November 21 I try to use my bank card to purchase a map I needed for work when my card is declined. Once I stick my tail between my legs and leave the store out of shear embarassment, I decide to call my bank to find out why my card was declined. WAMU happens to be a very good bank. The service rep tells me that my a levy was placed on my account by this law firm. I wait until Monday to call and get a very helpful individual (SAM) on the phone. He explained to me that PROVIDIAN FINANCIAL had handed over my account to them for debt collection.
This is where it gets interesting... This account was paid in November to another Debt collection agency. I explained to SAM that this account had been paid to another collection agency and that they had made an error. I faxed over the letter from the collection agency proving that my debt was "Settled In Full" along with a copy of the cancelled check. After about 2 hours, SAM calls me back and says that PROVIDIAN still needs $250.00 to settle the account, lift the LEVY, and vacate the judgement.
TO this day the judgement has not been vacated and I'm out $375.00 on an error not to mention the "STAIN" on my ever so fragile credit report with a judgement.
HERE ARE MY ISSUES: Per Sam, the reason the levy was placed, was because they tried to contact me several times through the mail to no avail. Apparently they had my old address. Really, in this day of the information highway, they could have "Googled" me and found my cell phone number. A valid attempt was not made to reach me. They went straight for the jugular and file court papers.
how can a court order a levy when a reasonable attempt to contact me was not made.
How can a bank accept a levy when the correct address is not shown on the court order.
Why did i have to pay an addtional $250.00 if the account had already been "settled" by the previous vendor. I believe this is called extortion.
I paid $100.00 from my bank for the Levy (Non-refundable no matter who was at fault, $250.00 in "extortion" fees to Eltman, and $25.00 to Western Union on an error by Eltman.
No one will claim responsibilty for this error. Not NY STATE, not WASHINGTON MUTUAL, not ELTMAN, nor PROVIDIAN.instead, the poor man gets bamboozled again. How can we stop this?
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