A New Jersey woman hired the Law Office of Dimitrios Kolovos, LLC to file a lawsuit on her behalf against the debt collection law firm, Hayt, Hayt & Landau, LLC and its junk debt “client,” First American Acceptance Co., L.L.C. The Complaint alleges that the Defendants unlawfully and deceptively inflated the consumer’s alleged debt with phony charges. She filed her lawsuit in the federal court situated in New Jersey and demanded that judgment be entered against Hayt, Hayt & Landau and First American Acceptance Co. for allegedly violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). She demands statutory damages, actual damages, attorney’s fees, and the costs of her litigation.
The consumer hopes to bring to the Court’s attention the following allegations:
1) Hayt, Hayt & Landau charges attorney’s fees when it expressly states that no attorney has reviewed the alleged collection account of consumers;
2) Hayt, Hayt & Landau charges attorney’s fees in excess of what New Jersey law permits; and
3) Hayt, Hayt & Landau or its attorneys created a sham company, Firm American Acceptance Co., to sneak past New Jersey law which states attorneys themselves cannot collect attorney’s fees if they actually own the debt or are directly employed by creditors who own the debt.
According to the Complaint, “Hayt, Hayt & Landau allegedly created and its principals control First American Acceptance Co. so that the law firm could charge attorney’s fees on debts it essentially owns,” said Joseph A. Mullaney, III, attorney for the consumer. “They even share the same business address and the same employees,” he also said. “Such a run-around on New Jersey law is a violation of the FDCPA because it is deceptive and unfair,” Mullaney said while referring to the Complaint and because “such a scheme permits greedy collectors to increase consumer debts, sometimes by thousands of dollars.” Mullaney also said that “practices such as the ones allegedly employed by Hayt, Hayt & Landau and First American Acceptance, Co. must stop now because many consumers do not even know they are being ripped off.”