I don't think their office is involved in a scam, could be someone else with the same name. I would call them up and find out and if its not you, let them know.

I dont owe nobody nuthin! I got a letter from Natale and I can guarantee it is a SCAM!!!

It's amazing how many people get rattled by the Natale Law Offices. I guess someone has to do the dirty work for the creditors. The creditors pass debts off to them and the creditor comes out in the end smelling like roses.

The letter and envelope i received were addressed from Natale Law Offices, signed by Deanna Natale. There was no "Statement of Claim" with a little red seal. Simply a letter stating they had been hired to enforce a judgement given by the court. There was no reference number from the courts.

Hard to believe that they can get away with such an obvious lie.

OC, DSOC's are always accompanied by a covering letter from the lawfirm on letterhead. Sorry I didn't make the clear.

Rich, if you're referring to the "Statement of Claim" containing the little red draft seal, I don't recall that being on any letter head. It is specifically designed to look like an official court document.

Regardless, the act I posted applies to collection agencies, and not Legal firms; hence [in part] why they've gotten away with this practice for so long.

Remember the DSOC is coming from a lawyer’s office, on the lawyer’s letterhead, and not from the collection agency... that’s the loophole they are exploiting and why the practice continues.

http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_900074_e.htm#BK6

Prohibited Practices and Methods in the Collection of Debts

24. No collection agency or collector shall,
(a) give any person, directly or indirectly, by implication or otherwise, any false or misleading information;
(b) misrepresent to any person contacted in respect of the debt the purpose of the contact or the identity of the creditor or of the collection agency or collector; or
(c) use, without lawful authority, any summons, notice, demand or other document that states, suggests or implies that it is authorized or approved by a court in Canada or another jurisdiction. O. Reg. 103/06, s. 2.

Although I couldn't dig up the portion I was after, I believe that the fine for using a document of the sort is limited to no more then Twenty Dollars. Pretty sick all things considered.

I'm quite certain that if the complaints continue, this practice will eventually stop. Then again, it is our tax dollars at work here..... :)

Brian Pitkin is the registrar of the Collection agencies act in Ontario, he does not govern the activity of lawyers. You won't see any changes there in the use of draft statement of claims by any lawyers.

Also when he reached out (we have a copy of his letter) to collection agencies, he merely pointed out how he frowned on the practice.

We have seen no enforcement action taken to date.

I posted an article on our website about my interpretation of the letter here: Statement of Claim

He talks about a section in the act, (pasted below) which gives him some authority to act if he chooses but again the draft claim is coming for a lawyers office so he can't tell them what to do:

(2) Where the Registrar believes on reasonable and probable grounds that any of the material referred to in subsection (1) is harsh, false, misleading or deceptive, the Registrar may alter, amend, restrict or prohibit the use of such material, and section 8 applies with necessary modifications to the order in the same manner as to a proposal by the Registrar to refuse registration and the order of the Registrar shall take effect immediately, but the Tribunal may grant a stay until the Registrar’s order becomes final. R.S.O. 1990, c. C.14, s. 21 (2).