Consumer complaint received 2019-09-21
Company: Roosen, Varchetti & Olivier, PLLC
State: MI
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: I do not know
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Seized or attempted to seize your property

Complaint:
On XX/XX/19 I received two letters from the State of Michigan Treasury department, in separate envelopes : A Notice of Income Tax Used for Debts and a Garnisment Disclosure. 

The Garnishment Disclosure was against a person named : XXXX XXXX and references case # XXXX in the XXXX District Court. 

Upon reviewing the court case documents that are available online, it seems that the law firm Roosen, Varchetti , & Olivier falsely reported XXXX XXXX 's social security number to the court to garnish his State Tax Refund when XXXX has no interest, knowledge, association, or relation to XXXX XXXX. The Court granted the garnishment and the State of Michigan then froze the income tax return of XXXX and XXXX XXXX, which then created an injured spouse. 

Upon reviewing the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act, the law firm of Roosen, Varchetti, & Olivier broke the law in the following ways : 1. Took Negative Legal Action The law : Collectors cant threaten wage garnishment unless they have the legal authority to do so and intend to do so. These threats are often illegal. Collectors must usually take you to court first and win before they can take these kinds of actions if they are legal in the first place.

2. False Statements or Representations The law : Collectors cant threaten wage garnishment, to ruin your credit rating  unless they have the legal authority to do so and intend to do so. These threats are often illegal. Collectors must usually take you to court first and win before they can take these kinds of actions if they are legal in the first place. 

I called the State of Michigan Treasury Department upon receiving this notice at XXXX and spoke to a representative who was able to verify the error in reporting the wrong Social Security Number but could not insure that this would not happen again next year because this law firm continues to report erroneous Social Security Numbers each year to be garnished. 

The State of Michigan asked me to contact the law firm to have XXXX social security number removed from their case file. I contacted the law firm and spoke to the person who answered the phone. She was able to pull up the case and when she found that the State unfroze the tax return and released the payment, she remarked : " You got your money back, what more do you want? '' When I explained to her that I wanted XXXX social security number removed from the case file, she wanted me to provide Social Security Numbers, which I refused to do, since I suspect that this is a tactic that they do quite frequently based on the statements from the State of Michigan and from reading their XXXX reviews : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, ,, Once I realized that this person was not going to help me with this situation, I ended the phone call. 

I would like to have this law firm investigated for Identity Theft and unlawful collection practices and I want XXXX and XXXX XXXX 's Social Security Numbers removed from the case file of XXXX XXXX. 

Thank you for your time.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation