Consumer complaint received 2016-11-24
Company: Ray Klein, Inc.
State: OR
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: I do not know
Issue: Taking/threatening an illegal action
Sub-issue: Attempted to/Collected exempt funds

Complaint:
I called this company to pay a doctor bill I had misplaced and told by the doctors HR office, had been sent to collections. I paid the debt owed plus XXXX cent interest. I was interrupted during this transaction by the representative who wanted to discuss some other outrageous unknown debt. I told her I was calling to pay the doctor bill I owed. about a week or two later I found a letter in my mailbox telling me I was going to be garnished for a debt that was not identified, and that I would be paying the collection company an additional $ XXXX per a court order dated XX/XX/XXXX, filed XX/XX/XXXX. I called the courthouse records dept. and they did not know who the debt was for since it was so old they only had the origination date of XX/XX/XXXX but no creditor information.. the letter also informed me my bank had been sent a garnishment letter. I called my bank and was told there was no letter, however 3 days later this collection company took XXXXcents out of my savings account which was all I had in it. I called my bank and asked why they had informed me there was no garnishment letter, they finally got me through to the correct person who told me they did receive a garnishment letter on XXXX XXXX XXXX but told the collection company my wages are exempt. social security and government pension but could not be moved to savings because they are auto deposited into checking which is why this collection company took my XXXXcents. I did not receive a certified letter or served in person. I was not sent a letter asking about this debt and explaining who and what it was for previous to the garnishment letter. I have never received anything about this debt filed 6 years ago. even when I was employed at the same employer for 21 years. I have not received letters or calls previous to this action. they took information I gave them for a valid debt with my doctor and used it to threaten me with garnishment. fortunately I have my banking with a credit union that values their members and they were not pleased by this action either and assured me they would let me know if this was attempted again. I sent a challenge letter to the collection agency asking for the name and contact of the original debt supposedly owed but have not received a response.this debt is over 6 years old, never served to me although I have lived here for 3 years and at my previous address for 4 years and have been employed by XXXX for over 20 years, XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. now on social security they mail me a letter in an envelope not identified as a professional agency using information I freely gave them for another matter altogether and threatening my security by trying to garnish my very limited income without any prior warning. I have obtained legal advice because this debt should be past the SOL and also because the original amount seems to be {$340.00} and they want close to {$1000.00}. It is apparent they made no prior effort to contact me and just took information I gave them in good faith for a debt I truly owed in error by thinking I had already paid it and actually I am going to double check that because I think I paid it twice. In any case that is what happened and I am suffering undue XXXX wondering if they will keep bothering me about something that, if valid, should have been presented to me in XX/XX/XXXX before filing with the court for {$340.00} owed to an unknown party. I have had the same phone, had the same job and my address was never unavailable. It was an underhanded and behind the back move I believe, to try to garnish my bank account after I paid the {$30.00} in good faith and never received any further information regarding any other debts I may have or had with them. I am very upset.it is very unprofessional behavior on the part of the collection agency and still is since I am still unaware of who the {$340.00} was owed to 6 yrs. ago.

Company public response: Company disputes the facts presented in the complaint
Company response to consumer: Closed