Called By LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc.?*

If you owe more money than you can ever repay thanks to job loss and rising interest rates, you’re likely already upset, and hostile debt collectors are the last thing you want to deal with. The good news is that there are provisions in federal law that prohibit mistreatment of indebted consumers. If debt collectors are overstepping their boundaries with you, you can fight back.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which was passed in September 1977, regulates the actions of third-party debt collectors and prevent them from harassing consumers who owe money. Prohibited actions include:

• Using profane or obscene language
• Calling you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Contacting you directly even after you’ve hired an attorney to represent you in the matter
• Telling you that you have committed a crime like fraud and will be arrested
• Persisting in trying to collect a disputed debt
• Reporting false information to the credit bureaus

Company Profile: LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc.

If you are being called by LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc., information about the company is below.

LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc. is a debt collection company located in Cleveland, Ohio. It opened for business in 1988, employs less than 10 people, and is managed by its President, Michael C. Brown, who also happens to be an attorney. An inspection of civil litigation records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) reveals that consumers who felt they were being harassed by LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc. refused to be intimidated and filed lawsuits in response.

Alleged Violations against LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc.

Alan Ogle and Nancy Ogle vs. LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc.*

According to PACER, on July 25, 2014, LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc. mailed a demand letter to Ohio residents Nancy and Alan Ogle demanding payment of a debt in the amount of $6,750.00 allegedly due Hospitality Consulting Professionals LLC dba HCP Construction. Another letter followed in August. Neither of these communications allegedly advised the Ogles of their dispute rights as required by law.

On September 5 a third letter arrived and contained the statement, “Since you have not responded to our efforts to resolve the above referenced matter amicably, we are now retaining local counsel in order to file suit against you and to foreclose the mechanics lien on the above property…. The only way to avoid being drawn into this litigation is to have a check for the above amount due in our office within 3 days of receipt of this letter.”

Feeling harassed by LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc., the Ogles hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Failing to correctly advise them of their dispute rights

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 1-216-464-6700. If it appears on your caller ID at any time, be aware that you are being called by LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc.. If they threaten lawsuits that never transpire and send letters that do not make your dispute rights clear, contact a consumer attorney right away.

If you file a claim against LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc. for harassing you, you may win $1,000 per FDCPA violation in addition to court costs and attorney fees. When you fight back, it can literally pay.

Helpful Resources

• Additional Information on Debt Validation
• Potential FDCPA violations

*Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case: 1:15-cv-01305-DAP from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern 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 LienMaster and Master Credit Consultants, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.