Mel S. Harris & Associates, LLC is a high volume debt-collection law firm located at 116 John Street, Suite 1510, New York, New York 10038.  Every year, Mel S. Harris & Associates, LLC represents LR Credit and other high volume debt buyers in tens of thousands of collection lawsuits in New York.

Mel S. Harris & Associates, LLC has been sued repeatedly by consumers for its unfair and deceptive debt collection practices.  For example:

• The Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, a division of MFY Legal Services Inc., recently brought a class action against Mel S. Harris & Associates, LLC, as well as several other debt collectors, for civil racketeering, deceptive business practices, and for violating federal collection law.  See Sykes v. Harris and Associates, LLC, 09-civ-8486 (S.D.N.Y. 2009).  The defendant debt collectors and debt buyers used fraudulent practices to obtain tens of thousands of default judgments in New York.
• A recent investigative report by MFY Legal Services, Inc. found that in 2007, Mel S. Harris & Associates, LLC filed 43,506 cases in New York City alone.  See MFY Legal Services, “Justice Disserved,” June 2008.  The consumer responded in only 8.75 percent of those cases.  Thus, the vast majority of those cases resulted in default judgments against the consumer.
• Schlanger & Schlanger, LLP has successfully litigated several cases against Mel S. Harris & Associates, LLC, involving unfair debt collection practices and other violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).  These cases involved numerous abusive and deceptive practices, including failure to serve legal papers on our clients before taking a “default judgment,” suing on debts past the statute of limitations, misstating balances owed, and making false statements to consumers over the phone to lure them into disclosing personal information for use in future collection attempts.  Our advocacy resulted in cancellation of the alleged “debts” and payment to our clients in settlement of their claims.

Don’t be a victim of debt collection abuse or harassment.  Enforce your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) and other consumer protection laws.  If Mel S. Harris & Associates, LLC is trying to strong-arm you into paying debts through false or unfair collection practices, contact the consumer protection lawyers at Schlanger & Schlanger, LLP at 1-800-685-2580 or by filling out our consumer questionnaire.