I am extremely upset with Scheer & McClure Law firm.  Not only have they sent documents trying to garnish my wages from my current employer, every number I call it goes directly to voicemail and says that the mailbox is full then disconnects me!  I will not send them any information because this is FRAUD!!!  THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM!!!!!!

If you are being harassed by the 'Law Offices of Harold Sherr' or need assistance with any consumer issue involving your credit, debt or collections, I highly recommend you contact 'The Law Offices of Robert Gindel' - 1500 Gateway Boulevard
Suite 220 Boynton Beach, FL 33426 - Telephone (561) 649-2344. Mr. Gindel is a highly experienced and very effective consumer attorney and advocate. He knows the law and exactly how to protect creditor rights. He is a trial attorney with a winning record. You have the right to protect your rights and he will see that your rights ARE protected.

I got a letter in the mail about a debt I owe. I do owe this debt but have had a very rough few years like everyone else. I attempted to set up payments and was told it needed to be paid in full.  They worked out a deal with me to pay about half. Said they would wipe out the rest. Now after reading other comments I'm not sure what to do. He said I had to give him a check over the phone post dated. This is all new to me and I'm freaking out. He said that if the money is not in my account on the agreed date that I will owe the whole thing but wouldn't tell me what would happen if I don't pay it. I want to pay off this debt, but I need to make payments. I feel like they were giving the illusion of help without actually helping.  

This is interesting.  I was Steve's part-time mistress, when he was in Florida as VP of the apartment business.  

I always knew there was something shady about him. He had too many ideas that did not seem quite on the up and up.  

This was many many years ago and it looks like he has progressed downward, not the proper word, but you get the point.

Hope he does not monitor this site.  Must have a different wife as wife number one in 1980 was not  "trophy"  but  a very nice person.  Okay, I was not nice but young, "trophy-like" and got a lot of favors at the property he oversaw.  BUT I have changed my ways and am sorry for what I did. BUT, often wondered what happened to him and yes he is SHORT!

Ive been getting calls form this number for awhile. Listened to the rambling messages of people talking so fast you can barely understand them. Turns out my elderly mother, who lives across the country, has been getting calls from this number looking for my brother. She said the other day that her neighbored called her and she had received an alarming phone call from some man identifying himself as a Crime Scene Investigator also asking the whereabouts of my brother. It was from 407-995-3000. They even threatened my mother's neighbor and asked her if my brother was living with her!!! The craziest part is that my brother has been dead for over 16 years and had zero debt because he was only 17 when he died. We have all told these people he is dead and they still keep calling. I pressed a little further and asked more questions and the bi*** I was talking to said I could be responsible for his debt and wanted my first name and SS# to see if I was the co-signer for whatever he supposedly owed. Of course, I didn't give her any info. This is most definitely a SCAM!

@Fed-up- Wow, you really were there from the beginning. So was I. What an exaggerated use of money and power that company is. I would love to chat with you about it all some time.

What ticks me off is that they over inflate anything, Paid off a credit card and years later this office calls and then sends a letter stating I owe $16000.00.  Load of C***!  Having my lawyer call them now.  They will need to prove the debt.  Such a pain, does go to show you that you need to check your credit report to make sure the debts are discharged as paid once they are paid.

You must work for them.

I continue receiving calls from this number at my job.

What business has this number?

unknown name

even when you pay payments it is still on your record and the amount you owe doesnt go down and they dont report anything like most put pays as agreed

i also live in alabama

i have been paying them for about 2-3 years on a charged off bank of america card  i ask for some info about my account and was rushed off the phone said she was on the other line so ii started checking  they have a score of a f on bbb now im wondering if i should continue

I am reading these reviews, and understand the "looking for the phone number" thing, but it seems to me everyone feels like this way about this law office, but point blank they are contacting you because you OWE MONEY.  The truth is; you didn't pay your bill, this law office was retained to FILE A LAWSUIT against you. If you don't want them to call you, then maybe you should pay your bill?


I have an idea, if you don't want these people calling, then PAY YOUR BILL!!!!

I am looking for any one who has been victimized by Steve Ira and/or any of his shady enterprises. Please post and I will contact you. I will be filling a law suit aginst him and lookfing for other victims.

He is not above the law! And Karma is a Bxxch!

Signed,

The man he dont want to mess with!!!!!!!

[This post has been removed]

Gary Ridge from this number phone my 74 year old mother, claiming he was a sheriff with Orange County Sheriff's department looking for me.  He later claimed to be an attorney with Harry Sherr Law Office.

I just received a call from this number, the female calling was very rude, would not identify herself, when I asked her point-blank if she was with a collection agency she would not tell me, and when I attempted to give her the name and number of my attorney she refused to take it.  I hung up!

http://www.budhibbs.com/collectorpages/scherr_harold_e.htm
Harold E. Scherr, Attorney

Dba/ Collect Southeast

Collect America (CACV/CACH) Franchisee

300 Primera Blvd #356
Lake Mary, Florida 32746

Phone:  800-858-8736         407-995-3000
Fax: 407-595-3100 or 407-786-2993

Healthcare Funding Solutions, LLC
1064 Greenwood Blvd. Suite 328
Lake Mary, Florida 32746
Telephone: 407-995-3004
866-431-7117
Fax: 407-995-3011

Email: hscherr30@earthlink.net

Head Debt Collectors:

Harold Earl Scherr, Owner, Attorney, Bar#240486

Stephanie D. Ira, President

Richard Valle, Esq FBN 0017128


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bud Says                         Consumer Comments Below


This is one of the worst ?Collect America? operations in America that we receive complaints on.  Most are of collectors threatening legal actions, wage garnishments, seizure of assets and notification of employers and third parties about debts. Scheer employs some of the most hard core debt collectors in Florida which gives credence to the position that you make more money when you break the law than when you obey the law.

Some of the more criminal type complaints received are on Collector Gary Ridge, a former manager and one who used an alias of ?Attorney John Morgan.? His REAL name is Jung Yoon, the alias is so he could threaten and extort monies from consumers. Rumors have Yoon going so far as to cancel phone and cable service and even credit cards for unruly consumers.

We have information that a BIGGER crime wave may be going on within the Scheer organization, including possible illegal credit card debits and more, so if you have an account in collections with them, you may want to pay close attention to your credit bureau reports and credit card activity.

The good news about problematic Collect America franchisees is that their management and legal folks do take actions to correct problems. If enough people complain about Scheer, we will get that information in the right hands so they can be dealt with. Complaints regarding Scherr should also be directed to the Florida State Bar authorities at: http://www.flabar.org/tfb/

Tape record Scherr collectors where legal, make them validate their claims.

CAUTION: I recommend you NEVER disclose your bank account or credit card information to a debt collector, as you risk them emptying your account, or maxing out your credit card. If you feel they are reporting on your credit bureau files in error or need assistance in dealing with them, email  the details w/your location.  Assistance and referral to a consumer legal specialist may be available.


LAWS THEY ARE BREAKING



THE CORRECT WAY TO HANDLE COLLECTION CALLS AND ILLEGAL TACTICS
HANDLE IT CORRECTLY AND THEY WILL END UP PAYING YOU

READ DEALING WITH DEBT COLLECTORS, RECORDING CALLS AND STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS BY STATE
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

I just got a call from them. First woman was very nice to me. I said 'I'd like to see something in writing" Then another woman gets on and says "Thats a common stall tactic I see everyday. If you don't want to settle this on your own, I will note your refusal and hand it off to the attorney." I said 'Okay thanks" knowing that nothing will come of it. I wanted to call them out on being scammers but didn't want to give them the satisfaction

May 2008   Here is what is really going on with the Law Office's of Harold Scherr. (and yes I know this first hand... Let's just say I was there from the beginning!) First of all Harold Scherr is only the "rented" law license for a gentleman by the name of Steven D. Ira. Steve Ira owns Collect Jacksonville, Collect Southeast, and Collect Tampa (he also owns other companies however these are the collection agencies that are relevant here).

Before I go on let me give you some background into Steve.

Steve is from Denver Colorado and use to be in the apartment management business with AIMCO (a founder and senior VP). And a VERY close friend of his was Scott Lowry and his father. Scott Lowry who we all know is Collect America, CACV, CACH and Healthcare Funding Solutions decided to let his friend Steve purchase the franchise rights to his organization for the state of Florida. Since all of Scott's franchises' were owned by lawyers, Steve needed a law license... In comes Harold Scherr. (it's a lot scarier to get a call from a law office than a collection agency.) Now, Harold is not a collection lawyer, he was and still is practicing in the areas of real estate and things like that. What Steve did gave Harold for use of his name basically, is a cut of his collection agencies, all the attorney's fees AND gives him 25% of what ever is collected from debtors and pays all the overhead. Hell Harold has an office there but only comes by once in a blue moon at Steve's request. But make no mistake about it Steve is in charge.

At first there was only Collect Southeast and they only did collections all over the US. Steve decided he wanted to get into the lawsuit game but needed a lawyer to do it and Harold wasn't willing.  So he hired a lady by the name of Melissa Ferris. She is actually the warm body on staff that could be fired if she didn't do exactly what Steve told her to. And by that I mean, file lawsuits his way and practice law his way and not to worry about civil rules of procedure or the FDCPA. Well that blew up in his face. Melissa (who is VERY attractive) er.. well, we'll just say she and Steve's "Trophy Wife" didn't really go well together. So Steve set Melissa up as what they call a "lite user" in the CACV world. It just means she can file lawsuits on certain debts in Florida, but not have general collection accounts nation wide, instead of firing her. (she apparently had something good to hold over on Steve to get him to help set her up as competition in Orlando.) About that time Steve wanted to open an office in Jacksonville, where there is an abundance of collectors. So he set up Collect Jacksonville and expanded Harold's "office" there as well. Now by this time Steve was being pressured into filing law suits, but he needed another pansy to do it.

In comes Dale Workman. Dale's an ok guy. He was a criminal defense attorney Steve had known in Gainesville who represented his wife's brother for beating the crap out of his wife. (sounds fishy huh?) Anyway, he thought at the time that Dale really didn't know a lot about civil law and that he would be able to set him up like Harold in Jacksonville. (he didn't want Harold to get to much control.) So he moves Dale to Jacksonville and Workman Law Office is created. Dale is a pretty sharp guy and he wanted to make sure the law was followed. And he is just a decent guy. Since he use to be involved with criminal defense he sympathized with debtor's quite a bit and tried to work with them. I also must say, you would be hard pressed to find someone who worked for him to say anything bad about him. Dale's wife worked with him and together they started to do pretty well in the litigation game. The bad thing is well, Steve still wanted to be in charge and he had a bad temper, and Dale viewed his law license as being his and wanted to protect it (and his wife had a pretty bad temper as well.) Here is an example... There was this one collection manager named Chris Klages who was caught yelling at a debtor one day telling her to go sell plasma and that she needed to go get a shovel so she could dig herself out of the hole he was going to put her in. Dale's wife, Jenny I think, went nuts she almost beat the crap out of him on the floor.. fired him... he goes outside calls Steve and Steve tells him to go back to work and he will deal with her. He gets on his plane (yes the short b*****d has his own plane) and flies up to Jacksonville to deal with this. When he gets there, a big loud fight starts in Dale's office. Steve comes out and tells Chris to pack up he is moving him to Orlando to work in Collect Southeast. Chris was a top collector, there was no way he was letting him go. Oh I could go on about these stupid collectors... Like Gary Ridge in Orlando, He cost Steve over 100K over a lawsuit

Harold Scherr and the rest of his bottom feeding group has done what most of us would've at least been fined by a court for doing. The funny part is that Richard Valle, Esq FBN 0017128 who works with him, GET THIS, is also in the 18th Circuit Court in Seminole County's State Atty's Office. Makes you wonder who else is in his pocket.

Man called would not leave his name, said he was a legal assistant to attorney H. Sheer. After the call I looked his name on the internet "H. Sherr at 407 995-3000, just a few more clicks got me to your web sight.

keep getting calls from valerie vargas at andreu palmer and andreu, but on the caller ID it says law of h sherr.
have not returned any of her calls but have gotten one letter. sent a cease and desist but still get calls.

I am getting constant calls from this number--- without identifing themselve they are looking for someone I have never heard of.
I have asked them to remove my number from their records---with no luck whatsoever.

a man called my place of business and left me some scripted message. This time they were civil. In the past they called and left messages about how they were going to make my life hell. They call and leave messages all over my company. Our security department even got a call and they told me this was a scam. They do it to other employees. Also this morning they called my daughter at 630 am. He usually uses various names, John Smith, Jesus Scott, etc. He has a strong asian accent. Our company is going through layoffs and I don't need this person calling my job.

We are dealing with the same issue from Mr. Davis.  He's called my company numerous times.  I work for a large Power Company in Nevada and he has contacted my boss, my co-workers and our call center to get transferred to me.  Not sure how he got all those numbers except maybe he "googled" my name and my work information comes up through LinkedIn.  UGH... Then he called my Mom this morning and threatened her on the phone.  We have hired Consumer Law Associates to negotiate our debt and because he's so brutal he refuses to deal with them directly but would rather harras us day in and day out.  Our lawyers instructed us to stop talking to him but I'm worried he'll keep calling my place of business.  My husband is out of work so my job is crucial at the moment!  I want to file a complaint against this agency and this guy but don't know how to go about doing it.... from reading these posts, I see many others are dealing with this same ruthless company... how do they sleep at night?

A woman called and tried to get a payment towrds "holding" a settlement offer.  I explained to her that I could not afford anything at this moment.  She put me on hold and a Mr. Davis got on the line and told me that I make enough money to make a payment and if I thought my life was hell now he would make it worse.  I explained to him that I have spoken with an attorney in my state (PA) and what the attorney advised me to do.  He was rude and stated the attorney is an idiot and he will see me in court.  I've filed a report with the PA Attorney GEneral's office for harrasment.

A man called my business from this number this morning looking for Kelly-Something.  Wanted to know if she worked here.  I told him no, we don't have employees and I've never heard of her.  He didn't state who he was, where he was from. I guess I should have asked.  Anyway. this is very suspicious, isn't it?