Sued by Stenger & Stenger? How to Respond — and the Deadline You Can’t Miss

First: do not ignore the summons — the deadline is everything

Most debt-collection lawsuits end in a default judgment — not because the debt was proven, but because the person who was sued never responded. A default converts a claim you could have contested into an enforceable judgment, and that opens the door to wage garnishment, bank levies, and liens. Showing up is the single highest-impact thing you can do.

To respond, you file a written Answer with the court before your deadline. That deadline is a set number of days from the date you were served — commonly 14 to 30 days, but it varies by state and by court. The exact number is printed on your summons. Find it and put it on your calendar today.

Who Stenger & Stenger is — the verifiable facts

• Legal name: Stenger & Stenger, P.C. (“S&S”) — a debt-collection law firm.
• Founded: 1994.
• Headquarters: Grand Rapids, Michigan.
• Where it sues: Michigan and a number of other states, including Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Georgia, Colorado, New Jersey, and Ohio.
• What they collect: Accounts for banks, credit unions, finance companies, hospitals and healthcare providers, and retailers — as well as debt buyers (such as LVNV Funding) and card issuers (such as Citibank).
• Public record: The CFPB has logged consumer complaints, and the firm has been named as a defendant in FDCPA litigation.

Company details are drawn from public records as of June 2026 and can change. The summons and complaint you received are the documents that control your case — read them carefully and use the names, court, and deadline stated there.

A large share of Stenger & Stenger’s suits are on purchased or securitized debt. That makes the ownership question decisive: whoever is suing must show the unbroken chain of assignment to your account, not just a generic bill of sale. Consumer attorneys who defend these cases note that account-specific assignment proof is frequently missing — which is exactly what your Answer should put in issue.

A law firm that regularly collects consumer debts is still a “debt collector” under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The protections below apply to Stenger & Stenger exactly as they would to any collection agency.

Your defenses — what to make them prove

You generally have to raise your defenses in your Answer; they are not applied automatically. Which ones fit your case depends on your facts and your state’s law — this is general information, not legal advice — but these are the issues that decide most collection suits:

• Standing / ownership. If the debt was sold, whoever is suing must prove it owns your account — the unbroken chain of assignment from the original creditor, plus the account-level records. Cases frequently collapse when that paperwork can’t be produced.
• Statute of limitations. Every state caps how long someone has to sue on a debt. If that period has expired, it can be a complete defense — but in most states you must assert it, or it’s waived. Check your state’s clock with our debt statute of limitations by state guide before you do anything else.
• Proof of the amount. Demand the signed agreement and a full itemization. “I dispute the amount and require proof” is a legitimate, standard position — the burden is on the plaintiff.
• Wrong court / venue. Under the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. § 1692i), a collector generally may sue you only where you signed the original contract or where you live now. Being sued anywhere else can be both a defense and a violation.

Your rights — the FDCPA still applies to a law firm

A law firm that regularly collects consumer debts is a “debt collector” under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Stenger & Stenger may not misrepresent the amount or legal status of the debt, may not threaten action it can’t legally take, must honor a written dispute, and — under Regulation F (12 C.F.R. § 1006.26) — may not sue or threaten to sue on a debt that is past the statute of limitations. If those rules were broken, you may have an FDCPA counterclaim worth up to $1,000 in statutory damages plus attorney’s fees — one more reason to talk to a consumer attorney.

What to do now — step by step

1. Find your Answer deadline on the summons and calendar it immediately.
2. Don’t pay or admit anything until the debt is proven — a payment or written acknowledgment can even restart the limitations clock.
3. Put your dispute in writing — demand the signed agreement, a full itemization, and proof Stenger & Stenger (or its client) owns the account. The letter below does this.
4. File your Answer with the court before the deadline — and get help: free legal aid, a court self-help center, or a licensed consumer-defense attorney can walk you through it.
5. Show up to every court date. Most of the leverage is simply in not defaulting.

Your written dispute to Stenger & Stenger — preview

Should you get a lawyer? (Usually yes — and it may cost you nothing)

For an active lawsuit, strongly consider a licensed consumer-defense attorney. Many take debt-defense and FDCPA cases at no upfront cost — if the collector violated the law, it can be ordered to pay your attorney’s fees — and a brief consultation is often free. Look for a consumer attorney through the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA), or contact your local legal aid office or court self-help center, which can help you file an Answer at little or no cost. Getting a few minutes with someone who handles these cases is the best money — often no money — you can spend right now.