Consumer complaint received 2019-06-11
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Rausch Sturm LLP (WI)

Back in XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX XXXX to inquire about buying a home. The gentlemen at XXXX XXXX informed me I had a Judgment against me and until that was taken care he was not going to be able to help me buy a home. I asked him who the Judgment was from and he gave me the name of Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson & Hornick, LLC. 
After being informed about this Judgment placed against me in XX/XX/XXXX I immediately called Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson & Hornick, LLC to find out what the Judgment was for and how I could resolve this judgment, even though I believe it was a debt I did not create. Upon calling Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson & Hornick, LLC I spoke to XXXX XXXX at ext. XXXX. XXXX explained there was a Judgment against me from XXXX XXXX with the original debtor being XXXX XXXX. I asked when this account was opened and he told me XXXX. I asked for the information from this debt and he said I would have to contact XXXX XXXX. So to protect my name and my credit XXXX offered me a monthly payment of {$200.00} or a settlement of {$6100.00}. I explained to him that I would take the monthly payment arrangement as I did not have {$6100.00}. I sent in my 1st payment of {$200.00} on XX/XX/XXXX. As time went on I continued to make payments, but unfortunately being I am a single mother I was unable to continue the $ 200 monthly payments. I reduced my payments to {$100.00} or less a month as I just didnt have the funds to continue with large monthly payments. I made all my payments on the website of Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson & Hornick,  LLC so I could keep track of my payments that posted and I could also keep track of the balance of the account. As I was making payments I noticed my balance was not decreasing and in fact it was growing. On XX/XX/XXXX, I was notified by mail from XXXX XXXX County, WI XXXX XXXX that a Transcript of Judgment was filed on XX/XX/XXXX. I called XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to XXXX XXXX at ext. XXXX and asked him about my payments and also asked why the balance was not dropping. XXXX explained that the balance would never decrease as I was paying an interest rate of 12 % plus lawyer fees. I explained to XXXX that this debt isnt even mine and that I would like the information regarding the debt and what it was for. At that time XXXX offered me a settlement of {$6700.00}, which again I explained I did not have that kind of money. I explained to XXXX that all the money I had paid from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX went nowhere and I was basically paying on a debt that would never be settled and I would be XXXX years old by the time I had it paid off. XXXX said he was sorry, but that he couldnt do anything for me, but that I could call back and make an offer to settle. I called Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson & Hornick, LLC on XX/XX/XXXX and offered to settle for {$2500.00}, even though I still had no idea what I was paying on, but I wanted it to go away. XXXX said the original Debtor of XXXX XXXX would not settle for that amount, but he advised me to keep making payments. I called Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson & Hornick, LLC on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to XXXX at ext. XXXX and she offered me a settlement of {$6800.00}, but I explained yet again to her that I would like the information from the debt. I advised her that I did not have that kind of money, but I was willing to make monthly payments to get this debt taken care of. XXXX advised me they could give me monthly payments of $ XXXX for 24 months, but again I explained I could not afford an additional $ XXXX a month with my income. XXXX told me they would continue to accept my payments and to call back when I could settle. At this time I just continued to make payments when I could. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I received the mail at my employer of XXXX XXXX and I came across the Affidavit of Mailing from XXXX XXXX County addressed to XXXX XXXX to start Garnishment proceedings against me. I immediately called XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX and spoke to XXXX XXXX at ext. XXXX. I was completely unaware a garnishment was in the works to take place and I was never notified by mail or by personal service from someone who represented XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, so I was completely blindsided by this action. XXXX XXXX went through a financial questioner with me and I gave her my earnings after taxes and she advised me I would need to send in my last 4 paystubs to her email of XXXX. XXXX advised once she received my information she would go over it with her boss and would call me back later that day. I told her on the phone that I would like all of the original documents from when this account was opened and the signature card. XXXX didnt respond to me about that, but advised me again to send my paystubs to her email. Around XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX I had emailed XXXX thanking her for talking to me and I explained before I could send in my paystubs I would need the signature card from XXXX when the account was opened. I waited for her response, but I did not receive one. 
Around XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX I called XXXX , XXXX , IXXXX , XXXX XXXX XXXX , XXXX and spoke to XXXX and he was going to transfer me to XXXX , but explained she was on a long call and she would have to call me back. I waited for a call back, but never received a call back, so I emailed XXXX again at XXXX asking for the signature card and a copy of all of the charges from this debt. I told XXXX I was more than willing to work with them, but I would like the information before I was able to proceed. I did not hear anything back. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX and spoke to XXXX XXXX and I had asked her if she could provide me with the original documents and the signature card and she said she did not have that information but has reached out to the original debtor and was waiting on a response. XXXX advised me that she would send me an email later that day with all of the information she did have from my file, but as of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX I had not received an email from XXXX . 
I took it upon myself and called XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, being they are the firm that turned my account over to XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX. I had spoken to XXXX and I had asked her if she had the original documents from the account and she explained to me that she did not have that information, but I could try and call XXXX XXXX. I took her advice and called XXXX XXXX and spoke to XXXX, who then transferred me to XXXX. 
XXXX told me in order to get the original documents I would have to write a letter to XXXX XXXX requesting the information and they would have to send it to my home. XXXX gave me the address of : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX UT XXXX. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent my written request Certified Mail to XXXX XXXX for the original documents from this account that was opened in XXXX. As of XX/XX/XXXX, I have yet to receive any information from this original debt they say I owe. 
The Judgment is noted in XXXX XXXX County Circuit Court in the amount of {$7600.00}, which as of XX/XX/XXXX I have paid a total of {$1400.00}.