June 2008 We received a call from Burgess law firm but when I went to file a Better Business complaint the phone number is listed with them as belonging to Collins Law office. Tim says he left the MacKinnon operation in early 08. If anyone has evidence to the contrary, let us know.
2007 My husband was in arrears on a Citibank credit card for $7500. He was contacted by Collins Law Office in 2005 to either pay up or be sued. We only had $4100 which they accepted and they wanted us to pay approx. $600 in six wks. Before the 6 wks. was up the attorney from Collins kept calling and leaving voicemails. He said he just found out that they were not treating people legitimately. Not reporting debt paid to credit bureaus and such. We should not pay $600. Kept saying this in all his messages. He sounded urgent and earnest. Told us to check Hibbs website about Collins. We did. We were upset and did not know what to do. The Collins employee said if we didn't pay it would just go away. Collins wouldn't sue or anything. Two months before 2 year anniversary of Collins payment Commonwealth Financial Systems sent a letter demanding payment, threatening lawsuit. I now have a lawsuit that Francis & Mailman in Phila. is handling for unfair practices by Claire Bennett of Commonwealth. My husband did send a request for debt validation but it was two mos. after receipt of lst com. fin. ltr. No debt val. was ever rec'd from them. Received a ltr. via cert. mail saying lawsuit will be filed if we don't pay or make arrangement to pay-deadline. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING THERE
2007 I received a call from my ex husband of 10 years saying a legal office called me and was very rude and said i was being charged with a crime. I then got message on my machine from a woman at this office saying if i di don't want harm to come to me I would take care of this asap. They can not tell me harm would come to me! Doesn't that mean physical harm? That is how I took it. They never once mentioned what the debt was. I know I have a card my ex used i my name for 6 years while I lived in another state and he has since had multiple strokes and is on disability. I have not been with him in over 15 years! This is insane, I dare her to call me again and say harm is going to come to me.
2007 I had a message on my
home answering machine from 'Frank' of Collins Law Office.
Frank referenced a case number that he 'has to file by
Friday' and stated he really wanted to talk to me about it
first, or, if I had an attorney, have my attorney call him.
The 'have your attorney' thing interested me, so I called
the next day. I called from my office, using the 'back-line'
that does not accept incoming calls, knowing that they have
caller ID. I left two messages for Frank.
I called 'Frank' again from my office. Frank
identified himself as an attorney and advised me of a past
due credit card balance with Providian (true); however, he
inflated the balance by over $2,000.00. Frank advised me he
would 'write off the balance' completely if I paid $7,100 by
next Wednesday (12-20-06). He further stated that by paying
this amount my credit score would greatly improve. I said no
way to the $7,100.00. 'How about $50 a month', I ask. Frank
says no way. Frank went on to say that if I didn't pay
$7,100 by 12-20-06 that a case would be filed 'in county'
and my wages would be garnished for over $10,000.00. Frank
then said that if could pay $1000 by Wednesday he could 'ask
his boss' to accept monthly payments from me starting in
January in the amount of $250.00. I repeated this back to
him, and then he said, 'well, maybe $200.00 a month at the
least, but for now just focus on getting me as much paid now
as possible. He asked if I own property (I don't). He
suggested I borrow $7,100 or as much as possible from a
friend or relative. I said no way, I have no one. He said
maybe someone can co-sign on a loan for me. I said no. He
said he would 'hold' my case until 12-20-06 to give me to
time to come up with some kind of big payment. He said I
could also mail a post dated check which he would 'hold'
until December 29th, or, I could give him my bank account
information over the phone for a direct debit, that he would
'hold' until
December 29th. I told him I'd call him back by 12-20-06.
What I didn't tell Frank is that although I am not an
attorney I work for one and have access to a variety of
research tools and attorneys in this town, free of charge. I
called Frank again, this time bypassing the extension prompt
so I could get an operator. Some man answered with 'Collins
Law office'. I politely asked for the full name of the
company and the address. The guy refused to give it to me
unless I identified myself, which I stated was irrelevant.
He was an ass. I hung up. I called back and this time spoke
to 'Frank'. Frank was very nice and apologetic and gave
me his (Frank's) full name (Frank Galfo) and Collins Law
Office address. He seemed confused when he got to the city
part of the address as to whether it was in Buffalo or East
Amherst, but finally settled on East Amherst.
I then googled Collins and in my research found all kinds of
groovy information, including this website.
I went to the post office to mail off a 'cease
communication' letter that I found on the Bud Hibbs website.
I used the mailing address provided by Frank, which I
confirmed on the New York State Bar website
attorney directory. Guess what? The mailing address provided
to me by Frank and Collins' attorney listing on the state
bar website is 'invalid', per the post office!
Anyway, I ended up mailing my certified letter to COLLINS
LAW OFFICE, 85 NORTHPOINTE PARKWAY, BUFFALO, NEW YORK,
14228, which the post office stated was a valid address and
zip code, in addition to a letter to the New York Grievance
Committee. I've attached copies of my letters for your
reading enjoyment, and have sent copies to any and all
addresses I could find for Collins and First American. What
a bunch of bottom feeders! This is outrageous.
I first began with receiving calls from the Law Offices of Tim Collins. Moya Kovic would call and tell me that I would be turned over to the County Offices for prosecution. He would call at inconvenient times. When I would tell him I had to leave he would try to keep me on longer. At one point he informed me that I owed 4500, another, 6000. Then he had another person call and he told me they could settle it for 1500. They contacted my husband another time and informed him I owed 7499. (Funny because the credit limit was 7500). Time and time again they stated that I had been turned over to the County Offices for prosecution. I never received paperwork from the. I have requested Validation of Debt, but of course they have not sent it. Just when I thought I had heard the last of these bottom feeders, I received a call from Booth and Associates. I was not here to answer the phone but my husband was. Jef Booth informed my husband that I had been turned over and that a case had been filed. He also stated that I should have received a Summons in the mail. Of course I have not. This evening I received a call from a Ms. C. Coates saying she worked for Booth and Associates and that my case was pending in their firm. Unfortunately for Ms. Coates her phone number showed up on my caller ID and she her "office" is not at the same address as Jef Booth. I am quite sure she has been hired to see if she can collect from anyone. These people need to get their stories straight, then maybe people would work with them. I have never denied I owe the debt, in fact I am in a Debt Management program and this is the only debt I have left. Stay away from settling with these bottom feeders. I have reported them to the State Bar Associations and I have them leaving messages on my answering machine, which I am keeping for reference. Thank you Bud Hibbs for bringing these crooks to my attention!!!!
I used to work for Collins Law Office. That place is the most unprofessional illegal place I have ever been witness to. Tim Collins is an attorney. However the office is run my Moya Kovic.. He is the best scam artist I have ever met and also personally not a very pleasant person to be around. He will say anything on the phone and do a total shakedown and intimidate to get the money. He is nothing but a two bit telemarketer, albeit a good one. He has also done jail time for telemarketing scams. I find it remarkable that someone of his character is allowed to run an office. This man is uneducated, not even a high school graduate. He is a pathetic role model and has no idea of how to treat employees, he is a great liar. His management skills are yelling and harassing employees. The worst part he gets away with this psycho behavior. I lasted 2 months. The average employee for Moya Kovic is 2-3 months He is such an idiot that I swear he thinks that amount of turnover is normal. His favorite new hires are drug users, and young impressionable people.
Was contacted numerous time by an agency claiming to be Collins Law Office but they keep calling back pretending to have mailed me a demand letter. They refused to give me their address and this time transferred me to a Moya Kovic. Aside from using profanity and name calling, he wouldn't give me an address either but rather told me to look it up on the NY bar website. I did this and received a phone number, which I called back and asked to speak with him but was told that was not his office. The girl did however put me on hold, retuning with a phone number to the Munson Law Office in Buffalo. I called it and was transferred to Kovic. His office staff answers his phone representing themselves as Collins Law. Kovic advised me that I was an ass that hadn't paid his bills in 3 years and he would be forwarding this to an attorney in my county for suit. I told him aside from having never seen anything in writing about this debt he claimed to have on me, that he knew it was unlawful for him to threaten a lawsuit on a time barred debt. He said the SOL on this Providian charge card was 5 years as it was a written contract not a revolving charge. I told him there was no reason to argue this with a bottom feeder like him, since he was too afraid to have his phone answered with his actual Law Name and was afraid to reveal his address. The coward hung up on me. I hope he reads this, MOYA KOVIC Bring it on!
I have a question about these guys. I paid them off in fear of going to court, after they called everyone except me in my family. I can't seem to find on your website where to go if I've already gave them money. I have in writing from them a letter that states they will update and remove the charge off from my credit report which they haven't done yet. Let me know what you think should be done.