Mel Harris and Associates Debt Collection Lawsuit

Face Class Action for Alleged "Sewer Service" Practices

Calfornia Class Action Seeks End to Sewer Service Debt Collection Lawsuits

A class action lawsuit has been filed against the large New York debt collector Mel Harris and Associates, alleging fraud in service of debt collection complaints upon California consumers (Youssefyeh v. Harris, Los Angeles Superior Court).

The lead plaintiff in the case, David Youssefyeh, discovered that his bank, Washington Mutual, had levied his accounts in January 2008, for no reason known to him at the time. After some investigation, he discovered that Mel Harris and Associates had taken out a judgement against him in New York, and had served him in New York, not in California where he lived. He discovered that the firm allegedly has a business practice of somehow "serving" debt collection complaints on consumers who live outside of New York, within New York.

This practice is known widely in legal circles as "sewer service," after the practice by some process servers of throwing the summons and complaint into the sewer outside of the defendant's home and then claiming to have served them with the complaint. The effect, of course, is to deprive the consumer of any notice of the lawsuit. The first notice many consumers have of such lawsuits is a levy on their outside-of-New York bank accounts, as happened with Mr. Youssefyeh.

As many debt collection lawsuits involve small sums of money, most consumers have neither the time nor the resources to hire a New York attorney to fight or otherwise straighten out bogus lawsuits or false attempts to serve debt collection complaints. Mr. Youssefyeh knew, however, that a class action in California against Mel Harris and Associates could, if successful, put a stop this alleged practice, at least for California consumers. Each California consumer would have remedies through the class action which he or she would not have on an individual basis because of cost.

The class members have filed a class action in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Afshin David Youssefyeh and Liza Youssefyeh v. Mel Harris & Associates, et al.

Mel Harris and Associates Debt Collectors Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered damages in this case, please click the link below to send your complaint to a lawyer to evaluate your claim at no cost or obligation. Related Law Suits

Mel Harris and Associates Debt Collection Law Suit and Settlement

ANB Financial NA Law Suit and Settlement

LOWE's Law Suit and Settlement

Drycleaners Law Suit and Settlement

Stanbdard Oil Law Suit and Settlement

Wal-Mart Law Suit and Settlement

Sears Law Suit and Settlement

Comcast Law Suit and Settlement

Ticketmaster Law Suit and Settlement

Match.com Law Suit and Settlement

See more stories from this source.

Class Action Law Suits

Newsworthy Law Suits
Defective Products Lawsuits
Discrimination Lawsuits
Drug & Medical Claims Lawsuits
Food & Dietary Supplement Lawsuits
Insurance Lawsuits
Malpractice Lawsuits
Personal Injury Lawsuits
Real Estate Lawsuits
Investment Fraud Lawsuits

is===1 Lawyers! Become an Approved Expert to Answer Questions.

Apply Now!
You'll get lots of targetted traffic to your website and new client leads!