Consumer complaint received 2020-12-08
Company: Mandarich Law Group, LLP
State: MO
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Credit card debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I appeared in XXXX XXXX court in XXXX, mo. to settle a debt that had been bought by Mandarich law Group , LLP based in XXXX, IL. When my case was called by XXXX XXXX XXXX, I approached the bench and a local lawyer stood in for the plaintiff. The amount I owed was {$1300.00} and the original debt holder was XXXX XXXX XXXX. I acknowledged owing the debt and agreed to pay {$150.00} on the XXXX of every month until the debt was paid. I left the courthouse with a single document stating the agreement made and the payment date and amount and a total amount owed of {$1300.00}. The agreement also said plus cost and judgement will bear interest at the statutory rate of 9 % per annum. When I mailed my first payment, I sent a note asking for a receipt and a total amount due. When the second payment was sent I sent another note asking for a receipt and a total amount due. I made 8 payments of {$150.00} and a ninth payment for {$100.00} for a total of {$1300.00}. At least six of nine of these payments had a note included asking for a receipt and a total amount due. Mandarich Law Group never sent me a receipt. They did not send me an adjusted amount with their cost or interest accrued. They made no attempt to collect any additional debt after the original debt was paid. So I assumed my debt had been paid in full. My last payment was made in XXXX of XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a letter from Mandarich Law Group informing me that they had sold my debt of {$350.00} to XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX. This was the first and only document I had received from Mandarich. This document does not give me any information about this new debt. It was kept from me through the entire process despite me asking for a total amount due numerous times. I was sent home from court with an amount owed and amount to pay and a date to XXXX it on. I sent every payment on time and sent the amount I agreed to send. Mandarich never disclosed any additional fees or cost until they sold my account to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I made my last payment in XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, Mandarich informed me they had sold my debt. They had 7 months to notify me that I owed additional payments for cost and interest. Not one form of communication was sent to my phone number or address until they sold my debt. I was never given an amount other than {$1300.00}. That was the amount I paid. I believe Mandarich Law Group intentionally hid these fees from me for the purpose of selling my debt for a profit. I believe this is common practice at this law firm and it is done intentionally with intent to collect more money. I have no idea how much interest or cost has already been applied to this new debt. But I assume they will let me know XXXX or 8 months when they sell my new debt to another collector. These people have law degrees and this is how they choose to use them. This is a scam. If a person owed a large amount of money and worked for years to pay these people what they thought they owed only to find out there is all that interest and cost that they were never told about, it could destroy a persons life and the stress would be unreal. Here is all the information I have to provide. My name is XXXX XXXX. Phone number is XXXX. My address is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, mo XXXX. My court appearance was on XX/XX/XXXX at the XXXX XXXX courthouse in XXXX, MO. Case number XXXX Judge XXXX XXXX heard the case and the attorney representing Mandarich was XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX # XXXX Who was not present in court but his name is on the judgement I signed. He is an attorney from Mandarich Law Goup, LLP. There address is XXXX. XXXX  XXXX XXXX IL. XXXX. There phone number is XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation