Monarchlegalgroup Reviews | Read Customer Service /Contents [246 0 R 247 0 R 248 0 R] Join the 47 people who've already contributed. This website is an advertisement. I do not know what accounts have been paid, haven't been paid, etc. Monarch Legal Group is not responsible for the accuracy or correctness of the opinions or comments. Reviews Defendants dramatically misstate the consumers estimated savings and program length. Hi Steve My partner and I have just been canceled from monarch for unclear and deceptive reasons. /Parent 11 0 R /Type /Page /Type /Page In one case, Defendants settled a debt worth $3,943, agreeing to pay between 40-60% of the debt. How to stop Monarch Recovery Management harassment If you need legal advice, call our expert solicitors or fill in our enquiry form and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Defendants have also completely neglected to administer the settlement. 48457-523 (Aug. 10, 2010). >> Defendants also assume the same settlement rate for all consumers without regard to the amount or type of consumers debts (for example, whether the bill has been sent to collections). /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] << /Type /Page /CropBox [0 0 612 792] Moreover, the outside attorneys that Monarch contracts with repeatedly fail to appear in court and rubberstamp negotiated settlements even when a consumer could not possibly comply with the terms. Defendants unrealistic expense estimates demonstrate their complete indifference to the welfare of their consumers. /Annots [] Webinfo@monarch-legal.co.uk; 17 Fitzroy Place, G3 7RW; DX 512208; 0141 366 0003; Dundee Office: info@monarch-legal.co.uk; 87 Commercial Street, DD1 2AB; DX DD152; 01382 472 391; Quick Links. In practice, the refund policy serves only as an advertising tool used to induce consumers into trusting Monarch even though most consumers will not be eligible to get a refund. /Annots [] /Annots [] << >> 56 0 obj /Type /Page For good reason: a law degree is not needed to ask creditors to reduce someones debt. xMs0+"N'53=tzAe8H~W28I;.,%$,IO %' ~NTbK /Q*YQ> ~BO> B0~6IfA>rDN+dT0Q.BcywS Ocs^K~1,WlbAVrnSy3lAb@ These firms push consumers to enroll in programs with significant advance fees. /Rotate 0 /Annots [] The Citys investigation indicates that neither Monarch nor Strategic employ lawyers to handle Litigation Defense. Instead, Monarch acts as a referral service by attempting to contract with outside lawyers to handle those matters for small flat fees. /Contents [162 0 R 163 0 R 164 0 R] stream endobj 12 0 obj In a previous phone call, a representative said Monarch would resolve the lawsuit to avoid garnishment. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /Parent 9 0 R /Resources 173 0 R Defendants ultimately settled this debt for $1,096, over 60% of the amount owed at the time the debt was settled. The same can happen to you! /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /CropBox [0 0 612 792] c. Another consumer wrote: I called and then they told me after I had paid them a little over $300 a month for 7-9 month period that there was nothing in my account just $100 and that the rest went to their fees, fees for providing no service. However, due to a temporary disability I was in and a hardship I was facing, I called and applied to the loan. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] In which an option of consolidating all my unsecured debt into a single monthly payment was advertised. Hi Miss Anne, Hopefully I have the courage to do what you did to get my refund also. endobj Based on the foregoing and on information and belief, Monarch attorneys often if not always fail to provide individualized legal advice and therefore are not engaged in the practice of law. /Parent 11 0 R Monarch Law Group | Better Business Bureau Profile The Complaint Resolution Index (CRI) is an indicator on how responsive a company is in addressing and resolving customer complaints brought to their attention by BCA. /Rotate 0 /Resources 225 0 R endobj WebThe Cohn Law Firm in Baton Rouge has more than 50 years of combined legal experience in bankruptcy, business law and business formation. /Count 10 Monarch Investment and Management Group Reviews 1 0 obj /Type /Pages 19 0 obj Through their unconscionable practices, Defendants have harmed Chicagoans seeking to get out of debt. Monarch promises in the Performance Standard section of its contract to refund consumers for the share of all Monarch fees & costs for work on [the] individual debt if Monarch (through Strategic) fails to reduce that debt by more than 35% of the amount owed at the time of the agreement. /Parent 13 0 R >> Fax (877) 300-6215. endobj When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. Anyone Know for Sure About World Law and Global Client Solutions? WebView customer complaints of Monarch Legal Group, BBB helps resolve disputes with the services or products a business provides. 50 0 obj I was a victim of Monarch and I filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy as a result of trusting them. /Annots [] Thank you for the feedback. 31 0 obj /Annots [] /Resources 277 0 R Well guide you through the process. >> /Resources 197 0 R /CropBox [0 0 612 792] << My wife and I enrolled in a program to negotiate our debts with Monarch Legal Group. 52 0 obj Be the first one to write one. >> The City of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Strategic Financial Solutions, Burnette Legal Group, Timothy Burnette, and Monarch Legal Group on July 26, 2022. In one of those files, Monarch included a call script for a different legal entity, Option 1 Legal. << /Parent 11 0 R >> /Contents [266 0 R 267 0 R 268 0 R] But on information and belief, most consumers cannot invoke that policy because the terms and conditions are restrictive and exclude most consumers. Be the first one to write one. /Type /Page /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Choose the serviceBankruptcyFDCPAFCRAConsumer LitigationOther. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Type /Page >> << >> Outrage by companies that remain silent does not equal action to protect good companies or debt relief help for consumers that need reputable help. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] Monarchs website states that Timothy Burnette is the attorney responsible for the content of this Site.. In the first 12 months, Defendants collect their service costs and retainer fees. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Annots [] I didn't know how it works, so I was explained the details and the procedures of it. WebWe are personally invested and highly committed to the success of the project at every phase. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] endobj /Contents [206 0 R 207 0 R 208 0 R] << /Rotate 0 Customer service is quick, efficient and professional. Defendants begin collecting these fees immediately and on a monthly or bimonthly basis. << Former and current employees have reported that this discrepancy is part of Defendants marketing agenda. /Annots [] However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Defendants legal fees also reinforce the deception that attorneys will be performing the debt settlement work, including by representing consumers in court. /Annots [] << To reduce its fee and finish the last two settlements! Instead, Defendants require consumers to sign an Account Servicing Agreement with Reliant Account Management, LLC (RAM). First, consumers who are behind on monthly payments to Defendants are not eligible for any refund. /Rotate 0 /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] The Rule prohibits debt relief companies from charging fees before settling or resolving a consumer debt. 66 0 obj It is not a lawyer referral service or prepaid legal services plan. /Resources 229 0 R Everything you need to know about man who became heir to British throne 71 years ago 1. RESPONSE: Complaint was not answered >> /Type /Page << /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Resources 209 0 R Monarch also requires that payments in the client`s account be up to date. 59 0 obj The Ultimate Consumer Guide to Checking Out a Debt Relief Company Before You Sign On the Line, These Private Student Loans Can Be Easily Discharged in Bankruptcy, Top 10 Reasons You Should Stop Paying Your Unaffordable Private Student Loan. Our reviews are authentic and unbiased, providing you with a complete picture of the company, its products or services, and their customer service. Timberline entered into a consent agreement and order with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for violating Pennsylvanias Debt Settlement Services Act. >> /Contents [254 0 R 255 0 R 256 0 R] /F1 67 0 R /Resources 213 0 R WebReview your credit report. /Type /Page The complaint filed by the City of Chicago contains the following statements. Strategic Financial Solutions works with a number of fraudulent debt settlement outfits, including, for example, Carolina Legal Services, a debt settlement law firm that recently closed following an investigation by the North Carolina State Bar and the suspension of the attorney in charge of the law firm. Webmonarch legal group complaints. << /Parent 12 0 R On information and belief, Defendants deliberately obscure the fee structure in these estimates to induce consumers to contract with them. /Type /Page /Parent 12 0 R HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT - LREC /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] I contracted with Monarch Legal on Feb., 2020 because I was unable to pay all of my credit card debts from a serious drop in my business. /Contents [270 0 R 271 0 R 272 0 R] /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /Annots [] endobj Strategic drives these unfair and deceptive programs but uses its supposed law firm partners as a front to avoid regulation. /Rotate 0 By structuring its debt relief program as an offering from a supposed law firm, however, Monarch purports to avoid the requirements and restrictions of the DSCPA and similar laws. >> /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /Resources 265 0 R /Contents [186 0 R 187 0 R 188 0 R] In total, those settlement fees cannot exceed 15% of the savings the debt settlement provider negotiated for the consumer. 38 0 obj PAID ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT: Monarch Legal Group is a law firm. The two contacts excerpted below identify James Katayanagi, an employee of Strategic subsidiary Finance Solutions, and Haider Salas, a former employee of Strategic Financial Solutions, as the consumers Law Firm Contact. Neither Katayanagi nor Salas are lawyers: [Before or concurrent with his employment at Finance Solutions, Katayanagi worked as a personal banker. Reviews from current and former Strategic employees on the career website Glassdoor express similar concerns about the companys business model: Even when Defendants do engage with creditors, non-attorney employees perform the negotiations. Voice your opinion today and hear what 44 customers have already said. I followed the steps that Steve outlined in the blog post he linked below and I was able to get a refund of $14,000 from Monarch. << << Briggs v. Strategic Financial Solutions, LLC et al. << endobj /Resources 245 0 R 2023, International Association of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., separately incorporated Better Business Bureau organizations in the US, Canada and Mexico and BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust, Inc. All rights reserved. Webaction complaint against Defendants Strategic Financial Solutions, LLC (SFS), its subsidiary LLC d/b/a Monarch Legal Group (Monarch), receive a percentage of monthly charges paid by the client to SFSs billing processor (generally between 3% and 10%), with the lions share going to SFS. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] /CropBox [0 0 612 792] Not all clients are able to complete our program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. >> /Contents [94 0 R 95 0 R 96 0 R] /Rotate 0 /Contents [102 0 R 103 0 R 104 0 R] /Rotate 0 The City reviewed each of the three separate consumer files that Monarch provided to identify a clear pattern. << >> Monarch Legal Group Reviews I was told that I would only receive $200 left in my savings after they had withdrawn over $3500 in fees from my account. In fact, Monarch will only refund fees if Monarch is unable to settle a debt for less than 35% of the amount owed. << In its client retainer agreement, Monarch explains that bankruptcy is another option but discourages that option by stating that it will be reflected as a permanent record on a Clients credit report for up to 10 years.. << Suggested companies. Monarch Answer your financial questions. After several payments, the consumer paid $75 to the creditor and $50 in fees. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Hiring a lawyer is an important process that should not be based solely on any advertisement. Anyone can file a complaint Monarch Legal Group Complaints This website is an advertisement. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /CropBox [0 0 612 792] << Do you agree with Monarchlegalgroup's TrustScore? /Parent 8 0 R /Count 52 /Resources 85 0 R Monarchs website says that the company can assist people in debt by helping them file for bankruptcy or through its debt resolution program. WebContact Us. Monarch also requires that the clients account payments be current. /Count 10 Monarch Legal and Strategic Financial Solutions jointly run a fraudulent debt resolution program that preys on Chicagoans struggling with debt. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] The following example from a Chicago consumer illustrates Defendants failure to provide legal advice related to a settlement. /Annots [] BBB is here to help. Monarch claims on its website that through its debt resolution program, it can often negotiate with creditors to settle for pennies on the dollar. Monarch also tells consumers they will be on [their] way to a future free of burdensome debt:. /Annots [] >> /Subtype /XML endobj /Rotate 0 8 0 obj Debt Settlement Industry - Sued in RICO Complaint, Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Defendants Debt Resolution Program and Oppressive Fee Structure, Defendants Debt Resolution Program is Designed to Mislead and Exploit Consumers, Defendants Create Payment Plans without Regard for Consumers Financial Status, Leading Consumers to Fail in Defendants Program, Monarch Lures Consumers into Defendants Debt Resolution Program with a Deceptive Refund Policy. /Contents [170 0 R 171 0 R 172 0 R] As an industry, companies continue to allow their niche to be destroyed by not speaking out about the bad actors. /Rotate 0 << Pretty much every Debt Settlement regulatory attorney has warned against doing business this way but they never listen. >> /Annots [] Side Hustle Review - Is It Too Late To Make Money With A Helium Miner? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 58 0 obj >> BTW, I was able to get $14k refunded by following the steps detailed on your blog, so thank you for that blog post! Consumer complaints on the Better Business Bureaus website recount similar experiences: Consumers may be unable to access the typical methods for reporting attorney misconduct. endobj /Rotate 0 Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said that Legal Helpers lawyers were a front to collect hefty fees from struggling consumers. Legal Helpers agreed to refund $2.1 million to Illinois consumers in a settlement.