How to beat LJ Ross Associates

Dena Standley | August 03, 2023

Legal Expert, Paralegal
Dena Standley, BA

Dena Standley is a seasoned paralegal with more than 20 years of experience in legal research and writing, having received a certification as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal from Southern Technical College.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: LJ Ross Associates is a debt collection agency that is known to use questionable tactics to collect debts. If you are have been sued by LJ Ross Associate, SoloSuit can help you respond to the lawsuit and win in court.

Do you have an unpaid debt and recently received a call or email from LJ Ross Associates? You may be wondering how far they can go in attempting to collect the debt. LJ Ross Associates is a legitimate collection agency that has been in business for over 29 years. They have experience aggressively pursuing consumers to pay their debt, and they may continue contacting you until you pay.

LJ Ross is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited with an A rating but a low consumer star rating of 2.5. They have a 3.5 Google rating from 367 consumer reviews. The complaints against LJ Ross include:

Rude debt collectors
Requesting payment for unfamiliar debt payments
Charging extra fees
Failing to validate the debt

LJ Ross Associates has a reputation for suing consumers who ignore their attempts at collection. They can also place the debt in your credit report, affecting your credit score and reducing your chances of getting a loan. Refusing to respond to LJ Ross has dire consequences. For example, if they sue you, the courts can give LJ Ross permission to garnish your wages or get payments directly from your bank account.

You can avoid these consequences by understanding your consumer rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. You can also beat LJ Ross by knowing how you can legally respond to them and which documents to send at each stage. Let's discuss these legal options in detail.

Sued by LJ Ross Associates? Use SoloSettle to settle your debts for good.

Settle with SoloSettle

Make an Offer

LJ Ross Associates does not have great reviews

If you're feeling frustrated with LJ Ross Associates, you're not alone.

As of 2022, the Better Business Bureau has received 101 complaints against LJ Ross Associates in a three-year period. Even worse, the Consumer Financial Protect Bureau reported 334 complaints against LJ Ross over the last ten years.

In these complaints, consumers mention several problematic debt collection practices from LJ Ross Associates. For example, they are known to hang up on consumers, report fraudulent or incorrect debts to the credit reporting agencies, and fail to validate debts.

Let's take a look at a real complaint:

“I've been continually harassed by this company over a reported amount of $36.42. Today I received more calls and a letter in the mail to which I responded. I called the number provided on the collection letter. The person that answered just said “hello”. No business name. I explained that prior to contacting LJ Ross I had contacted the original creditor and there was no problem, I also asked to see the original bill. The woman who answered was very rude, would not give me her name and then hung up on me mid conversation.”

If you have experienced questionable debt collection tactics at the hands of LJ Ross Associates, you may be entitled to compensation. It's important to know your consumer rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) so you can protect yourself from abusive debt collectors.

You have rights under the FDCPA

The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) protect consumers from unprofessional debt collection agencies. These organizations ensure debt collectors treat consumers with respect. FTC and CFPB receive complaints of mistreatment on their website or via calls when collection agencies violate the following FDCPA laws:

Contacting you after 9 p.m. or before 8 a.m.
Attempting to collect a debt that does not belong to you
Threatening legal action and arrest
Calling after you request them to stop
Lying and pretending to be lawyers
Contacting your family, friends, or coworkers about your debt

Informing LJ Ross that you know your rights and you will report them when they violate any rule will prompt them to use the proper channels to collect the debt. Report any abuse to the FTC online platform or call 877-382-4357, submit a complaint on the CFPB website, or call 855-411-2372.

Conduct all communication in writing

You can never trust debt collectors to give you accurate information or keep their word. Always request to have communication done in written form. Debt collectors prefer calling because there is no proof of the conversation you have had, and they can talk as they please.

Hold LJ Ross accountable by requesting them to send all information by email or certified US Mail. A fake LJ Ross debt collector will stop further attempts to collect, while a genuine one will follow through with more details in writing. Report LJ Ross to the CFPB if they fail to respond in writing within 15-30 days of first contact. LJ Ross's contact information is:

Headquarters: 4 Universal Way, Jackson, MI 49202
Address: PO Box 6099 Jackson, MI 49204
Phone Number: 800-446-9206
Website: Homepage
BBB Profile: LJ Ross

Do not answer questions regarding the debt

Debt collectors' main aim is to have you admit to ownership of the debt. Their questions are meant to push you to confirm the debt belongs to you. Refrain from answering any questions, even the ones that seem innocent. They should have all the details regarding your debt and not press for more information.

You could negatively impact your right to negotiate or fight the debt once you admit ownership. Instead, LJ Ross Associates representatives should allow you to ask for more details about the debt and give you time to investigate.

Request for debt validation

Account details sometimes get lost in the transition process between the original creditor and LJ Ross. There is also the possibility of identity theft, and the debt they want to collect may not belong to you. The best way to confirm the debt with LJ Ross is to send SoloSuit's Debt Validation Letter. This document requests them to provide more information regarding the debt and the creditor it belongs to. It also needs to include a statement that allows you to dispute the debt within 30 days of receiving the validation notice.

You should send the Debt Validation Letter within 30 days after LJ Ross first contacts you. Failure to respond within this time will result in LJ Ross declaring the debt valid, and they can sue you or enter it in your credit report.

Dispute the debt

The law allows you to dispute the debt LJ Ross Associates enters in your credit report. The first step in disputing debt is to request your credit report from Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you have a right to receive a free copy of your credit report yearly on request. Go through the document and highlight the errors.

Next, fill out a debt dispute form, include a copy of your highlighted errors, and send it to the credit bureaus via email or certified mail. Credit bureaus should investigate with LJ Ross or your original creditor to confirm the accuracy of the dispute. They should correct the debt or remove it from your credit report if they find the errors are accurate.

Respond to a debt collection lawsuit against LJ Ross Associates

LJ Ross can pursue the debt in court if they strongly believe it is yours and has irrefutable proof. The first step is to respond to the lawsuit by sending a written Answer. This document requires LJ Ross to prove you owe the debt and its validity.

Failing to respond to a debt lawsuit will lead the court to issue a judgment against you and favor the demands stated by LJ Ross in the lawsuit. With a default judgment, LJ Ross can garnish your wages and put liens on your property. If you want to settle the debt outside the court, you can use SoloSettle to negotiate with LJ Ross and find the best way to pay off the debt.

SoloSuit can help you file an Answer settle your debt.

To learn more about how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit against LJ Ross Associates, check out this video:

Settle your debt with LJ Ross Associates

Debt settlement can benefit both you and LJ Ross Associates. You’ll save money on the total amount due and halt further collection activities, while JL Ross Associates will get money toward your debt.

In a settlement, you offer a fraction of the debt’s total value. LJ Ross Associates agrees to accept your lump-sum payment and release you from the remaining amount you owe. Following a settlement, LJ Ross Associates will report your account settled to the credit reporting bureaus.

Your first step in a settlement is determining how much you can afford. Ideally, you’ll offer around 60% of the debt’s value. LJ Ross Associates may disagree with your offer, so prepare to negotiate. Give yourself some extra room if it demands more money.

SoloSettle, powered by SoloSuit, is a tech-based approach to debt settlement. Our software helps you send and receive settlement offers until you reach an agreement with the collector. Once an agreement is reached, we’ll help you manage the settlement documentation and transfer your payment to the creditor or debt collector, helping you keep your financial information private and secure.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James

Get Started

We have answers.
Join our community of over 40,000 people.

You can ask your questions on the SoloSuit forum and the community will help you out. Whether you need help now or are just looking for support, we're here for you.

Ask a Question

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate