Are You Being Called By Sutariya Law Offices?*

Are you being called by Sutariya Law Offices?* Here’s what you need to know.

Once you miss a certain number of payments on any of your debts, they will eventually be turned over to a third-party collection agency. Debt collectors often use aggressive or deceptive tactics to get you to pay, but you don’t have to tolerate such abuse. The law says so.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, was passed in 1977 after complaints about abusive debt collectors reached unprecedented levels. This consumer protection law makes it illegal for debt collectors to do any of the following while collecting or attempting to collect a debt.

• Calling at inconvenient times, usually before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m
• Using the phone to harass someone: for example, calling and hanging up or using an autodialer
• Calling someone at work after they’ve been advised that such calls are not allowed
• Using profane or obscene language
• Publicly posting details of a debt on social media and other public outlets
• Ignoring a formal cease communications request

Company Profile: Sutariya Law Offices

If you are being called by Sutariya Law Offices, information about the firm is below.

Sutariya Law Offices is a law firm located in Westland, Michigan. It was established in 2011, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its owner, Raj Sutariya. Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website reveal that consumers who believed they were being harassed by Sutariya Law Offices responded by fighting back in court.

Alleged Violations against Sutariya Law Offices

According to PACER, on or about June 6, 2011, Sutariya Law Offices contacted a Michigan consumer regarding a debt allegedly owed by her son, although she had never been an obligor on the debt. The collector left two messages for her son on the consumer’s answering machine, without leaving any meaningful disclosure of his identity or for whom he worked.

The first message stated that he was “also looking for [name], the homeowner…. Contact me in my office pertaining to a legal matter on your property address.” The homeowner was the consumer’s deceased husband and not an obligor on the debt either.

The second message that a Sutariya Law Offices collector left on the consumer’s home phone on June 6, 2011 stated, “I’m trying to get a hold of [the consumer’s son] pertaining to a subpoena.” The next day, the collector called a friend of the son’s ex-girlfriend on the latter’s business phone and stated that he was attempting to contact the ex-girlfriend, regarding a subpoena involving the son. The collector allegedly represented himself as a lawyer, and directed the friend to contact the ex-girlfriend so that she could pass a message to the son.

Feeling harassed by Sutariya Law Offices, the consumer hired a consumer attorney and sued the firm for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Discussing a debt with uninvolved third parties
• Using harassing, oppressive, or abusive means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for Sutariya Law Offices is 1-734-729-1100. If this number appears on your caller ID, it means that you are being called by Sutariya Law Offices. If they keep calling you about someone else’s debt and ignore you when you tell them to stop, hire a consumer attorney who can help you fight back in court. If you file a claim against Sutariya Law Offices and win, you could potentially receive $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Your attorney can help you ensure that the harassment stops for good.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 4:11-cv-12647-MAG-MKM from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

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 Sutariya Law Offices, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.