Are You Being Called By the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman?*

Are you being called by the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman?* Here’s what you need to know.

Are you being contacted every daily by debt collectors who belittle you and make dire threats? If so, you are not the alone. Thousands of people have a debt in collections, and many of them report unpleasant encounters with aggressive debt collectors, even though bullying consumers is illegal and penalized accordingly.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

While debt collectors are legally allowed to contact you while attempting to collect a debt, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prohibits them from deceiving or intimidating you into paying. If the collector you’re dealing with uses methods like the following, they’re breaking the law.

• Using profane and obscene language
• Contacting you at work if you are not allowed to receive calls there
• Threatening legal action they are not eligible to take or have no intention of taking
• Calling at all hours of the day and night
• Demanding an amount that’s not supported by law or the original creditor agreement
• Discussing your debt with anyone except you, your spouse, or your attorney

Company Profile: the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman

If you are being called by the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman, information about the firm is below.

The Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman, also known as Stillman Law Offices, is a debt collection law firm located in West Bloomfield, Michigan. It was founded in 1994, has 50 to 99 employees, and is managed by its founder, Michael R. Stillman. The firm is also a member of the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys. Files archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that consumers who felt they were being harassed by the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman opted to confront the firm in court.

Alleged Violations against the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman

Francis Rottman vs. NCOP-Purchaser from Citibank and the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman*

According to PACER, in or around 2005 Michigan resident Francis Rottman was sued by NCOP and the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman for a credit card debt he claimed he never signed for and therefore did not owe. He later complained that he never received a debt validation notice before the matter went to court.

NCOP and the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman sought to have an Arbitration award upholded through the National Arbitration Forum but on February 14, 2007, the State Court ruled against their motion. Mr. Rottman also said that he never received notice of the original arbitration award against him.

Feeling harassed by the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman, Mr. Rottman hired a consumer attorney and sued the firm for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Misrepresenting the character, amount, or legal status of the debt
• Failing to deliver a validation notice
• Threatening legal action it could not legally take
• Using harassing, oppressive, and abusive means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive and misleading means to collect a debt
• Using unfair or unconscionable means to collect a debt

The matter was later resolved.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman are:

• 1-248-851-6000
• 1-800-508-6000

If you see either of these numbers on your caller ID when the phone rings, it means that you are being called by the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman. If they sue to collect a debt without sending you a validation notice first, hire a consumer attorney. If you file a claim against the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman and win, you could potentially receive $1,000 per violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Your attorney will help you assert your rights in a way that can literally pay off.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 5:07-cv-10992-JCO-MKM from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Southern 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 the Law Offices of Michael R. Stillman, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.