Are You Being Called By Weinerman & Associates, LLC? *

Illegal debt collection practices are the leading complaint with consumer watchdog agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Most debt collectors are paid according to how much they collect, which can create an incentive to bully, harass, and abuse the consumers they approach.

But remember: if this happens to you, you don’t have to tolerate it.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, grants consumers the right to dispute a debt and tell the collector to stop calling. It also makes it illegal for collection agencies to use pressure tactics like the following:

• Calling you at an inconvenient time, such as before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in your time zone
• Discussing the debt with uninvolved third parties like your friends, family and neighbors
• Claiming that you can be arrested, have your assets seized, or have your wages garnished
• Using profane or obscene language
• Demanding high amounts inflated by “service fees”
• Calling you at work after you’ve told them that your employer won’t let you take such calls

Company Profile: Weinerman & Associates, LLC

If you are being called by Weinerman & Associates, LLC, information about the company is below.

Weinerman & Associates, LLC is a debt collection office located in Burnsville, Minnesota. It was established in 2008, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Abe Weinerman.

The company is also an active member of the ACA (Association of Credit and Collection Professionals) and the DBA (Debt Buyer’s Association).

Civil litigation records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that consumers who believed they were being harassed by Weinerman & Associates, LLC demanded compensation for the violation of their rights.

Alleged Violations against Weinerman & Associates, LLC

Kathleen M. Kupfer vs. Weinerman & Associates, LLC et al**

According to PACER, on February 9, 2010, Minnesota resident Kathleen Kupfer (formerly Shields) received a voicemail message from a Weinerman & Associates, LLC collector who stated, “Kathleen Shields, Evan Roth. I have a matter of yours that I was asked to get your attention on right away. If you could, call me at 952-388-0451. Thanks.”

That same day, Mr. Roth also allegedly called Ms. Kupfer’s former husband and left a message saying he was looking for her.

When she called Weinerman & Associates, LLC, Mr. Roth allegedly answered the phone with “Legal Department.” When he demanded immediate payment of the debt she refused, stating that the debt belonged to her ex-husband, who allegedly incurred it after they divorced.

More calls allegedly followed, some of them made using an autodialer. On February 19, 2010, Ms. Kupfer called Mr. Roth again and repeated her refusal to pay. He allegedly became increasingly angry and agitated and stated that he would “force [her] attention on this.”

At the conclusion of the phone call, he also allegedly yelled, “This was never [your ex-husband’s] debt…. you are the primary on the card….you need to do something about this, this has gone on for years.”

On February 21, 2010, Ms. Kupfer sent the company a dispute letter. The plaintiff sent a letter and requested that collection efforts cease until she was provided with verification of the debt. The calls, however, allegedly kept coming. When her husband answered one call, the collector allegedly yelled at him.

Feeling harassed by Weinerman & Associates, LLC, Ms. Kupfer hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Failing to identify itself as a debt collector in all communications
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using harassing and abusive means to collect a debt
• Using profane and obscene language
• Contacting third parties about the alleged debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for this debt collection company are as follows:

• 1-952-388-0451
• 1-952-388-0480
• 1-952-388-0457
• 1-952-891-4555

If any of them appear on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by Weinerman & Associates, LLC. If they verbally abuse you, call you using an autodialer, and discuss your debt with third parties, hire a consumer attorney.

Consumer abuse violates the FDCPA, and if you file a claim against Weinerman & Associates, LLC you could potentially win $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus damages and court fees. Don’t be victimized by unscrupulous debt collectors: fight back.

*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 Weinerman & Associates, LLC, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.

**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 0:10-cv-00918-PAM-JSM from the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.