How to deal with Rausch Sturm

Rausch Sturm is a veteran debt collection agency in the United States. They have been in business for more than 40 years. They have about 200 employees and operate in more than 33 states. 

Just like dealing with any debt collector, be prepared. Verify that you owe the debt, that the company does not harass you, and that you have the right tools to settle your debt.

What is Rausch Sturm? Are they real or a scam?

Rausch Sturm is not a scam. It is a real debt collection agency. They act as agents for creditors and aggressively pursue collection and lawsuits.  They represent banks, credit card companies, as well as auto lenders, student lenders, utility providers, and telecommunication providers.

They also have offices under the name Rausch Strurm LLC. Here is a list of phone numbers from various Rauusch offices (262) 789-1100, (866) 883-3288 (515) 243-9006, (248) 737-4999, (952) 345-8274, (952) 345-8280, (406) 222-2020, (402) 441-4843, (702) 485-1564, (701) 293-8877, (405) 848-1775, (605) 271-2871, (325) 692-4747, (877) 215-2552.

Do you owe Rausch Sturm money?

Rausch Sturm represents many original creditors. In general, they do not buy debt. You may see n your credit report the name of the original creditor and Rausch, Sturm, Israel, Enerson & Hornik, LLC, or RSIEH.   

However, there are various reasons that you may not owe Rausch Sturm or the original creditor money. For example, the debt may not belong to you, the statute of limitations expired, or you already paid off the debt.

Step 1 - Validate your debt.

If Rausch Sturm contacts you to collect a debt - validate it. Once contacted, you have 30 days to validate the debt, so act quickly. It is recommended to send a registered letter. It is a good idea always to validate the debt.

According to the law, Rausch Sturm is obligated to validate the debt. If you don’t receive proper validation, then send a notice of insufficient validations. If the collection agency cannot validate the debt, it has no legal basis to collect it.

>>Learn more: Follow the steps described in the Bills.com debt validation article to preserve your rights under the FDCPA.

Step 2 - Check to see if the Statute of Limitations (SOL) is valid.

State laws set the time that a creditor can sue you and collect on the debt. However, they are complicated and not easy for the layman to understand. Since Rausch Sturm represents an original creditor, in most states, once the SOL expires, it can still pursue a lawsuit. 

Even if you think that the SOL expired, the creditor may have a different opinion on the expiration date and pursue a lawsuit against you. It is always wise to respond to a lawsuit. In the case of an expired SOL, you must answer any summons and claim an affirmative defense.

Even if they don't pursue a lawsuit, the debt collection agency has the right to contact and get you to pay or negotiate a settlement. 

>> Learn more: Learn more about states' laws regarding statute of limitations.

Stop Rausch Sturm LLC from debt collection harassment.

Debt collectors often are extremely aggressive in their collection tactics. Like other debt collection agencies, Rausch Sturm LLC is strictly regulated by The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Here are some of the actions that they are forbidden to do:

• Use the Telephone to Annoy or Harass
• Seek Unjustifiable Amounts
• Call at an unreasonable time such as before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM
• Contact a Consumer at Work
• Threaten Arrest
• Use Abusive or Threatening Language
• Contact a relative, friend, or colleague who doesn’t own the debt

If you believe Rausch Sturm violated your rights under the FDCPA, consult with a consumer rights attorney in your area. Discuss possibly filing a lawsuit against the collection agency; not only could a lawsuit result in the cancellation of your debt, but you could be awarded damages. 

Learn how to negotiate your debt with Rausch Sturm

Rausch Sturm LLC will contact you, hoping to receive full payment.  While they will not hesitate to pursue a lawsuit, it is possible that they will arrange a monthly payment schedule or even a negotiated settlement if you are in hardship. A public judgment can lead to wage garnishes, bank levies, and liens on personal property. When asked about a payment plan, they answered:

"We are committed to working with you to help you get back on the right tack and tailor a repayment plan that works for you.

It is possible to do negotiations on your own. However, dealing with an aggressive debt collector,  especially with aggressive lawyers, is stressful. It takes a significant amount of time and effort. It is helpful if you convince them that you are in a hardship. Here are three tips: Be calm, clear, and convincing. Be persistent. Send a debt negotiation letter.

Especially if you have large amounts of debt, it is possible to use a professional debt negotiation company. Debt settlement companies have extensive databases and teams of negotiators. They know what range original creditors and collection agencies have accepted for payments in the past. They can reach a negotiated settlement with your debt collection agency quickly.

Complaints and lawsuits about Rausch Sturm

Like most collection agencies, Rausch Sturm LLC has complaints registered in the BBB and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB has complaints about collecting a debt that the consumer didn’t owe, harassment and impersonating an attorney, law enforcement, or government official. The complaints themselves are not proof of illegal or improper activities, although a good source to learn about how consumers perceive the interactions and problems they have with the debt collection agencies.

Here is a couple of example of complaints:

Took or threatened to take negative or legal action

"Hello! Thank you for your help. I recently received notice in XX/XX/XXXX that I have an account with XXXX XXXX XXXX. They work with another company called RSEIH ( Rausch Sturm ). I received notice that I am going to be sued by RSEIH on behalf of XXXX XXXX XXXX. This doesnt seem right as I have no clue who owns the debt. I am extremely dissatisfied as I was not notified of this debt by XXXX XXXX XXXX or the above mentioned company that is contacting me for payment. This debt is old and is beyond the statute of limitations. In addition, the debt is less than {$900.00}. I did some research and I believe that this company is acquiring old debts and then reselling them and then trying to sue people to pay. This is not right and seems very predatory. I have even contacted the original creditor as of XX/XX/XXXX and they have no record of this supposed debt. In addition XXXX XXXX XXXX did not provide any type of proof of ownership or any type of proof that they this debt is even valid".

False statements or representation "This company has been practice law send 2009 scam, people out their money by collect for another company on old debt and he is not License, to practice in Texas. This Law firm has 43- Complaints on different consumers all over different states, and they have tried to work with them with a settlement with written statements which they refuse to do. How they are scam, people take their bank information and make payment arrangements, verbal with no original contract, and filed Lawsuit in different states and not been License in these states. And also when the consumer makes payment arrangement, Verbal over the phone with collector, 90 days of payment arrangement and sell their debt to another company to start over-collect money with no contract with another Law firm company. This is illegal and fraud and scam people all over the states. This company needs to be investigation need to take place with this company Rausch , Sturm , Israel , Enerson & Hornik LLP! Please start looking at all the complaints this Law firm has with XXXX which is 43 complaints scam people out their money and file fraud lawsuit! Sell old debt, another Law firm!".

Deal with a Rausch Sturm LLC lawsuit

Although Rausch Sturm has the right to pursue a lawsuit, they cannot make empty threats to sue you when making a collection call. Depending on the circumstances they might start a lawsuit and pursue obtaining a public judgment leading to liens on personal property, wage garnishments, or bank levies.

If Rausch Sturm files a lawsuit against you, consult with a lawyer in your state with consumer law experience. You must file an answer to their summons and complaint or risk losing the lawsuit by default. Ignoring a summons will not make it go away, so take action to respond to the lawsuit.

Can you remove Rausch Sturm from your credit report?

Most accurate negative tradelines remain on your credit report for seven years from the delinquency date. Bankruptcies remain for ten years, and judgments can remain for even longer if the creditor renews them.

However, there are circumstances that you may see an inaccurate item from Rausch Sturm or a company associated with it. In that case, it is possible to file a dispute with the Credit Reporting Agencies and have the negative items removed from your credit report.

>> Learn more: Learn how to dispute a credit report.