Are You Being Called By SKO Brenner American, Inc.?*

Are you being called by SKO Brenner American, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know.

All over the country, people are being chased by debt collectors for money they either can’t afford to pay or don’t legally own in the first place. Although the law requires a collection agency to stop contacting you when you make that request in writing, not all of them will comply. That’s when you need to read up more on your rights and take the next step.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

People are often surprised to learn that if a debt collector curses at them, discloses their debt to other people, and calls them at the crack of dawn, such activities are illegal.The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, prohibits third-party collection agencies from methods like those below to compel people to pay a debt.

• Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Threatening to have you arrested
• Telling your friends and family that you owe money
• Using profane and obscene language
• Continuing to contact you daily after you dispute the debt
• Threatening legal action they are not eligible to take or have no intention of taking

Company Profile: SKO Brenner American, Inc.

If you are being called by SKO Brenner American, Inc., information about the company is below.

SKO Brenner American, Inc., which also does business in Accurate Recovery Solutions, is a debt collection company located in Baldwin, New York. It was established in 1998, has approximately 13 employees, and is managed by its Chairman, Stuart Brenner. The company has a B-rating with the Better Business Bureau. According to lawsuit dockets maintained by the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website. Some consumers who believed they were being harassed by SKO Brenner American, Inc. responded to payment demands with a lawsuit seeking compensation.

Alleged Violations against SKO Brenner American, Inc.

Sharon Atkins, on behalf of herself and all other similarly situated consumers vs. SKO Brenner American, Inc.*

According to PACER, on or around May 6, 2012 SKO Brenner American, Inc. sent a collection letter to New York resident Sharon Atkins. It read, in part:

At this point we are at a loss of what to say. We’ve notified you previously about the $97.84 owed to our client…. Still, no response. This lack of action on your part means that your account will be retained on our national debtor file, as well as our client’s file, as unpaid and delinquent.

Ms. Atkins took this to mean that her debt situation would become a matter of public knowledge. Feeling harassed by SKO Brenner American, Inc., she hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Threatening to communicate false credit information
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this debt collection agency are as follows:

• 1-516-771-4400
• 1-866-281-3714

If you ever see them on your caller ID, be aware that you are being called by SKO Brenner American, Inc., presumably about a debt you are believed to owe. If they send you letters that appear to threaten imminent public embarrassment if you don’t pay, hire a consumer attorney who can help you file a claim against SKO Brenner American, Inc. for making unfounded threats. You could even win awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus court costs and attorney fees, so when collection agencies try to make you feel that they have the upper hand, a lawsuit can remind them that they don’t.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:12-cv-03525-ENV-VMS from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against SKO Brenner American, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.