Weltman, Weinberg & Reis is a debt collection agency which appears to have received a large amount of complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Find out who they are, why they might be calling, and how you can stop them.
Weltman, Weinberg & Reis is a debt collections agency based in Brooklyn Heights, Ohio. It appears as though there are a variety of different complaints against Weltman, Weinberg & Reis alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) including, inaccurate credit reporting, harassment, and lack of documentation of debt. If you have been contacted by this debt collector, make sure you understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. Weltman, Weinberg & Reis can be considered a legitimate collections company due to the fact that it has been in business for 91 years. Therefore, it is unwise to ignore the need to resolve your debt and write off Weltman, Weinberg & Reis as a scam. Weltman, Weinberg & Reis was started in 1930 and was incorporated in 1972. The collections business has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since June 1st, 2015. In respect to its rating, the Better Business Bureau has awarded the collections agency with an “A+”. In fact, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis can be considered one of the biggest consumer & commercial collection agencies in the USA. With roughly 85 lawyers employed who are licensed to practice in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis is considered to be a very established collections agency.
According to Weltman, Weinberg & Reis’ website, the company is a part of a variety of professional organizations, including: The Consumer Bankers Association, ACA International, The American Legal & Financial Network, National Creditors Bar Association, Receivables Management Association, and Commercial Law League of America. Weltman, Weinberg & Reis explains on their website that their staff members are a part of Weltman’s “Culture of Excellence” driven by five Core Values: client focus, integrity, teamwork, passion, and innovation. According to dnb.com, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis has a total of 1,250 employees in all of its locations and earns $110.32 million in sales. There are additionally 10 separate companies within the Weltman, Weinberg & Reis business.
Weltman, Weinberg & Reis specializes in commercial collections, consumer collections, real estate default, and similar fields which include junk debt buyers. According to the Weltman, Weinberg & Reis’ LinkedIn page, the company, “represents nearly every type of creditor, including some of the largest financial institutions in the U.S., in bankruptcy, consumer and commercial collections, litigation, and real estate default matters, with the strictest adherence to compliance and security standards and with a premium on reputation management”. Because Weltman, Weinberg & Reis does not singularly specialize in one field of the collections business, it is wise to confirm which debt is specifically owed and to whom when inquiring about your debt. The leadership of the company consists of Key Principal, Robert B. Weltman, who joined the firm in 1962. After gaining control of the company, Robert otherwise known as “Bob” Weltman joined together with Alan Weinberg to create the company known today as Weltman, Weinberg & Reis.
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.
Weltman, Weinberg & Reis has received a number of complaints across the internet, including BBB.org. While BBB.org rated the company with an “A+” and accredited the business, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis has still received 29 complaints closed in last 3 years and 6 complaints closed in last 12 months on the BBB website. A majority of these complaints included complaints about false credit reporting, frequent harassment, and lack of documentation provided by the company. Weltman, Weinberg & Reis has responded to the majority of these complaints on the BBB website, however reoccurring complaints can do serious damage to a company’s reputation within the collections world. On top of the BBB.org complaints, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis has also received 14 reviews on Birdeye, amounting to a 1.6 star review, and 1, 1 star review on Yelp. More seriously, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis has also been a part of a variety of lawsuits, sanctions, and penalties which include: EISBERNER v. WELTMAN, WEINBERG & REIS CO., L.P.A. (August 14, 2014.) United States District Court, E.D. Wisconsin. Case No. 13-C-1148, MONTY v. WELTMAN WEINBERG & REIS CO., LPA (December 11, 2013.) United States District Court, S.D. Florida. Case No. 13-80800-CIV-MARRA/MATTHEWMAN., and TODD v. WELTMAN, WEINBERG & REIS CO., L.P.A. (Argued: November 29, 2005.) United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. No. 04-4109.
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. Weltman, Weinberg & Reis would likely choose not to sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot verify. While they may not sue under these circumstances, this does not mean that is uncommon for debt collection agencies to summon debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. It is the wisest option to contact an attorney preemptively to ensure the safety of your assets and rights if you find yourself indebted to Weltman, Weinberg, & Reis or a company that they are representing. Lemberg Law has helped thousands of consumers fight back against these cases of fraudulent collection practices. Call us today to find out how we can help you resolve this issue.
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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:
After the complainant went through a divorce with her ex husband, the husband stopped making payments on his vehicle which was financed under the complainant’s name. The complainant chose to, “voluntarily surrender the vehicle” due to a lack of funds available to pay for it. After complete abandonment by her ex husband, Weltman Weinberg & Reis contacted the complainant demanding that she pay the $17,378.00 balance on the account. The complainant attempted to expressed to the collection agency that she could not afford to pay the remaining balance due to her current financial situation and lack of support from her ex husband. It was later that the complainant was, “willing to get a loan” from her boss of “$3500.00” to settle the account. Weltman, Weinberg & Reis offered a 60% settlement to the complainant which she could not take. Now, the collection agency wants the complainant, “to mail them 2 years of taxes, 2 months of account statements and 1 months worth of payroll”. The complainant is unclear on what these payments are for and has not received any information in writing on the debt payment, only verbal communication without legal documentation. The complainant is now fearful that this information will be used to garnish her paycheck, which is all that she has available as income for herself and her kids and to survive. The complainant is asking for help and wants to find a way to resolve this issue.
Protect yourself by understanding your rights when it comes to collections companies. This protection can be achieved by familiarizing yourself with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which outlines a person’s protections against the abuses and misconduct of collection agencies. You can find these rights listed on the Federal Trade Commission’s website under, “Debt Collection FAQs”. In addition to your rights under the FDCPA, do not forget that you also have additional rights to protect yourself from fraudulent practices under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
Yes, you can, and if you would like to be able to recover your damages and protect yourself as an individual you ideally should. Lawsuits are necessary when the Federal laws which protect citizens like you from these fraudulent practices are breached. You should choose to award yourself the ability to defend your rights and receive compensation by suing if you feel as though these rights have been violated. Individuals like you can recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
“The associates at Lemberg Law took amazing care of me and my situation involving the collection agency. They walked through the steps of process thoroughly and the rest is history. I can’t thank them enough. Thank you!!”
“The associates at Lemberg Law took amazing care of me and my situation involving the collection agency. They walked through the steps of process thoroughly and the rest is history. I can’t thank them enough. Thank you!!”
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“Wonderful law firm. They worked very hard on my case and kept me informed each step of the way. I am not able to recommend them enough.”
Yes, we can absolutely take on your case. 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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