Independent profile — not affiliated with Javitch Block LLC
Javitch Block LLC
Javitch Block LLC is a Cleveland, Ohio law firm that files and enforces consumer debt-collection lawsuits for creditors and debt buyers; it operated for decades as Javitch, Block & Rathbone before adopting its current name. The firm's own site describes creditor-side collections, insurance subrogation, bankruptcy, eviction, and foreclosure work from its headquarters at 1100 Superior Avenue in Cleveland, with a second office in Brentwood, Tennessee, and attorneys licensed in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. USAComplaints has 19 of its own complaints, filed 2005-2011 under the firm's former name, mostly describing lawsuits and wage or bank garnishments over debt-buyer accounts, disputes over whether a debt was owed at all, and refused or reversed payment plans. Those figures are separate from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's 322 complaints logged since 2013 and the Better Business Bureau's B- rating built on 129 complaints in three years -- different sources, reported here separately and never added together. Court records list about 130 federal dockets naming the firm since the early 2000s, nearly all with the firm as an FDCPA defendant, plus a 2025-2026 class-action settlement.
Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints
USAComplaints currently maintains 19 historical complaints about Javitch Block LLC, published between 2005 and 2011. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.
- I was suppose to make a payment plan with an ins.Co. They sent me to javitch collection agency to make payments. Well javitch said i cant and have fun walking cause i'm not getting my licence until t
- I knew they were crooks the moment I receive their extortion letter
- They would rather you file bankruptcy than work with you
- Javitch Attorneys are deceptive, send fraudulant court documents to make you think there is a judgment Strasburg
- Former Employee
- Sued me and went completely behind my back
- Collection attorney for Midland Funding LLC and other debt buyer collection agencies
- Judgememnt/Garnishment
- Garnshed Wages Before A Judge's order was vacated
- Javitch Block Rathbone LLC - Capital One Bank - Capital One Services Inc. What Capital One Address is on your Judgement? Richmond Virginia
- Garnishing wages for a Providian credit card
- Vultures looking for something that they don't deserve. Cleveland
- Constant harrassment, real bottom feeder outfit
- Midland funding - mfl - javitch block & rathbone somehow sued us and now attempting to garnish wages ripoff ohio
- MIDLAND FUNDING - Javitch, Block & Rathbone - MIDLAND CREDIT MGMT Ripoff Here is another rebirth of a retired (dead) account date 12/1998
- Lies To Get Money Told me they would accept payment terms, received payment and said they wouldn't accept them Ripoff
- Ripoff harrasment judgements garnashiment
- Javitch Block & Rathbone -Sears Roebuck ripoff suing me for a debt that's not mine and refuse to give proof
- RIPOFF trying to make payments but they will not accept without large down pmt
Complaint Themes
Independent Sources
Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.
Contacts
- Official website: https://www.jbllc.com/
- Toll-free (site footer and BBB): 800-837-0109
- Collections / payment questions (FAQ page): 800-837-4601 1 complaint mentions this number
- Cleveland office: 216-623-0000 2 complaints mention this number
- Fax (payoff / lien-release requests): 216-623-0190
- General mailbox (firm says it cannot reply by email): [email protected]
Locations
| Type | Address |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 1100 Superior Avenue Cleveland OH 44114 |
| Branch office | 5409 Maryland Way Brentwood TN 37027 |
If Javitch Block sent you a letter, a summons, or a garnishment notice
Javitch Block LLC — Cleveland, Ohio, formerly Javitch, Block & Rathbone — is a law firm that collects debt for creditors and debt buyers, mostly by suing in court. The firm's own site carries on every page the debt-collector disclosure (the “mini-Miranda”): “Javitch Block LLC, is a debt collector attempting to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.” Federal law requires a collector to identify itself this way in its initial communication and to say later communications come from a debt collector; the disclosure does not by itself tell you whether the amount claimed is correct.
If you got a letter, you have 30 days from receiving the validation notice (usually in that first letter) to dispute the debt or request written validation under 15 U.S.C. §1692g. Put the dispute in writing and keep proof you sent it; if you dispute within 30 days, the firm must stop collection until it provides verification.
If you got a court summons, a lawsuit has already been filed — this is more urgent than a letter. The deadline to file a written answer is printed on the summons itself and varies by state: generally 28 days in Ohio, 20 days in Kentucky, 20 days (23 if served by mail) in Indiana, the Monday after 20 days in Texas, and 30 days in Tennessee. Check your own summons and your court's local rules rather than relying on these general figures, and consider talking to a lawyer or your local legal-aid office before that date passes. Missing the deadline can produce a default judgment, and a judgment is what makes wage garnishment or a bank-account levy possible.
Ask Javitch Block which creditor it represents on your account and for the file number — the firm's own contact form lists “received a call,” “a letter,” “a court summons,” “an email,” and “garnishment” as reasons people reach out. A payment plan is not guaranteed: the firm's own FAQ states it “cannot guarantee a proposed arrangement will be accepted by our client,” and payments are accepted only by checking account, savings account, or debit card — not credit cards.
To complain about how you were treated: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, your state attorney general's consumer-protection office, and the Better Business Bureau all take debt-collection complaints. For a concern about a specific Ohio attorney's conduct, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Ohio handles attorney-conduct grievances, separately from a routine billing dispute.
Two more points from the firm's own FAQ and from federal law: the firm states it “does not furnish information to consumer credit reporting agencies”, so a credit-report entry must be disputed with the creditor that reports it, not with Javitch Block; and if wages are being garnished, federal law (15 U.S.C. §1673) generally caps a garnishment at the lesser of 25% of disposable earnings or the amount by which weekly disposable earnings exceed 30 times the federal minimum wage (text), and state exemptions can be broader — ask the court that issued the garnishment or a legal-aid office about claiming them.
Company background
Javitch Block LLC is a Cleveland, Ohio creditors'-rights law firm; it operated for years as Javitch, Block & Rathbone (the name on all of USAComplaints' own posts about the firm, 2005-2011, and on the 2009 Sixth Circuit case below) before shortening to its current name. The Better Business Bureau's file lists a business-started date of June 1, 1991. Headquarters: 1100 Superior Avenue, 19th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44114; toll-free (800) 837-0109, office (216) 623-0000. A second office is at 5409 Maryland Way, Suite 315, Brentwood, TN 37027. The firm's own attorney-index page and its national trade-association profile show attorneys also based in Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, McKinney), Kentucky (Louisville, Bardstown, Dry Ridge), Indiana (Indianapolis), and West Virginia (Princeton).
Managing partner Brian Block has led the firm since 2014; according to his firm biography he sits on the board of the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys and belongs to the Ohio Creditors Bar Association, and the firm is listed in the National Creditors Bar Association's member directory. Its own site describes its practice as collections (credit card, installment loan, tax, student loan, rent, commercial receivables, and purchased-debt accounts), insurance subrogation for auto and property claims, bankruptcy representation, eviction, foreclosure, replevin, contract litigation, and defense of consumer lawsuits.
Court filings and USAComplaints' own complaint record show the firm representing debt buyers including Midland Funding, LLC, Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC, Palisades Acquisition XVI, LLC / Palisades Collection, L.L.C., UHG I, LLC, Velocity Investments, LLC, and Centurion Capital Corporation, along with original creditors such as Capital One, Providian, Sears, and HSBC — plus, in a distinct line of work, insurers pursuing subrogation claims after auto accidents.
How the firm handles a file
Every collection contact from the firm — letters, calls, its website — carries the mini-Miranda disclosure required of debt collectors. Two toll-free numbers appear on the firm's own site: (800) 837-0109 for general contact, and (800) 837-4601, which the firm's FAQ page directs consumers to call “and speak with one of our representatives about your collection file.” The firm states it cannot respond by email, even though it lists an email address for its Cleveland office.
Payments run through an online portal (checking account, savings account, or debit card only — no credit cards), a recurring ACH authorization, or by mail to the Cleveland headquarters, made payable to the creditor and referencing the file number. The firm is explicit that a payment plan needs its client's approval: “we cannot guarantee a proposed arrangement will be accepted by our client and in some circumstances the balance owed must be paid in full.” A payoff to release a judgment lien is handled by fax or email with a signed consumer authorization. The firm's own contact form lists five reasons a consumer might be reaching out — a call, a letter, a court summons, an email, or a garnishment.
Complaint patterns: our own record, then CFPB and BBB
USAComplaints has 19 of its own complaints about the firm, filed 2005-2011 under its former name, Javitch, Block & Rathbone. By primary theme (one theme per complaint, adding to 19): 7 describe being sued or having wages or bank accounts garnished over an account held by a debt buyer (Midland Funding, Centurion Capital, Portfolio Recovery, Capital One); 6 dispute that the debt was owed at all — because of identity theft, a debt the consumer says was already paid off, an address mix-up in a court filing, or a stale, time-barred balance; 3 involve insurance-subrogation collection after a car accident, including a threat to hold up a driver's-license reinstatement; 2 describe a garnishment or bank-account levy the consumer says came with no adequate notice; and 1 is a former employee's account of the firm's hiring and case-processing practices. These are USAComplaints' own figures and are not combined with any other site's numbers below.
Separately, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's public complaint database lists 322 complaints against the firm (as “Javitch, Block & Rathbone LLC”) between July 29, 2013 and September 5, 2026 — 63 in the last 12 months, 157 in the last three years. The most common issues logged are “took or threatened to take negative or legal action” (85), “false statements or representation” (52), “written notification about debt” (49), and “attempts to collect debt not owed” (45); most complaints came from Ohio, Texas, and Tennessee. The company's response is recorded as “closed with explanation” on all 322.
Separately again, the Better Business Bureau's Cleveland file gives the firm a B- rating; it is not BBB-accredited. BBB cites 129 complaints in the last three years (19 closed in the last 12 months) and an average of 1 out of 5 from 17 customer reviews. Of the 10 most recently listed complaints (all 2026), 8 were marked “Answered” and 2 “Resolved.” None of these three counts — USAComplaints' 19, the CFPB's 322, or the BBB's 129 — describe the same population of consumers or the same time period, and each is reported here exactly as its own source states it, not added together.
Litigation record
In Miller v. Javitch, Block & Rathbone, 561 F.3d 588 (6th Cir. 2009), the Sixth Circuit affirmed judgment for the firm in a putative FDCPA class action over language used in its own collection complaints; the United States intervened to defend the FDCPA's constitutionality, and the appeals court resolved the case on the merits without reaching that constitutional question.
In Smith v. Javitch Block, L.L.C., 2023-Ohio-607 (8th Dist., Cuyahoga County), the Ohio Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court's denial of the firm's motion to compel arbitration and strike class allegations, in a putative class action brought by a consumer the firm had sued to collect a Synchrony/J.C. Penney card debt. The Ohio Supreme Court declined jurisdiction on July 5, 2023, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari on November 20, 2023 (No. 23-369), after the National Creditors Bar Association and others filed an amicus brief supporting the petition.
In Zachery v. Javitch Block LLC, S.D. Ind. 1:22-cv-02261, a certified class of people subjected to post-judgment collection activity by the firm on behalf of Palisades Acquisition XVI, LLC / Palisades Collection, L.L.C. reached a class settlement: for the Javitch Block settlement the court approved $40,000 in attorneys' fees and a $900 class-representative award, the firm delivered injunctive relief to class members, and a $16,650.40 remainder from uncashed class checks went to Indiana Legal Services as cy pres (the co-defendant Palisades entities settled separately, with $200,000 in fees and a $7,000 incentive award requested in that motion); the case was dismissed with prejudice on March 30, 2026.
A newer case, also captioned Miller v. Javitch Block LLC (S.D. Ohio, filed July 16, 2025), alleges FDCPA, Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, fraud, and related claims over a second lawsuit the firm filed to collect a debt already in litigation elsewhere; the federal court stayed the case on March 3, 2026 under the Colorado River abstention doctrine, pending a related Ohio state-court matter. In that related matter, State ex rel. Javitch Block, L.L.C. v. Wollscheid, the firm itself was the plaintiff, seeking writs to stop two Ohio judges from hearing the underlying collection case; the Ohio Supreme Court denied the writs on May 28, 2026.
Beyond these named cases, CourtListener docket data lists about 130 federal dockets naming the firm since the early 2000s, almost all with the firm as the defendant — nearly all Fair Debt Collection Practices Act claims — spread across Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, and West Virginia federal courts. Most close within months. Recent examples: Bowman v. Javitch Block (S.D. Ind., a consumer suit removed to federal court, closed May 19, 2026 after a notice of settlement and voluntary dismissal) and Kimbell-Douglas v. Javitch Block (S.D. Tex., terminated September 11, 2026 after a settlement notice); by contrast, Presbitero v. Javitch Block (E.D. Tex.), a pro se civil-rights complaint, was dismissed with prejudice on the merits for failure to state a claim on February 2, 2026.
Is Javitch Block LLC Legitimate?
Javitch Block LLC is a real, operating law firm, not a fabricated identity: it carries the debt-collector mini-Miranda disclosure required by federal law, has a Better Business Bureau file open since 1994, and has a documented, decades-long federal and state court record on both sides of the docket. A letter, a summons, or a garnishment notice bearing its name is very likely genuine. That is a separate question from whether a specific debt is actually owed, or owed in the amount claimed — verify the file number and the creditor's name directly with the firm, using the contact information on your own letter or on jbllc.com, before paying anyone.
How BBB, CFPB, and review sites cover the firm
The Better Business Bureau profile (Cleveland) is a single business file, not a fraud finding — its B- rating and non-accredited status reflect complaint volume and BBB's own scoring formula. The CFPB's 322-complaint count is a tally of consumer complaints submitted to a federal database and closed “with explanation”; it is not a determination that any particular complaint's allegations were true, and it is not the same population as USAComplaints' own 19 posts. Revdex shows only a handful of reviews for the firm — too few to summarize with a number — and no dedicated ComplaintsBoard or Trustpilot profile for the firm was found. Each of these sources is cited here for exactly what it says, on its own terms; none of their figures are combined with each other or with USAComplaints' own complaint count.
Court & Public Records
| Case | Authority | Dates | Type | Outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miller v. Javitch, Block & Rathbone Docket No. 08-3336, 561 F.3d 588 | U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit | — | Judgment | Judgment entered A putative FDCPA class action over language used in the firm's own form debt-collection complaint (a Providian card account). The United States intervened on appeal to defend the FDCPA's constitutionality against the firm's First Amendment challenge. The Sixth Circuit resolved the case on the merits, without reaching the constitutional question, and affirmed judgment for the firm -- the plaintiff failed to show a statutory violation. | Source |
| Smith v. Javitch Block, L.L.C. Docket No. 111532, 2023-Ohio-607 | Ohio Court of Appeals, Eighth District (Cuyahoga County) | — | Appeal decided | Appeal decided — see outcome Khadija Smith, whose J.C. Penney/Synchrony card debt had been sold to Portfolio Recovery Associates and sued on by Javitch Block, brought a putative class action after moving to vacate a default judgment against her. The trial court denied the firm's motions to stay, compel arbitration under the card agreement, and strike the class allegations; the court of appeals affirmed. The Ohio Supreme Court declined jurisdiction on July 5, 2023, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari on November 20, 2023 (No. 23-369, Javitch Block LLC, et al. v. Khadija Smith), after the National Creditors Bar Association and others filed an amicus brief in support of the petition. | Source |
| Zachery (Beutel-Zachery) v. Javitch Block LLC, Palisades Acquisition XVI, LLC, Palisades Collection, L.L.C. Docket 1:22-cv-02261-JRS-MKK | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana | Settled | Settled A class action alleging Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations in post-judgment collection activity by Javitch Block on behalf of Palisades. The court granted final approval of the class settlement with Javitch Block on October 1, 2025: $40,000 in attorneys' fees, a $900 class-representative award, injunctive relief delivered by the firm, and a $16,650.40 remainder from uncashed class-member checks paid to Indiana Legal Services as cy pres; the Palisades co-defendants settled separately (final approval the same day). The case was dismissed with prejudice on March 30, 2026. | Source | |
| Miller v. Javitch Block LLC Docket 2:25-cv-00793-EAS-CMV | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio | Filed | Filed — no final outcome recorded A putative class action alleging FDCPA, Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act, fraud, negligence, and civil-conspiracy claims arising from collection of a $12,630.90 debt, after Javitch Block filed a second lawsuit for the same debt while an earlier state-court suit over it was still pending. On March 3, 2026 the federal court stayed the case under the Colorado River abstention doctrine, pending a related Ohio Supreme Court writ action and a Twelfth District appeal. The case remains open and stayed. | Source | |
| State ex rel. Javitch Block, L.L.C. v. Wollscheid Docket No. 2025-0663 | Supreme Court of Ohio | — | Judgment | Judgment entered Javitch Block LLC and its attorney, as relators, sought writs of prohibition, mandamus, and procedendo to stop a municipal-court judge and a common-pleas judge from exercising jurisdiction over a second debt-collection suit ("Miller II") the firm had filed for the same underlying debt. The Ohio Supreme Court held the common-pleas court did not patently and unambiguously lack jurisdiction and denied the writs, per curiam, on May 28, 2026. | Source |
| Presbitero v. Javitch Block Docket 6:25-cv-00097 | U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas | Dismissed | Dismissed A pro se civil-rights complaint against the firm. The court dismissed the case with prejudice for failure to state a claim on February 2, 2026. | Source | |
| Bowman v. Javitch Block Docket 1:26-cv-00813 | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana | Dismissed | Dismissed An individual FDCPA suit removed to federal court April 23, 2026. A notice of settlement was filed April 29, 2026, followed by a voluntary dismissal; the case was closed May 19, 2026. | Source | |
| Kimbell-Douglas v. Javitch Block Docket 4:26-cv-06340 | U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas | Dismissed | Dismissed An individual FDCPA suit filed August 5, 2026. A notice of settlement was filed September 1, 2026, and the case was terminated September 11, 2026. | Source |
Company Relationships
- Collects debts for: Midland Funding, LLC
- Collects debts for: Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
- Collects debts for: Palisades Acquisition XVI, LLC / Palisades Collection, L.L.C.
- Collects debts for: UHG I, LLC
- Collects debts for: Velocity Investments, LLC
- Formerly known as: Javitch, Block & Rathbone
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Javitch Block a scam or a real law firm?
No — Javitch Block LLC is a real, licensed law firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, with a Better Business Bureau file open since 1994 and a documented multi-decade court record on both sides of the docket. Its letters and calls carry the debt-collector disclosure required by federal law. That a letter is genuine does not mean the underlying debt amount is correct — verify the file number and creditor name directly before paying.
Why did Javitch Block sue me, and who is the real creditor?
Javitch Block is a collection law firm — it sues on behalf of a creditor or debt-buyer client, not for itself. Court and regulatory records show it has represented debt buyers including Midland Funding, LLC; Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC; Palisades Acquisition XVI, LLC / Palisades Collection, L.L.C.; UHG I, LLC; and Velocity Investments, LLC, as well as original creditors such as Capital One, Providian, Sears, and HSBC. Ask the firm directly which client it represents on your account and for the file number — its own contact form lists a court summons and a garnishment among the reasons people reach out.
How many days do I have to answer a Javitch Block summons?
The deadline is printed on the summons you were served — read it first. As general guidance only, not a substitute for your own summons or your court's rules: Ohio is generally 28 days, Kentucky 20 days, Indiana 20 days (23 if served by mail), Texas the Monday after 20 days have passed, and Tennessee 30 days. Missing the deadline can lead to a default judgment, which is what makes a wage garnishment or bank-account levy possible.
Can they garnish my wages or bank account?
Normally only after a court enters a judgment — garnishment is a post-judgment collection tool that a court authorizes, not something a collector can order on its own. Several of USAComplaints' own complaints describe wage or bank-account garnishments following a judgment, including contested and default judgments. If you were garnished without ever being served, or after a judgment was later vacated, raise that directly with the court and consider talking to a consumer attorney.
How do I pay or set up a payment plan?
The firm accepts checking-account, savings-account, or debit-card payments through its online portal, a recurring ACH authorization, or mail to its Cleveland office — it does not accept credit cards. A payment plan is not automatic: the firm states any proposed arrangement must still be approved by its client, the creditor. Get any agreed plan and every payment confirmation in writing rather than relying on a verbal assurance.
Can I dispute or request validation?
Yes. Under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §1692g, you have 30 days from receiving the collector's validation notice (usually the first letter) to dispute the debt, in writing, and request validation; if you do, the collector must stop collection activity until it provides verification. Keep a copy of your dispute letter and send it in a way you can prove was received.
Has Javitch Block been sued or fined?
Yes. CourtListener lists about 130 federal dockets naming the firm since the early 2000s, nearly all with the firm as defendant in FDCPA claims, including Miller v. Javitch, Block & Rathbone (6th Cir. 2009, affirmed for the firm) and a class action, Zachery v. Javitch Block LLC, that ended in a 2026 court-approved settlement with attorneys' fees, a class-representative award, and injunctive relief. In Smith v. Javitch Block, L.L.C., an Ohio appeals court ruling against the firm's arbitration motion was left standing after the U.S. Supreme Court denied review in 2023. No fine by a government regulator against the firm was found.
How do I file a complaint against them?
You can file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, your state attorney general's consumer-protection office, and the Better Business Bureau. For a concern specifically about an Ohio-licensed attorney's conduct, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio State Bar Association handle attorney-conduct complaints separately from a routine billing dispute.