Are You Being Called By Goggins & Lavintman?

Debt collectors are generally allowed to contact you, but there are certain rules that they have to follow. Although they are not permitted to harass you, many of them do. Fortunately, there are laws that protect you from such misconduct.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, lets you demand that all contact from debt collectors cease. It also prohibits collection agencies from using unethical collection practices like the following:

● Using language meant to intimidate you
● Telling you that you will arrested if you don’t pay
● Calling you at work after they’ve been advised that such calls are not allowed
● Demanding amounts not supported by law
● Threatening legal action they cannot take
● Calling you outside of the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Company Profile: Goggins & Lavintman

If you are being called by Goggins & Lavintman, more company details are below.

Goggins & Lavintman is a debt collection agency in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. It was founded in 1994, has 25 employees, and is managed by owner Joel Lavintman. An inspection of civil litigation records at the PACER website reveal that consumers who believed that they were being harassed by Goggins & Lavintman contested the agency’s claims against them.

Alleged Violations against Goggins & Lavintman*

According to information on the PACER website, in or around early 2012, Goggins & Lavintman started trying to collect a debt from an Iowa consumer. She claimed that the original debt was $108.04 and the agency was demanding $354.12.

At first the consumer agreed to pay it but then, questioning the legality of this inflated amount, she changed her mind. Although Goggins & Lavintman allegedly agreed to cancel the withdrawal agreement, the money was still withdrawn from the consumer’s account.

When she called and asked why the money had been taken out, a representative, who allegedly gave the impression that they worked for an attorney’s office, allegedly told her that she had submitted her cancellation request at the wrong time. When she asked why Goggins & Lavintman was demanding $354.12 for a debt was originally $108.04, she was allegedly informed that a civil penalty and other fees had been applied, none of which were legal under Iowa law.

Feeling harassed by Goggins & Lavintman, the consumer obtained counsel and sued the agency for:

● Attempting to collect an amount not permitted by law
● Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
● Threatening action that cannot legally be taken.

The matter was later settled.

Hire a Consumer Lawyer

The phone number for this debt collection agency is:

● 1-651-209-1825
● 1-952-688-5900
● 1-800-390-6590
● 1-651-967-0074

Seeing them on your caller ID at home or work means that Goggins & Lavintman is trying to reach you. If they add illegal fees to the amount that you allegedly owe, don’t pay them. Instead, hire a consumer lawyer and file a claim against Goggins & Lavintman. You could receive $1,000 per FDCPA violation, so be proactive when you know you are in the right.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). Case 2:12-cv-01022-LRR from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Eastern Division.

Additional Resources

• F-G Debt Collection Agencies
• Dispute Letter By Collection Agency

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 Goggins & Lavintman or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.