Joseph, Steven, And Associates DECEPTIVE LIARS THIEVES RUDE ABUSIVE Ventura California

I was contacted in the early part of 2006 by Sharon Payne offering a introductory special of "only 18%" collection fees on any outstanding accounts we may have. She called me repeatedly saying what a good service they would provide for our company.

She said the normal collection fee is 35-40% and if they did not collect we paid them nothing--how could we possibly lose.

I explained to her the circumstances and also that I was very ill with a pseudo tumor and a rare illness that was attempting to make me go blind. She was very understanding and wanted to "help" especially kowing my circumstances.

The next day she called back to tell me they had located the debtors bank accounts and there was over 50,000.00 in the account--more than enough to pay the bill. She even told me that all the doumentation she had on her she was most probably a "professional swindler" that knows how to work the system and gets things done for free. She even told me there is a book written that tells you how to get services and work for free. Later I would wonder who wrote it. Anyways, a few days later she called and said the client was going to have to be served by a LA county sheriff and then a court document would need to be filed. She said to collect the money they would need $750.00 for the outsourced attorney and then we would have our money within 30 days of the judgement. he told me it was actually beter this way because when you o to court you can get the judge to add interest penalties going back to the day the debt was incurred. She also went on to say that the $750.00 for attorneys fees would be ordered to be paid since she lost the case. In addition to that the debtor would have to pay the collection company their 18% freeing us of that responsibility. How could it be any better???

She said the only drawback is that it takes a little longer to work through the court system but she would be allowed 30 days to file a response, then a court date would be set, then the judgement attained, a levy then the money that we were owed would be paid. She had me fax a check and promised it would be help for 10 days to allow my husband to collect money on an outstanding bill via escrow.

She siad by faxing her the check they could go ahead and start working on the case so as not to delay it any further. Afterall, who would give a bad check to a collection company she points out. I fax the check as promised--stupid, stuid,stupid, and then two short hours later my husband calls and says something is wrong with our checking account because he is buying supplies for a job and Home Depot is rejecting the card. I call the bank and (Wells Fargo) and find out the check that was suppose to e held for 1 days was sent through immediately. I then call Sharon Payne back and she apologizes and said it was an accident but it can be refunded once she talks to accounting. That does not help us in the mean time. The nexy day a check bounces becuase our account is insufficient and we are charged $35.00. Two days later still no credit to our account and then I call her and am told that it has to be approved and the person is out on vacation so it might be a couple of weeks. Why even bother since it was only to be held for 10 days. Not even a $35.00 reimbursement fee for their error!!

Literally months and months go by, and chemo treatments and hospitilizations and never a call from J,S, and Asses!! Every time I would call I would be put on eternal hold, or told I would be called back, or disconnected. I can verify all of this from my phone bills.

Anyway, last May i must move to Oklahoma due to my illness and needing family support, and I start bugging the heck out of them--or should i say me? Finally I speak to a Heather, then a Tiffany, and a Melissa, and Brenda and am told that they received a judgement in our favor (the client did not show up) I threatened them and told them i would report them to the BBB if they did not give me documentation showing the judgement. A month or more goes by and I call and they say we faxed that to you already--I argue and say no you did not. They fax the judgement and guess what--it had just been obtained! On that judgement was the name of the atorney who showed up for our case. I called him on several occassions and he graciously explained to me that the debtor had hired an atorney whom she must have paid off or had something on because he wrote a letter to the court saying it was his fault and he filed a motion late. The funds were released. This is what I was told anyway. he said he would appear again in court because her attorney had not followed through and he would get the funds again. Months go by-no call--I call him directly and he tells me she closed her band account and will have to appear in court again. I call JSA and ask why I am not kept informed and they say I need to pay another $650.00 because all the funds have been exhausted. I ask how that is possible since I was never suppose to have paid anything and this time Brenda Powers says don't worry you will get this money back in the levy that they just located her account again and there is money to take care of the entire debt plus interest and court costs and attorney fees plus there 18%.

Again this is explained how this is good for me because the debtor is totally responsible for all costs. I was very upset and emotional and crying and Brenda powers told me to quit crying or she would hang up on me!!! She would then speak over me and not allow me to explain what has happened the last 2.5 years and I was calling and making trouble for the company! I tried to tell her that I wanted to recap our entire conversation and document that the $650.00 would be returned to me and that they could freeze her bank account that day before i faxed another check to her. Guess what--she told me to fax the check and follow up with the real/paper check and they would freeze the account if the check was there prior to 1pm that day. No pressure huh? Brenda even went on to say that these type of individuals had alerts so that if anyone was inquiring into their assests they would be notified--and in view of the fact that she had just reopened her account that we should not delay and give her time to move it or close it out again. I asked then emailed Brenda Powers everything we discussed because I am paranoid and afraid of losing more money. I explained to Brenda that i was going to have to borrow the money again for the 650.00 and Ie no have
no money to spare and my medical bills and perscriptions alone total almost $3000.00 a month. I made sure she knew that i needed this money to pay medical insurance because I can not aford these meds on my own. She said just send the check and you will have almost $9000.00 in your hands in 30- 45 days max.

Again I sent emails to ask her about the levy since she explained to me the funds were already frozen . I could not understand the difference between frozen and levied and she got upset with me and told me she was tired to repeating herself - I was at my sisters house later and wanted to call so went to the computer and started looking up the name of the company to get the number. I found this site (rip off reports) and read all the list of complaints that sound almost word for word like mine and the tears and anger started again. On May 28th I though that Brenda Powers may have had a break through when I told her I would never recommend their service and again told her about all I have been through the last few years. She told me she was going to give us "two free" future uses of their services snce i had such a horrendous time with them. I thought this was nice and said as much. Now I am wondering if I can aford thir free services. As of today, June 10th I called the Ventura DA's ofice and spke to Grey Askay who confirmed a large file of cases such as mine. i did not even have to explain everything to him becuase everyone has the same experiences. Please call Randy Chang who is an attorney to my understanding that was hired to help J,S, and a*s. to clean up all their problems and help instill some ethics into their company. The DA's email is greg.askay@ventura.org and Randy Chang 's email is randy@debtinator.com. If everyone out there does this we can stop their decitful practices and maybe put them out of business where this can not keep going on. Please post your dealings here. I will be glad to update this when I have news to post or when I get the money owed to me. After reading about the other people who received checks that were unsigned by them or checks that were not for the correct amount I wonder how long it will take. Read the rest of the complaints here. Some were told they had not collected and then they found out they did collect they just did not send them the money. Others stated no court papers were ever filed. As I mentioned, i do have some brain problems but damage not to realize when someone is screwing with me. Don't let this happen to you! Thank You for any input--there is strength in numbers.

Leslie
culver city, California
U.S.A.