/Rotate 0 /Parent 9 0 R /Parent 10 0 R endobj Typically, debt firms instruct consumers to stop paying unsecured creditors and begin saving money to settle those accounts. | Read 21-40 Reviews out of 44 Each of the lawyers on this site are either Managers, Members, Partners, Limited Partners or staff attorneys. endobj /Contents [146 0 R 147 0 R 148 0 R] << 2013035572001), at 4, available at https://www.finra.org/rules- guidance/oversight-enforcement/finra-disciplinary-actions?search=2013035572001.]. The agreement also provides that Monarch will advise and represent clients in their defense of litigation initiated by creditors or collectors[. /Resources 265 0 R /Rotate 0 RESPONSE: Complaint was not answered /Contents [90 0 R 91 0 R 92 0 R] /Type /Page View complaints, reviews and check out how The Citys investigation indicates that in reality, Monarch employs only the few attorneys needed to complete rote and scripted check-in calls with clients to suggest that an attorney is involved in the consumers program. It was when I filed a complaint with BBB and posted negative reviews that they took action. 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. WebThe Cohn Law Firm in Baton Rouge has more than 50 years of combined legal experience in bankruptcy, business law and business formation. /Type /Page /Type /Page The Bureau revoked Monarchs accreditation less than a year after publishing an alert about Monarchs business practices and its failure to respond to a request for investigation: Timothy Burnette holds himself out as the owner of Monarch Legal. How to Get Your Money Back From a Debt Relief Company if You Feel Like Youve Been Scammed, What Repaying Your Debt Will Cost You in Retirement Calculator, The Truth About The Success Rates, Failure Rates, and Completion Rates of Credit Counseling, Debt Settlement, Bankruptcy, and Debt Consolidation Loans. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] << Overview Reviews About. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile. 42 0 obj Type in the email address you registered with. /Resources 253 0 R get quotes and more. /Contents [202 0 R 203 0 R 204 0 R] Note we do not assume your debts, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. endobj >> /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] >> According to the script that outside paralegals or notaries read at these short meetings, a Monarch attorney reviews the consumers file after the meeting and calls the consumer within a few days of the meeting. As the sole member and manager, Burnette has controlled and continues to control Defendant Monarchs conduct, including its arrangements with Strategic and other third-party vendors that carry out the debt resolution program. After accounting for Defendants various fees, consumers end up paying only a small amount into their reserves for settlement of their debts. /Resources 113 0 R First, consumers who are behind on monthly payments to Defendants are not eligible for any refund. >> >> << /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] One Google reviewer wrote that all the good reviews [about Strategic] reviewer are FAKE. /Type /Page This business is in an industry that may require professional licensing, bonding or registration. endobj Defendants legal fees also reinforce the deception that attorneys will be performing the debt settlement work, including by representing consumers in court. >> /Parent 8 0 R I didn't know how it works, so I was explained the details and the procedures of it. /Parent 9 0 R 11 0 obj They help people file for relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The consumer signed a settlement agreement requiring significant monthly payments, which the consumer understood would come from his account with Defendants. WebMonarch Recovery Management is a collection agency based in Pennsylvania. 0330 127 8888. However, due to a temporary disability I was in and a hardship I was facing, I called and applied to the loan. /Contents [178 0 R 179 0 R 180 0 R] WebContact Us. /CropBox [0 0 612 792] Defendants make these representations in order to secure consumers participation in their debt resolution program. /Font << Because so much of each payment goes to Defendants fees (particularly at the beginning of the agreement), consumers with multiple accounts to settle continue accruing significant interest and late charges for months, if not years. /Annots [] >> /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Its deceiving, unethical and gives the Industry and the legitimate companies a black eye. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment. International Association of Better Business Bureaus. WebMONARCH LEGAL GROUP AKA BURNETTE LEGAL GROUP INVOLVES TIMOTHY BURNETTE AND JASON BLUST. /Rotate 0 57 0 obj After collecting those fees, Defendants revenue plummets. The City investigation indicates that consumers do not have access to advice from attorneys, and many never receive any form of legal representation. Monarch provides the law-firm faade while Strategic Financial Solutions carries out the debt resolution program. All at ZERO COST to you. /Annots [] One day I received in the mail, a personal loan offer. Anyone can file a complaint /Contents [270 0 R 271 0 R 272 0 R] endobj /Resources 157 0 R /Parent 4 0 R 225 ILCS 429/125(c). Through its third party representatives and in its welcome materials, Defendants tell consumers how to contact the Litigation Department. On information and belief, that department doesnt exist. 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. If you cant proudly tell clients the real name of your company, there is something seriously wrong.. /Type /Page The Act prohibits charging any type of fee other than set up or enrollment fee of no more than $50, and a settlement fee in certain circumstances. But because Defendants provide inaccurate estimates and fail to consider consumers financial situations, Defendants know that their representations are inaccurate and impossible for many consumers. It is this unique and continuous involvement that separates Monarch from the competition and drives superior returns for our investors and employee owners. >> << /CropBox [0 0 612 792] Therefore, Monarchs attorneysboth in- house lawyers and those hired on a contract basisare not engaged in the practice of law. /Rotate 0 /Type /Page /Count 10 ] As described in Section VI below, Monarch repeatedly fails to provide those services. /Parent 9 0 R By the time Defendants began negotiating down the debt, the $910 debt had risen to $1,827.01. The majority pay is between $84,341 to $108,233 per year. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. Do you agree with Monarchlegalgroup's TrustScore? /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. /Contents [218 0 R 219 0 R 220 0 R] /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] No statements on this website are intended to suggest or convey any guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of any legal matter. 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. /Contents [138 0 R 139 0 R 140 0 R] /F2 68 0 R /Type /Page /Resources 257 0 R /Resources 221 0 R 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 /Rotate 0 /Rotate 0 Mr. Robert G. Androsiglio, Founding Managing Partner. /Annots [] 527 AND 342 NOTICE #1: Notice Mandated by 11 U.S.C. /Rotate 0 Defendants charge a percentage of the consumers total debt as a Service Cost to the non-legal servicesrelated [to the] debt resolution plan. In examples the City has seen, that cost has been as high as 19%. But Defendants repeatedly break this promise and leave consumers to defend themselves in court, even though consumers pay hundreds to thousands of dollars in legal fees. In exchange for the advertised services, Defendants charge significant up-front costs and monthly fees. Thank you Sir. After several payments, the consumer paid $75 to the creditor and $50 in fees. endobj The Cohn Law 37 0 obj /Rotate 0 /CropBox [0 0 612 792] 225 ILCS 429/125(a). endobj >> >> /Kids [65 0 R] /Type /Page How Do I Get Out of Debt Quickly? For example, one person complained to the City that a customer service representative hung up on him when he called to ask why his wages were being garnished. WebMonday-Friday, 9AM - 5:30PM ET. << 64 0 obj Although one section of Monarchs nearly 40-page agreement states that third parties may perform some work related to the program, it later explains that Monarch has a non-exclusive reciprocal referral agreement with independent contractors to provide what it calls non-legal services related to the implementation, management, and maintenance of Clients debt negotiation plan. Monarchs agreement and other promotional materials misrepresent the truth: non-lawyers at Strategic do not merely provide some administrative services, they carry out Monarchs debt resolution service. << Defendants dramatically misstate the consumers estimated savings and program length. << The City of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Strategic Financial Solutions, Burnette Legal Group, Timothy Burnette, and Monarch Legal Group on July 26, 2022. Many debt resolution businesseslike Strategic Financial Solutionshave not organized themselves as law firms. The Honest and Unvarnished Truth. %PDF-1.5 Another consumer called with a question about how the debt settlement process worked, and the customer service representative refused to connect her with a lawyer. On information and belief and as described more fully below, Strategic and Monarch jointly operate the debt settlement program. On information and belief, Defendants do not care about consumers successful completion of the plan because their up-front fee structure allows them to make most of their profit during the first year of the payment program. /Rotate 0 /Annots [] Visit Salary.com to find out Monarch Grand Vacations salary, I feel that I can now reach my goal and make my life better in the near future. The City therefore alleges that at least insofar as the practices at issue here are concerned, neither Defendants nor their employees engage in the practice of law. /Type /Page endobj endobj /Resources 205 0 R << The completed form will be automatically submitted to the State Inspector /Parent 8 0 R /Annots [] 12 0 obj << Customer names may also have been shortened or masked to protect privacy. >> << Income and expense information dictates consumers capacity for monthly payments. /Resources 281 0 R 41 0 obj The /Type /Page Defendants have also completely neglected to administer the settlement. WebNew Reviews Monarch Legal Group Reviews New Reviews 0.0 0 0 out of 5 stars (based on 0 reviews) Excellent 0% Very good 0% Average 0% Poor 0% Terrible 0% Latest Reviews: There are no reviews yet. endobj /Resources 97 0 R endobj >> >> /Contents [234 0 R 235 0 R 236 0 R] endobj /Parent 10 0 R If Defendants provided more accurate estimates based on their fee structure, interest, and creditor fees, consumers would understand that Defendants program does not provide a significant benefit and may in fact make consumers worse off. Write reviews, ask and respond to questions, I have been pleased by the results Monarch has gotten for me so far. /Parent 9 0 R It is not a lawyer referral service or prepaid legal Overview Reviews About. 54 0 obj 34 0 obj endobj /Resources 153 0 R But the consumer informed Monarch of other expenses, including student loans. By an Act of Congress and the President of the United States, Monarch Legal Group, is a federally designated Debt Relief Agency. /Contents [226 0 R 227 0 R 228 0 R] 45 0 obj /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] WebWe are personally invested and highly committed to the success of the project at every phase. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] endobj At the completion of the program the consumer would have paid between $500 to $800 in fees. /Parent 12 0 R endobj I paid them $8100 in fees to settle debts and they failed to adequately represent me with legal counsel. Monarch markets the debt resolution program it operates with Strategic as having a generous refund policy. << >> Then I was told I qualified for a debt consideration program. Defendants unrealistic expense estimates demonstrate their complete indifference to the welfare of their consumers. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. See 815 ILCS 505/2JJJ. /Parent 10 0 R /Type /Pages Making a full refund, as the consumer requested, Refuse to adjust, relying on terms of agreement. << View customer complaints of Monarch Legal Group, BBB helps resolve disputes with the services or products a business provides. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] << 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. My wife and I enrolled in a program to negotiate our debts with Monarch Legal Group. >> Hi Steve, I am a victim of Monarch until now for 3 years. On all seven occasions concerning settlements for three separate consumers, Ricky Fakhouri approved a settlement and wrote the same vague phrase: Approved: Reviewed original amt, current amt, settlement amt. /Contents [186 0 R 187 0 R 188 0 R] /Annots [] business practices. 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. /Contents [134 0 R 135 0 R 136 0 R] As an industry, companies continue to allow their niche to be destroyed by not speaking out about the bad actors. /Contents [162 0 R 163 0 R 164 0 R] But Defendants settled the account for more than the consumer could possibly pay. Monarchs website says that the company can assist people in debt by helping them file for bankruptcy or through its debt resolution program. endstream Based on public legal filings and on information and belief, Strategic also worked with Legal Helpers Debt Resolution, a Chicago-based consumer debt company that operated nationally as a supposed law firm. See TSR Amended Rule 2010, 75 Fed. /Type /Page /Type /Page >> As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. The Citys investigation indicates that Defendants do not act in consumers best interest when creating a customized payment program. /Type /Page /Type /Page Amount in Dispute: $8,600.00 /Parent 12 0 R << More egregiously, Monarch mischaracterizes the refund policy and uses it to induce consumers into joining the debt resolution program when they otherwise would decline to do so. /Rotate 0 << Be the first to review! On information and belief, Strategic tells representatives to say they are calling from Monarch, not Strategic, so consumers do not realize that they arent speaking to someone at Monarch. endobj Voice your opinion today and hear what 47 customers have already said. endobj 16 0 obj /Parent 12 0 R >> But the Citys investigation indicates that Strategics customer service team does not make attorneys available for client calls. When Defendants do negotiate a settlement payment plan, those payments typically last for many months, and for each payment Defendants charge the consumer an extra $10 (Settlement Payment Fees). The Citys investigation indicates that even when Defendants agents negotiate settlements with creditors on consumers behalf, they do not act in consumers best interest. Your experience matters. /Resources 169 0 R >> /Contents [274 0 R 275 0 R 276 0 R] After the first 22 months, over 53% of this consumers payments were earmarked as going to the Service Cost.. We would appreciate it if you could take a /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] Web203 N La Salle St Ste 2100 Chicago, IL 60601-1226 Visit Website (312) 273-5020 Customer Complaints 105 complaints closed in last 3 years 40 complaints closed in last 12 months Defendants structure their programs so that it is nearly impossible for some consumers to benefit. /Annots [] Steve Rhode is the Get Out of Debt Guy and has been helping good people with bad debt problems since 1994. Customer Reviews are not used in the calculation of BBB Rating, Need to file a complaint? /CropBox [0 0 612 792] c. Most significant to Defendants, complying with Illinois regulation would sharply curtail their abusive fee structure, discussed further in Section II below. /Resources 89 0 R /Annots [] This fee structure makes it difficult for consumers to save funds for potential settlements, increasing the amount of time that the consumer pays fees to Monarch and decreasing the likelihood that the consumer will be able to afford any settlements. Copyright 2020 Business Consumer Alliance All Rights Reserved. endobj This is contrary to everything I was told on a monthly basis from them., d. One consumer requested that the company get a [b]etter protocol explaining to clients how they assess fees and refunds.. You also consent to the recording and monitoring of all calls to and from us and you acknowledge and agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Suggested companies. /MediaBox [0 0 612 792] BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. Your consent to the above terms is not required as a condition of purchasing or receiving our services. >> /Annots [] Fax (877) 300-6215. When, as is often the case, Defendants fail to refer the case to an outside lawyer, Defendants have refused to provide any representation. /Annots [] /Contents [230 0 R 231 0 R 232 0 R] The text of the call script for Option 1 Legal and for Monarch are the same, except for the law firm name. WebMonarch Legal has completely shut me down. ffxiv mastering magic iv; benefits of businesses giving back to the community; monarch legal group complaints. CALL NOW 888-572-0176. Monarch Investment and Management Group Engaged Employer Overview 261 Reviews 105 Jobs 565 Salaries 39 Interviews 77 Benefits 67 Photos 93 Diversity + Consumers who receive deceptive and inaccurate information from Strategic are unable to report that conduct to any attorney regulatory bodies because the employees are not lawyers.
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