Consumer complaint received 2024-02-29
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: John B. Ingleson, Attorney at Law (TN)

My wife & I both received a letter from John B. Ingleson  dated XX/XX/2023 regarding a debt collection for his client XXXX XXXX XXXX. I called his office on XX/XX/2023 & spoke with XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX. I told her I wanted to pay the total debt in full which was {$27000.00} ( this total was included in the letter XXXX  sent ). XXXX then informed me that my total debt had increased to {$36000.00}, which now included attorney fees. My first reaction was to contact an attorney to fight the unreasonable attorney fees. Then after speaking with an attorney, I decided to pay these unreasonable attorney fees to avoid court costs, lawyer fees and the potential of being forced to sign a non-disparagement agreement that his client XXXX XXXX had been attempting to coerce us into signing which my attorney advised me would be part of any settlement agreement. I have email communications between myself, XXXX XXXX, and his paralegal XXXX regarding the conversations we had about the unreasonable {$9000.00} in attorney feesXXXX XXXX XXXX sent one single page letter to both me and my wife. It is highly unreasonable to seek {$9000.00} in attorney fees for a single page letter that was mailed to both me and my wife. There is no one on this planet that would find this reasonable. On XX/XX/2023 Mr. Ingleson sent me an email saying, XXXX & XXXX XXXX, Attached is the Financial Policy Executed by XXXX XXXX with my client. He attached the Financial Policy with a red arrow drawn on the agreement pointing to the line reasonable attorney fees and court cost. XXXX XXXX  then sends me an email stating XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, I have discussed your proposal to pay {$27000.00} by credit card to my office for the account owe to XXXX XXXX. With execution of the attached agreement I am authorized to accept your offer. I never made an offer to pay our debt that included signing any type of XXXX, XXXX XXXX or XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX had attempted on several occasions to coerce my wife into signing a Non-Disparagement Agreement due to the terrible results of her veneer procedure. XXXX XXXX offered her {$15000.00} for her agreed silence as well as to sign away her future legal rights ( I have text messages and emails from XXXX XXXX with this exact offer of {$15000.00} in exchange for her silence ). It is clear to us that the {$9000.00} in unreasonable attorney fees was an illegal debt collection tactic to force my wife into signing a XXXX XXXX which stated, neither party shall make any disparaging remarks in any social media platform about the other parties. It doesnt make any sense to a reasonable person why my wife would refuse a {$15000.00} refund offer when it was contingent upon signing an NDA for her to then be willing to pay for her treatment in full and still be required to sign an agreement requiring her silence. XXXX XXXX  office abused the debt collection process in an extremely unethical way. These types of tactics to scare and force someone into signing a Mutual Release should be punished in the most severe way allowed under Tennessee Collection Law and of by The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

I previously filed a complaint with the Tennessee Collection Service Board. Their response was that this complaint fell outside of their jurisdiction and suggested hiring an attorney. I spoke with an attorney who suggested that I file a complaint with the Supreme Court of Tennessee. I filed a complaint with the Supreme Court of Tennessee who suggested that The Federal Trade Commission under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act generally regulates collections, so I am filing a complaint here. I sincerely hope that you will genuinely consider this complaint.