800-793-2350 Anyone know this number by chance?

Boyajian Law Offices
Address:
210 Rt. 17 N.
Rutherford New Jersey 07070
U.S.A.
Here is the name of the law office....they are debt collectors.

Lovely....*sigh* This one I didn't know about...Guess I better call and figure it out.

Sorry, I was all upset and forgot to say THANK YOU! for your help. :)

~Mary

No problem, that is what we are all here for :)

It just bums me out to hear from a different collection agency about a debt that I didn't know I had...when I had my daughter I had no insurance, so now I am being charged from 100 different directions for a million different things. *sigh*

Oh...was going to tell you, when you call this attorney's office, be VERY limited on the info that you give them...only verify info, do not offer them any info. They will use any info they get against you (which is what they are supposed to do). But, we had an attorney get ahold of one of our accounts and they called...my husband answered and told them our whole life story, answered EVERY question they asked...needless to say, they really harrass us now, and they know where all our family is, and started calling them!! My husband is not allowed to answer the phone anymore, LOL. I had to send letters asking them to only contact us by mail...so far the letter has worked. Just a little piece of advice from someone who has been there...and still is.

Oh my goodness, I will definitely be careful with what I say! The last thing I need is for them to really start harassing me. Your poor husband, I bet he feels bad now! LOL!

If they start getting rude with me, do I have the right to hang up and start over? :)

I would go one step further and only deal with them if they provide you information in writing, and you only reply in writing. Based on things I have seen on other consumer sites, this CA is bad news

Hi JJ,

So you are saying that I should call them and specifically tell them that I will only discuss this with them in writing? I would like that way better anyway, that way there is a paper trail....thanks!

Well, unfortunately since it is a law office, you will have limited people to talk to..so if you hang up and call back, chances are only one person will be handling your account. I would start out by mailing them a validation letter, and if you are not comfortable with talking to them over the phone, then just state in your letter that you would like to be contacted only by mail, and that you will not accept phone calls. By law, they will then have to contact you only by mail. Send everything to them certified mail return receipt requested. If you are comfortable trying to talk to them on the phone, then do that after you validate the debt. If they get rude...then send the do not call letter.If you look around this forum...you will find a copy of the validation letter...I have used it many times. So far, the do not call letters have also worked very well. Good luck.

Awesome advice, thank you so much! My mom will be so happy to stop receiving these phone calls, and I will be happy to clear up this debt!

People in Tennessee are getting letters and calls from these people as well however the debts they are claiming are not real or are for about 15 years ago. Just becareful with these people.

Hi Jackie,

Thank you very much for letting me know that, I will be sure to validate this debt before I go and pay it! Thanks again.

~Mary

:evil: FYI!!!
Please refer to the following website to both file a report and send a cease and desist letter. VERY important to not make any other communication with them b/c they are quite organized scam artists. I would only supply your phone # if I were you b/c once they get your name...your duked! Don't let it happen to you! We are dealing with the same s**t right now. If you know a lawyer friend, I would even ask them to write the letter for you as they would know the laws and statutes better. I know am going to have my sister sign the letter with the JD after her name in order to make this request immediate and without errors!!! Hope this helps both and your families...ciao.

ripoffreport.com/reports/ripoff171422.htm

Hi VPGirl,

Now that I think about it, they have been calling during all hours of the day and night. I didn't even stop to think that they are breaking the law by calling whenever they please (or rather, whenever their automated dialer pleases). Thanks for posting that website.

~Mary

Lets clarify one point.. If the debt is real and they are validly collecting it, a cease and desist letter is not advisable. If you are sure or pretty sure you owe the debt and simply want to make sure they are legally collecting it, or if you are not sure you owe it.. send a validation letter. In this letter make sure you tell them not to call you at work and if you wish tell them not to call you anywhere. Instruct them that you will only communicate in written form. If you wish you can also give them the option to use email (easier for them, but you still have a written record). Send a cease and desist for only two reasons 1) you do not owe the debt (and have proof) 2) you have reason to believe that they are not legally collecting the debt (such as outside the sol, the orginal creditor had told you that the CA is not collecting.

This brings up another point too, If possible, always verify with the original creditor if and to whom they have sent your account for collections.

hope this helps

fdcpa laws identify debt validation letter and cease and desist letter individually. The legal importance is not lost if both the clauses are combined together in one letter but it is better to send each of them separately. (There may be a situation that a CA is making the first time contact for a debt but has not been in harassing or disturbing tone. At such a situation, it won't be necessary to mention the C&D in the validation letter). Only after understanding the specific situation, it can be ascertained which legal weapon can serve the best.

JJ, the two reasons on which sending a cease and desist letter is a must is absolutely correct. A C&D letter can also be sent to a CA holding a legitimate account. If the option to be contacted by mail is left open in the letter, the message is still sent and the company has to abide by the laws. They can't stop contacting by mail for notifying actions if it has been mentioned.

It's upon the way an individual wants to react to a particular call by the CA. Your post as well as mine will be helpful to the readers who are looking for some help through C&D.

True enough, there is one danger that has come to my attention (based on posts in another thread) that use of the words cease and desist may be misinterpreted by CA's who then use it to avoid discussing accoutns when you call. In order to try and avoid this misinterpretation, and /or at least provide for a defensible position, make sure that if you are trying to simply tell the CA to contact you only in writing, that you are very explicit.

Thank you JJ and CurlyCarl for clearing up the difference there. I love clarification! :)

~Mary

I read Shirley going through this situation when some collector took a reverse turn by not discussing anything about the debt. In that case, the matter should be taken to the court and request the judge to ask the company to show the cease and desist letter sent to them. The company has to produce that specific letter and everything will become clear in the eyes of the judge. The company just can't make any pretexts.

Hey Mary! do you have some suggestions from your side as well. :D

No suggestions really, everything has been covered pretty well. I am, however, still quite shocked about what happened in Shirley's situation! That definitely complicates things quite a bit for her and I hope that doesn't happen to anybody else.

~Mary

Precisely why the letter needs to be as clear as possible. however when something ends up in court you lose a certain amount of control over the outcome, ao it is preferable to leverage your position and negotiate your way out. That said though, it is always best to assume that you will end up in court, when it comes to your level of documentation

I will definitely keep that in mind as I go forward!

~Mary

When you call these people, they ask you for your phone number and then the phone is dead

They are a scam:


Link deleted as per forum rules - Vikas

They are the Boyajian Law Offices - and yes, they are scammers. Go to ripoffreport.com (aka "Bad Business Bureau") - plenty of complaints against them. They try to call me too, but I never return the calls, then I did a search on them two weeks ago.

They're licensed to practice in CA only, but have office in NJ (illegally).

Hope this helps.
BMP

Hi guys,
Does anyone know a CA by the name of Focus. I had an account sold to them via Alltel. Alltel is reporting but Alltel says Focus owns the debt. Alltel is the original creditor.

quindrickf,

There is a collection agency called Focus Receivable Management. Perhaps your creditor has sold your account to them. Ask your creditor if they can accept payment from you? If yes, go on with them, otherwise you have to deal with the CA.

Follow the standard procedure of dealing with collection agencies. Ask for validation first. Send your letter through CMRRR. If they send you a satisfactory itemized report, then only you need to pay them. Make sure that you get some receipts from them for payments made.

BTW, have you checked the SOL of the accounts? Legally you are not obliged to pay a past SOL debt. JMO.

I am having the same problem. We livein Tennessee. They leave a message on our answering machine with a reference number. Should I go ahead & send the the do not call letter. I have never heard of these people before!

Audrey.

Audrey,

You can send the cease comm. letter. Send it via certified mail with return receipt requested. Also contact the original creditor and check if they can accept payment for this account.

If OC cannot help you anyway, ask the CA to validate the debt first. You need to pay back after satisfactory validation only. Also browse this forum and collect some knowledge on how to deal with collection agency. Keep us posted.

Where can I find these letters at? Oh don't worry I'll send it via certified mail w/return receipt.

Audrey.

You can get the list of letters from debt consolidation Sample Letter.

There is another list of sample letters here-

http://community.debtcc.com/letters/index.html

Thanks a lot. So far we've only received those 2 calls from them. Other than that they haven't called back.

Audrey.

I just got a call (in TN) from them. After reading your responses & knowing I have no debt they could be trying to collect, I called.

When I asked who they were trying to reach, they said the name of a previous resident at this address. She never had this phone number & I have never met her. I only know the name from mail I returned since moving in. When I told the guy that, he said they would remove the number from their database. Let's see if that happens.

It sounds like they are searching old addresses for new phone numbers. As the database manager for a large company, I would say that's a waste of time.

Yea, this recoding been calling me for bout 5 million times since like a few months ago and myself being a teenager, age 16 cant possibly be in any legally bound debt... very anoying i havent called the number back like it says to but i will continue to fight the system.

I believe that any collection agency must send something in writing by law (Federal and State -- at least in California).

If you have not received anything in writing, just keep abreast of your credit report. Do not talk to collection agents by yourself, and especially if they claim to be an attorney. If necessary, retain legal counsel for this task. Do not provide any information to them over the phone. By law, any collection matter must be made in writing. The fdcpa is very clear about this.

Also, if you do receive something in writing that you disagree about, respond in writing via certified mail, with return receipt. Your diagreement should be to the point. DO NOT provide information that can be used against you. Again, if necessary, retain legal counsel. Many law firms can assist in such matters for a small flat fee.

If a collection agency violates various portions of the FDCPA or FCRA, the agency can be fined and you can be awarded damages in court.

My suggestion is that if you have not received anything in writing from this apparently questionable law firm, then do nothing. You can contact your phone company to put a block on their number. You can also send a letter, if they by-pass this, that they cease and desist from calling your number. You need not even provide your full name in such a letter. Just the phone number. If they call after receiving the letter, use Call Trace from your phone company to track the call. This provides a legal record. Technically, they have then violated FDCPA and you will have legal proof.

Good luck!

Thomas Vail

Be careful!!

When we moved to Texas, SBC gave us the phone number of a deadbeat. So it looks like they are also trying to trace back through old phone numbers.

I keep getting calls from this number 800-897-5276 but no one ever leaves a message...

It's pronounced Bow-lou-jay Law Offices but I have no idea where they are located. They have called my house a couple of times I have had this phone number for over 2 years. I have already asked them once to stop calling and they continue to call even though I told them the person that they are looking for is not at this number and I don't know who she is. The last time I told them to stop calling my number and they hung up on me. I called back to speak with a supervisor and he told me that people in Texas and California are mean, we don't make friends and we have no life to worry about something so trivial. I told him when we respond courteously and ask them to stop calling a wrong number, they should honor the request.

He was a total jerk. I told him the next time they call here they will speak with a real lawyer, mine. And if that's mean so be it!!

Michelle in Texas

Boyajian Law Offices

Do not call this law office. You might not have a valid debt with them, but once you give info they have you. This company is known for going after old expired debts and also collecting debts from someone with the same name as you (they don't care). If you want the calls to stop write them a cease and desist letter also asking them for proof of your debt in writing (it's the law).

I am having the same problem. We livein Tennessee. They leave a message on our answering machine with a reference number. Should I go ahead & send the the do not call letter. I have never heard of these people before!>>

I actually did go ahead and call them back. Told them they had left a message and I wanted to know why they called me. The woman asked my phone number. When I gave it, she said something I couldn't understand (she did not speak English well AT ALL) and then asked, "Are you Tammy?" When I said no (not only is there no Tammy living here now, but there hasn't been in at LEAST the last 10 years, because I know the two previous owners), she said, "Sorry, you (YOU?)have the wrong number." And hung up. No chance to ask them anything or even to tell them to not call again. Didn't even ask for the reference number and as stated above, I wasn't going to tell them a THING about me. I usually ignore these types of "This is personal business, please call..." when they don't tell you who THEY are or who they are calling for. But, I heard this company was bad news, so I did call back. Apparently, they didn't want us, though, so hopefully, even though she was rude and hug up, they will have taken the phone number out of their system.

This company called me today, I do have a debt that they are probably calling about, but are they a collection agency or a law office? I did not call them back and don't intend to. I will check out the rip-off report, but was just wondering what anyone knows about this company. Thanks in advance.

~Brandi