Ans: OVLG is owned by two attorneys, Mr. Virendra Kalani (Licensed to practice law in India) and Mr. Solomon (Licensed to practice law in California).
Ans: OVLG call center is located in India. If you face any problem while communicating with your dedicated Client Relationship Associate, please let us know, and we will have your file transferred to another Client Relationship Associate.
Ans: The call center employees of OVLG in India use alias names. If you are comfortable pronouncing their Indian names, please do ask them for the same, and they will be more than happy to let you know their Indian names.
Ans: OVLG is working very hard to provide low-cost legal services to consumers in an acute financial crisis. Such consumers are mostly those afflicted with hefty payday loans and harassing collection calls.
Our low-cost services have posed a threat to a lot of payday loan companies and collection agencies. So, these companies have chosen to malign OVLG by spreading rumors and anonymous allegations against our services on the Internet.
The anonymity of such allegations makes it impossible for us to take action against them. Even knowing the identities of the people/company allegedly spreading these allegations does not help in any way, as they sharply deny their involvement in making these posts on the Internet.
Ans: Once you make your first payment, we will send your signed Power of Attorney (POA) to your creditors and start the negotiation process for debt settlement.
Ans: It depends on the amount you owe, how much you can save in the trust account, the number of creditors you have, and their willingness to negotiate.
Ans : It’s because your debt gets handled by professionals who take care of the creditor calls, negotiations, bill payments, and many more things so that you can lead a peaceful life. You can make a single monthly payment for a specified period while we work with your creditors to help you become debt-free. It is not easy to manage all this while you’re working, so to avoid any hassle, you must hire professionals for such services.
Ans : Generally, debt is eligible for settlement if it's past due for 90 days or more. Hence, if your debts are delinquent enough and you have enough funds to pay, we can start settling them.
Ans : We cannot give you an exact time frame, as it mainly depends on the settlement percentage at which your debts are settled and the amount you save in your trust account every month.
For example, if you enroll a total debt of $10,000 and it gets settled at 50% of the debt amount, then it means you have to pay $5000. You can pay this $5000 in a lump sum if you have enough funds or you can pay it in monthly installment payments, but that will take more time to pay it off. Thus, you can become debt-free faster if the settlement percentage is low, and you can save more in your trust account every month. If the settlement percentage is high, you need more money to pay off a debt, so you need to save more every month. However, that is not always possible for everyone with financial hardship.
Remember, you have complete control over your monthly savings, but not on the settlement percentage as that again depends on many factors. As per the industry trends and our experience, debt can be settled at 40% -60% of the debt amount, but we always negotiate for the lowest settlement percentage possible to save more for our clients.
Ans : When you enrolled in the program, we gave you an approximate time to finish it, which was based upon our experience with the creditors. However, the settlement process does change from time to time. Previously, the creditor would settle for a lower percentage. Now, the same creditors are demanding a higher dollar amount due to the change in their company’s policies, and since policies of the majority creditors have changed in the past one year, therefore, it is taking a long time to complete the program.
Ans : We will renegotiate with the creditor and submit our proposal. We will update you as soon as we receive the creditors' response.
Ans : We can work on such an account provided the car is repossessed, sold, and it is being collected by the third-party collection agencies.
Ans : We do work on medical bills. However, they do not provide settlement offers. So, only payment plans can be worked out for the full balance.
Ans : We can only work on a student loan provided the account is with the collection agency. They do not provide a settlement option. They will provide the monthly payment plan to make your account current. Once the past due amount is paid off, and the account is current, they may further refer your account to your institutions from where the loan was disbursed.
Ans : You may file bankruptcy if the situation demands, but we advise our clients to avoid it until it becomes an absolute necessity. Bankruptcy affects your credit negatively. It stays on the credit report for 7 to 10 years and potentially lowers the credit score.
Ans : Yes, you can, but it is not needed. We will send your signed Power of Attorney (POA) to your creditors to notify you that you have retained our law firm to settle your debts.
Ans : Inform them that you have enrolled in the OVLG debt settlement program. Request them to contact us henceforth.
It is mainly because the creditor did not update the Power of Attorney in their system. Please don’t worry. We will follow-up with them to ensure that you don’t receive such calls in the future.
Ans : We have sent the Power of Attorney to the creditors recently. It may take around 7 to 10 business days for them to process and upload it in their system. Usually, creditor calls stop after it’s done.
Ans : Yes. You may receive bills or collection notices from the respective creditors to notify you about the updated balance or the promotional offers from the original creditors.
Ans : The creditors don’t want to be involved with the third parties for collecting debts. Creditors know that if a professional is handling the debt, then they cannot demand the full balance or make any collection calls to the debtors. They are also aware of the fact that negotiation will be done for a lower payoff amount. Moreover, they are more comfortable in dealing with the debtor directly, which makes their collection process hassle-free.
Ans : Please request the collection agency for a debt validation letter. If you are convinced about the debt, then you can add it to us. We will try to work out a settlement or payment arrangement with them.
Ans : Yes, we also work with third-party collection agencies. In fact, they allow flexible terms for the settlement. Hence, collection agencies are great to work with.
Ans :The creditor can contact you to collect on such an account even after the period is over, but they cannot take legal action to collect the debt. You can avoid the collection calls by writing a Cease & desist letter to the collection agency.
The tenure of “Statute of Limitations” varies from state to state. In a few states, it may be as long as 10 years, but most states impose a period of three to six years.
Ans : It is very unlikely that a creditor will refuse to work with third parties. If it happens that means they wish to work with you directly and they will offer you different options to pay off your debts.
We advise you to inform us if any of your creditors refuse to work with third parties. We will contact the creditor and try to negotiate. If the creditor is not at all ready to work with us, then we will remove that creditor account from your list of creditors. You can then directly deal with them and discuss your payment options.
Ans : You can receive such notices if payments are not made to the creditors. Being a law firm, our job role is limited to negotiations, settlements, and protection of your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). We cannot stop the creditor from sending such notices. However, we can arrange for out-of-court settlements or payment arrangements with the respective creditors.
Ans : Debt settlement may help you avoid wage garnishment. When you enroll in a settlement program and settle your debts, creditors become happy and they drop their idea to file a lawsuit and garnish your wage.
Even if a judgment is issued, we can still settle the debt for less than the court-approved amount. Most creditors are happy to negotiate rather than getting an uncollectible judgment.
Ans : Creditors can sue you even after joining the debt settlement program. But many creditors decide to not sue you since lawsuits involve legal expenses. They have already incurred losses since you have stopped making payments. They don’t want to spend more dollars on the same account.
Ans : If the settlement or payment plan is confirmed before the court appearance date, then the plaintiff attorney generally notifies the court regarding the arrangement. Hence, it is not mandatory to visit court. However, you may visit the court if you are not certain about it.
Ans :Your Client Relationship Manager is not supposed to give you any legal advice. Legal advice is provided only by the attorney licensed in your state.
So, if you need any legal advice or assistance, please ask your Client Relationship Manager to help you get in touch with the OVLG attorney from your state.
Ans : Since you have signed up for a debt settlement program, so we negotiate with the creditors for a lower debt amount and make payments only to the specific creditors who have mutually agreed to the terms and conditions of the settlements. Also, with the limited funds, payments cannot be allocated to every creditor simultaneously. We work out settlements with few of them, and once they are paid off, we settle with the remaining creditors. The same process is followed until all the creditors are paid off.
Ans : Please contact your bank as soon as possible, and put a stop payment. Also, send the ACH Revocation Letter to the respective creditors, and ensure that they acknowledge the same. Once the creditors receive the letter, they will stop the automatic withdrawals.
Ans : Yes. You can add an extra amount whenever a surplus fund is available. You have to inform us how much you want to add toward your trust fund & the ACH date, and we will make the arrangement accordingly.
Ans : You can change your payment date whenever required, but please notify us at least 5 business days before the due date.
Ans : You can cancel your payment, but you have to notify us at least 5 business days before the due date so that we can avoid the NSF charges.
Ans : Canceling the payment may affect the ongoing settlement as it may make the settlement null and void. It depends upon the availability of the trust/ reserve fund, and if sufficient funds are available for the creditor payment, then you may cancel the payment for that month. We generally request our clients to make regular payments so that those creditor payments are not affected.
Ans : I am sorry to hear about your situation, but canceling the program will not benefit you as you may start receiving collection calls that are difficult to manage at times. You can make a minimum payment of $50 to keep your file active. We will notify the creditors about your circumstances, and try to buy time from them. Once you find a job, you can make your regular payments to pay back the creditors.
Ans : You can reduce your payment whenever required. It is a flexible program where you can increase or reduce your payments as per your requirement.
Ans : Yes. You can add more creditors. You don’t have to pay anything extra upfront, but you have to increase your monthly payment accordingly. The increase in the monthly payment will depend upon the debt amount of the creditors.
Ans : As per the representation agreement, we collect a monthly fee of $50. However, we also collect the success fee after working out a confirmed settlement agreement with the creditor. It is collected after the first creditor payment is made. The monthly fee would be adjusted with the success fee at the end of the program. Hence, you pay only 15% of the debt amount.
Ans :The settlement offer is valid for 30 days. If we do not accept the offer, then we have to renegotiate with them next month. The same offer may not be available next time.
Ans : We can request the creditor to stop the interest and other charges. However, it entirely depends upon the creditor to approve or deny it. At the time of negotiation, we keep the interest and late fee charges into account and work out settlement accordingly.
Ans : We have received a very good settlement offer from the creditor, and if we accept it, then you will save a lot of dollars. This is why we wanted to share this information with you so that you could take advantage of the offer. You just need to increase the payment for a couple of months, and once the creditor is paid off, you can resume your regular payments.
Ans : OVLG provides a wide range of payment options suited to the needs of the clients.
If you are comfortable sharing your bank account information with us, we would provide an ACH facility.
In case you are not comfortable sharing your bank account information with us, then you have other payment options. Here are a few of them:
Ans : OVLG strictly follows the guidelines laid down by the California bar in its handbook on clients' trust accounting. The trust funds of the OVLG clients are maintained at the Bank of America. It is a well-reputed financial institution as per the California Bar Association.
If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, please notify your Client Relationship Manager. In that case, you will have two choices for the maintenance of your funds.
Ans : We, at OVLG, believe in offering the best services to our clients. For us, our clients come first. If you are not satisfied with our services, we promise to refund the fees that you have paid to us. Find 100% No Result Refund Policy for dissatisfied clients from here.
We earnestly request our discontented clients to provide us with their worthy suggestions, views, and opinions that would help us improve our services.
Ans : Initially, your credit score will be low as the account needs to be delinquent to qualify for a settlement offer. Once the settlement is made, and the creditors receive the agreed amount, they will report the same to the major credit bureaus. Your credit score will improve gradually as you add positive payment history to your credit report.
Ans : It depends on you - how soon you build a long and positive payment history. There is no fixed period.
Ans : Yes. The creditor will mail the paid and closed letter directly to your mailing address within 45 business days from the final payment date. In case you don’t receive the letter, please notify us, and we will follow up with them regarding the same.
Ans : Please visit our website www.ovlg.com. Then, log in to your account with your user id and password. Next, navigate to the Client File option and select Personal Information, and then change your password.
Ans : You cannot update the bank account on your own. Please forward the new bank details, and we will update the same.
Ans : Yes. You may add your spouse's debt to your account. Please provide the full name, date of birth, Social Security Number, creditors’ detail, and we will do the needful.
Ans : In order to maintain your call log, you need to log into your secured client area at https://www.ovlg.com/clients/login.php by entering your email address and password. As you log in, you will find a “Call log” option in the left menu. Click on the "Call log" option to check the old call log, and also to make new entries in it.
Ans : We receive loads of postal mails every day at both locations. All the mails sent to our office are forwarded to the operations center. Here, the mails are thoroughly scanned and thereafter distributed to the client relationship managers, who then work on them. Lots of the client mails are also uploaded on the secure client area as PDF files.
The entire procedure is labor-intensive and we strive to provide you with the best service possible. So, the procedure might take an extra week to complete. However, we have computerized the process at our operations center to expedite it and save your valuable time. We sincerely try to answer your queries and resolve your problems as soon as possible.
Ans : The 1099 C Form is issued by the lender who canceled the debt. The form is issued only if the debt amount canceled is $600 or more. According to the IRS, the forgiven debt becomes taxable income to you.
If you have any questions we haven’t been able to answer, we would love to hear from you! Please ask here.
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