8004776441

Got a call on my vm this afternoon.  Caller ID said 302-355-1718.  Message was from Phillips and Cohen regarding the 'final affairs' of _________, who was my brother who passed away in February 2008.  He was on Public Assistance, got food stamps and Medicaid  He has $138 in a savings account that I have been trying to close since February. The bank needs all kinds of paperwork from me.  Obviously, he had no assets, no children, no wife, no property...nothing.  'Patty' said to call her back at 800-477-6441 x 2236 and gave a reference #.  I'm glad I Googled the 800# and read all of these posts.  THANK YOU.  There is no way I'm going to waste my time.

Grave robbers.

A lady called and said she was calling from a collection agency for the account of my deceased husband who had been very sick for 4 years at his death.  Lots of medical bills and a credit card for traveling for medical treatment of a rare disease.  The balance was $5800 and the card was in his name with me as an authorized user.  She said the conversation could be taped and could she proceed and I told her no.  She was very hateful and said she would just file a claim.  Am I going to be responsible for the account?  The will has already been probated

tamara from p&c has called my home after my mother's death last year. My mother had no estate except her name was jointly on a car with me, that I paid off. she asked me if my mom had life insurance and i said yes, she asked how much and like a fool i told her, i also told her how much the funeral cost, she said she had my moms credit report and saw her bills had been paid off except her claim. that is NOT true, I paid whatever came in until the money ran out. and she had MANY debts. She told me they would conduct an assest search and I told her about my car, thinking i was trying to do teh right thing. I gave her my address and everything... i have been worried sick they are going to come take my car that i paid for . it has been a year since my mom died and it's been almost 2 months since i heard from them, she said they would notify me of their findings and seek action then. I wish i had read this before calling her back. she even asked me why i could not pay my mom's bills and how i chose who got paid with the money left from life insurance. she told me i had refused the settlement offer and i said i was never offered one, she then offered me 2 payments of 500 each due with in 30 days...not!! i have my own bills that i pay, i cant pay that kind of money for something i do not owe!

they wont just come and take your car! you didn't put up your car as collateral for any of your mother's debt so they are unable to take your car. I suggest just dont communicate with them further. there is nothing more they can do.  you paid what you could with your mother's money. that is the end of the money so they cant force you to pay another dime with your own funds.

thanks for your feedback, I wasn't sure how the " assett search" would affect MY car because her name was on it with me. Even though I paid it off. These people should be ashamed it's not enough that you lose your family but they try to make you feel like a deadbeat because  you can't or won't pay their bills !

Oh come kids, let's have some fun!!!  I called them back crying and hysterical that "John"  was dead and what an awful way to find out and had ole Sam on the other end doing the calm down ma'am dance.  Even debt colllectors can't handle a hysterical woman. Once I had him good and wound up I lit into him about what a $&^&*(%^%&%^ debt collector he was and he had a hel#$# of a nerve and on and on until unfortunately a customer walked in and I had to stop.  But I got my yuks yuks for the day.  So have some fun and turn  the tables on these pond scum.  Wait, pond scum isn't all that bad.

My mother got a bill from these people a week after my fathers death.  She has been trying to collect all of the debts that were incurred and, at the least, notify all persons that they may have debts with.  She called them and a Lanika James told her that she was an attorney and that in the state of Texas they can take her house and any assets for the debt, including insurance money.

These people have been leaving messages on my house phone and cell ever since my former boyfriend was killed in an accident in February.  We did at one time own a house together, but NEVER any joint credit cards or any other debt. Their messages have gotten progressively more pushy, and now they are threatening my house.  Their last message said that I need to "take care of my obligations".  I have NO obligations to these people.  Tomorrow I am going to see an attorney and we will end this bull****.  Absolute vultures.

bwah! that's pretty great.

they left a message asking to please do return the call..and that they had been referred to us - but didn't say from where.  after reading the info on this number, i'm not calling back.  somebody ought to stop them

I got a letter addressed to myself from Phillips and Cohen saying they heard I was dead. They sent their sympathy to the family then preceeded to say they wanted the money and the estate had 30 to comply by paying the debt in full. I have had calls as well but could never hear the name of the company only the blah blah blah that comes after about case number etc.

calling to collect debt on mothers bills mom passed away 3 months ago

THEY KEEP CALLING ME AND MY SIBLINGS WHAT SHOULD i DO ? hOW CAN i HAVE THEM STOP?WILL THEY REALLY FILE FOR PROBATE? MOMS HOUSE IS UNDER HER NAME AND TWO OTHER SISTERS?

CALLEDCLAIMING I,M NOT ME, AN A DEBT I HAVE!

Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd.
695 Rancocas Rd.
Westhampton, NJ 08060-5626
Phone: (609) 518-9000
Fax: (609) 518-9442
Web Address: www.phillips-cohen.com
Death Letters: Incredibly Stupid or a Massive Ruse?

Did you receive a letter from junk debt collectors Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd. (P&C) of Newark, DE stating that you are deceased?

Letters sent on behalf of their client, PORTFOLIO ASSET GROUP and junk debt buyer TSYS (Total Debt Management Inc. of Norcross, GA) the original creditor (?) were sent out to thousands of consumers stating that their client PORTFOLIO ASSET GROUP was recently notified that the alleged debtor had passed away.

They go on to state that at the time of his/her passing and the dollar amount owed to PORTFOLIO ASSET GROUP. After receiving several calls and email regarding this we contacted P&C where a ‘Senior Manager’ stated that they also do estate, collections and several thousand of these letters they state were sent out in error.

My advice is that you do NOT call or write them regarding their letter. It may be a ruse to locate you and get your contact information.

The accounts appear to be an old Target National Bank portfolio that has changed hands several times. The P&C representative stumbled over himself several times trying explains how these letters were sent out in error, an excuse that was difficult to believe.

You can choose to respond in writing to P&C in the following manner using the information from their letter:

The Estate of John/Jane Doe
1234 Main Street
Anywhere, USA 00000

September 16, 2008 Sent Via Fax w/Return Receipt to: 954-472-8411
Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd.
258 Chapman Road, #205 Newark, DE 19702

Re: Client: Portfolio Asset Group
Orig Creditor: TSYS
Client Acct#: 435212345678900
Our Acct#: 0000000
Amount: $000.00

Dear Phillips & Cohen Associates, Ltd.:

I refuse to pay this account.

Sincerely,

The Estate of John/Jane Doe.

By ignoring their initial letter, you open the door to additional calls and letters. By sending them this notice, they face a possible legal quandary in contacting the (deceased?) debtor again. NEVER give a debt collector access to your banking or credit card information.

Bud Says:                      

extortion
n. obtaining money or property by threat to a victim's property or loved ones, intimidation, or false claim of a right (such as pretending to be an IRS agent). It is a felony in all states, except that a direct threat to harm the victim is usually treated as the crime of robbery. Blackmail is a form of extortion in which the threat is to expose embarrassing, damaging information to family, friends or the public.  See also: blackmail robbery theft


CEO Matthew Phillips is a loser for allowing his goons to grease their pockets with so many FDCPA violations. This (non-law firm) collection agency appears to be a cesspool of misfits and lawbreakers that prey on consumers with their lawlessness. NEVER give them any information on your bank/credit accounts, or post-dated checks. YOU WILL REGRET IT!

http://www.budhibbs.com/debtcollectorpages/phillips_cohen_collection_agency.htm

http://www.budhibbs.com/deceased.htm

They too called me my mom passed away 3 months ago...they are threatening to put lien on home? do you think they can? Are they legit? I called original creditor and on there behalf the acct is closed and marked as charged off. see Phillip and Cohen buys these acct for pennies on the dollar and thats how they make profit. and also lets say that you do settle later on they might or usually do come back to call you again to collect on the same acct. I mean can they really do this ? My goodness they are evil evil scumbags!!!!

It's a bill collector...in my case they were hired by Sears Citibank to see if my sister who passed away had any assets or if there was an estate to collect what was owed on her Sears card when she passed. I informed them there was no estate and no insurance or assets. He was very polite and thanked me and explained they would do a search and then report back to their customer their findings.

Hey Debt Collector,

What you said is not true.

Phillips & Cohen Associates are famous for violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  They don't play by the rules.  They called me about a dead relative's debts and I told them that I was NOT the executor, and that the estate was INSOLVENT and that there was NO PROBATE filed by the family because there were NO ASSETS.  I told them under Arizona Law, any creditor can open probate and become the executor at 45 Days after death, and if they wanted the headache and expense of being executor of an insolvent estate with no assets, they could go do that.  I told them to never call me on the phone again.  I even sent them a letter telling them to never call me again.  But guess what?  They keep on calling me about 4 to 5 days a week.  I gave them a silent ring tone so I no longer hear them calling, but they do leave voice mails.  I just erase them.
My advice to anyone getting calls from Phillips & Cohen Associates is to hang up the phone on them and NEVER talk to them.  Any information you give them will be used against you.  
They huff and they bluff and they try to scare people into voluntarily paying them money, but if they never get to talk to you on the phone, their primary method is useless.  They rarely ever go to court.  And with an insolvent estate, they are even less likely to do anything because they know there is no money for them to get.  So, just don't talk to them and eventually they will give up and move on to an easier target.

I have been getting calls from Phillip Cohen, this information has been very helpful.  I have not given these boobs any information, and I plan on hanging up.  

They have "threaten to force probate" on my brother-in-laws estate, but there was nothing to probate, unless you need to probate debt.

Probate is to settle someone's will/estate, and since there was nothing there is nothing they can do.

There was insurance money that had other people listed.  That money goes directly to them and they have no right to that money, its the law. This debt was "unsecured" and as a result... there is nothing to attach.....

Go to h e double l Phillip Cohen and associates....!