Consumer complaint received 2024-05-02 00:00:00
Product: Debt or credit management — Debt settlement
Issue: Didn't provide services promised — 
Company: Michel Law, LLC d/b/a Level One Law
State: RI

Complaint narrative:
In XXXX of last year, my wife and I decided to consolidate credit card debt. Right around that time, we received a flyer in the mail from a company named XXXX XXXX, promising interest rates as low as XXXX XXXX on a consolidation loans. 

We talked about it and gave them a call. Unfortunately, it didnt connect us with XXXX XXXX, which I questioned numerous times, it connected us with Level One Law, who said we didnt qualify for the low interest loan and they were willing to lend us money to consolidate the debt for XXXX % points below what the credit cards were charging. At hearing that, my XXXX  and both declined the offer. The smooth-talking gentleman explained they could settle our debt down and it would take XXXX months for the entire process and everything would be finished At the time ( approximately XX/XX/XXXX ) when we signed with Level One Law, we were not behind or late on any of our debt and only sought to consolidate credit card debt in anticipation of my possible retirement in XX/XX/XXXX. At the time, our credit ratings hovered at or near the mid-upper XXXX. Today is it at of hovering around the XXXX range. 

We began making monthly payments or {$1100.00} monthly in XX/XX/XXXX. Since the day we signed with Level One Law, they have not been provided ANY debt relief actions on or behalf what-so-ever. No communication, no calls, no court appearances and no documents filed on our behalf, until after XXXX XXXX XXXX was placed into receivership by the courts on or about XX/XX/XXXX. Every time contacted Level One Law, we were told you dont have enough in your account to settle your debt. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, I called Level One Law and was insistent on speaking to a supervisor or XXXX. After over XXXX hours on the phone with Level One Law, I was told we only had approximately {$5000.00} in our account. Up until that time, we had deposited over {$13000.00} into our account. This includes payments we made in XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, totaling just under {$2400.00}, which was after the courts had stopped/restricted XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX transaction from taking place until all legal matters were settled. 

On the evening of XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, I received an email notice from Level One Law explaining fraud that was committed by a company called XXXX XXXX XXXX. This company was ultimately determined to be the company the payments were going to. This email was received a full XXXX months after the courts placed them in receivership, and not being notified until we had made XXXX additional payments to Level One Law. 

My understanding of the situation is, indicates the monthly payments were drawn out or our local bank account and transferred to an account at XXXX XXXX ( a legal company ), in XXXX Oklahoma. Once the funds were received by XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX withdrew the money out and transferred it to XXXX companies. Once the money was received into the XXXX XXXXompanies, XXXX XXXX XXXX took the funds for services that had not yet been provided to the clients of Level One Law, thus creating the circumstances and legal actions by XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  and the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

Ultimately, the courts to placed XXXX XXXX XXXX into receivership on or about XX/XX/XXXX, resulting in restricting or stopping further business until the courts could settle all legal matters. 

By our best estimate, XXXX XXXX XXXX, over the course of the first XXXX  months, took approximately XXXX % of the funds we had sent to settle debt without ever providing the service of Level One Law, even though we had a locally assigned Level One Law attorney appointed. 

This has caused our debt go into default and it was sold to XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, a local debt collection firm, who now seeks that we make monthly payments to settle the debt amount. 

I believe Level One Law is a conspirator in the fraud that occurred with XXXX XXXX XXXX, due to then lack of legal representation from Level One Law over the course of a year. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, my XXXX  and I decided to address the debt ourselves and contacted XXXX, XXXX and XXXX. 
I was told by the representative of XXXX, XXXX and XXXX that they couldnt speak to me because I had a local assigned attorney ( XXXX XXXX XXXX, who filed the paperwork on or about XX/XX/XXXX ( almost 3 months to the day after they XXXX XXXX XXXX was implicated in the fraud ), indicating he was my attorney of record. This action was taken approximately XXXX months after being appointed as our attorney by Level One Law and after the legal actions had been taken against XXXX XXXX XXXX. Due to lack of legal representation by Level One Law, I believe it indicates they may be coconspirators with XXXX XXXX XXXX in the fraud that occurred. 

Unfortunately, it appears XXXX XXXX was in such a hurry to file the court documents, he failed to put my XXXX XXXX name on the document/s he filed with the courts ( according to XXXX, XXXX and XXXX ). 

When my XXXX called XXXX, XXXX and XXXX, they told her they called the Level One Law attorney, XXXX XXXX, numerous times and he never returned any of their calls. They also told her that there is no attorney assigned on her behalf from Level One Law. 

Over the entire time we signed with Level One Law, we never received any correspondence, calls, emails or any other type of correspondence from XXXX XXXX. On XXXX  XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXX XXXX I received the first and only communication ever received from XXXX XXXX, who admitted he filed the court documents after finding out about the XXXX XXXX XXXX notice of receivership, which makes me believe Level One Law may be a coconspirator in the fraud. 

During my conversation with XXXX XXXX, he stated other attorneys quit working for Level One Law and he felt a duty as the only attorney representing Level XXXX clients in the state of XXXX XXXX He also said he felt so bad he would represent my XXXX and myself for free, which I did not accept. 

I believe his late filing of court documents is an attempt to stave off any legal actions against Level One Law because, theres no reason why he hadnt filed court documents on our behalf within the previous year. 

I personally uploaded the court documents we were served with onto the Level One Laws website, which the website will show the documents were received and are stored and in their possession. 

Before the fraud was discovered and addressed by the courts and, before being notified by Level One Law over XXXX months after all business transactions on behalf of XXXX XXXX XXXX, were limited and/or stopped by the federal courts. 


I can provide any documents to show that the fraud that was committed has severely damaged our credit and put my XXXX and my job in jeopardy, and put us in a situation that will most likely force us to pay debt until the day we die, which was NEVER our intention to start with. 

Please do a business license search in XXXX XXXX for Level One Law and/or the name XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX " supposed owner '' of Level One Law. My search produced no results for a business license for either the name or business to indicate they are allowed to conduct business in the state of XXXX XXXX. A further search shows they are out of the state of XXXX yet, there is no business license for Level One Law in that state either.

Company response to consumer: Untimely response