Posted on June 5, 2009 at 9:41 am I was just summonsed by this guy for a Citibank credit card debt!! What should I do??!! Does anyone know anything about this law firm?

Posted on June 5, 2009 at 12:06 pm Hi Leslie, Since the law firm retained the debt for collection I have to assume you are past due on the debt. What I would suggest is to determine if you have any money available right now (in a savings account for example) for a possible settlement with the law firm. Since the account is delinquent, that will be an option for you. I do not know much about the individual law firm, but I do know that law firms who are in the debt collection industry typically accept higher settlement percentages than a standard third party collector. You may want to see if they will accept 50% for starters and take it from there. Can anyone help her in regards to Blatt? I am not sure what she can do if she cannot settle the debt asap?

Posted on June 5, 2009 at 1:52 pm Blatt, Hasenmiller, Leibsker and Moore is a law firm that handles a lot of Citibank accounts (including their Sears and Home Depot affiliate cards) for collection. They are licensed in the following states: Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Mr. Green is correct, you should have the option to settle the debt for a reduction of what is owed, even if they have already filed a lawsuit. In addition, as he mentioned, you may not necessarily get the 40-50% settlement offers that standard third party collectors may be willing to agree to. However, saving something is better than nothing right? Ok, so what if you don't have the money to settle the debt in one lump sum? See if the law firm is willing to spread the settlement out over a few months. It is not guaranteed but some law firms will allow the debtor to pay off the settlement over an extended period of time. And finally, if you cannot settle the debt, you can try and set up a payment plan for the balance in full. I am not aware of any debt collector who would refuse to do this. The issue becomes- how long will they let you pay the debt off for? You can expect that they will want the full amount over 2-3 years. If you want professional representation in this matter, all you have to do is fill out a form on DestroyDebt.Com for a free consultation. Since Blatt, Hasenmiller, Leibsker and Moore is licensed in several states and handles so many accounts, there are sure to be many settlement companies who have experience working out settlements and/or payment plans with them.

Posted on June 7, 2009 at 10:27 pm Yeah if you live in Chicago, Illinois, have fun if you are past due on any HSBC, Citibank, or Capital One debts - you'll have to deal with these guys and they're tough.  They do offer settlements though depending what the creditor allows them to do.  Usually if you settle it before the court date, they won't include filing fees and attorney costs onto the balance.  In other words make sure you move quickly. Also, how big is your balance Leslie?  That will determine a lot in terms of what your options are. 

Posted on July 29, 2009 at 2:09 pm I know that Blatt, Hassenmiller, Leibsker and Moore handles a lot of accounts in Illinois, but have you guys ever heard of Baker and Miller? They retained my Discover account for collection. What can I expect?

Posted on July 30, 2009 at 4:25 pm I am familiar with Baker and Miller, P.C. And it is no surprise to me that they have retained your Discover account for collection. They handle an abundance of Discover accounts. In my experience working with them in the past, settlements on these accounts would range from 60-80% (not too great). Payment plans can be set up as well, but make sure if you do that they set it up at the statutory interest rate, which in Illinois is 9%. Unfortunately, the payment arrangements they agree to will only be temporary. For example, they will set up a 6 month arrangement, assess your financial situation after that point and determine if you can afford to pay more per month at that time. If not, you shouldn't have any problems continuing for 6 more months on the originally established terms.

Posted on July 31, 2009 at 12:58 pm Be very careful when dealing with Blatt, Hasenmiller, Leibsker And Moore. They took over my HSBC account that I was trying to pay off. I settled the account with them and they still took me to court after the settlement. They got a judgment after they agreed to the settled amount and in writing said they would dismiss the case. (Liars) They then proceeded after they were already paid in full to send garnishment papers to my place of employment. I am not sure yet how I am going to turn this company in, but they have lied more then once and I have the settlement letter and the payments to show proof. They are illegally trying to get paid for the same account twice. I wasn't even late before this place started hounding me and in the end added over 350 extra in other charges. Make sure you have everything in writing. Good Luck.

Posted on November 10, 2009 at 12:01 pm THIS COLLECTION FIRM IS TERRIBLE. THE PEOPLE IN THEIR OFFICE ARE STRAIGHT OUT OF THE GHETTO, NOTHING BUT WORTHLESS PORCH MONKEYS!!! I PAID THEM OFF OVER 2YRS AGO, THEY NEVER REMOVED THE JUDGMENT. RUDE, TERRIBLE, SCUM IN THEIR OFFICE

Posted on November 17, 2009 at 1:20 pm www.infotapes.com FILE FOR BANKRUPCY!

Posted on June 30, 2010 at 6:59 am Problems with Blatt? My attorney has helped me get money from them for their entry of a judgment against me on a debt that I settled with them already. email him at [email protected].