Consumer complaint received 2020-11-01
Company: Richard Sokoloff, Attorney At Law
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Seized or attempted to seize your property

Complaint:
My concern is that Richard Sokoloff is exploiting me as a minority and abusing their legal knowledge by intimidating me and other groups like myself. Richard Sokoloff continues to make empty threats to sue me and garnish my income. This is evident in a correspondence I received dated XX/XX/XXXX threatening to garnish my bank account unless I contact them. My claim is that the fair debt collection act is being violated, and Richard Sokoloff is being deceptive in their representation of my debt. I began following an agreement I made with the law office of Richard Sokoloff to pay a creditor ; XXXX XXXX XXXX which is actually a medical bill, on XX/XX/XXXX. On this date Richard Sokoloff began taking {$200.00} to resolve a debt claim of {$4700.00}. XXXX. I did not received notice indicating my debt payments and the balance remaining on this debt. However, the law office of XXXXichard Sokoloff has been withdrawing {$200.00} every month since XXXX XXXX to date XXXX XXXX. To date the law of Richard Sokoloff has withdrawn {$2.00}, XXXX from my account. Having not received any correspondence relating to the verbal agreement in XXXX, which I was told I would receive a letter outlining the agreement of how much I shoudl pay and the projected duration of the debt resolution. This brings me to my big concern. On XX/XX/XXXX I receive a correspondence dated XX/XX/XXXX from the law office of Richard Sokoloff on behalf of creditor XXXX XXXX XXXX, that I owe {$2600.00}. The correspondence stated that my " bank account had been restrained which restricts my use thereof ''. 
I was immediately concerned so I called my bank and was informed that there was no restriction on my account. This leads me to believe that the notice was an empty threat toward efforts to indimidate and further exploit my financial wellbeing and threats my livelihood. 
The current claim of debt against me by the law office of Richard Sokoloff states I owe {$2600.00}. This amount that is recorded in the notice sent to me on XX/XX/XXXX, is misleading and I believe is an unfair representation of my actual debt. I believe the law office of Richard Sokoloff is exploiting me and other minority groups and a class of low income people. I believe the law office of Richard Sokoloff are renewing debts to allow for additional fees to be attached and further perpetuating debt of minority and low income people. I am disturbed with this matter because I am currently in payment agreement with this law office on the same debt that they send a notice about. They are threatening to take money from my bank account although they are already taking money under a payment plan I have already agreed to and am currently paying even as I write this claim. I am seeking compensation for emotional distress, and fair collection debt violation. I believe the law office of Richard Sokoloff directly, preys on minority groups and low income people and further exploits our financial stability. Moreover, I believe the law office of Richard Sokoloff is harassing me, trying to intimidate me with legal language, and threatening letters. I want to add that my contact with Richard Sokoloff includes the date of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX when they began taking money automatically with my approval from my account, and again on XX/XX/XXXX when I received the correspondence about the same creditor ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) that I am currently paying on as we speak. Further more, I have placed a complaint with the XXXX about my dispute against their practice

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation