Check this out - Should I respond?

[danaf]

A few years back I used a law firm to draw up some agreements for me. I told the associate the terms the agreement had to be. He spent lots of time with me on the phone going over the terms - (of course) racking up billable time and going through my retainer as fast as possible.

When I got the 1st agreement - it didn't have any of the terms I specified and it nearly cost me my relationship with the consultant (who I liked & needed). So I wrote him an email and fired him (the lawyer)...expressing my discontent in their services. I cc'd the senior partner. They tried to salvage the relationship - I just ignored them. Then they sent me a bill....around $500 but this was a few years ago. This attorney sucked so bad, they should have given me my 1k retainer back.

I figured they probably wrote this off because I never heard anything further but I included this firm in my bk petition anyway just to be on the safe side. This is a very large, wealthy firm in NY.

I received an email a few days ago from them wanting to know my current contact info.

Why? I know they received the bk notice so what are they doing? My friend who works for a law firm said they probably know I filed pro-se and want to try to bully me into making a payment arrangement despite the bk. But they are violating the stay and for such a small amount?

She said just don't answer and ignore their request. What should I do? Ignore or respond? There's about a month left for objections to be made on my petition.

(as an aside - I'm going to have to try to find out if they have a judgement against me so I can get that dealt with if they do.)

[AngelinaCatHub]

Danaf:: Here is what to do, download from your state’s Bar association a Bar complaint form. Fill it out unsigned and email this firm with the fact that you have been fair with them in the past by not making a claim for faulty information and that you do not owe them even and explanation for services rendered in malpractice. If they wished to make a claim, you will FERVENTLY pursue this Bar complaint just for your own satisfaction. ‘Hub

[Flamingo]

What do you mean by "a few years?" If you never received a billing from them after the initial bill that you did not pay, how do you know you owe them anything? As you stated, maybe they wrote it off because they knew you were dissatisfied with their services. Since you filed pro se, my advice to you that you should have mentioned this former situation to your attorney prior to filing to either check with the law firm if there was anything due and owing before you listed them as a creditor. It sounds like they could be trying to contact you to find out why you listed them on your petition if they wrote off your bill. Since you feel you still owe them the money, you did the right thing by listing the amount on your petition but it sounds to me as if they wrote the bill off since a long time period has elapsed from their initial billing to you with no further statements.

[TEW]

I wouldn't pay anything I got in an email.
just delete it.

[BKParalegal]

I would absolutely respond and keep track of everything. Then if they do send a bill, send them proof of the BK, and make sure you keep a copy of the letter you send to them, then if they send another bill after that. Bingo, you have just won the mini-FDCPA lottery and if you have a fair judge(not bk judge, district or federal court judge, I don;t know your state's procedures) you file a FDCPA claim and with your proof you get fees and $1000 thank you very much. Let alone going after them for vioalting the automatic stay, but you will need an attorney to do that, and the money really goes to them not you.