Forster And Garbus
Froze my bank accounts even as I made weekly payments
- 03-13-2008
- 1
Starting the end of december, I started receieving letters from the above named firm. They were saying that I had an outstanding debt with a credit card company in the amount of $1,926.26
After searching through my records, I discovered it to be a credit card that I did truly indeed fail to pay for from the 2003 fiscal year. Having had this information in hand, I called the number supplied to me.
I spoke with a Lizzie Gibbons who informed me that they have on numerous occasions tried to contact me dating back to July. I informed her that they obviously didn't try hard enough, because I have been living at the same address for my whole life.
She stated that I contacted their offices too late, and that there was nothing that could be done. They have sent in a summons to the 2nd District Court of Nassau requesting that I pay them back because they are representing Elite Recovery Services (for Providian Services).
Lizzie Gibbons informed me, that if I start making weekly payments, that they will proceed no further, as long as the debt is paid off. Due to the fact I was in a serious motor vehicle accident with head trauma, I had a long hospitalization, and was not working. I had almost no money in my bank account as it was.
I was making payments as large as $150.00 a week, or as little as $25 a week. Whatever I could afford, I made. I tried to make contact with Ms. Gibbons to verify the receipt of the checks every week, but she never would return calls. I checked on my online accounts to veirify the checks were cashed, and they were.
Now throughout all these payments, I was receiving letters in the mail stating that they are attempting to collect a debt, and the new amount owed was displayed.
I checked my account balances yesterday to plan for my weekly payments and budgeting (I am only back to working one day a week) and I discovered both my checking and savings accounts had two new withdrawals.
The first withdrawal was in both checking and savings account for $50 in Legal Fee's. That overdrew both my accounts (I am literally living paycheck to paycheck). That overdrew both my accounts into the negative numbers.
There is a $32 overdraft fee for each account now because of this $50 legal fee. The second thing they have done now is have apparently frozen both my accounts until $3,349.16 is paid into each account.
I called the bank immediately to state that this was an unauthorized transaction and no where did I sign anything, recieve anything from a court of law, or get notified via US mail, or even telephone for that matter, that money was going to be coming out of my accounts.
I have no idea what to do here. I am seriously at my witts end. I have tried contacting the firm but Ms. Gibbon's isn't too into returning telephone calls.
I need help, and don't know where to turn.
Company: Forster And Garbus
Country: USA
State: New York
City: Farmingdale
Address: 500 Bi-County Boulevard Suite 300
Phone: 6313939400