Forster & Garbus LLP is a New York debt-collection law firm that files collection lawsuits for creditors. In 2023 it agreed to a stipulated federal court judgment with the CFPB that sets document and attorney-review requirements before it files new suits.
- Type
- Collection law firm
- Also known as
- Forster & Garbus LLP
20 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Forster & Garbus LLP from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is Forster & Garbus?
Forster & Garbus LLP is a debt-collection law firm in New York. When the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued it in 2019, the CFPB described it as "a debt-collection law firm based in Commack, New York." Today the Scranton-based collection firm Abrahamsen Gindin LLC (AG Law) lists Forster & Garbus LLP on its website as an affiliated firm. We could not verify a separate official website for Forster & Garbus.
The CFPB Case Against Forster & Garbus
On May 17, 2019, the CFPB filed suit against Forster & Garbus in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The CFPB alleged that from 2014 through 2016, fewer than a dozen of the firm's attorneys filed more than 99,000 debt-collection lawsuits while having documents to support only a fraction of those debts, and that the attorney signatures on those suits were misleading because the suits were filed without meaningful attorney involvement.
On January 18, 2023, the court entered a stipulated final judgment and order. According to the CFPB, the order requires the firm to possess specific documents supporting a consumer debt, and to have an attorney review them, before filing any new lawsuit; to dismiss pending suits unless it certifies compliance with those requirements; and to pay a $100,000 civil money penalty. The CFPB lists the case status as post-judgment.
Why Forster & Garbus May Be Contacting You
Forster & Garbus files collection lawsuits for creditors, including banks and debt buyers. If you received a letter or summons from the firm, it most likely concerns a credit card or other consumer account. The creditor named in the papers may be a company that bought the account, not the bank that issued it.
How to Check a Debt Forster & Garbus Says You Owe
- Use the validation notice. It must identify the current creditor and itemize the balance, and it starts your dispute window (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
- Dispute in writing and request the documents behind the claim: the account agreement, statements, and proof of any sale of the account. Those are the kinds of records the 2023 order focuses on.
- Ask who owns the debt today and when it was bought.
- Check the amount against your last statement from the original creditor.
- Check the limitations period. In Texas it is generally four years (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers may not sue on time-barred consumer debt (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). New York and other states have their own rules.
What Forster & Garbus Can and Can't Do
Lawyers who regularly collect consumer debts, including through lawsuits, are "debt collectors" under the FDCPA (Heintz v. Jenkins, 514 U.S. 291 (1995)). For a litigation-focused firm, key limits include:
- Its letters and court papers may not falsely imply that an attorney meaningfully reviewed your account (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(3)).
- It may not seek amounts the contract or law does not allow (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(1)).
- It must file in the county where you live or signed the contract (15 U.S.C. § 1692i).
- It may not ignore your written dispute and keep collecting before sending verification (15 U.S.C. § 1692g(b)).
If you've been sued, read what to do first and see our Texas FDCPA attorneys page.
Government Actions on the Public Record
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If Forster & Garbus or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- CFPB enforcement action: Forster & Garbus, LLP
- Abrahamsen Gindin LLC (AG Law): home page listing affiliated firms
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Forster & Garbus LLP, debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Forster & Garbus has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date.