Start My Answer

Resolve Debt with Lakeside Collection

Sarah Edwards | July 25, 2024

Sarah Edwards

Sarah Harris is a professional researcher and writer specializing in legal content. An Emerson College alumna, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the prestigious Boston institution.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Lakeside Collection is a relatively little-known collection agency in New York. If you receive a communication from Lakeside Collection regarding an obligation you owe, you should first request that they verify the debt. If the debt really is valid, Lakeside Collection might sue you. SoloSuit can help you respond to the lawsuit, settle the debt, and avoid going to court.

Few things are worse than finding out your old obligation is with a debt collector like Lakeside Collection. Lakeside Collection, also known as Lakeside Receivables LLC or Lakeside Recovery Solutions, is a collection agency that tries to recover unpaid debts from consumers.

Lakeside Collection doesn’t have much of an online presence. Its website offers minimal contact information and a short About Us page. If Lakeside Collection is causing trouble, you’re in the right place. We’ll explain how to handle your situation and avoid legal repercussions.

Sued by Lakeside Collection? Settle the debt with the help of SoloSettle.

Settle with SoloSettle

Make an Offer

Here’s what to know about Lakeside Collection

The Lakeside Collection website doesn’t provide much information about the company. Its mailing address is 5815 South Park Avenue, Hamburg, New York 14075. You can call the company at (888) 306-2878.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) lists two separate profiles for Lakeside Collection. As Lakeside Recovery Solutions, the business has an F rating from the BBB. It also has a current alert advising that the company doesn’t hold the appropriate license as an out-of-state collection agency.

Lakeside Recovery Solutions has eight current complaints, all of which are concerning. Multiple complaints note that creditors use abusive or condescending language.

For instance, one woman said the collector told her to “be a nice little wife and have your husband call me.” Another consumer said that a collector from the company told them they’d garnish his wages if he didn’t immediately make a payment.

Lakeside Receivables LLC doesn’t fare much better. The BBB rating for Lakeside Receivables LLC is a C. The company has had 128 complaints in the past three years, many involving abusive debt collection practices.

One consumer complained that the company called her extended family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, about a debt. Another consumer noted a similar issue. In some cases, the company has called multiple times daily, clearly violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

The poor reviews, numerous complaints, and alerts from the BBB should raise a red flag with anyone who receives communications from Lakeside Collection.

The FDCPA protects consumers from abusive debt collectors

If a debt collector from Lakeside Collection contacts you concerning a debt, pay attention to their words and actions. The FDCPA has strict rules about debt collection practices, and companies that run afoul of the rules may face repercussions, like fines and penalties.

Here are a few common FDCPA violations to look out for:

  • Using obscene or profane language when contacting a consumer.
  • Threatening violence against a person.
  • Telling you that they’re an attorney if they’re not.
  • Threatening to take an action they don’t have the right to, like seizing your home.
  • Continuing to contact you at work if you tell them not to.
  • Calling you repeatedly throughout the day.
  • Contacting you more than once in seven days concerning a debt.

If Lakeside Collection takes any of these actions against you, or you feel that their communications are abusive or harassing, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

What to do when Lakeside Collection contacts you about a debt

If Lakeside Collection sends you a letter or calls you about an old obligation, don’t ignore it. The FTC gives you thirty days to dispute a debt and requires the collection agency to validate it. You should immediately respond to the communication with a Debt Validation Letter.

In you Debt Validation Letter, you’ll provide Lakeside Collection with enough information to identify who you are and search its records to find your debt. For instance, if you have been assigned an account number, you’ll want to include it in your letter.

You should ask Lakeside Collection to provide the following information when validating your debt:

  • The age of the debt.
  • The original creditor, the account number, and the amount due.
  • The agency’s debt collector license number for your state.
  • Your last payment or interaction with the original creditor.
  • Proof that the debt isn’t past the statute of limitations.

In your letter, ask Lakeside Collection to stop further collection activity until it fully validates your debt. If Lakeside Collection has violated your rights under the FDCPA, you should include a threat of legal action in your Debt Validation Letter.

Use SoloSuit’s Debt Validation Letter to validate your debt with Lakeside Collections.

Help! Lakeside Collection validated my debt. Now what?

If Lakeside Collection correctly validates your debt and provides all the information you requested, you’ll have some choices. If the debt is within the statute of limitations window, there’s a chance that the agency may open a lawsuit against you to collect the outstanding balance.

You don’t want to end up in a lawsuit with Lakeside Collection, so it’s best to settle the matter before it gets out of control. Assess your savings and determine how much you can afford to pay Lakeside Collection in a settlement.

Ideally, you’ll offer at least 40% of your debt’s value. Leave a little wiggle room in your offer since the agency might ask you to pay more.

Let’s consider an example.

Example: Karen owes $1,000 for an outstanding medical bill that Lakeside Collection took over. She asks Lakeside Collection to validate her debt, and the company responds with full validation. Karen can’t afford to pay $1,000, so she uses SoloSettle to start the debt settlement negotiation process. She offers $400, or 40% of the debt’s value, to Lakeside Collection in a settlement. Lakeside Collection tells Karen it will accept a $650 payment. Karen agrees and pays the money, and Lakeside Collection closes the account. SoloSettle helps Karen with the settlement agreement documentation and transfers her payment to Lakeside Collection, keeping her financial information private and secure.


In our example, Karen takes care of the matter before the account escalates into a lawsuit. Watch the following video to learn more about how to settle a debt with Lakeside Collection:

Respond to a Lakeside Collection lawsuit

If you’ve been sued for debt by Lakeside Collection and you’re pretty sure you don’t owe it, you should respond to the case immediately and fight back. Follow these three steps:

  1. Respond to each claim in the Complaint. When you get sued, you’ll receive a Complaint in the mail. This legal document outlines all the claims against you. You must respond to each claim in your Answer document. You can admit, deny, or deny a claim due to lack of knowledge. Most attorneys recommend denying everything in order to fight the case.

  2. Assert your affirmative defenses. Once you’ve responded to all the claims against you, you can give your side of the story by asserting your affirmative defenses. These are legal reasons you should not be held liable for the debt. For example, your debt might be past the statute of limitations, you may have already paid it off, or the amount may be incorrect. It’s important to include your affirmative defenses in your Answer, because you probably won’t be able to bring them up as the case moves forward.

  3. File the Answer in court, and send a copy to Lakeside’s lawyers. The most important part of this step is filing the Answer before your state’s deadline. If you don’t file in time, you could lose the case when Lakeside requests a default judgment against you. If the court grants the default judgment, Lakeside Collection may garnish your wages.

SoloSuit can help you draft and file an Answer to your debt lawsuit in all 50 states. Check out the following video for tips on how to respond to your case:

Handle your account with Lakeside Collection carefully

Lakeside Collection is a debt collection agency that doesn’t have great reviews. The BBB has cited the organization for not having a proper out-of-state debt collection license, and numerous consumers have complained about unfair collection tactics.

If Lakeside Collection contacts you for an overdue debt, don’t assume it’s legitimate. Make the agency validate the debt before you confirm you owe it or enter into a repayment agreement. That way, you can ensure Lakeside Collection truly owns the debt before sending any money.

Settle your debt with Lakeside Collection with the help of SoloSettle.

What is Solo?

Solo makes it easy to resolve debt with debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt. SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

SoloSettle can help you contact your debt collector or creditor and negotiate the debt to settle for less, all online. It simplifies and streamlines the process to settling your debt.

No matter where you find yourself in the debt collection process, Solo is here to help you resolve your debt.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

Comments

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Guides on how to resolve debt with every debt collector

Are you being sued by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Resolve your debt with your creditor

Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.

Settle your medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Guides on arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

Stop calls from debt collectors

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

Federal debt collection laws can protect you

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Get debt relief in your state

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt collection laws in all 50 states

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt state guides

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote a guide on each state’s statutes. Check it out below.

Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection by State (Best Guide)

Check the status of your court case

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created a guide on how to check the status of your case in every state, complete with online search tools and court directories.

How to stop wage garnishment in your state

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in all 50 states.

Other wage garnishment resources

How to settle a debt in your state

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created a guide on how to settle your debt in all 50 states. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

How to settle with every debt collector

Not sure how to negotiate a debt settlement with a debt collector? We are creating guides to help you know how to start the settlement conversation and increase your chances of coming to an agreement with every debt collector.

Other debt settlement resources

Personal loan and debt relief reviews

We give a factual review of the following debt consolidation, debt settlement, and loan organizations and companies to help you make an informed decision before you take on a debt.

How to repair and improve your credit score

Debt has a big impact on your credit. Below is a list of guides on how to repair and improve your credit, even while managing major debt.

How to resolve student loan debt

Struggling with student debt? SoloSuit’s got you covered. Below are resources on handling student loan debt.

You can represent yourself in court. Save yourself the time and cost of finding an attorney, and use the following resources to understand legal definitions better and how they may apply to your case.

Get answers to these FAQs on debt collection

How-to debt guides

Learn more with these additional debt resources

It only takes 15 minutes.

And 50% of our customers' cases have been dismissed in the past.


"Finding yourself on the wrong side of the law unexpectedly is kinda scary. I started researching on YouTube and found SoloSuit's channel. The videos were so helpful, easy to understand and encouraging. When I reached out to SoloSuit they were on it. Very professional, impeccably prompt. Thanks for the service!" - Heather



Get Started