646 Client Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 8 reviews | Debt Settlement
Posted by anonymous | May 22, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Debt Settlement
Unethical
I reached out to this attorney for help with reducing a large amount of violation fees the MTA is charging my business. During our initial call, he required a $750 retainer just to speak with him, which I paid upfront. While he didn’t promise results, he implied there was a good chance the debt could...
This guy owns a mobile medical office, and drives it around the city providing medical services to unions and businesses. It's a very lucrative business, yet he failed to pay tolls. The MTA caught up to him and advised that unless he paid them approximately $5,505.00 in tolls and violations, they were going to suspend his registration. Of the $5,505.00, $4,300.00 was violations for not paying the tolls. He was seeking a reduction of the violations. He got the notices in early May, and initially tried to resolve it on his own. He got nowhere because he did not know what he was doing, and now that his registration is going to be suspended, and he is going to be out of business, by the end of May. When I initially spoke to him he was an unhinged, panicked stream of consciousness, peppering me with question after question that I could not even digest, much less answer. Once I realized that he only owed $5,505.00, I advised that the most cost effective service I could offer him was a verbal consultation. I explained that the fee would be a flat fee of $750.00 for up to one hour of time and advice. The operative language in the retainer regarding the fee is as follows "The fee is a non-refundable, non-prorated fee of $750.00. In other words, should we complete the work in less one hour, no portion of the $750.00 fee is refundable." He signed the retainer agreement, made payment, and returned to me documents reflective of his toll matter to review before speaking to him. I reviewed the documents and interviewed him regarding his matter. He had already escalated the matter directly to the MTA and requested a discount of the violations, and they had referred him to their unit that deals with commercial accounts. I explained that they would likely get back to him and offer a reduction of violations, but that they would likely not get back to him this month, and his registration suspension date is May 31st. I also explained to him that paying before they got back to him moots his application for a reduction. I explained that the only way to avoid suspension and still wait for an answer from the MTA would be to re-title the vehicle to another business or person before May 31st. He could not do that because he has business partners. He related that he would lose huge amounts of money if his registration was suspended, so I explained that the only way to guarantee it not being suspended is for him to pay the $5,505.00 before the suspension date. I also explained something he did not know - that when he pays it takes time for the MTA to advise the DMV to NOT suspend, so if he waits until the day before or of the suspension, he will still be suspended and shut down for a few days. I advised him to wait no longer than early next week to pay. Upon hearing and not liking his options, he demanded a refund of the legal fees, telling me that I should have given him my time and advice for free. I explained to him that my retainer was clear it was a flat fee, not a minute-by-minute retainer agreement. He then became enraged, telling me that he was going to "destroy" me and that "this will never be over." Moreover, I did not spend only 5 minutes working on this matter. It took me 5 minutes to review his documents, I verbally consulted him on the phone for 9 minutes and 18 seconds, and then drafted and sent a follow up e-mail detailing his options, which took 10 minutes. Responding to this false and vindictive negative review has taken me 20 minutes. My advice was not vague it was specific. I explained his options and the intricacies of how it works. He has all the information he needs to move ahead making informed decisions to best handle the toll arrearages and ensure the business is not shut down. The fee I charge for a verbal consultation is well worth it, and saved this guy untold thousands of dollars by giving him his options and the information needed to keep his mobile medical office up and running without any interruption.
Posted by anonymous | January 10, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Debt Settlement
Hired Mike for EZ Pass
Be careful guys, I ignored the other 1 star reviews and now I had the same experience. First off, not only is he rude on the phone but over text, which isn’t smart for a lawyer. Furthermore, I told him the balance owed to Ez Pass and the Port Authority and how my registration was suspended. He gives ...
I wasn't rude, nor did I give false assurances. You hired me to represent you just before the MTA. Nonetheless, I assisted you at no additional cost with your Port Authority arrearages and suspensions, of which you did not even know you were suspended by them, you thought it was just the MTA. Not only do I verbally tell everyone I don't know the exact settlement offer I can get them, the following language is contained in my retainer agreement: "Although we have consistently obtained excellent results for our clients, please note that we do not guarantee a particular or even favorable result. In other words, we might be unsuccessful at negotiating a reduction of the amount owed or payment plan despite our best efforts." YOU signed that contract, so it's grossly disingenuous that you claim I give you false assurances. I also consulted you on how to escalate your matter directly to the MTA to make an application for a reduction of violations due to financial hardship, and consulted you about your option for bankruptcy, as well as other options. You claim that I told you whatever it was the MTA told you, however, that begs the question, if you already negotiated a settlement and know what to do, why did you hire me to do it? I'll answer the question: because you were confused and could not figure out how to do it yourself, so you hired my office. I did the job for you that you hired me to do, and a lot more at no additional cost. You have no right to complain.
Posted by Richard | October 08, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Debt Settlement
Thank you
When I called Michael Palumbo my registration was suspended, and EZ pass was telling me there was no nogotiations and I owed $24,000 and they wanted $667.00 per month with $2,000 down. When Michael finished, I owe $7,000 and payments are $186.00 per month. Thank you Michael Palumbo for everything ...
Posted by anonymous | April 23, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Debt Settlement
Ezpass
Only helps you to get a Payment plan paying 2,500 for no reason just to tell me the same thing that THE MTA EZPASS WILL HELP WITH DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH HIM HE DISRESPECTFUL LOVES YELLING AT YOU ON THE PHONE BECAUSE HE HAS SO muchhhh CLIENTS . No respect cancel this man I don’t recommend no help...
I was fully expecting this review. She hired us in a panic after her vehicle registration was suspended for failing to pay tolls for years and racking up $4,186.00 in unpaid tolls and $40,200.00 in violations. I negotiated the violations down to $8,040.00 and got her on a payment plan. After I wrapped up the case and sent her the closing information, including how to execute payment on the payment plan, she claimed "I already knew that..." Ergo, if you already negotiated the deal yourself, why did you hire me to do it? She then wanted her money back after I completed the work. She wants me cancelled, but it's clients like this that should be cancelled.
Posted by anonymous | October 27, 2023 | Debt Settlement
Honest, Albeit, very very RUDE.
Was initially interested in hiring this guy to represent me in an unpaid/collections toll settlement dispute, but upon hearing a few of my personal details, (most striking being how we can't afford the retainer fee), he began to erratically rattle off reasons why a 'healthy young man should have a jo...
It's not that he could not afford the retainer fee, he could not afford ANYTHING. He called us knowing that he could not afford to pay anything. Nonetheless, when he told me that he was 33 and not working, and had not been working, we started to discuss job prospects. At the time he seemed like an okay guy we were just talking. I told him that all the retail stores were hiring, and that he would have better job opportunities in the STEM fields instead of in entertainment where he used to work. I did not shout at him or berate him we were talking. It's apparent that is just angry that he could not hustle me into solving his LAWSUIT at no cost. It is just a tremendous sense of entitlement to call a professional service provider and think that they should work for you, a total stranger, at no cost. This is a business, not a charity. And instead of seeking employment, this guy sits around and tries to trash me online. If he put as much effort into seeking gainful employment that he does making false allegations against me, he would not be broke and looking for handouts.