Are You Being Called By Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen?*

Are you being called by Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen?* Here’s what you need to know.

Debt can spiral out of control for many reasons, and many of them are not the fault of the debtor. Perhaps you lost your job or became too ill or disabled to work full time (or at all). Debt collectors don’t care about the reasons, however. They just want your money and when you are unable to pay, they can use hostile methods to get it.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

Over 40 years ago, indebted consumers were declaring bankruptcy simply to escape debt collector harassment. In response, Congress filed the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, which made it illegal for a collection agency to use methods like the following to collect or attempt to collect a debt.

• Use profane or obscene language
• Trying to collect after you have formally disputed a debt
• Refuse to validate the debt and prove that they are authorized to collect it
• Contacting you at an inconvenient or unusual time and place
• Threatening to tell everyone you know that you owe money
• Threatening legal action they are not eligible to take or have no intention of taking

Company Profile: Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen

If you are being called by Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen, information about the firm is below.

Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen, now known as the Shermeta Law Group, is a debt collection law firm located in Troy, Michigan. It was established in 1973, has 50 to 200 employees, and is managed by its founder, Douglass H. Shermeta. The firm is also a member of the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys and the Michigan Creditors Bar Association. Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that consumers who felt they were being harassed by Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen responded by filing lawsuits of their own.

Alleged Violations against Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen

Sondra Brown vs. Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen*

According to PACER, on or about August 3, 2010, Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen filed a lawsuit against Michigan resident Sondra Brown in the 7th District Court, West Division, Van Buren County, Michigan. The purpose of the suit was to collect an alleged debt to Capital One.

The summons and complaint correctly stated Ms. Brown’s residential address in Allegan County, Michigan, but the actual suit was filed in Van Buren County, although she had never lived there and the contract creating the alleged debt was not signed there.

Feeling harassed by Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen, Ms. Brown hired a consumer attorney and sued the firm for allegedly violating the FDCPA by filing the lawsuit against her in the wrong judicial district.

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen are:

• 1-248-519-1700
• 1-800-451-7992

If you see either number on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen. If they cause you hardship by filing a lawsuit against you in the wrong county, hire a consumer attorney. The FDCPA prohibits such actions, and if you file a claim against Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen and win, you could potentially receive $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Don’t hesitate to stand up for yourself in court, as doing so can literally pay off.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 1:10-cv-00883-PLM from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern Division.

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 Shermeta, Adams & Von Allmen, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.