Cambece Law Firm

What attorney's signature appeared on the dunning letter?

Check that on the PA's state bar website:
pabar.org

You can also contact the state comptroller or tax dept. to find licensing information.

I haven't recieved the dunning letter yet, just got a call yesterday. I heard that they are only really licenced in Mass, and was trying to find out.

They have 5 days to send you the dunning letter from the date they establish initial contact with you. The attorney that is handling the account should be the one who signs the letter.

Also as I suggested you can contact your states tax department or comptroller office to find out about business licensing.

I went to the PA website but I can't find what department regulates CA's as well as any info on the comptrollers office. Any suggestions?

Comptroller's office:
http://www.auditorgen.state.pa.us/

Tax department:
http://www.revenue.state.pa.us/

I went to those places and couldn't find any help with weather this law firm is licensed in PA. I went to Bud hibbs, website and he states that the head laywer / owner ins;t licensed anywhere but MA. Any thoughts or help. This is a debt from CACH that was with Bronson and Migliaccio a few months ago. Once I sent a DV letter never heard from them again, till now with this new company.

You can't find the information regarding their business license status on the website, you'll need to call them. Try calling the tax department first.

So I sent an e-mail to the office and this is the response I recieved:

Thank you for contacting the Department of the Auditor General. As Taxpayer Advocate, your question was forwarded to me for response. I have done some research within state government and cannot come up with any agency that licenses collection agencies. So not only can I not tell you whether the firm you are inquiring about is licensed in PA. it appears as if the commonwealth doesn't license collection agencies at all. I hope this answers your request.

Regards, Mark Schreiber, Taxpayer Advocate.

Any thoughts on my next step?

Well, there may not be a collection agency license but they are required to have a business license, and possibly a surety bond.

so where abouts do I find out about there business license or surety bond.

Also is there any remafication if a dunning letter isn't sent within 5 days of contact. The first call I recieved was on Tuesday and still no letter as of today.

It's a fdcpa violation. I believe the standard $1k civil penalty would apply.

here is another response from state of pa:

I did come up with something. Apparently the Bureau of Consumer Protection, under the Department of the Attorney General, has some enforcement of collection agencies under the debt collection practices act. However the source of my information which is the Department of Banking agrees that no one really licenses Debt collection companies in PA. I hope this information proves useful...

now what?

All you have to do is check to see if they have a business license in your state (just like any other business would have to have) Also check to see if collection agencies have to have a surety bond, if they do ask if they have filed such a bond when you inquire on the business license.

Most state department of corporations have info on business licenses...Here is a link to the PA Dept of State

http://www.dos.state.pa.us/dos/site/default.asp

Then choose locate or find a business.

I went to the website volley provided and search for cambece. Bo records were found. Does this mean they have no rights in the state of PA.

Ok, I contacted the PA state department and I found that they are not licensed in the state of PA. As for the surety bond I'm not sure of, I'm waiting on a return call. The other thing that you can also check on is whether or not the attorney handling your case is even licensed to practice law in your state.

Thank you for that.

As I have said I recieved a message from them on Tuesday of last week, and several calls there after. I have yet to recieve a dunning letter, so not sure of the attorneys name. If and when the letter comes and they are truely not licensed how do I handle it?

Well, you can contact your state attorney general's office to file a complaint regarding any FDCPA/FCRA violations as well as conducting business without a license and you can contact your state bar association to file complaint if they are practicing law without a license.

so I finaly got the dunning letter yesterday. There was no attorneys name on the letter. Just the law firms name. I am going to send a DV letter. Should I present that I know they are not licensed to collect in my state?

Sure, why not? That ought to throw a monkey wrench into their plans.