Carrying debt is a way of life for many of us, as most people can’t afford to pay cash for large purchases like homes. However, some Americans are unable to handle these massive debt loads when they lose their jobs or become too sick to work.
Sooner or later a collection agency may get involved, and it’s important to understand your rights if they do.
Your Rights Under the FDCPA
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was passed over 40 years ago to protect indebted consumers from being bullied into bankruptcy by collection agencies. There are rules that these companies must follow, and using methods like the following to compel debt payment is illegal.
- Swearing and threatening violence
- Ignoring a written request to stop contacting a consumer
- Filing a lawsuit in a district where the consumer does not live
- Calling a person’s workplace to embarrass them in front of their colleagues
- Using an autodialer to call someone’s cell phone nonstop
- Calling before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. in the person’s time zone
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Company Profile: Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc.
If you are being called by Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc., here is a company overview.
Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc. is a collection agency located in Pasadena, California. It opened for business in 2014, has 17 employees, and is managed by Edward Karp. Consumer complaint forums have referred to the company as a junk debt buyer.
According to legal files maintained at the PACER website, people who thought they were being harassed by Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc. did not hesitate to force the company into court.
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Alleged Violations against Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc.
According to PACER, on or around June 20, 2018, Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc. called a California consumer to collect a debt. She complained that the caller left a voice message directing her to call a certain number and did not identify themselves as a debt collector trying to collect money from her.
Feeling harassed by Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc., the consumer hired an attorney and filed a lawsuit alleging the following FDCPA violations:
- Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
- Using harassing and abusive means to collect a debtt
- Failing to identify itself as a debt collector in all communications
The matter was later dismissed.
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Hire a Consumer Lawyer
The phone numbers for Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc. are:
Seeing them on your caller ID is confirmation that Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc. is trying to contact you. If they leave vague messages on your voicemail, hire a consumer lawyer who can advise you of your rights and help you file a claim against Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc.
When a collection agency uses deception to achieve its goals, it could be ordered to pay you $1,000 in statutory damages in addition to your legal costs, so don’t hesitate to take action.
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Additional Resources
Case taken from PACER (pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:18-cv-02236-TLN-EFB from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.
*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 Weinstein, Karp & Associates, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.