I need your help with AC Donahue in KY, please email me sheriik@hotmail.com. I need to find someone to help with consumer protection laws and someone who is familiar with the statue of limitations in KY and the damage this office has caused me

Hey...I'm not a debt collector, but it seems to me that if you say you paid it and they're asking you to prove it, then you should.  You say "they are not getting a penny", but if you prove to them that you paid the debt, then they won't get anything at all and will leave you alone.  I'm just saying!

I keep getting threatening calls from these people. They say that they are going to have my driver’s license suspended if I don’t pay up in full. I tried to explain that they were in error but they tell me that the burden of proof is upon me.

Got a call from them about a Sallie Mae loan.  I send them a little money every two weeks but they still call.

Business Contact & Profile

Business Name:     
Stillman Law Firm
Stillman Law Office
Business Address:     7091 Orchard Lake Rd., Ste. 270
West Bloomfield, MI 48322

Phone Number:     
(248) 851-6000
BBB Accreditation:     This business is not a BBB Accredited Business

Type of Business:     
LAWYERS

Business Management

BBB has no information regarding Business Management at this time.
Customer Complaint History
Back to Top

When considering complaint information, please take into account the business's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB processed a total of 11 complaint(s) about this business in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total 11 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months, 8 were closed in the last 12 months.

These complaints concerned:

7         regarding Billing or Collection Issues
7         regarding Billing or Collection Issues
1         regarding Customer Services Issues
1         regarding Customer Services Issues
1         regarding Refund Or Exchange Issues
1         regarding Refund Or Exchange Issues
1         regarding Selling Practices
1         regarding Selling Practices
1         regarding Service Issues
1         regarding Service Issues

These complaints were closed as:
2         No Response
2         No Response
9         Resolved

NOT ALL STATES REQUIRE THAT YOU TELL CALLERS YOU ARE RECORDING CALLS.

Its based on state laws.

Recording calls from Debt Collectors - always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm

http://www.budhibbs.com/debt_collector.htm

ATTORNEY/LAWYER DEBT COLLECTORS

The law binds attorneys who engage in the collection of debts and the collectors that work for them.

One of the worst attorney collection networks I have ever encountered is the Collect America/Refinance America franchise founded by Attorney P. Scott Lowery, of Denver CO.

This is abuse at its absolute worst.   Many other law firms engage in the collection of debts.

One recent scam I've encountered is Attorney A. C. Donahue, of Somerset, KY.

It appears that Attorney Donahue is NOT really an attorney in States that he is sending mail from, such as Oklahoma. When I tracked Attorney A. C. Donahue to his KY address, he told me over the phone that he would not speak to me and to contact his attorney.  

Would you feel comfortable sending money to the Donahue Law Group of OK, (oh), and KY?

I certainly would recommend that you DO NOT!  (At least until it can be determined just where Mr. A. C. Donahue is legally allowed to practice law. He seems a bit confused about this.)

A majority of law firm collectors I have dealt with in my business are usually the ones with the "big head" syndrome.

They try to impress you with titles such as 'Head Legal Assistant to Attorney Smith', or use the most intimidation to force payment with such classics as, "the paperwork is ready to send to the courthouse for suit."  

One of my favorites: "We don't have time to play games with you. Are you sending the money today or not?"

These jerks seem to get their kicks convincing debtors that they have life and death power over them.

They love to use the phone as a weapon of terror.

You almost never are allowed to speak with the attorney who sent you the letter because he is always "in court."

You are told that they never take calls from debtors.

Well that's not correct. The law states that if an attorney places their name and/or letterhead on a collection notice, they MUST make themselves available to talk with you and they MUST have some knowledge of the debt.

Don't be intimidated by these over-bearing jerks.

THEY CAN BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE UNDER THE LAW!  

If you feel that your rights are being abused by a debt collection attorney/law office, file a complaint with your State Bar Association, the Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, or contact me for a confidential referral to a consumer law professional in your area.

Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others.

This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.

Debt Collectors DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS INFORMATION!    

The INFORMED CONSUMER IS THE DEBT COLLECTORS WORST ENEMY!

Dealing with Debt Collectors
http://www.budhibbs.com/First.htm
    
Statute of Limitations by State ? always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/statute_of_limitations.htm


Recording calls from Debt Collectors - always double check YOUR OWN STATE Government Website
http://www.budhibbs.com/record.htm


From Federal Trade Commission Website ? FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT
Debt Collection FAQs: A Guide for Consumers
If you?re behind in paying your bills, or a creditor?s records mistakenly make it appear that you are, a debt collector may be contacting you.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation?s consumer protection agency, enforces the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which prohibits debt collectors from using abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices to collect from you.
Under the FDCPA, a debt collector is someone who regularly collects debts owed to others. This includes collection agencies, lawyers who collect debts on a regular basis, and companies that buy delinquent debts and then try to collect them.
Here are some questions and answers about your rights under the Act.

What types of debts are covered?
The Act covers personal, family, and household debts, including money you owe on a personal credit card account, an auto loan, a medical bill, and your mortgage. The FDCPA doesn?t cover debts you incurred to run a business.

Can a debt collector contact me any time or any place?
No. A debt collector may not contact you at inconvenient times or places, such as before 8 in the morning or after 9 at night, unless you agree to it. And collectors may not contact you at work if they?re told (orally or in writing) that you?re not allowed to get calls there.

How can I stop a debt collector from contacting me?
If a collector contacts you about a debt, you may want to talk to them at least once to see if you can resolve the matter ? even if you don?t think you owe the debt, can?t repay it immediately, or think that the collector is contacting you by mistake. If you decide after contacting the debt collector that you don?t want the collector to contact you again, tell the collector ? in writing ? to stop contacting you. Here?s how to do that:
Make a copy of your letter. Send the original by certified mail, and pay for a ?return receipt? so you?ll be able to document what the collector received. Once the collector receives your letter, they may not contact you again, with two exceptions: a collector can contact you to tell you there will be no further contact or to let you know that they or the creditor intend to take a specific action, like filing a lawsuit. Sending such a letter to a debt collector you owe money to does not get rid of the debt, but it should stop the contact. The creditor or the debt collector still can sue you to collect the debt.

Can a debt collector contact anyone else about my debt?
If an attorney is representing you about the debt, the debt collector must contact the attorney, rather than you. If you don?t have an attorney, a collector may contact other people ? but only to find out your address, your home phone number, and where you work. Collectors usually are prohibited from contacting third parties more than once. Other than to obtain this location information about you, a debt collector generally is not permitted to discuss your debt with anyone other than you, your spouse, or your attorney.

What does the debt collector have to tell me about the debt?
Every collector must send you a written ?validation notice? telling you how much money you owe within five days after they first contact you. This notice also must include the name of the creditor to whom you owe the money, and how to proceed if you don?t think you owe the money.

Can a debt collector keep contacting me if I don?t think I owe any money?
If you send the debt collector a letter stating that you don?t owe any or all of the money, or asking for verification of the debt, that collector must stop contacting you. You have to send that letter within 30 days after you receive the validation notice. But a collector can begin contacting you again if it sends you written verification of the debt, like a copy of a bill for the amount you owe.

What practices are off limits for debt collectors?
Harassment. Debt collectors may not harass, oppress, or abuse you or any third parties they contact. For example, they may not:
    use threats of violence or harm;
    publish a list of names of people who refuse to pay their debts (but they can give this information to the credit reporting companies);
    use obscene or profane language; or
    repeatedly use the phone to annoy someone.

False statements. Debt collectors may not lie when they are trying to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    falsely claim that they are attorneys or government representatives;
    falsely claim that you have committed a crime;
    falsely represent that they operate or work for a credit reporting company;
    misrepresent the amount you owe;
    indicate that papers they send you are legal forms if they aren?t; or
    indicate that papers they send to you aren?t legal forms if they are.

Debt collectors also are prohibited from saying that:
    you will be arrested if you don?t pay your debt;
    they?ll seize, garnish, attach, or sell your property or wages unless they are permitted by law to take the action and intend to do so; or
    legal action will be taken against you, if doing so would be illegal or if they don?t intend to take the action.

Debt collectors may not:
    give false credit information about you to anyone, including a credit reporting company;
    send you anything that looks like an official document from a court or government agency if it isn?t; or
    use a false company name.

Unfair practices. Debt collectors may not engage in unfair practices when they try to collect a debt. For example, they may not:
    try to collect any interest, fee, or other charge on top of the amount you owe unless the contract that created your debt ? or your state law ? allows the charge;
    deposit a post-dated check early;
    take or threaten to take your property unless it can be done legally; or
    contact you by postcard.

Can I control which debts my payments apply to?
Yes. If a debt collector is trying to collect more than one debt from you, the collector must apply any payment you make to the debt you select. Equally important, a debt collector may not apply a payment to a debt you don?t think you owe.

Can a debt collector garnish my bank account or my wages?
If you don?t pay a debt, a creditor or its debt collector generally can sue you to collect. If they win, the court will enter a judgment against you. The judgment states the amount of money you owe, and allows the creditor or collector to get a garnishment order against you, directing a third party, like your bank, to turn over funds from your account to pay the debt.
Wage garnishment happens when your employer withholds part of your compensation to pay your debts. Your wages usually can be garnished only as the result of a court order. Don?t ignore a lawsuit summons. If you do, you lose the opportunity to fight a wage garnishment.

Can federal benefits be garnished?
Many federal benefits are exempt from garnishment, including:
    Social Security Benefits
    Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Benefits
    Veterans? Benefits
    Civil Service and Federal Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Service Members? Pay
    Military Annuities and Survivors? Benefits
    Student Assistance
    Railroad Retirement Benefits
    Merchant Seamen Wages
    Longshoremen?s and Harbor Workers? Death and Disability Benefits
    Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Benefits
    Compensation for Injury, Death, or Detention of Employees of U.S. Contractors Outside the U.S.
    Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Disaster Assistance
But federal benefits may be garnished under certain circumstances, including to pay delinquent taxes, alimony, child support, or student loans.

Do I have any recourse if I think a debt collector has violated the law?
You have the right to sue a collector in a state or federal court within one year from the date the law was violated. If you win, the judge can require the collector to pay you for any damages you can prove you suffered because of the illegal collection practices, like lost wages and medical bills. The judge can require the debt collector to pay you up to $1,000, even if you can?t prove that you suffered actual damages. You also can be reimbursed for your attorney?s fees and court costs. A group of people also may sue a debt collector as part of a class action lawsuit and recover money for damages up to $500,000, or one percent of the collector?s net worth, whichever amount is lower. Even if a debt collector violates the FDCPA in trying to collect a debt, the debt does not go away if you owe it.

What should I do if a debt collector sues me?
If a debt collector files a lawsuit against you to collect a debt, respond to the lawsuit, either personally or through your lawyer, by the date specified in the court papers to preserve your rights.

Where do I report a debt collector for an alleged violation?
Report any problems you have with a debt collector to your state Attorney General?s office (www.naag.org) and the Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov). Many states have their own debt collection laws that are different from the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Your Attorney General?s office can help you determine your rights under your state?s law.

For More Information
To learn more about debt collection and other credit-related issues, visit www.ftc.gov/credit and MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government?s portal to financial education.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad
February 2009

File complaints with

Federal Trade Commission  https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/FTC_Wizard.aspx?Lang=en

Your State Attorney General
State Attorney General is every state they have offices

Link to all State Attorney General Websites www.naag.org

If you or they are located in NY ? use this SPECIAL Link  www.NYDebtHelp.com
This special website was created by NY AG Andrew Cuomo specifically for reporting illegal debt collection practices.  HE?S CRACKING DOWN AND SHUTTING THEM DOWN!

Also report your calls and contacts with debt collectors at http://www.budhibbs.com/index.html  If the company is listed under agencies ? report there. If not on the list YET, click on Watchlist! and add to the list.   You can also post here http://www.collectorsexposed.com/forum2/index.php?board=2.0

Here is some extra info if anyone wants it. And if you have Google Earth then plug in the address/City into it and look see where they have their business address listed.  Looks like they are digging deep and don't care who they step on.

These people are PIGS!

Business Contact & Profile

Business Name:    
Stillman Law Firm
Stillman Law Office
Business Address:     7091 Orchard Lake Rd., Ste. 270
West Bloomfield, MI 48322

Phone Number:    
(248) 851-6000
BBB Accreditation:     This business is not a BBB Accredited Business

Type of Business:    
LAWYERS

Business Management

BBB has no information regarding Business Management at this time.
Customer Complaint History
Back to Top

When considering complaint information, please take into account the business's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB processed a total of 11 complaint(s) about this business in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total 11 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months, 8 were closed in the last 12 months.

These complaints concerned:

7         regarding Billing or Collection Issues
7         regarding Billing or Collection Issues
1         regarding Customer Services Issues
1         regarding Customer Services Issues
1         regarding Refund Or Exchange Issues
1         regarding Refund Or Exchange Issues
1         regarding Selling Practices
1         regarding Selling Practices
1         regarding Service Issues
1         regarding Service Issues

These complaints were closed as:
2         No Response
2         No Response
9         Resolved

Get a good coaches whistle and then after they call for the second time then use it on them. They just called and asked for some person that must have had the phone number I now have. I asked the lady calling, would she like me to call her back so she could see what shows up on her caller ID and she said no but if they call back I will use my whistle on who ever calls. I don?t owe anyone anything.  Just go out and buy stock in hearing aids if you invest.

Got a call from 248-851-6000 on my cell phone saying it was stillman law offices and was told to call back to the same number with extension, no details of what the matter was provided on the voice mail.

I keep getting threatening calls from these people. They say that they are going to have my driver?s license suspended if I don?t pay up in full. I tried to explain that they were in error but they tell me that the burden of proof is upon me.

I consider this harassment! I.E. Threatening, intrusive, rude, beyond more than one call, etc, etc.

They tried to call my mom's house, I haven't lived there in 11 years and asked my brother where I worked, cell number etc. Told him I had used him as a job reference and where did I currently work? Isn't that against the law?

forgot to add, they are calling my cell phone, not my home phone.

Stillman Law Offices calling about something. They call everyday and leave a message, usually from a different person. They never state that they are calling in regards to collecting a debt. I don't answer my phone if I dont recognize the number, so I don't know exactly what they think I owe.

Says stillman law offices.  They keep calling my parents home- in which i have not lived there for 20 years.

i am in the finance/ credit business. trust me under the fair credit reporting law it is up to them to provide proof of the debt not you!

I have fought back by informing collection callers that they are being recorded and to never call back or they face a lawsuit. You must tell them you are recording them. By law they are allowed one call to inquire about a relative eg.(son or daughter). It is concidered harrassment beyond more than one call.

Have called me several times. Played along with the lady on phone and asked what the call was for. She said its Stillman company and Mr. ________________ has a business file with us. Tell him to call us. I looked up Stillman and found out they were into collections. I never heard of a possible collections transaction called a business file. They will try anything.

The call and I have told them my TRW says the debt has been paid, the keep calling me telling me it is up to me to provide the proof. Sorry it says paid they are not getting a penny

they call constantly at all times of day  send many letters.  trying to take my license away.

very threatening, went to neighbors, took me to court an never notified me of court date.  got a judgement by default.  when I called about the summons they said had been withdrawn.

It's a bill collector. They've been calling for months looking for a person no one knows in our family.