HOUSLANGER AND ASSOCIATES JUDGMENTS

We defend consumers against many debt buyers and debt law firms in New York and New Jersey. One frequent debt collection law firm is Houslanger and Associates which is located in Long Island but very often is able to reach consumers country wide. The most common inquiry that we receive about this firm is that they have levied a consumer's bank account or are about to start garnishing their wages. Very often Houslanger is even able to freeze bank accounts outside of New York which most other firms do not do. We have received many calls from consumer’s in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and many others with an inquiry that a consumer's bank account is levied. This happens frequently because consumers bank with large national banks like JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America. Since these banks have branches all across the country, a judgment obtained in New York allows Houslanger to have these banks levy an account in North Carolina if the funds are there. The New York exemptions still apply in that state so a consumer can still remove $2,640 out of the account for example.

We have not seen too many cases originate from Houslanger's office in the form of a new lawsuit against a consumer although they do sue consumers to attempt to obtain default judgments. Instead, they often receive debt buyer cases that have been bought and sold a few times over and cases that have usually been transferred from a different law firm or firms whom may have been the original law firm on the action. It is important to note that Houslanger or any other law firm that acquires a debt must send a notice to the consumer and file a notice with the court stating that they are the new attorney of record. Frequently this is the missing piece of the puzzle and can be a reason to seek dismissal of a debt case. Houslanger commonly attempts to enforce judgments that have already been entered and transferred to them on behalf of debt buyers such as Palisades Acquistion/Collection, New Century Financial, older cases such as LR Credit and more recently, private student loan lenders such as National Collegiate Trust. Judgments enforced by Houslanger and Associates can be vacated and dismissed by order to show cause in New York which also releases levied bank accounts and stays any wage garnishment.