Richard Sokoloff, Attorney at Law (Sokoloff) is a third-party debt collection agency based in New York. Sokoloff has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including attempting to collect debts not owed and threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken. If you have been contacted by Sokoloff, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Richard Sokoloff, Attorney at Law was founded in 1992. The BBB established Sokoloff’s profile page in 1998. Sokoloff is listed as a collection agency. The BBB indicates that mail sent in October 2015 to the registered address for this firm was returned with a Forwarding Order Expired notification by the U.S. Postal Service.
The website for the Sokoloff firm at www.richardsokoloff.com consists of only one page that includes the name of the firm, identifies them as a debt collection specialist, and provides an address and phone number. In addition, the center frame includes three promotional statements:
There are no additional internal or external links or references, and no information about business practices or consumer protection laws or resources.
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of collection harassment and abuse. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. We’ve helped more than 15,000 consumers stop harassment and recover money from debt collectors. Harassed? Abused? Misled by a collector? Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
As of December 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has given Richard Sokoloff Attorney at Law a rating of F. The BBB has closed 17 complaints against Sokoloff in the preceding 3 years, with 7 closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints allege problems with billing and collections. As of June 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received 14 complaints about Sokoloff. Justia lists at least 3 cases of civil litigation involving Richard Sokoloff, Attorney at Law.
Richard Sokoloff, Attorney at Law
990 S. 2nd Street, Suite 1
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779-7258
Telephone: (631) 369-7181
Website: http://www.richardsokoloff.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely Sokoloff would sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot validate. However, debt collection agencies are known to have summoned debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. Contacting an attorney BEFORE this could possibly happen would be a smart move. We’ve helped thousands of consumers fight back against unscrupulous debt collection harassers. Find out if we can help you too today!
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Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. You can sue a debt collector. Here is a Sample Complaint:
Complaints against Richard Sokoloff, Attorney at Law commonly cite problems resulting from disagreements about payment arrangements and billing documentation. In December 2016, a complainant indicated that she had been contacted by a Sokoloff representative regarding a delinquent bill from a dental visit. The complainant indicated that she was having difficulty paying for the dental visit, and that the dentist had provided substandard care. She disputed the claim with Richard Sokoloff, Attorney at Law and negotiated payments of $100 per month to satisfy the debt. The complainant indicated that she had maintained payments for the first few months with difficulty and always made payments within a few days if she ever missed a payment. Upon reviewing her checking account, she noticed what she alleged was evidence that Sokoloff had been taking out twice the monthly amount they had agreed to. She claimed she had difficulty detecting the double charges because the dates of the withdrawals, combined with the standard delay of one to three days for charges to register in her account, made the accounting error harder to detect. However, she also saw that the frequency with which her checking account was overdrawn resulted from monthly withdrawals of $200 instead of $100. Her complaint concerned the amount she authorized Sokoloff to withdraw each month, and as a resolution, she requested that Sokoloff credit the balance of her account with the total amount of overdraft fees she had been charged. She also requested that her December payment be reversed, since she had evidence of two withdrawals from her account for the month of December 2016.
Richard Sokoloff, Attorney at Law did not provide a public response to this complaint. However, the complainant indicated that the response she had received was an acceptable resolution.
Federal laws protect you. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates the behavior of collection agencies by prohibiting actions such as the use of abusive or threatening language; harassment; or the use of false or misleading information to collect a debt. The FCRA regulates how collection agencies and creditors report delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies. Additional consumer protection laws include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
Yes. If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. Federal laws provide individuals like you with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For example, the FDCPA allows consumers who have been violated to recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
“We realize that ours is just one small case among many – and many more serious – but are heartened by the fact that you accepted it and represented us with a professionalism that belied the small dollar amount.”
“If you are unsure about this company…DONT BE!!! They are for real when they say they are here to help you. It only takes a few short minutes of your time to talk to a rep. I was a skeptic, but you did everything you said you would! I can’t say thank you enough!”
”Lemberg Law has saved me from the endless calls, and harassing voicemails. They really do go to bat for you. I didn’t know that debt collection agencies can end up paying your legal bill. What a surprise, to receive free legal help. I’m very grateful for all the hard work they did to finally give me my life back.”
“I won’t be afraid to contact you or recommend your services to others for debt collection difficulties. Please keep up the outstanding work you do, and again, thank you for helping me through this challenging time. I am most grateful.”
We can absolutely help. Call us today.
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Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
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This debt collector Sokolof has been trying to garnish my wages. I’ve answered him every time in court but he continues. This man is a predator who lives off misery of others. Loser
Mr. Sokoloff was extremely helpful to me during my time of crisis. My husband passed away and i could not stop the phone calls. They kept coming every day with the help of my sokoloff and all his staff they helped me take my mind off my debt and concentrate on my family during my time of need.I would never use anyone else. Thank you is not enough i wish there were more firms like yours. Thankyou for all your help
He is pursuing me for a medical bill I thought was paid for by Oxford. He has sent a subpoena to my job. What can I do?
He froze iur bank account for 11,000 after a settkement for my broken neck
Richard Sokoloff has sent a garnishment form to my employers. I intercepted it. The debt they are looking to get money for is for medical practices that were to be covered by Medicaid, as I was unemployed at the time, and Medicaid forms were filled out with the hospital at the time of the services. How should I proceed? Sokoloff is looking for financial information. Even my bank account!