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ladybug · #1 07-16-2007, 08:58 PM

I received a letter from this Rannefeld & Associates stating that I owed $952.78 for a credit one credit card. I sent them a fax yesterday stating that I wanted validation of this debt. I received a phone call from this Ken Chandler, he said that since I acknowledged having the credit card that they were not required to send me validation but that he would fax it to me at my home number. He stated that they are not a collection agency that they are a lawfirm out of Addison Texas and are collecting for CACH LLC, for a credit one credit card that I had. I never received anything from this CACH LLc place and wanted verification of this debt. He said they are lawfirm and therefore do not have to abide by the rules of a cease and desist order. He told me I needed to borrow the money from friends/family to pay this debt. I faxed them a debt verification letter and he stated since I had admitted that I owed this debt they did not have to provide it but was going to fax it to me later today. I have received nothing. He told me to contact a lawyer and since I had declared bankruptcy 3 years ago that I couldn't do it again. I asked him if he was looking at my credit report and he basically said yes. He said that by looking at my credit they wouldn't give me a loan. Well that's good since I wasn't asking to borrow money from them. All I wanted was verification of this debt. He stated that this was just a stall tactic. He also tated that I was paying on another loan and that I needed to pay this account. I stated that I was going to be working with a debt management company and he said they don't work with them. He told me that if I could get him the money this month that perhaps his client would settle for 80% of the debt. Right I now that they are bad debt buyers. He kept telling me I needed to contact an attorney and that they were going to sue me. I told him I am on disability and my benefits are exempt from attachment. He stated that I was wrong. I told him maybe he should study the law a little better if he works for a law firm and learn what they can and can't do. I know they can't attach anything to my social security disability payments. What should I do?

ladybug :twisted:

cajunbulldog · #2 07-17-2007, 06:57 AM

ladybug,get off the phone.Yes they are a debt collector and now owe you a check for $1000 if you were to file a claim in federal court.Send a debt validation letter to them certified return receipt mail.Contact the state bar for the state that the law office is in and file a complaint against their office.Contact your attorney general and file a complaint. In these complaints you want to tell them everything that has happened to date and how they attempted to mislead you when everyone knows this company is a collector/debt purchaser.

poconomoki · #3 07-17-2007, 07:08 AM

Ladybug,

If I may ask was the credit card from Providian? The conversation you had sounds just like the one I had with another attorney handling Providian. Unfortunately, I don't have any paperwork to know really who they are since they are sending everything including the court summons to my mother in law. They threatened me too.

I just keep digging to find out if this is in fact CACH, LLC since there is a class action suit supposedly to be filed and I'm just wondering.

Just curious.

Moki

cajunbulldog · #4 07-17-2007, 07:15 AM

Collect America

CACV & CACH

(Separate Corporations, Subsidiaries)
370 17th Street, Suite 5000
Denver, CO 80202-3050
Ph: (303) 296-3345
Fax: (215) 281-7522

Phillip Scott Lowery Offices:
(Private Law Firm Owned by Collect America's CEO)
4500 Cherry Creek Drive South
Suite #700
Denver, CO 80246

Principles:

Phillip Scott Lowery

Brian L. Johnson (Financial Officer)

David L. Michael

James R. Wolf

*Collect America Franchisees:

Law Office of Sam W. Streeter, Houston, TX

Richard G. & Catherine A. Neuheisel Law Firm, Tempe, AZ

Neuheisel Law Firm, Deborah Sue Harvego, Sacramento, CA

Law Office of Thomas K. Bamford, Dallas, TX

Harold E. Scherr, Attorney at Law, Longwood, FL

Bronson and Migliaccio Attorneys, Williamsville, NY

Bronson and Migliaccio Attorneys, Elmwood Park, NJ

Phillips and Cohen and Associates, Westampton, NJ

Law Office of Larry Roach, Copley Twp, OH

Phillip Scott Lowery P.C., Denver, CO

Law Office of Joe Pezzuto, Phoenix, AZ

Law Office of J. Anthony Cambece, Boston, MA

Workman Law Office, P.A., Jacksonville, FL

Collect America, LTD, Denver, CO

Gamache and Myers, St Louis, MO

P. Scott Lowery, P.C., Tulsa, OK

Law Office of Wilfred E. Briesemeister, Montclair, CA

Harrison Ross Byck, Morrisville, PA

Daniels & Norelli, P.C., Westbury, NY

Davis Law Office, Russell A. Davis, Solana Beach, CA

Richard DeJana & Associates, Kalispell, MT

Dennis Michael Dendy Law Office, Gretna, LA (Houston TX)

Daniel N. Gordon, P.C., Eugene, OR

Mims, Jerry M., Attorney, Islip Terrace, NY

Pentagroup Financial, LLC, James J. Thorpe, Attorney, Houston, TX

(represents CACV & CACH)

(*May not accurately reflect all franchisees)
Here is the info from budd hibbs website.They are all one company and do fall under the fdcpa as debt collectors.They purchase debts in default and sue people for their debts.

skydivr7673 · #5 07-17-2007, 10:39 AM

hi ladybug--

just so everyone is aware, even if this is a legitimate law firm, they are still bound by the fdcpa because they are engaged in collection activites as a third party. Dont let them fool you by claiming otherwise. In fact, in this case, they really are a law firm from Addison, TX....I did a little searching and it would appear that they were looking for employees recently....

disnakertrans-kaltim.go.id/aggregator?page=2695

"US-TX-Addison, Rannefeld & Associates , a Texas law firm is seeking highly motivated professional collectors to join our team. This is a unique opportunity ..."

Like I said, dont let them lie to you on the phone....they even call their employees "collectors" so there is no doubt that they are aware of their status as a collector and the obligations that come with that.

ladybug--if it is allowed in your state, there is something you MUST do at this point. You must get a telephone recorder, call the law firm back, and tape the call. In that call, you must go over what they previously told you. That way, you will have them on tape telling you that they dont have to follow the law. If you try to sue them as it is now, they will just deny they ever said those things and you wont have a case. But if you tape it, and they deny those things, they are not only going to lose, but they will lose while looking incredibly stupid.

And THEN, after you get them in court, I would forward a copy of said tape to the bar association in Texas. This is the way we can clean up the collection industry, folks...obviously it wont clean itself up.

Ang · #6 07-17-2007, 11:43 AM

Good advice for ya Lady!!
See I told ya to post ur story here and ud get great advice!

Keep up ur fight!
And Moki, that's why i ALWAYS get confused with u and CACH cuz ur story sounds EXACTLY as something CACH would do!! U need to find out, they, (CACH) do report on ur credit report! Didn't u try that?? They're on mine and have been for some time now!
Ang

ladybug · #7 07-17-2007, 06:13 PM

Talked to a lady with the bar association in Texas she told me to call their office (meaning Rannefeld & Associates) and find out some of their attorney's names. I guess they can tell what state they are licensed in by their bar number. I did not know that..Is that right or am I misunderstanding this..She told me not to pay them anything until I find out if this debt is legimiately (sp?) owed. I will not worry about it until they send me the information that I requested. They have until July 27, 2007 to supply this information to me. We will see if they do.

ladybug

skydivr7673 · #8 07-17-2007, 08:01 PM

ladybug, I am a little concerned here. I checked out the TX bar association website, and they have no record of a Rannefeld & Associates...well, what I did was check the bar assn website for any and all attorneys in Addison, TX....there are a ton of them, but no one with the last name Rannefeld, and no one at all that was affiliated with an organization called Rannefeld & Associates.

I then tried to search for the firm by name, and came up empty. I found a reference on the internet to a "Blue Rannefeld", attorney from Fort Worth, TX, but checking the bar assn database I came up empty again. This may not be a legit lawyer after all...

ladybug · #9 07-17-2007, 08:26 PM

I called the bar association in texas and there is a blue rannefeld attorney listed, I don't know if he is affiliated with this Rannefeld & Associates or not. I guess I will wait and see what my attorney general's office, ftc, and the office of consumer credit commissioner's office has to say. I just know I am not paying anything until I get this is in black and white.

They are just scumbags...hoping to get a quick buck I think.

ladybug

skydivr7673 · #10 07-17-2007, 08:53 PM

I'm hoping that they are just a CA, so you can sue the pants off of them for claiming to be lawyers....

d2dtk · #11 07-18-2007, 11:08 AM

I wanna sue

Ang · #12 07-18-2007, 11:13 AM

LOL d2d!
I am calling to make an appt today with a "new" atty regarding CACH! He was referred by the atty u gave me Cajun! Closer to me.... we shall see what happens! Please all, keep ur fingers crossed for me at this time! I'll let yall know when the appt is soon as i set it up!
Getting nervous again,
Ang

#13 07-19-2007, 01:10 PM

I got a call today from Rannefeld & Associates as well. I did not recognize the phone number so I did not answer the phone. They did leave a message saying who they are and that it is "imperative" that I return the call. blah blah blah I am already very scepticle of things like this which is how I came across this site...I was searching for info on these people before I return the call. Please keep posting progress. Maybe together we can shut them down.

#14 07-19-2007, 04:37 PM

I just had a run in with these people today. I called them to see about settling the debt and spoke to an associate. I told him that I was going to get the money together this weekend and call them on Monday. He said that it was fine and gave me the office hours and his extension. I then got a call from the senior case manager not more than an hour later. I called him back since he said it was urgent and he proceeded to tell me that I needed to pay them now and that they couldn't leave the account open over the weekend. He treated me like dirt even though I had called them to settle the account. He ended the conversation by saying that my time was up and good luck. I was wondering if anyone had had a similar experience and how they dealt with it? Can I just call the credit card and try to pay them directly?

Ang · #15 07-19-2007, 06:39 PM

Have u validated this debt??? Are u SURE they actually own it legally?? I wouldn't recommend paying these people without first knowing for SURE they do indeed own this debt! You could find urself owing the same debt in a very short time from someone else!
YIKES!
Good Luck,
Ang

#16 07-27-2007, 01:47 PM

I know people that work at this firm-Ladybug it is infact a law firm, but you speak to collectors first, if they decide to sue then you will get calls from a lawyer and they really can sue. But seeing as how that is a pretty small amount I highly doubt it. What you want to do is call again ask for a manager-and tell them you want a letter sent of the debt. They have to send that by law and will, from there just settle its much easier.