Consumer complaint received 2023-05-05
Company: Levy & Associates, LLC
State: VA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Sued you without properly notifying you of lawsuit

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I received a garnishment summons in the mail, forwarded to my current address by my former landlord, from XXXX XXXX XXXX for XXXX, issued on XX/XX/XXXX. I contacted the law office listed, Levy Law, immediatly, only to be directed to an answering service. I left a message, asking for a call back as I was attempting to figure out what this garnishment was for as I had cleared out all debts that were past due and did not show any judgements on my public records searches. I attempted to contact Levy Law at least ten time that day. Every attempt to contact Levy Law with the number provided, a XXXX, listed on both the summons and from the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX resulted in being directed to a voicemail system, no person would answer the phone. 

I contacted the XXXX, VA XXXX XXXX XXXX as to attempt to get more information on the issue, especially since the garnishment summons had the case number crossed out and hand written over. When I gave the case number to the clerk, she responded that the judgement was issued back in XXXX. Then she proceeded to give me the same number to Levy Law as I had already been attempting to contact. I then proceeded to contact XXXX XXXX XXXX directly regarding this. In contacting XXXX XXXX XXXX, I was told that they no longer had the account, that they could not pull up any of the information, and I would have to contact Levy Law regarding the garnishment and judgement.

I proceeded to continue to call Levy Law at the number I have hourly from XXXX through XXXX daily. It was not until XX/XX/XXXX that I managed to get in contact with someone at the " office '' who did give me another number as they did not handle any of the account information. In calling the XXXX number, I was directed to a young lady, who proceeded to pull up the account. The young lady, proceeded to give me a balance of XXXX showing on the account, and when I asked why was there a different balance, proceeded to tell me that the only balance is that, she doesn't show a XXXX. I proceeded to attempt to ask her questions on the matter, at which point I was told that " none of the lawyers were in the office '' and that " she could have one of them contact me back within 3-5 business days ''. I asked for her immediate supervisor, at which point I was placed on hold and then transferred to the same voicemail that the previous calls were directed toward. 

On a later call back to the XXXX number to Levy Law that evening, I managed to get a XXXX XXXX XXXX. I asked XXXX XXXX if she could provide me with some information regarding the account, to which I was trying to get when they obtained the account, when XXXX XXXX obtained the account, as well as when they supposedly got this judgement. XXXX XXXX proceeded to get very evasive in her answering any questions. XXXX XXXX did provide me with the following information : XXXX XXXX had obtained the account on XX/XX/XXXX -Levy Law obtained the debt in XXXX of XXXX When asking as to how Levy Law had obtained the debt in XXXX of XXXX, and the summons I received was dated XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX could only mutter " ummm '' then followed up with " I can have one of the lawyer call you back within 48 hours ''. I told her to have them contact me back. No one has contacted me back from Levy Law. 

I then opened up a CFPB complaint on the matter as I still had not heard anything back regarding any of my phone calls. At this point I had made over 50 phone calls to both the XXXX and the XXXX phone numbers that were provided. After opening that complaint, a XXXX XXXX, contacted me via email and then attached a copy of a summary of judgement, which had the original case number, and my name ( see attachment summary of judgement ). This document lists no validating information other than my name and address, no SSN or DOB listed. I then asked XXXX XXXX in a response to the email, a few questions regarding the issue. I mentioned that there was a CFPB complaint issued on XXXX regarding this case and stated once more that I was improperly given legal advice by someone from their offices to not show up for the judgement hearing back in XXXX, that they would " non-suit '' the case and would set up payment plans. I was given a reply to my questions of " We have received a copy of the complaint you filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and we will provide a response to the complaint. '' In doing further researching, I did find another open complain made in XXXX to the CFPB on the same issue. At this point, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( now Levy Law ) had garnished my wages for this judgement. Shortly after the CFPB investigation into the matter, my garnished wages were returned back to me over a period of time from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX ( see attached Paystubs ), with no further contact in mail or otherwise from XXXX XXXX XXXX ( Levy Law ). Having heard no communication back. On XX/XX/XXXX, once again I had receivied a garnishment summons, to start on XX/XX/XXXX, after never hearing from XXXX XXXX ( Levy Law ). I opened a complaint as since the funds were returned back to me on the garnishment in XXXX, I was under the presumption that the garnishment was cancelled. No funds were taken out and once again, I never heard from XXXX XXXX ( Levy Law ) via mail or phone call. 

I was given improper advice by a agent of Levy Law ( operating as XXXX XXXX XXXX ) at the time this judgement was issued. I was told that I did not have to show up for the hearing that the judgement would be " non-suited '' and I would have someone contact me regarding setting up a payment arrangement. Levy Law ( XXXX XXXX at the time ) continues to deny this, however they did return funds that were garnished in XXXX, and then stopped the garnishment order in XXXX when it was submitted to the CFPB. Also, if there would have been a judgement opened, I would have not been able to take out the mortgage to purchase my current house, as that would have had to have been paid off prior to being able to close of the home on XX/XX/XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation