Know your state's Law.  I had to educate myself because not only do they garnish wages at the drop of a hat, they garnish them betting that you don't know the statute of limitation for debt collection in your state.  For example. in MN they can't collect anything beyond six (6) years.  They won't tell you that.  If you send a payment sometime within that 6 years, the clock stops.  First, dispute the debt, ask for detail in WRITING - go to court and tell the judge the debt is beyond the statute of limitation.  Many people don't know that there is a statute in some states. check it out and correspond with them (M&K) in writing. They will not offer any information.

Messerli and Cramer, not Mr. Lynn Craimer..debt collector

Tell them to find a rope........ Misery & Krapper, P.A. are pains in the butts.

Messerli & Kramer is a law firm in Plymouth, MN.  They post help wanted 2-3 times a year for paralegal or legal assistant or receptionist.  Now I'm glad they never called me for an interview.  I thought they were legit, but now...........................Got very nasty call from a Tom ? garbled last name and company name on answering machine about a debt collection.  I don't qualify for bankruptcy so can't do anything.  


This is the posting they use for postions open:



Legal Assistant (Plymouth)

________________________________________
Messerli & Kramer P.A. is a law firm with a nationally recognized collections practice. We are a great place for recent graduates to grow and develop their skills and talents in the collections field. We offer job stability and training and are looking for those anxious to start in this growing field.

Messerli & Kramer, P.A. represents numerous local and national credit grantors. The position's duties include reviewing files, decision making skills, independent projects, and prioritization skills among others.

Qualified candidates should have a minimum of two years post secondary education or comparable experience as well as excellent communication and organizational skills, a solid work ethic, and a desire to succeed are a must. Knowledge of the legal process and computer skills are desired. Collection experience is a plus, but not required. Training is provided.

We offer:
Flexible Schedules
Paid Training
Opportunity for Monthly Bonus
Access to On-Site Cafeteria and Free Work Out Facility
And an excellent benefit package including medical, dental, 401k and more.

Fax, e-mail or mail cover letter and resume, INCLUDING SALARY REQUIREMENTS, to:

Paralegal Supervisor
MESSERLI & KRAMER, P.A.
3033 Campus Drive, Suite 250
Plymouth, MN 55441
Fax: 763-548-7922

Location: Plymouth
?    Compensation: 29,000
?

Dispute their claim VIA certified mail with return receipt requested. This is your right under the FDCPA. If they don't respond, you owe them nothing. No debt validation, no money. It's that simple.

This is a law firm hired to collect a debt owed. Bill me later has hired them to collect money, but they say I owe $1400 and that's not true I made arrangements with Bill me mater for $400 and paid it, now these people are calling me and saying I still owe $1400. Bull I'm not paying a third party any money.

cals and no message--i dont answer

I've received several calls from this number.  I don't answer the phone when the caller ID displays UNAVAILABLE as the caller name.  Never ANY message left so am blocking this number.  If the caller is a debt collector, they have no business with me.  I'm not behind and my rating is good so they can pound sand.  I will continue to report them to the FCC and the DNC registry.  Hopefully with enough reports from everyone, the government will take action.  Don't expect quick action by any means, but DO REPORT!

Called my home phone today (Veteran's Day).  Left no message.  Caller ID lists the name as UNAVAILABLE (go figure).  I no longer answer calls that the companys mask their business name, I just block them using various methods.  

Looking over the thread, this is not the only phone number they use.  I believe that 562-866-0693 ("CALIFORNIA") is this company, too.

Calls by toll free number , haven used a creditcard  in 8 years.Just don't picke answer the phone, no more.

They are looking for someone I don't know

These people are calling about someone who has the same name as my wife but is not us.  Social is wrong, bank is wrong, address is wrong, and we have never had the card.  People like this are calling every day and harassing and we are on federal do not call.  I finally got sick of it and had it out with the guy today to do better research, (our address is beside our name in the phone book) .  He starts yelling at me saying it is my fault I am getting calls and I should do the responsible thing.  This idiot cant comprehend the fact that he has the wrong person.

This company has called my cell phone twice now looking for someone I don't know called "Melissa", and despite the fact that I give my name and a reminder that the number is registered with the federal Do Not Call registry in my voice mail message, they keep leaving messages for this Melissa person.  I do not answer calls from unknown phone numbers and I will not speak to them.  I have, however, reported both calls to the Federal Trade Commission as Do Not Call violations.

Terry Dedly (sp? "deadly?") from Messerli & Kramer called regarding my deceased brother. My mother received a similar call earlier today. After reading the Consumer News report posted above by Alfalfa I am concerned that they may want collect from me on a debt my brother may have owed someone. I had nothing to do with my brother's finances. (I do not live in MN, or even in the midwest)
Why are they contacting me? Will they try to levy my accounts? And it seems like they might have the ability to get what they want and cause me big problems. Thanks for the info Alfalfa. I am going to follow up with my bank tomorrow to find out what I can do to protect my accounts.
P.S. In searching M&K I noticed that the Minnesota BBB has given them a A+ rating.

Called and left no message.

Unethical lawyer (or posing as a lawyer) trolling these boards.  Getting a lawyer to help you might be a good idea if you're being harassed by debt collectors, most of whom don't follow the law, but if you choose your lawyer based on a posting here, you aren't going to be getting the representation you need.  Try the yellow pages first!

How many messages have you left here today Vicki? Keeping count? Licensed to practice in all these jurisdictions (as if you really are a lawyer)???

Messerli & Kramer
3405 Annapolis Ln N., Ste #300
Plymouth, MN 55447
Web Address: NONE!

Bud Says...

CONSUMER NEWS
Another attorney/debt collector firm exposed for what they really are:

Scum of the Earth preying upon the poor, sick and disabled.  

(The following article was posted at the Consumer Affairs website)

Minnesota Sues Law Firm Over Debt Collection Methods

January 3, 2005
Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance and the Minnesota Attorney General's Office have filed lawsuits against Messerli & Kramer, a Twin Cities law firm, accusing it of using unlawful and bad faith tactics to collect debts from Minnesota consumers.

This firm specializes in obtaining default judgments, often against the poor, sick, and disabled," said Tim Thompson, Litigation Director at Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance. "That's not illegal. But what is illegal is adding to the misery by piling their own attorney fees on to these judgments without following Minnesota law. They even bill for time they haven't spent on the case."
"It is wrong for collection attorneys to use their knowledge of the system to make unlawful gains," said Attorney General Mike Hatch. "Garnishing wages such as Social Security, veterans' benefits, or other exempted incomes, when the law states otherwise, is inappropriate and in bad faith."

Unearned Attorneys' Fees
Both lawsuits allege that M&K improperly adds unearned, or "future," attorneys' fees to the debts owed by consumers when M&K obtains default judgments, adding hundreds or thousands of dollars to the amount of the bill.

They also claim that M&K files boilerplate affidavits in Minnesota district courts seeking attorneys' fees for work that has not yet been performed. M&K's boilerplate affidavits request 15% of the principal balance (up to $3,000), which includes attorneys' fees that it estimates it will incur in the future.

According to the lawsuits, M&K's practices violate Minnesota law, which outlines the requirements to obtain an award of attorneys' fees in connection with a default judgment. Minnesota statutes do not include awards for unearned or "future" work.

Garnishments Against the Economically Vulnerable
The Attorney General's lawsuit also alleges that M&K's collection attorneys have garnished in bad faith accounts of vulnerable consumers who live on limited or fixed incomes.

Under Minnesota law, creditors can collect debts by garnishing debtors' bank accounts. Minnesota law, however, provides that certain earnings are exempt from garnishment, including income from Social Security, veterans' benefits, disability, or other protected sources.

M&K's collection attorneys attach bank accounts, garnishing exempted funds, thereby shifting the burden to the consumer to file a notice of exemption claiming that the funds are exempt from garnishment.

The Attorney General's lawsuit alleges that M&K used the garnishment process in bad faith. Among other things, instead of releasing levies where appropriate, the lawsuit alleges that M&K's collection attorneys objected to consumers' exemption claims, often without a good faith basis for doing so, thereby forcing consumers to file court documents to prove that the funds are exempt.

The lawsuit alleges that, in some cases where consumers requested a hearing to determine the validity of an exemption, M&K's attorneys either failed to show up, conceded the case at the hearing, or a court found that the funds were, in fact, exempt from garnishment.

Consumers in such cases lost access to their money for weeks because their accounts were frozen by M&K's initial levy. The Attorney General's lawsuit alleges that, in some instances, M&K garnished consumers' income even after the consumer had shown a valid exemption from garnishment.

This is not the first time M&K's collection attorneys have been involved in disputes over aggressive debt collection tactics. For instance, a collections case filed in Anoka County District Court by M&K was dismissed when the judge found that the default judgment was "entered in error and as a result of the false statements contained in the affidavit of plaintiff's attorney (M&K)."

Last month, the Minnesota Court of Appeals noted the "gravity" of actions by an M&K collection attorney who falsely told the court that a Minnesota consumer had never denied that he owed a debt to the credit card company represented by M&K. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/mn_debt.html

http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/messerli__kramer.htm

http://www.midmnlegal.org/ProgramNewsArticle.cfm?articleID=1326

http://caveatemptorblog.com/index.php/2007/05/07/the-debt-collector-v-the-widow/

Have they NO shame???

Called me 4 times and left no message. I called them and did some research and found they are phishing. THEY ASK FOR YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER DON'T GIVE IT!!!

Called and left no msg.  Called the number and a recording said it was a Mr. Lynn Craimer and is a debt collector

Called and left no msg.