Is Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP Calling You?*

Is Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP calling you? Learn how to fight back!

Many people become overwhelmed debt through no fault of their own. They’ve been laid off for an extended period of time, become disabled, or had an unexpected financial setback like a divorce or emergency house repairs.

Whatever the reasons, debt collectors eventually pursue their overdue accounts. While collecting debts is not against the law, harassing a consumer is the process definitely is.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, is a consumer protection law passed in 1977 to curb abusive debt collectors. It prohibits the use of pressure tactics like the following while attempting to collect a debt:

• Using profane and obscene language
• Calling you at work after you’ve told them that your workplace does not allow personal calls
• Telling you that you can be arrested if you don’t pay
• Demanding amounts that exceed the original debt
• Contacting your friends, family and co-workers and discussing the debt with them
• Making threats they have no intention of following up on

Company Profile: Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP

Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP is a debt collection law office located in Woodbury, New York, with a branch office in Paramus, New Jersey. Effective January 1, 2015, the firm changed its name to Selip & Stylianou, LLP.

It was established in 1991, has 100 to 249 employees, and has been the subject of numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau. A review of litigation filed archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicates that Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP has been accused of collection activities that violate the FDCPA.

Alleged Violations against Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP

According to PACER records**, Cohen and Slamowitz filed a lawsuit against an Upstate New York consumer to collect a debt on behalf of Midland Credit Management / Midland Funding, LLC.

The suit was filed in New York County Civil Court, notwithstanding that the consumer did not and never had resided in the city or County of New York. Feeling harassed, he sued Cohen and Slamowitz for allegedly violating the FDCPA by bringing a lawsuit in a county where he did not reside.

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP are:

• 1-201-368-2850
• 1-516-364-6006
• 1-800-293-6006

If you see any of these numbers on your caller ID when the phone rings, be aware that a debt collector is attempting to reach you. If they cause you hardship by filing a lawsuit in a county where you do not reside, hire a consumer attorney.

If the matter goes to court, you could potentially win $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. If Cohen and Slamowitz, LLP pushes you too far, a judge could put them in debt to you instead.

**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 1:14-cv-00358-TJM-CFH from United States District Court for the Northern District of New York.

*Disclaimer:

The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Cohen and Slamowitz or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.