Stenger & Stenger, PC (S&S) is a Michigan-based law firm that specializes in third-party debt collection. S&S has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including using false or misleading information in an effort to collect a debt and threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken. If you have been contacted by S&S, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the BBB, Stenger & Stenger, PC was founded and incorporated in 1994. The BBB established S&S’s profile page in 2009. S&S is listed as a law firm. Buzzfile estimates S&S’s annual revenue at $9.9 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 79 employees.
According to its website, Stenger & Stenger is “a mid-size law firm located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and represents clients in federal and state trial and appellate courts throughout the United States and in the Caribbean.” S&S “applies the skill and experience of ten attorneys (including two ‘Of Counsel’ litigation specialists and one attorney who is also a Certified Public Accountant), plus a staff of paralegals, legal assistants, and other paraprofessionals.”
Stenger & Stenger “attorneys are widely recognized as amongst the best attorneys in their respective fields and have served clients worldwide with distinction.” In addition, S&S “attorneys routinely work with and against many of the world’s top lawyers from many of the world’s best and most reputable law firms.” S&S offers legal services in a variety of practice areas, including receiverships, claims administration and distribution, Caribbean liquidations, civil litigation, and corporate law. S&S also has a creditors’ rights and collections division.
Stenger & Stenger’s collections division employs a “staff…trained using advanced computer systems and collection methods to determine client-specific workflow” and accepts both consumer and commercial collection accounts for “banks, credit unions, finance companies, hospitals, health care organizations, medical practices, retailers, wholesalers, governmental entities, businesses, and individuals.” S&S “is a leader in the consumer collections industry… and employs a team of highly trained and dedicated attorneys, paralegals, skip tracers, and collectors” to provide judgement, medical accounting, and pre-suit collection services. S&S’s judgement division provides “experienced, expedient solutions to post-judgment collection needs,” including garnishment, property liens, and execution on property. Their medical collectors are “well versed in and compliant with HIPAA and other applicable laws, regulations, and statutes.” S&S’s pre-suit division “generates client-specific workflow and executes designated collections remedies – from attempting to contact consumers and establish voluntary payment arrangements to initiating suit.” In addition, S&S’s “commercial collections division accepts delinquent accounts for businesses of all sizes.”
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.
The BBB has closed 5 complaints against Stenger & Stenger in the past three years, with 2 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Almost all of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. Since July 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 18 complaints against S&S. Justia lists at least 5 cases of civil litigation involving Stenger & Stenger.
Stenger & Stenger, PC
2618 East Paris Ave., SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546-2454
Telephone: (616) 940-1190
Website: http://www.stengerlaw.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely Stenger & Stenger 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. Here are some Sample Cases
Complaints against Stenger & Stenger often cite problems resulting from disputes about billing documentation and difficulties in communicating. In March 2016, a complainant indicated he had received a collection letter about a medical bill. He attempted to contact S&S but couldn’t “get a straight answer from anyone.” When he made contact with an S&S representative and asked what the delinquent bill was for, S&S told him it was the result of an emergency room visit. He tried to explain that he had set up a payment plan for all his outstanding medical expenses. In addition, when he contacted the hospital they advised him that he did not have any outstanding items in the amount of the bill listed in the collection letter. The Stenger & Stenger representative advised him that the bill was for a service that had not been submitted to insurance, and then asked the complainant for his insurance information. He waited for a response from S&S, but after two weeks he had not heard anything. He alleged that when he called back, the representative he spoke with was rude, refused to listen to the complainant’s explanation that the delinquent item may be a duplicate, and blamed the complainant for talking over him. The complainant requested validation, and the representative said he would send it out that day. However, the complainant never received the information, and when he contacted his insurance company himself, they indicated that no claim had been submitted. When the complainant again contacted Stenger & Stenger, they indicated that they were “waiting on verification of his insurance company’s address.” The complainant asked the representative why he didn’t just ask him for the information, and then tried to explain the situation all over again, but the representative allegedly “did not want to hear his concern and actually threatened to hang up.” After leaving two complaints on their website “expressing his concern that this was either fraudulent or a duplicate bill,” he still had not received a reply. The complainant concluded by stating that he was going to the office in person because the hospital informed him that “any bill collector should be able to provide… the account information, but this law office refuses to” cooperate. In its response. S&S indicated that they had “submitted insurance coverage information to the client; that the client has confirmed that this claim was submitted to the insurance company… and is pending… and that Stenger & Stenger, P.C. will forward documentation directly to the complainant … as indicated.”
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).
But here’s the rub: If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. These 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.
Your debt harassment checklist:
“As we discussed on the phone earlier today, this settlement is perfectly okay to me. I need to thank you and all of your cohorts at Lemberg Law to get a project handled so professionally. Please allow Amy, the first person who contacted me from Lemberg, know how much I appreciate her efforts, kindness, and professionalism.”
“I won’t be afraid to contact you or recommend your services to others for applicable legal issues. Please keep up the outstanding work you do, and again, thank you for helping me through this challenging time. I’m most grateful. I can not say thank you enough!”
“I received outstanding professionalism from the own staff. I had a horrible experience when trying to solve a debt. 1 debt collector associate said she would speak to the prosecutor’s office and another representative told me that when I called the office back he would call the police and have me arrested. I had been insulted, mocked, and threatened, and feared that the police would appear at my door any given moment.”
“I just wanted to let you know we received the check from your office on now and I wanted to take some time to inform you that we really appreciate all of your efforts in this matter.”
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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Has Stenger & Stenger PC been removed from the CFPB’s website? I used to be able to look up all the complaints but now I cant find them anywhere on the CFPBs website
Made a settlement with S&S for $200/month after the settlement asked if they would drop the case. They said no because I answered the complaint. So they wanted the $200 settlement plus judgment against me. I thought settlement was to stop any litigation?
I assume that Stenger and Stenger were the ones who called and called and harassing me for a very long time!!! They would keep asking if this was me,And when I asked who they were,They would never would tell me,So I said if you can’t tell me who you are,I sure in the heck not gonna tell you who I am.So I would hang up,And immediately block them.Now they are trying to take me to court over $1,000.00 My Credit Card limit was only $250-$300 dollars with Credit One.I got in a hard spot and couldn’t pay,So I paid less than minimum payment,And that just caused my minimum payment to keep going up.I’m on disability so how was I supposed to pay $200 when before my minimum payment was only $20-40 a month?
Stenger and Stenger is the world’s worst I have ever heard of.I hope someone sues them for every single dime they are worth!,For trying to take from the poor!!?
Issues with Stenger & Stenger PC. I was sued for unpaid credit card debt with Credit One Bank. The total amount owed was $1135, but agreement was made in court for a lesser amount ($850). I paid Stenger & Stenger the $850 over a 4 month period as agreed upon, but now they have filed wage garnishment papers for the remaining balance with interest (they are wanting around $430 more).
Stenger & Stenger, P.C. won a judgment against me because just like so many consumers we are not lawyers and do not know our rights. Months, after the judgment I learned about purchase agreements regarding collection companies that buy debts and I asked for Stenger & Stenger, P.C. to mail me proof that they own the debt instead of the original creditor. I did not receive the appropriate documents.
In short, I want to know if I can sue Stenger & Stenger, P.C. for ‘no standing’ since they cannot prove they own this debt and overturn a judgment against me?
they called and called for weeks i answer they start talking about a credit card debt told me dates and places it was used they ask if i remembered getting the card and using it at this store that store i was familiar with the places of corse its my area around here but i have not had no credit cards at all.i ask could they get somthing that linked me to te card proof i guess and they just kept going on saying id have to go to court if i didnt set up payment arrangements right then.but i am not the type to use credit cards i didnt use the card they are telling me about//
I received a letter from Stenger & Stenger in April, 2018. I replied, giving them info on a previous law firm, my financial standing, employment status and willingness to settle the stated debt.
I did not hear from them, until I received notice from my local Court County Clerk in Oct, stating a court date, notice from S & S of my lack of payment and impending garnishment.
When I finally spoke to a paralegal, asked what was going on, if they had received my letter of April, she said yes. I asked why they were portraying me as a hostile person who had refused to settle and why I had not heard from them until I got the Oct. notice. She said they were very busy and could not respond to every letter, I should have responded online!!!
I said that was wrong! They had wanted almost $4000, but if I paid in two payments within two weeks, they would lower it by $400!