a judgement that the are now going to garnish my state tax returns.  Well that failed them as well, since I owe taxes, and don't get a return.  Of course all of this filing is adding on to the tab of what the original balance is, and so is the interest.  What started out as a smaller debt has now reached over 1300.00.  Unilike most debt collectors that will do a settlement and take a lesser amount, this company tacks more money onto the debt and really goes for the gusto.  They are heartless and nasty.

I do make a payment agreement.  Although, small and will take me years to pay it off (with interest accruing), they agree to it and it's a go.  They won't accept a payment over the phone with a prepaid card, so I am left to no other alternative to use their website and pay online submitting my bank information.  I miss one payment, one payment, by a few days, and they sent a one time garnishment to my bank.  Of course there wasn't any money in there, hence why they didn't get the payment on that date.  Of course that was tabbed onto my account as well now and just made the debt go up some more.  

I want to know what kind of legal recourse do people like me have against monsters like these law frims/debt collectors.  They are ruthless, uncaring, and disgusting.  Don't they know that people are in a bad situation?  Why can't they work out some kind of settlement?  Why do they have to keep going to a well that is virtually dried up and hasn't anything to offer?  If it were up to them, we'd all be in debtors prison, as I'm sure that is where they would like to put all of us poor sods who are in this mess.

I feel that this kind of harrassment should be illeagal and should be stopped.  I also feel that why should this debt collection agency, receive interest on a debt that wsn't even theirs to begin with.  They are profiting on people like me, who just over looked a specific debt.  This is wrong on so many levels and I feel consumers should have rights.  

When I put in the name of this law firm and saw that they are located in several states and how big they actually are and then saw all the grievances against them, I realized I am not alone, and many people have been harrassed and terrorized by this company.  I wish we could get them back and in a good way.  I would love to see them go down.  Obviously, that's not going to happen, but it sure would be nice.  

Well...I'm off to make my payment before it's late and they garnish my empty bank account again, costing me 48.00 in fees.  

Sincerely,

Michelle