Tate & Kirlin Associates or TKA is a third-party collection agency based in Pennsylvania. TKA has received consumer complaints alleging serious violations of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), such as making false statements and failing to verify debts. If you have been contacted by this debt collector, make sure you understand your rights before responding.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Tate & Kirlin Associates, Inc. is a legitimate collection agency started in 2003 and incorporated in 2004. The BBB had previously established TKA’s profile page in 1996.Buzzfile estimates TKA’s annual revenue at $21 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 240 people.
According to its website, TKA “is a national provider of accounts receivable management services.” TKA states that it “recognizes the importance of this role in the financial realm and strives to provide the highest level of collection services.” In addition, TKA “understands the value of trust and respect in developing long-term business relationships and therefore places a stronger emphasis on compliance and customer service.”
The TKA website does not provide a lot of detailed information about its client base, except to say that it “understands… the entire collection process for every type of debt, whether consumer or commercial or originating from the financial, medical, or retail industries.” Similarly, they do not provide a lot of detailed information about their business practices or the specific types of services they offer. Instead, the website states that their collectors are “seasoned professionals who are routinely trained in the latest industry best practices; …motivated and flexible; …able to switch modes seamlessly; …and highly skilled in skip-tracing and asset location methods.”
As for compliance, TKA “operates with various state of the art systems and technologies ranging from automated collection systems to predictive dialer applications and the latest industry software … and maintains a focus on security…with an annual ISO and SSAE-16 review that ensures…network and systems are safe and reliable.” They also cite affiliation with several professional associations, including the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals. However, they do not provide any information about their regulatory compliance policies, nor do they provide any links or references to consumer protection resources, laws, or enforcement agencies.
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 posted an Alert on Tate & Kirlin Associates’s profile page warning site visitors about an emerging pattern of complaints against TKA. The BBB has closed 53 complaints against Tate & Kirlin Associates in the past three years, with 20 complaints closed in the past 12 months. Most of those complaints alleged problems with billing and collections. Since August 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has closed 9 complaints against TKA.Justia lists at least 9 cases of civil litigation involving TKA.
Tate & Kirlin Associates, Inc.
580 Middletown Blvd., Ste. 240
Langhorne, PA 19047-1827
Telephone: (215) 464-4500
Website: http://tate-kirlin.biz
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely TKA 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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Absolutely. Here are some Sample Complaints
The BBB has posted the following alert on the profile page of Tate & Kirlin Associates:
“In early 2017, the BBB began receiving complaints regarding TKA’s collection efforts on behalf of its client, TRS Limited (TRS). Consumer complaints against TKA allege that consumers have received correspondence from TKA seeking payment on behalf of TRS. Consumers deny owing any debt because they state they never entered into any agreement with TRS or because any items they ordered were returned to the company. TKA has responded to these complaints by ceasing collections activities, closing collections files, and advising the BBB and their consumers that they will not report these debts to the credit reporting agencies.”
Additionally, in November 2013, in United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, a judge issued an Order in a case alleging TKA had violated federal and state consumer protection laws. Specifically, the plaintiff in this case alleged that the collection efforts of TKA representatives violated laws on four separate counts: “(1) the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), … (Count One); (2) the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), … (Count Two); (3) the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), … (Count Three); and (4) the Federal Telephone Communications Act, Section 227(b)(1)(A)(iii) (Count Four).” Tate & Kirlin Associates failed to respond to the plaintiff’s allegations, and the plaintiff filed a Motion for Entry of Final Default Judgment. The case was referred to a United States Magistrate Judge, who granted the plaintiff’s motion and awarded her “(1) ‘$1,000 total for all of the calls (and letters)’ under the FDCPA; … (2) $11,000 for eight violations of the TCPA; … (3) $2,000 for two violations of the FCRA; … and $1,000 ‘total for violation of the FCCPA.’” The plaintiff filed an objection, claiming she “should be awarded $1,000 for each violation of the FCCPA, not a single award of $1,000 for all of them together.” The judge disagreed, indicating that “under Florida law, ‘any person who fails to comply with any provision of Section 559.72 is liable for actual damages and for additional statutory damages as the court may allow, but not exceeding $1,000.” As a result, the court affirmed the U.S. Magistrate Judge’s original findings and affirmed the award to the plaintiff.
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.
You may have a case, if…
“Thank you Lemberg Law!!! Harassed non-stop by rude collectors. My attorney was speedy and polite, really knew what she was doing. They took my call, asked what was going on, never interrupted, and were extremely patient. I knew what was going on every step of the way. They got the calls to stop and sent me a check in the mail as promised. I even paid off my debt with the settlement! Ha!.”
“I don’t know if I’d call it a miracle like some of these other people, but whatever it is, they did it right. Exactly what you are looking for in a law firm: professional, polite, and efficient. They know what they are doing, and usually have a check waiting for you at the end. As a professional myself, I know how to spot competence and these guys have it. I recommend Lemberg Law”
“Recommend them highly. Quick to settle my claim, polite, diplomatic, and advocated aggressively on my behalf. Very professional, would gladly use them again.”
“Thank you for standing with me Lemberg Law. I was so afraid I could lose my job because of a caller who called my job number 4 hours straight back to back. He not only harassed and threatened me but also abused workmates who received the call when I wasn’t around. Since I solicited for your services, I’ve had a peace of mind, and I’m happy because of the few dollars I got as a settlement.”
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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Tryed paying on line with acct number etc won’t accept payments and you call and get no answer how can they be legal
Much like Sandra M above, I received notice from Tate & Kirlin Associates, Inc. that I owed $464.21 for unpaid service by ADT Security Systems Inc. I called T&K and spent the better part of an hour being transferred to four different people. They were unwilling to offer any relief and finally suggested that I contact ADT. So I did. We purchased our existing home and moved in December 2018. The house had and ADT system installed. We contacted ADT and they sent a rep to the house. We decided that we did not want the service and the rep said that someone would be in contact about removing the equipment. We never heard another word from ADT. When I called them today after my conversation with T&K, they confirmed that I had never been a customer of ADT and they informed me that they have no business relationship with T&K. All this consumed over two hours of my time and a lot of my energy. I am making contact with our BBB and credit reporting company. Someone needs to put these lying ___________ out of business.
I never received any prior notification until I received a letter from Tate & Kirlin Associates, Inc. about owing $2,463.82 to Northstar Alarm Services. The Tate and Kirlin firm is offering me a $615.96 discount with the total amount owing to be $1,847.87! Is this a legitimate debt?