Consumer complaint received 2017-04-28
Company: Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., L.P.A.
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Private student loan debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Impersonated attorney, law enforcement, or government official

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX my bank account was seized in the amount of {$4600.00}. This was a joint account with current spouse ( married XX/XX/XXXX. I contacted the bank immediately and was given the number to Weltman, Weinberg, & Reis. I contacted them and they stated they were a law firm collecting a debt for the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and there was a judgement entered against me in the amount of {$51000.00}. I said I did not owe XXXX {$51000.00} I only owed them around {$10000.00}, She stated too bad I should have paid my debts, there is a judgement against you, and if you do n't pay now we will put a lien on all of your assets. I asked why I was never notified and she stated that I was served and had signed for it. I asked where it was served and she provided and address on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I informed her that I do not know that address and have never lived there and that I have lived at my address in XXXX since XX/XX/XXXX. She insisted that I must pay and I agreed to make payments to prevent a lien on my assets, in the amount of {$250.00} per month. At that time I requested proof of this debt, amount, and who the original loan was with. On XX/XX/XXXX I received a payment agreement from them stating the amount I owed which was no {$60000.00}, the payment amount of {$250.00}, and due date of XXXX of each month but there was no proof or any other documentation. I sent my first payment on XX/XX/XXXX along with a letter requesting proof, amount, and ownership of the loan ( see attached ). I continued to make payments on time and repeated sending the same letter requesting proof on XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and finally XX/XX/XXXX. Between these letters there were many calls requesting this information and I was always promised it would be mailed but it never was until XX/XX/XXXX when they sent another form letter just like the very first but it stated the amount I had paid and the balance they had, but did not identify how or where the payments were applied, the interest, or detail it only showed the date of each payment and the amount {$250.00} ( see attached ). So after I received this document I called the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX to find out why I could n't get documentation and they stated they had no idea who WWR was and that they did not represent the XXXX in any way. They disclosed the actual amount I owed them and this was paid. I also tracked down the documents sent to the bank for garnishment, the entire court file used to obtain this judgement, and my Ch XXXX bankruptcy documents which was filed XX/XX/XXXX and final decree XX/XX/XXXX. In the court file there was a document that WWR filed to change my address to this XXXX XXXX address so that they could attach me to it. Public record prior to this had not shown this address linked to me in any way and my address of record at that time was my current one. They did this to make it appear that they had tried to serve me. Also none of the documents to show proof of service were signed by anyone. This address was purchased long after my divorce and remarriage and records show the current residents and owners are my ex and his wife. They 've agreed to provide an affadavit if needed to show that I 've never lived or even beent o this address. Many of my rights have been violated by WWR. They illegally or at best underhandedly changed my address on file to fraudulently provide evidence of service, They misrepresented themselves as an agency representing XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, a government agency, they threatened me saying they would put a lien on all of my assets, and they refused for over 2 years to provide any documentatiojn proving that this was a legitimate loan or how my payments and interest were being applied. In reviewing my bankruptcy documents XXXX ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) was listed on schedule as discharged debt and as being notified of my Chapter XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX was just a cover for collection. I have attempted over 2 years to pay and work with these people and gotten nothing but lies and deceipt.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation