[Bud Hibbs]

Marty Brachfled, ever the con man and daughter Erica Lynn Brachfeld-Shubin, his cash cow are representing to the public that their Texas facility is a law office. The truth is, it is NOT a law office because no attorney has worked there for the past few weeks.

Yet, calls and letters being sent out clearly imply it is the Brachfeld Law Group, PC. The Texas Secretary of State website does not show that corporation to be registered, however their paperwork states they are operating from Houston.

Should this surprise anyone? No, not given the background of Marty (the disbarred lawyer) Brachfeld, who is a conman's dream.

If you receive a letter from Brachfeld please file an ethics complaint with the Texas State Bar at:

http://www.texasbar....isplay.cfm#HDFG

Please... do not become a victim of the Brachfeld scam.  They just want to steal your money so Marty and Erica can live the good life.

[txcfs]

And if I might add, let me know about it as well.  ;D

[jtbmi]

i got a letter from them a month or so ago, regarding my washington mutual account..

[txcfs]

OK.  What did it say and what state do you reside in?

[jtbmi]

michigan and

our law firm has been retained to collect the total amount due

at this time no lawyer from our firm has personally reviewed my account

[txcfs]

And the letter came from Texas?  If so, I could pop off a really nasty letter to provoke them into doing really stupid things but I’m guessing you just want this out of your hair.  So if the letter originated from Texas (postage stamp cancellation or letterhead address):

Dear Beavis or Butthead,

I have received your letter dated _____ in which you state I owe you $_____.

I am assuming that the above reference letter (attached for your inspection) is from either a debt collector or attorney.  It's hard to tell which.  As such please validate the debt.  I would expect that your offices can provide competent evidentiary material that supports your claim against me.  You have 30 days from your receipt of this tracked letter in which to validate the debt.  Barring your ability to provide such validation, the account will be closed and the tradeline will be deleted from any credit reporting bureau you may have reported it to per Texas Finance Code 392.202.

Beyond the validation requirements as set forth in TFC 392.202, Texas also has a bonding requirement set forth in TFC 392.101.  Information provided to me by the Texas Secretary of State, Statutory Document Section indicates you do not hold a bond or list a bond holder.  Please forward within 30 days of your receipt of this tracked letter your bonding information.  Failure to comply will result in my making formal complaints to the Texas Secretary of State and the Texas Attorney General, along with the Federal Trade Commission.

While on the subject of regulations, I would also require a copy of your Texas Bar Association Number.  Information provided to me by the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Secretary of State shows that Brachfeld Law Group, PC is not a registered corporation and there are no lawyers at your address shown on your letter.  Seeing as how your letter indicated “…our law firm has been retained to collect the total amount due.”  I am led to believe that an attorney or an employee of an attorney has sent me the letter.  I find this quite confusing and think it verges on a violation of multiple laws.  As is the case above, you have 30 days from receipt of this tracked letter to supply the required documents.

Please note I will not entertain you or your representatives until such documentation as outlined above is provided.  This letter also serves as my “Cease & Desist” with regards to telephone and other electronic communication from your offices.  You are only allowed to contact me in writing via mail, as any other form of communication is inconvenient.

You are not allowed to access my credit reports unless it is to delete the errant tradeline you may have placed with a consumer reporting bureau you do business with.

Thank you

DON”T SIGN THIS LETTER

Me

[KPG]

Any new info on Erica L. Brachfeld (Brachfield)?  My husband was sued by her representing Midland Funding LLC, assignee of Household Bank back in May of 2009.  We filed an answer stating SOL and now we have received a Notice of Hearing.  On this notice, her name at the bottom has been changed (or mis-typed ;) as Brachfield.  Same person from Torrance CA and now when I look her up today, her address has changed, SINCE YESTERDAY!  So, any info would help...thanks!!

[sologray]

I have been getting calls from 2 or more different numbers for well over a year now. 866-834-3556 and 713-579-7000 for sure.  I have talked to many different people from these numbers and have told them over and over that the  party they are looking for doesn't live here and this is not their phone number.  I have told them not to call my number again and even had one person threaten to send a sheriff out to my house.  I filed a complaint with the FTC and I finally sent a Cease and Desist letter, certified mail,  to Meridian Management Solutions to their address in Texas that is associated with the phone number that come up on my caller ID.  I live in Calif. I sent them the letter on Jan. 20, 2010 and just checked online at USPS and the letter was delivered on Jan. 30, 2010.  I have received at least 3 more phone calls from this place since the letter was delivered.  They are on my caller ID.  I answered the phone today when they called and it was a recorded message for the party they are always asking for.  It kept saying "If you are so and so press 1.  If not press 2."  Every time I pressed 2 it would repeat this message.
I am wondering why nobody has initiated a class action lawsuit against Meridian Mgmt. AKA Brachfeld & Associates.  Are they yet licensed to operate in Texas?  I have read so much about Brachfeld and Meridian now and I am getting really irate about the calls.

[txcfs]

Meridian is NOT "licensed" in Texas.  Texas does not provide a license...the third party debt collector must register with the Secretary of State and post a $10,000 bond, with a copy on file in the SoS office.  In return, the collector gets a registration statement showing they have registered and posted a bond.

You can search here http://direct.sos.st...rs/DCSearch.asp if you like and make sure to use the wildcard (%).  To search Meridian, simply enter "Meridi%" in the space provided and click on the search button (hitting enter will erase the form).  Make sure to leave all other fields blank.

[Bud Hibbs]

Brachfeld now has a lawyer working in their Houston "Law Office."

From the Texas State Bar website:

Detailed Result

Juli Anna  Thomas   

Bar Card Number*: 24053516 
Work Address 800 West Sam Houston Pkwy South
Suite 200
Houston, TX 77042
 

Work Phone Number (713) 579-7008 

Primary Practice Location Houston , Texas 

Current Member Status
Eligible To Practice In Texas 

License Information
State Bar Card Number*: 24053516 
Texas Licensed*: 05/04/2006 
 
Practice Information
Firm: The Brachfeld Law Group 
Firm Size: 2 to 5
Occupation: Private Law Practice
Primary Practice Areas: Creditor-Debtor, Litigation: Commercial 
Services Provided:
Are language translation services available? Yes
Are hearing impaired translation services available? Not Specified
Are ADA accessible client services available? Yes

Assistance available in languages:
Hindi
Spanish 
Courts of Admittance:
Federal Courts of Admittance:
Pennsylvania Eastern District Court
Other Courts of Admittance:
No information reported by attorney 
Other States Where authorized to practice:
Pennsylvania 

[dcef]

The State Bar of California is investigating them.

This person who is investigating Erica L brachfeld
is
Office of the Chief Trial Consel Enforcement
A. Radogna
(213) 765-1054

I would leave a message for A. Radogna and let him know about Erica L brachfeld tactics.

[Bud Hibbs]

Brachfeld finally found a lawyer to occupy their Houston office, wonder how long she will last?

Detailed Result
Juli Anna  Thomas   
Bar Card Number*: 24053516 
Work Address 800 West Sam Houston Pkwy South
Suite 200
Houston, TX 77042
Work Phone Number (713) 579-7008 
Primary Practice Location Houston , Texas 
Current Member Status
Eligible To Practice In Texas 
License Information
State Bar Card Number*: 24053516 
Texas Licensed*: 05/04/2006 

Is she crazy, did she fail to do her homework, why would a young attorney want to work with and associate herself with the likes of Brachfeld? Is finding a job as an attorney in Houston, TX really that hard?
We wondered why she would take a job with Brachfeld.

Julia Anna Thomas may one day regret having her name/reputation associated with Brachfeld. The attorney she replaced was smart enough to get out before he suffered any real harm by association.

Juli Anna, call us after you leave, we will take down your information. Be sure to read all about Marty Brachfeld and his debt collection methods, you will understand why he is no longer licensed to practice law.

[xbillcolector]

Everyone you should know the laws,

1. A law firm can collect debt outside of its licensed state Three ways.
a. Reciprocity- Law firm is licensed to practice law out side of that sate if has Reciprocity to collect in that state.
b. If the Law firm is registered and as a Collection Agency in that state.
c. is that state and open border...Meaning that the state has no collection laws.

Below if the State laws please take a look.



Alabama

http://www.sos.state.al.us

Alaska

http://www.dced.state.ak.us/home.htm

http://www.dced.stat...us/occ/home.htm

Arizona

www.cc.state.az.us

www.azbanking.com

Arkansas

http://sos.state.ar.us/

California

www.ss.ca.gov/

Colorado

http://www.sos.state.co.us

Connecticut

http://www.sots.state.ct.us

http://www.state.ct.us

Delaware

www.state.de.us/corp

District of Columbia

www.dcra.dc.gov

Florida

www.dos.state.fl.us

Georgia

www.sos.state.ga.us/corporations

Hawaii

http://pahoehoe.ehawaii.gov/portal/

http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/pvl/

Idaho

http://www.sos.idaho.gov/

http://finance.idaho.gov/default.aspx

Illinois

www.sos.state.il.us

http://www.state.il....prapp/homen.HTM

Indiana

www.state.in.us/sos

Iowa

www.sos.state.ia.us/

www.idob.state.ia.us/license/lic_default.htm

Kansas

http://www.kssos.org/

Kentucky

http://sos.ky.gov/business/

Louisiana

www.state.la.us

Maine

www.state.me.us/sos/cec/cec.htm

http://www.maine.gov/portal/business/

Maryland

www.dat.state.md.us/

http://www.dllr.state.md.us/

Massachusetts

http://www.mass.gov/

Michigan

www.cis.state.mi.us.corp/

http://www.cis.state...8020/public/lic

Minnesota

http://www.sos.state.mn.us

http://www.state.mn.us/portal/

Mississippi

http://www.sos.state.ms.us

Missouri

http://www.sos.mo.gov/

Montana

http://www.mt.gov/business.asp
  Missouri

http://www.sos.mo.gov/

Montana

http://www.mt.gov/business.asp

Nebraska

http://www.nol.org/home/SOS/

http://www.sos.state...ess/collection/

Nevada

www.sos.state.nv.us

http://www.state.nv..../fi/collection%

New Hampshire

www.state.nh.us/sos

New Jersey

www.state.nj.us/state

www.state.nj.us/njbgf

New Mexico

www.nmprc.state.nm.us

http://www.rld.state...s/FID/index.htm

New York City

www.ci.nyc.ny.us/consumers

New York State

www.dos.state.ny.us

North Carolina

http://www.secretary...ns/ThePage.aspx

http://www.ncdoi.com..._collection.asp

North Dakota

http://www.nd.gov/sos/

http://www.state.nd....ank/moneybrk.ht

Ohio

www.sos.state.oh.us

Oklahoma

www.state.ok.us/~sos/main.htm

Oregon

www.sos.state.or.us/corporation/corphp.ht

http://www.sos.state...corporation/ucc

Pennsylvania

www.dos.state.pa.us/corp.htm

Rhode Island

http://www.state.ri.us

South Carolina

http://www.scsos.com/

South Dakota

http://www.sdsos.gov/

Tennessee

www.state.tn.us/sos

www.state.tn.us/cgi-

Texas

www.sos.state.tx.us/function/forms

Vermont

www.sec.state.vt.us/

Virginia

http://www.scc.virgi...n/clk/index.htm

Washington

www.secstate.wa.gov

http://www.dol.wa.gov/

West Virginia

http://www.wvsos.com/

Wisconsin

http://www.wdfi.org/

Wyoming

http://soswy.state.wy.us

http://audit.state.wy.us/banking/

Virgin Islands

http://www.ltg.gov.vi/

[AlfRed]

MCastrocc, on 12 September 2010 - 08:39 PM, said:

I have a court hearing tomorrow, that Erica L Brachfeld (880 Apollo St, STE 155 El Segundo, CA 90245) is suing me and the plaintiff is Midland Funding LLC. The original card was a citibank card, and have no record of the original citibank card on my credit report. I responded months back, which now after reading all the nonsense about her and her father, wish I didn't respond. I wasn't served. My dad was served and I don't live with him, but he thought I should respond.

Is Erica still a practicing lawyer and legit? And why can I not find that credit card on my credit report? With anyone's experience, has anyone gone to trial and been sued by Erica Brachfeld? Any success if so? Suggestions?

Oh wait...
Did you answer the complaint? if not you are facing a default judgment.
You may or may not have it on your credit report. This has nothing to do with the summons and complaint you need to face tomorrow.

[Unhappy Debt Settler]

I was contacted by Brachfeld Law Group back in December of 2009 to collect a debt on BOA’s behalf. We settled for $4,610. I paid them $3,800 down and they were to deduct $135 per month from my account until it was paid. They collected 3 payments of $135 ($410) totaling $4,205. I called them to get the balance due to pay off and to expedite getting a letter saying the debt was satisfied. I was told they were going to call me back with that information. They never called me back. I called again to get this taken care of and they told me I called and disputed the settlement amount, which I didn’t. I wanted the settlement letter from BOA because I was trying to refinance my house. They are saying since I disputed the amount they cancelled the remaining checks and sent it back uncollected. I have now received a collection notice for the same debt from another Law Firm

What can I do?

[Cada]

Hi Unhappy Debt Settler,

I'm truly sorry to hear of your problem. If there's a difference between what you owe and what the new collector is demanding, send a dispute letter by certified mail return receipt requested, costs about $5.50. Then you might want to consider gathering all your records regarding the account, the settlement agreement, copies of cashed checks or bank statements showing the amounts drawn by Brachfield, in particular the original $3,800 and any other payments if they haven't all been returned to you and contact an NACA lawyer in your area to deal with Brachfield and the new collector. If Brachfield kept any of the money you sent towards paying the settlement agreement between you, BOA and them, there may be (not sure) some state or federal violation. There may be other violations under your own states debt collection laws as well. A NACA lawyer could help you sort it out.