Consumer complaint received 2025-04-10 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Hayt Hayt & Landau, P.L. (FL)
State: GA

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/XXXX I tried to pay off a XXXX XXXX account that had become late. The firm holding the account now is Hayt, Hayt, & Landau. 

In trying to pay the account I was told by XXXX XXXX that they didn't have the account and was given another number to call. I called the number and they had no account and gave me another number which turned out to be another XXXX XXXX number. I was again told there was no account. I knew a divorce was about to be in process and I was trying to pay off all the debt I could. 

I was working with a credit counselor and she helped me with this issue. She first told me to file disputes on my credit reports to see if I could get any other information on this account. The responses I got were that the account was active and gave the same phone numbers as I'd called before. I called again anyway and was yet again told they didn't have an account. 

Next, she told me to file with the XXXX  and CFPB. Response to XXXX was the same as my credit reports and CFPB was sent communications through a link to which was deemed dangerous by CFPB and would not allow me to open or download the information. 

In the process of doing all of this I was served court papers. I responded and went to the first court date where I met with a mediator. We discussed everything and it was decided that we would work toward a solution together. The judge was then notified of this and allowed time for us to come to an agreement before a follow-up court date. Within a couple of days a man named XXXX called from Hayt, Hayt, & Landau. He was right off the bat rude and had no intention of working towards a solution. At one point even yelled at me telling me he knows the laws and I will pay XXXX way or another. I told him that I didn't know if he was having a bad day or what but he was not going to speak to me in such a way as I had tried multiple times to pay this account, even before it went to collections, and it's been a non-stop run around. He continued to be rude and unwilling to work with me so I told him I would see them on the next court date and to have a great day and hung up. 

I went to the follow-up court date in XX/XX/XXXX. Again, another mediator. We talked and came up with a plan that was presented to the judge. The judge accepted and I thought all was good to go. My first payment would have been in XX/XX/XXXX. I never received any follow-up paperwork so I called on XX/XX/XXXX to find out the plan. Upon calling Hayt, Hayt, & Landau to get information I was told the case had been closed. I started asking questions because I knew this didn't sound right but she told me she would have it investigated and call me back. I waited. On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX called again. 2 months after my initial phone call. He demanded I pay " what was agreed upon '' for XXXX and XXXX. I asked if the account was open or closed and he responded with " it's open! '' and " you need to pay now! '' He then blamed me for the case being closed, told me that was my fault and now I needed to pay or he'd report to the courts that I didn't pay for 2 months. I told him to go ahead because I had already reported that they failed on their part of the agreement. The courts told me to wait and see what they do next so now I'm here looking for help. 

My divorce was finalized XX/XX/XXXX. I lost 95 % of my income. I am XXXX and on XXXX. I have emails between the credit counselor and myself that prove the steps I took to tend to this. 

I don't understand why this whole ordeal had to be this way. I did my due diligence in trying to get this taken care of and I've been yelled at and threatened when I was trying to do right. For 1 year and 5 months I've been dealing with this and I am stressed and tired. They are not interested in settling this.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation