US Bankruptcy Abuse

US Bankruptcy Abuse questions and answers

Learn about US Bankruptcy Abuse at SaysUncle Online Learning.

Q: Will the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention & Consumer Protection Act of 2005 protect China from US defaulting on its
9 Trillion Dollar debt with them? Captino: Should I get another economics degree before I ask a question?

A: Nah it only protects the banks from bankrupcies of those deadbeat Reservists that keep getting called up. Check it out, it repeals major portions of the Service members relief act.

Q: Can anyone confirm that the Pope has been highly critical of the US Church's handling of abuse cases?
I came across this BBC report - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8313791.stm - regarding "A Catholic diocese based in the state of Delaware has filed for US bankruptcy protection on the eve of a civil trial involving high-profile sex abuse." Reference is made to "The Pope has been highly critical of the US Church's handling of abuse cases." Has anyone a link to the Pope's statement in this regard?

A: I wouldn't say so; the pope took (Actually John Paul II took him, Benedict is just not extraditing him) one of the most prominent priest-child molesters and is providing a safe haven in Vatican City for him so he won't be convicted. I don't call that being critical of abuse.

Q: Is it just me or does the octuplets mom, Nadya, just giving us excuses now?
The Suleman family thinks that explaining to us her messed up past is going to make us feel sorry for her....NO! And that her 165K workers comp is what paid for her invitros, NO again, maybe part, but each in vitro alone costs 40,000 a piece, lets see, she had 6 kids prior, all from invitro... You do the math. Not to mention the ever mounting child birth and NNICU bill is building every day. 165 K doesnt cover even the tip of the iceburg with this woman. She's sick and delusional. She has put every single one of those little lives in danger for her OWN fulfillment, selfish much... Let me tell you something hunny, having kids doesnt cure your depression. Plus dont you think that with 165K coming your way, that you WOULDNT file bankruptcy, ABANDON a house, and live with mommy and daddy. Now every show this piece of trash goes on, shes going to try and give America her sob story, sugar coating her lifes f*** ups, and messed up childhood, and attribute everything to her not being able to have kids... Let me tell you something else, GOD made you this way cuz he didnt want crazy b****s like you having kids in the first place. Its called natural selection! I for one being a california, expecting an IOU for a tax return and watching my home state go down the crapper cuz of overbreeding freeloaders such as yourself squeeze every last tax dollar out of us and abuse our welfare and medi-cal system, I for one hope Californians give you HELL enough for your freeloading, selfish media attention seeking a**, that you'll give up here and move back to your infidel homeland in Iraq, and become some other governments burden... California already has enough strains here having to deal with illegals. Anyone else feel the same, or are you one of those people that think this womans pregnancy and successful births are a "miracle"? And for all you religious people out there, definition of a miracle is DIVINE INTERVENTION IN HUMAN AFFAIRS, this was in no means a miracle. See article link below: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/02/03/2009-02-03_nadya_suleman_must_be_kidding.html The only positive thing i see out of this, is at least they will change those invitro "guidelines" and make a set limit law to how many eggs you are allowed to have implanted at a time. The government would be fools to not do that and let trash like this happen again. Very worth while link to read.. If you dont read it, here is the jist of it. On top of the initial fertility treatments of clomid, which is the first steps of fertility treatment, and when that doesnt work come sthe next step in the process, retrieving and storing the eggs, which costs a hefty sum to store, and mind you Nadya had hers stored for 7 years. Then she had to have had her UNETHICAL ivf treatment form her fert doc, check out the overwhelming child costs and deliver estimates.... Astonishing, now try to tell me that she could do that on 165,000, taking in account her now premie babies who will most likely need help for life. The diapers, the food, 14 children, dumb A$$ selfish bi***! http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/in_vitro_fertilization

A: I think she is sick, why would a woman already in a horrible situation want to intentionally have so many more kids at once. I don't think it's a miracle at all, i think she just wanted a bigger welfare check and now she is trying to milk the press for millions, someone should take all the kids from her while she gets evaluated.

Q: Do you consider severe alcohol abuse valid grounds for divorce?
By "severe" I mean drinking a gallon or more a day of cheap wine for over a decade, losing two jobs as a result, forcing us into bankruptcy and foreclosure because of the resulting lost income, and then finally landing in the hospital and racking up bills totalling over $159,000. Another question: why in the hell was I willing to put up with this for so LONG? (Sorry; I may simply be ranting... but obviously, I have reasons for doing so.) To Miss Know a Little: I'm actually male, and this question is about my ex-wife. Our divorce was recently finalized, and the person I'm about to marry is VERY different.

A: I wouldn't say it is valid grounds for divorce, I would say that it is an absolute NECESSITY that you do get divorced and away from that lunacy.

Q: Why do you think you have a choice to or not to vote?
This is a crucial election for everyone. Voters from every age group, every level of our economy, every state, every party, and everyone able to vote needs to vote to protect themselves. This Congress even more than the President has failed their voters. Each and most likely every one of us has taken enough financial abuse at the gas pumps because this President and this Congress did not take a stand for us. If you are unable to meet your mortgage, the radically increasing and fluctuating fuel prices have contributed the most to your troubles. By the time the fuel prices added their costs to production by farmers, to transportation costs, and to every other activity in our economy alone... Well, you know what has happened to our economy and it should not have happened. On Wall Street, there are more actors than in Hollywood or DC. Take a cup with some coffee in it; you could spend all day discussing how full or how empty the cup is; and by the time your discussion ends, the coffee will be stagnant and unsafe to drink. The petroleum investors on Wall Street and World Wide toyed with our lives and our futures until they realized that they goofed big time. They nearly murdered their own markets and nearly committed suicide. Now, everyones financial resources are stressed to the limits (except bankruptcy lawyers, a viable source of future work for the lawyers who need to be voted out of DC) and our Governments at all levels are beyond that point, too. It would cause us to revolt if we knew how much we are expected to pay for the likes of Exxon_Mobile to make record profits. Now do you finally get the picture? You have only one alternative to save your own butts. VOTE!

A: Well, the problem with the United Stated right now is that some folks are convinced that they are middle class, if they make $40,000 - $100,000 a year. At that salary you are still stretching to make ends meet. Palin is your middle class in the United States. Her and the husband make at least $400,000. a year. That is what is considered middle class, which isn't even close to what they have people believing. http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/02/16/40-mpg-cars-report-released/ Did you ever see this site?? I can come up with more sites like these. I think they need to be posted so that people can see them. My husband has printed these sites and this information and taken them to the pump and taped them on so people could see that we are being lied to. Chevrolet already has the means to make cars with better gas mileage. They already make them and send them overseas. I think we need to get this information out more and especially to the politicians, so that they can see that the people they are dealing with in this day and age are not the informed and uneducated people they dealt with back in the day when the working folks had to quit school to work in order for the family to eat.

Q: Why do many Americans look as a person getting on welfare as an extreme failure in life?
Hi all! Why do many Americans look as a person getting on welfare as an extreme failure in life? Our US government set up the welfare system as a financial safety net for those who fall in dire financial circumstances similarly to how the bankruptcy code was set up. I don't respect those people who abuse welfare by getting on it and staying on it as a way of life. Those people are simply low lives that are stupid and lazy. Any answers would be appreciated. Thanks! Also, do you think welfare and bankruptcy should both eventually be abolished or do you think we'll always need it to be around to financially take care of the unfortunate folks in our US society?

A: Welfare was established after the great depression to help those in need. It was meant as a temporary solution. However, over the years, it became a way of life for some people. It is too easy to go on and stay on than going to work long hours. I have heard of people today going on welfare as a last resort, but have no intentions of staying on it. I dont believe we should get rid of welfare, (that would not work) I believe we need to set limits as to how long you can remain on welfare and/or to put these people to work in some way. As far as the bankruptcy, the laws are changing to make it harder to get rid of all our debts, forcing people to pay something. I think that is a step in the right direction.

Q: why is the US health care system SO complicated & expensive?
i don't get it . even insurance premiums seem to be very expensive for those that are in " the system ". it seems to be a HUGE problem just waiting to be fixed but there seems to be so much opposition to fix it . why , if it is "broken ", is there such resistance to fixing it ? i heard that lack of medical insurance is the major cause of personal bankruptcy if one needs treatment ! are americans worried that people will " abuse " a different system , by those that will "fake " or prolong their medical condition ? trust me this rare even in a fairer/cheaper system . someone told me they had to answer truthfully wether they had consumed alcohol in the last 6 months when applying for health insurance ! WOW ! do they want /expect complete abstinence ? isn't it obvious that somethings are more efficient when approached " collectively"? ( i know that term frightens some americans ! ) why not a different system for US citizens ONLY ?maybe this would help change the rate of illegal residents in the US . does the cost of health care explain why most american doctors are multi- millionaires who obviously don't support any changes to the current system ?( i suppose they have country club costs to meet ! ) im am not american nor am i in the US . i just want to know as this issue gets alot of media coverage where i am .( i purposely left out my location to avoid the expected " keep your nose out of US issues & just stick to your own country's problems ! ) does anyone have an answer ? - please . * when i say " collectively " i don't mean in a " soviet " sense - think police, firefighters, ambulance workers etc . *my mother had major brain surgery & my father had his gall bladder removed recently - both free of charge ! they did pay taxes for over 45 years , so i suppose that funded it .

A: I understand your frustration. I'm an American myself and I will say... Americans make it a problem because they fear what they don't understand. It has always been this way. They will kick and scream, but once they experience how good something is... well, they embrace it and perhaps make it better than other country. There are many Americans that see positive things out of the other health care systems of the rest of the western nations, but the majority of Americans haven't experienced it so they're afraid of change. This is no different from the civil rights movement etc. it's bound to happen, but it takes patience and a lot of heart to move forward.

Q: should I move on or wait for him?
Hello everyone. I have posted a question previously and recieved a very good feedback. Thanks for all of your support. For someone who do not know about my situation, I would like to give a brief description and ask you for advice. Once again, please excuse me if you find any mistakes with my English, as it is my second language. I have been married to my husband for last 17 years. I describe it as an unstable relationship. We had two children, but, our opinions and life styles would never match. He expects me to be extremely traditional, I want to adopt everything as long as it makes me comfortable. I respect my culture and traditions. I do not drink/smoke/party/ clubs etc. I have been an average housewife with two children (16 and 12). He thinks it's his right to beat a woman when it is REASONABLE.I would not accept it. I started to stand up against his opinion and argue with him. Everytime, it got worse, he would abuse me physically, emotionally and financially. I approached his parents for help, it did not help. Besides, his mother suppoted his behavior and said " no man would beat a woman without a reason, there must have been a reason behind it". I got hurt with her answer and lost my hopes, stopped approaching his family for help. Eventually, we made it to USA. he continues to abuse me, even in US. He would beat me infront of children, and children stopped him many times from beating me.He prevented me from contacting my parents and siblings. He did not allow me to visit India in last 10 years. At this point, I decided to be on my own feet and applied for nursing school. Fortunately, I got into nursing school, but, it took me five years because of my husband. He would hide my car from me, fight with me and beat me to stop from going to school. I had to drop from Nursing school for two years because I could not make my clinicals on time. Somehow, I made it. I passed nursing with 3.2 GPA, got a state job. Filed for seperation from my husband. But,Problems started again. He had a heart attack and had to go through a by-pass surgery. His insurance company denied to cover his expences as it was a pre-existing condition,( he had a stent due to a blocked artery, the previous year, ended up with 130K of bills as he did not have any insurance. he was under an observation period for an year. unfortunately, his stent has failed and the artery blocked again. Doctors suggeted him by-pass surgery. he was also not allowed to fly and was on complete bed rest.). He approached me for an advice. eventhough we filed for legal seperation, I wanted to sign-up for his insurance with state as pre-existing conditions were also covered. After I signed up for his insurance, he went through by-pass surgery, successfully, recovered well with the help of my parents, and other siblings. I lost my maternal grandmother during this time in my country. could not see her because of my husband's surgery. Meanwhile, my father, who visited US for a month becme ill. He was diagnosed with cancer, had surgery three months earlier than my husband's. He went to our country back, could not survive, died at 59. It was a tremendous loss for me. I was completely broken down, ran to my country for his funeral along with my husband and kids. It's been 3 months. My story turned around now. I recently figured out that my husband had been transfering money to our country. He registered all properties there on his name. He took loans against our house in US, transferred that money. took loans against all of the properties in our country, do not know where he kept that money. He forclosed our house (about $800k)in US. Filed bankruptcy. Sent me an email asking me to find an apartment for myself. He rented an apartment for himself and kids, without my name on the lease. He offered me to come and stay at his apartment anytime I wanted. He gave a notice at rental office saying that I am not allowed to be on the lease. He moved all of the furniture into his apartment and asked me to come and get it whenever I want to, in his presence. He called police when I insisted to take atleast minumum furniture with me. I got completely hurt. broken down, cried for a week. I never called police on him even after he beat me many times. He beats me until I bleed. He tried to kill me once by grabbing me into a closet and choking my neck. I never called police. how could he call police on me? I went away along with my girls that night. stayed at a motel for a week, rented a place for myself and kids. currently, living with my children. my questions are: 1) should I move on with my life or wait for him? 2) Children do not want to live with him as he is extremely strict and yells at them. should I take complete custody or shared custody? 2) children became completely out of hands. I am thinking of sending them to a boarding school for a couple of years, if incase I get complete custody. Is this a good decision? 3) Did I make any mistake by moving into my own place

A: You have made progress leaving him was the best thing you could ever do. The worst thing is to send your kids away. They need counseling. You and your kids have been through a lot. Don't wait for him. You have put your life on hold enough. Leaving showed him how strong you were. To come for furniture showed him you still needed him. Cut your ties. That is the past look ahead so you and your kids can heal. you showed him you were the bigger person helping him through his illness and he used it to gain. Please grow from the lessons he put on you. Nothing good can come from being with him.

Q: How come the VP choice of Obama has now made this an upside down ticket for the Dems?
Joe Biden voted YES for the Iraq War and was one of the strong forces that led us into Iraq, Biden is the Washington "old" school of the DC insiders, the opposite of the Obama's fictious "change", Biden was one of the leaders of In 2005, Joe Biden, the Democratic Senator from Delaware (home the world's largest issuer of credit cards) was a central figure lobbying for passage of S.256 the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.Obama opposes all of the above, and Biden is the one with all the experience. How come this is an upside down ticket? Could it be Obama's lack of experience and judgement again?

A: You hit the nail right on the head! I certainly hope Obama supporters will see the truth soon. McCain is the right choice in November! God Bless America and Her People! God Bless Our Brave Troops! Vote Smart! Consider Your Children and Grand-Children; Their Future Is In Our Voting Hands! United We Stand, Divided We Fall!

Q: Credit Collector abuse?
Because of the real estate collapse last year our business went bust and we are unable to find other jobs. Because of that we got way behind in credit card payments. Tried to work with the credit card companies to no avail. We were turned over, well we all know to whom. Creditors Interchange keeps calling us leaving messages on our answering machine stating that they are going to start legal proceedings-I have 4 of these on the machine. They gave no mini-miranda. Sometimes they did not identify themselves. Can they legally do this? Should I keep these messages to file a complaint? Any suggestions as to how to handle this. I know the debt is ours and we just do not have the money. We are also loosing our house to foreclosure and wll be forced to file bankruptcy. So please do not tell me to pay the bills because I cant at this time. Just want to know if what they are doing is legal since they did not talk to anyone in person.

A: First they can not Leave a msg stating any personal information. They violated the FDCPA. Keep the msgs. They also can not threaten you to take any legal action they dont not intend to take. Debt collectors about half of the time are blowing smoke. Send them a letter like the person above listed but you have 4 separate violations. Tell them they can either forgive the debt and remove it from your credit report and send you a statement stating such or you will assume that they have agreed to send you what ever the penalty. I will also be reporting this incident to the ftc if it is not resolved. Mind you the collector bought your debt for Penny's on the dollar so most would rather just forgive it then deal with the violations. Hope this helps good luck!

Q: Why is it possible in america to abuse the judicial system and render a family homeless?
Sam keller here. I am the guy who is being scammed out of his house in the town of windham. Here is an update of our lives and how it is still being ruined. Mr. Webster was finaly told by the court to post $22000.00 back rent. He did not . Court set eviction for sept.19 2008 9:30 am . On thurs afternoon Sept.18,2008 Mr. Webster filed for bankruptcy granting him an automatic stay.Mr. Webster i have been told has fied for bankruptcy in the past,less than 5 yrs ago.He did not submit the required credit counseling form or the fee. I also believe he appealed the case or tried to get an appeal to the state supreme court and was denied . Our home has gone past the 20 day summons from the foreclosure. My family and i have applied and are now recieving welfare . I am going to file for bankruptcy this week to try and protect the home and vehicle. It will also dismiss the fraudelent $500000.00 lawsuit mr. Webster has filed against me,my wife and a 3rd party. I have had more people interested in purchasing the property but am still unable to access my own property. This is outright fraud and I can't get anyone to look at it. I am unable to afford an attorney anymore ,so I wait around another year while I watch my home and work of 20 years slowly and continually being washed away by our great justice system ..... thankyou america. and as I understand it ,he can take it to the surrogate court yet........... Free rent in NY -Con artists in windham 8/15/2008 Did you know if you are a tenant in NY State you have more rights to the property you are renting than the landowner? You can have the landlord arrested for trespassing,legally deny him access to the property.You can stay your eviction by issuing a check than putting stop payments on it.After receiving your eviction you can appeal to county court for any reason you deem fit.Where it will then sit several more months .You can then sell of the properties and assets of the homeowner without consequences. This is what is happening to us in Windham ,NY . Ronald T. Webster and Barbara Webster of 332 state route 296 in Windham,NY originally home of Appletree B&B/Keller Landscaping are now in debt to me for Well over $20,000.00 rent or 10 months free to date.They have sold our hot tub along with many other personal assets.Not to mention denied access to realtors and prospective buyers causing the loss of a $465000.00 SALE of the home.Greene county Court judge Lalor supports these actions.He granted them a stay while they owed me 7 months rent.Judge Lalor would not even allow us access to the property to get clothes for our children 2,4,and 5.If it wasn't for the generosity of the commmunities,food pantries and relatives we would have nothing.Not even a home .Since I am supporting these criminals and own a home ,our primary residence,We are inelgible for any kind of legal aide ,public assistance or any other state service.This is a clear violation of my and your constitutional rights .We are paying to support criminals . The system protects criminals.I must ad that Senator SEWARD,legislators and other gov't officials,state agencies are of no assitance whatsoever leaving it in the hands of our great judicial system.I think it's great that the state supports criminals so I can watch my work of 20 years go down the tubes because of their bureaucratic nonsense.No matter what you read here this is happening to you to. Our government is stealing all your rights ,and what will you do ..............nothing .I am still owner of this property and I am offering a $500.00 reward for the whereabouts of my personnal property leading to the arrest and conviction of the above named individuals. I will not hold the individuals responsible if you have purchased any of my property. Just please come forward .

A: Positive vibes to you and yours. I was fired from my job for contacting OHSA about major structural damage in the warehouse I was working in. So my answer is; Pay some bikers to run them out. Hope my answer helps

Q: Could I be a victim of spouse abuse?
My wife left me and took my son with her two years ago. She was a very controlling person, was in charge of our finances, and pretty much made all the decisions on where we lived, what we bought, etc. After the divorce, she provided me with a free cell phone so that our pre-K son could contact me. I tried to make the entire divorce as amicable as possible out of fear that it would warp my son. Lately I have broken clear of the cell phone after finding out that she was watching who I was talking to. I even think she's contacted one woman I was seeing which led to trouble between us. She had told me after leaving that I would either go broke or declare bankruptcy. Knowing that I stress out about finances. She left me with large amounts of debt, that included hers too, and the child support. She makes three times what I do, but for some reason the state formula doesn't work out in my favor. She makes sure that I have my son on my weekends but also during the middle of the week sometimes and on her weekends when her work schedule doesn't accommodate. Everything is pretty circumstantial, but could she be using economic deprivation as a way to still control me? How do I tell? Holy crap! I didn't even realize that I had typed 'wife'. She is the anti-Christ. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Hopefully I haven't f-ed up the relationship I want over her BS. Like I said, I clipped the cell phone control, I confronted her about the meddling, and tomorrow I'm gonna smack her with her lack of parenting.

A: You are divorced. To me this would mean that you take your child as much as possible, and the fewer words exchanged, the better. She should have NO say in your finances, phone bills, or any other non-child-related business. If she in fact is trying to use "economic deprivation" just know that YOU are the only one who can control your finances, if that is what you want. Child support is what it is, and you will pay what the state tells you. I do not know how old your son is, but the child-support and direct contact with your ex-wife will only last until he is 18. Both of my parents are divorced, and the best thing my father ever did was NEVER talk bad about my mother. Even though you did not mention this, please PLEASE be the bigger person - your son will thank you for it later. I'm sorry you have to go through this, but hang in there, and be the best dad you can be!

Q: Real Estate Agent for Short Sale "Led us on". Any recourse?
The situation I'm talking about is a short sale in Fl. We made an offer that was accepted about nine months ago (5/1/09). We had no place to move into, so we made a deal with the woman who "owned" the house at the time. We made a lease that would terminate once the house was closed on. Then, we were told her husband went into bankruptcy and we had to wait for the house to be released. So we canceled the offer 6 months later with no progress, and revised it to reflect the decline in property value. The Seller's real estate agent assured our agent that she could turn the deal around pretty quick, and now it turns out they haven't even sent the papers in. So we're moving out and canceling the offer. It has been a very frustrating situation in which our trust was abused (in my opinion anyways). So my question is is there any recourse against any of the parties involved? Since the listing agent told us one thing and did another, it would seem like something unethical took place (but unethical doesn't always = illegal). How about some kind of report I can file to have this follow the listing agent around? I would hate for this to happen to anyone else.

A: You can contact the FL RE board. You would tell them that she failed to submit your offer to the bank and apparently told you she had for the last 6 months. None of the other details matter.

Q: Do you beleive Black woman are some of the most miserable women in the Christian faith?
I have been a church all of my life, and know the word of God and attempt to live it, but often fall off the wagon. As am African American professional female, I find it sad that there are many black woman in the church, ministry, and live their lives in depression, oppression and anxiety. We are the most dressed up, fine cars, homes, and excellent jobs-but miserable on the inside. We go through to daily routine of praise, pray, shouting, speaking in tongues, praying for the sick, singing, bumper stickers, and get home and BAM-it hits us. It is that we really never receive that salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, or are we living under the bondage of man’s expectations for our lives, or are we performing an act of religion. We live we men, who are faithful to God, but treat us like shit when we get home, but come Sunday, we are back in the saddles again in the same routine. I was in a marriage for 14 years, because the church continue to remind me of what the word said-No divorce, you must endure; endure abuse, pain, bankruptcy, neglect, and depression. Then one day, I decided no more, so I left the church, my husband and divorced that church going mean Negro, but I was left to feel I had destroyed my family and children for my own personal gain, which I will call a better life! I told God if this is what live a “Christ like Life” was all about then I don’t want no parts. Once I cleared myself of that bondage, the weights went with it. Do you think I was wrong? Should I have stayed in that situation? I will always love my ex-husband, but I will not believe that the situation was God’s plan for my life. Are black women suffering for the lack of knowledge, or are we suffering for Christ Sake. Help me! Did I do wrong?

A: I think Black women in the USA are on the bottom of the totem pole, so to speak, but it doesn't have much to do with religion. Christian, Muslim, or indifferent, they earn less, are more likely to have children out of wedlock, are more likely to be on welfare, and are less educated than any other group I can think of. The American Indians have a shorter life expectancy and less income, but marry more frequently. We white males are still on the top of the heap, I'm ashamed to say. A couple of decades ago the Ford Foundation gave everyone in a welfare building a monthly "salary" for five years, just to see what would happen if money was not a constant concern. About half of the women got divorced, proving, in the eyes of the scientists who ran the study, that there is a lot more economics and a lot less love in many marriages than one would hope. No one should endure abuse. If he was beating you, you should have left. (Or dumped the TV set into the tub when he was soaking, waited for the twitching to stop, then called 911 and swore you'd begged him not to watch TV in the tub, but he would not listen to you. If you did it when there was a good game on TV and wore rubber gloves, you'd walk away a free woman.)

Q: What kind of lawyer would you use if you're being sued by a company for breach of contract?
What happened is we leased a car back in 2000 and just in 2005 we were able to get rid of that car after many headaches. After turning the car in and following proper procedure according to the leasing company, they sent us a bill for a tire penalty - $400! Thinking this was ridiculous, we ignored the bills and it soon went into a collection agency. The collection agency then hired lawyers, tacked on interest and we now owe $4000. My question is, first off, what kind of lawyer should we use? I've looked online and in the yellow pages but they only seem to have bankruptcy or telemarketer abuse...nothing pertaining to our case. Second question, has anyone also dealt with this kind of crap before? We're using Fifth Third to lease the car and have had nothing but trouble from these people. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!!!

A: There are lawyers who specialize in contract law, that might be a good place to start. Also, your state Bar can probably put you in contact with a lawyer referral service.