I want them to stop releasing this false reason for separation to employers so that I can seek employment. The purpose of a cease and desist letter is to warn someone to stop illegal conduct. In the event this agreement is breached by me, [CLIENT] will be entitled to costs and attorneys fees in any action brought to enforce this agreement and shall be free to pursue all rights that [CLIENT] had as of the date of this letter as if this letter had never been signed. A friend of mine is a musician not signed to any record label, and producing & marketing her own albums. The threat of legal action under this law, enacted in 1978, often has a powerful effect on debt collectors. Since cutting ties, the band has also started using a rough draft of my logo the designer did for me when turning it into a vectored image. [FIRM ADDRESS] I am now in MN but was in NJ as a public school teacher from 2007 to 2012. Sample Cease and Desist Letter Against Debt Collectors Melissa Lyken | December 01, 2022 Summary: A Cease and Desist Letter can stop a debt collector in their tracks. You mentioned that you have your business name trademarked. My name is used for their gain. I am on the board of directors of a non profit. If you choose to contact a lawyer, choose one with experience in defamation cases. What do they do? The name of the individual or the establishment should be clear in your letter. Missing Persons. Perhaps you want to send a letter first on your own and then get an attorney involved if you need to. Common uses for a cease and desist letter Her work has appeared in numerous online publications including USA Today, Legal Zoom, eHow Business, Livestrong, SF Gate, Go Banking Rates, Arizona Central, Houston Chronicle, Navy Federal Credit Union, Pearson, Quicken.com, TurboTax.com, and numerous attorney websites. Musa Mseleku's lawyers have reportedly issued a "cease and desist" letter to Queen Lolly following her comments. There are two different kinds of cease-and-desist orders: But the cheapest step is to first send a cease and desist letter that tells the party to stop or face the consequences. I am currently an auto sales women, Have had medical issues from shocks to the body that are common to many of our victims. When I confronted him about the jewelry, he threatened my clothes, shoes and handbags were next. When I asked about getting paid for it and a cut of the profits or the merchandise that bore my logo, they immediately cut off all ties with me and then asked the graphic designer that turned my drawing into a digital vectored image( for all the applications above) to sign an invoice stating that he signs over all rights to the logo and its usage AND to date the invoice back to Jan 2012, when I had originally drawn the logo. Thus, the question is whether you or the competitor used your business name in commerce first. I dont trust mgmt to do the right thing. I realize that cease and desist orders carry more weight when sent by a lawyer, but I have heard anyone can send one. I have a daughter to raise, I have a disability and I need to work before me and my daughter become homeless. This letter or letter may be used as a formal request to get them to stop using your material. Creating a Cease and Desist Letter puts you in control and may help you prevent any further illegal action. Spengler splits her time between the French Basque Country and Northern California. Issuing a cease and desist letter is the first step to getting the offending party . Or is the norm to be satisfied the infringement work has been taken off a website? If the collector is blatantly ignoring the cease communication request, send a final letter asking them to cease communication. Hi Aaron, please respond back right away, I brought furniture from a furniture store last year, 3 weeks after I brought it, I got laid off from my job and since then, I have been telling the company to come and pick up the merchandise since I dont have any income, well the company has been telling me per the agreement I will still owe them, which is find but if Im saying to please come and pick up the merchandise, why yould you try to set up payment arrangmeents if I have no income and is living with someone? Can I sue them? I help pay bills for an 89 yo friend with macular degeneration. The recipient of your professional letter is the third party who has done you wrong, so to speak. Thank you in advance for your help. Contact Us. Depending on the situation, writers will include evidence of the behavior and specify what law was violated. hello . I sent a C&D to a organization who was using a photo of mine on their website (Realtor Association in NC). Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated. 88.99.26.219 I have done no such things that would be considered harassment and stayed within legal channels for a solution to the situation. A letter demanding payment would raise the legal basis for the demand and require payment within a certain number of days, which would depend on the law or contract involved. Reply myeyeballhurts Additional comment actions of course, gram was the one who asked if there was anything we could do Reply Hysterymystery Additional comment actions If youre receiving persistent personal or sexual harassment, unwanted treatment, or being threatened, use a Cease and Desist Harassment Letter. Stop libel or slander. A cease and desist letter is a warning to the recipient that they're taking an action or actions that violate the legal rights of the sender. It may not be harassment, but it is illegal. You might see it in the area of defamation, like slander or libel. You may also see this referred to as a demand letter or a stop harassment letter. Id like to know if I can issue a C&D to a co-worker who has been hostile and is a workplace bully. I have asked her to let me open the mail so she wont needlessly worry about the junk mail but, unfortunately, that doesnt always happen. I recently searched our business name on Google, and another graphic design business with exactly the same name, and located in the same state came up. [CLIENT NAME] is the owner of a copyright in various aspects of [CLIENTS COPYRIGHTED WORK]. Also known as a cease and desist notice, this type of letter can be sent to an individual or an . According to the internet and European law, I can ask google to remove the search results, but I cannot remove the actual info from the website it is hosted on without writing up a cease and desist email to the webmaster responsible for that content. You should simply tell the person to leave your home, and if the person wont leave, tell law enforcement that the person is trespassing and you want the person removed. A Cease and Desist Letter can help stop further trademark infringement without the need to file a civil claim. She used a curse word in talking about me. The thing is the website says I still owe money and the girl I talked to knows this so she made a note about it. the advise me that collection activity will continue but because of that conversation with the employer and their manager did not go well. In this case, you are not bound to a specific option but can choose what is suitable for your particular situation. There are many advantages to sending a Cease and Desist Letter. Since someone doesn't commit libel or slander until the damage is done, the idea of a defamation lawsuit is to get reimbursement for the damage the lies have already done to your reputation. I live in Orlando Florida, if it matters. This written notice requests that an individual or business stop some action that infringes on your rights. Hi there. At the topmost part of the document, mention the details of the parties, write the sender's name in front of "from" and write the recipient's name in front of "to.". Electronics now play a part of this harassment & other residents play a key into its secrecy. There are various reasons that you might want to use a cease and desist letter, but the most common use is for defamation. 2812 Anthony Lane South I used to own a website domain for my restaurant, which I had bought from Godaddy. Am I crazy or is this a valid case to peruse? Women in Journalism. These are criminal issues & police do not intercede. Damage to personal reputation isn't easy to establish and even damage to your business can be hard to link to the lies. Learn more about cease and desist letters with this video by attorney Aaron Hall: What is a cease and desist letter? You are welcome to contact my office. Please cease and desist or stop breaching the contract.. Such anti-social behavior is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. Yes, a cease and desist letter would be an appropriate first step in this situation. A cease and desist letter isn't a lawsuit, but rather a notice that a lawsuit may be filed if the behavior or actions aren't stopped. Its one step closer to litigation without actually filing in court and spending all the money and going to all the effort of commencing a lawsuit. in their response they deny any copyright infringements and then stated in the letter, that they obtained my photo from a county website, of which had requested and received permission to use my photo a year or 2 ago. Minneapolis, Minnesota Breach of Contract can also play a part,but, you will have to prove that there was a contract to begin with. Is this in line with your expectations? Free Cease and Desist Harassment Letter. Wife is a screamer. A protective order or restraining order is also a court order. One in particular, Vehicle Assurance, warned her of the expiration of their offer for vehicle maintenance. Under 17 U.S.C. Penalties for violating a cease and desist order may include: Courts and government agencies typically issue a cease and desist order in response to a lawsuit or other legal filing. He is trying to slander, discredit, etc myself and my family. Failures to abide by these laws may entitle you to send a Cease and Desist Letter to a debt collector and possibly take legal action against them if the harassment does not stop. I have blocked him but he now is using other peoples sites & phones to contact me. as well escalating repeatedly on cell and work numbers harassing me at work . It is really bad. I run a small game console and iphone/ Apple computer repair business. Im Aaron Hall, an attorney in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, she is still using images of projects that she worked on during her employment at our company on her own website and not giving credit to our company. Score: 4.4/5 (57 votes) . One of the cease-and-desist letter recipients was Vincent Weimer, former Ward 5 councilman whom Carbone-McDonald defeated in the November 2021 election. As a general rule, someone who registers a trademark (like you) cannot prohibit others from continuing to use the mark in the same geographic area and industry they have been using it before the registration. Maybe its trademark infringement, copyright infringement, harassing phone calls or letters. Technically they do not have there name or business registered in the state and my company IS registered under that name. One of my advertising strategies is to post ads on Craigslist. If you're suffering from harassment, sending a Cease and Desist Harassment Letter is one way to protect yourself from your violator. I still have the original drawing I did as well as emails from the band asking for the deceptive invoice for it. Please be so kind to respond to my email address. When is a cease and desist letter necessary? I do not live in Minnesota, but I am interested and finding out more information on a cease and desist order and how it pertains to non-pornographic images of a minor? Where does money come from? What do you suggest? She continues to contact me, as well as my employer (who recommended me) and his assistant, harassing and threatening them too. We would be able to send them registered/certified mail to confirm they have received the letters and keep track of those to whom she has sent removal requests. They also may not know that their mark or logo has caused or is causing brand confusion with your trademark. If you decide to write your own letter, the tone should be formal and legally intimidating. I +1d this but I dont see where to download it. Keep it business like and simple As of the date of this correspondence you are hereby ordered to cease and desist all contact in person, telephonic, and electronic with anyone living in my home including but not limited to my spouse and my children. I recently filed a FLSA / Wrongful termination lawsuit against my former employer. Defamation occurs when another party makes untrue and harmful statements about you or your company. There will be a number of other important factors. It is a letter written to complain about a certain act, statement, or claim. Great article for the collections industry. Your lawyer can respond with a request for additional information or with a refusal. Federal and state laws govern how debt collectors attempt to collect what is owed. Well, one common mistake is kind of a one size fits all template. I want to know if I can do something about this since its in print. When can I send one? Indicate the letter type. If you are in Minnesota, I would be happy to help you if you call our office and schedule an appointment (usual attorney rates apply). I have the written agreement of them acknowledging the removal of the photos. Who should send it? If you or your attorney have any questions, please contact me directly. As an Assistant Attorney General in Juneau, she practiced before the Alaska Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court before opening a plaintiff's personal injury practice in San Francisco. belong to a nation-wide organization that has been instrumental in assisting & exposing these crimes. Cease and desist letters typically threaten the person or entity to whom they are sent with legal action if they do not stop a specified activity. Anyone can send a cease and desist letter; one does not need to have an attorney compose one.However, an attorney can advise the complainant on whether their rights have been violated and if they have legal and meritorious rights to send a cease and desist letter. The bottom line is that in a situation like this, you need to consult with a trademark attorney in your state to determine your legal rights and options. Whether temporary or permanent, a cease . Is there anything I can do in this situation? Outside of broken windshields, home entry- have video & documentation from police & reimbursement from insurance company. I am not the only person who she has bullied. A cease and desist letter is merely a letter. After you send a Cease and Desist Letter, you should wait for a response from the offending party. The cease and desist letter might also say, in addition to stopping, heres a settlement offer. And as of now, theyre not responding to my follow-up emails either. A cease and desist letter can be an effective tool that you can use to stop a debt collector from calling you and/or visiting your home. of property damage, insurance co. reimbursement when the management should have protected me as a woman, but more protection for the men as bullies. A cease and desist letter would not be appropriate for a demand for payment. Option 3: Have Someone Else Deliver The Letter. It is necessary to outline the false misinformation, establish that it is untrue, document how you know it has been spread, and outline the damages you expect to suffer if the defamation continues. They were using an image on their website from a project that our company did while she was working for us. You write and send this letter to the person spreading lies about you or threatening to do so. Can you provide some instructions on the page as to how this works? Another website called Saratogamom.com has started up and I am concerned about our names being too similar. I would hesitate to give any advice regarding your situation without knowing all the details, so the only advice would be to see an attorney if the problem gets serious enough to justify the cost of an attorney. Home Business Documents Cease and Desist Letter. Debt collection agencies are famous for their harassing and often illegal conduct. Member sinceFeb 2023; Avg. Is the art of law just writing letters, filing briefs, and court stuff? Well, for one, it should articulate specifically what has been done wrong. Closed the doors a year and a half ago. Your actions constitute copyright infringement in violation of United States copyright laws. The commercial use of someones image is a tricky area of law. Horrendous senior bullying in retirement parks. A copy of each and every version of any software code You have developed or used to interact with the Facebook and Instagram websites and/or services. Well, anybody can send one. By using this website, you agree to ourTerms of Use. Hi, I dont want to. You might also want to include a reference to violating the Minnesota Trade Secrets Act or Minnesota Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, if applicable. If they do not halt the illegal actions that infringe on your trademark, you always have the option to follow up on your legal threat and file a lawsuit against them. I also called them as well. Hi, You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. The legal time limit for the creditor to collect on a debt has expired. I dont want to be involved in the divorce, but he keeps dragging me into the middle of the situation. State again that you want to the debt collector to stop contacting . This can extend from harassment to debt collection. But instead of awarding you money damages, it tells the person spreading the lies to stop. Should I message you before buying a gig? But when it's made public, your reputation can be damaged. Click to reveal We paid for some boxes to be created a couple of years ago, however the manufacturer could not meet the quality we required so we discontinued the project and they happily refunded our money. The type of defamation is termed libel if it is published. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use. This corporation that own the retirement park has been taken to court by 2 other states for harassment. How can I stop them from ruining my professional name with such lies? Answer (1 of 7): If you don't have a complaint on some legal ground, such as harassment, that's not an option. Would a cease and desist letter be applicable in this situation? You are very generous. A cease and desist letter is usually sent to a party engaging in an illegal act, directing that party to cease and desist the illegal act. This caused her to panic. Owning a .com or registering a business with the Secretary of State does not give you trademark rights. I have an established website (www.saratogamama.com) and an LLC with a DBA filed for SaratogaMama. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. I never intended for them to publish, sell or otherwise make available my info to any website. The first step you can take to address these issues is to send a cease and desist letter. I would recommend contacting law enforcement or hiring an attorney (which wont be cheap). This is often the first step toward taking a person or party to court should they continue to infringe on your copyright, trademark or patent. The illegal activity or behavior must cease. I am a freelance video editor. A Former Employee Cease and Desist Letter is used when you have a former employee who is slandering your company, breaking your enforceable non-compete agreement, or disclosing your IP and trade secrets to an unauthorized third party. You can use this document to alert the party in question, letting them know they are infringing on your rights and that there may be legal consequences if they fail to stop. Im Aaron Hall, an attorney in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was wondering if a cease and desist letter could be sent to the sorority to have them take down my account? Yes, a cease and desist letter is an appropriate way to handle inaccurate information posted on a website. Your neighbor could send one. Upon receiving the letter, the recipient must respond within a specific time frame to either refute or acknowledge your claims. Our fee for a one-hour meeting is $290. hi-i have my business name trademarked. Last year, both the Washington Post and New York Times reported that the activist was George Floyd's nephew. We have been having a friend staying with us and we want to get him out of our house but we were told by our local sheriff that we have to have a cease and desist letter sent to him, how do i get the form that I need in order to get him out the legal way without getting myself in trouble with the law. Why this action or behavior violates your legal rights in some way. deeds, wills, testaments, and other legal documents related to Business, Estate, Real Estate, Family, and Financial matters. Is that correct, and do you have any advice as I move forward? A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop alleged illegal activity. He calls & leaves recorded messages on my business phone, home phone at 4 am & all day on my CELL phone. If you are served with a cease-and-desist letter, contact a business law attorney immediately. Warning: You should not use this cease and desist letter without consulting first with an attorney to ensure that it complies with the law in your jurisdiction. Its only legal effect is putting a party on notice. I recently ended a relatively short-term working relationship with my employer because of her hostile and aggressive attitude. Now a company called Takhar Collection Group is harassing me and calling me, threatening me for this BMG company and I did not order the CD. As she is in the US and the offending company is in Canada, what recourse does she have at this point? Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. I paid good money for their services from 2005-2009, and now suddenly this happens when my info is completely irrelevant to anyone wanting my old domain. Any advice would sure help. A cease and desist letter is defined as a letter issued by an individual or an entity to another individual or entity formally notifying them to stop an activity or behavior that infringes the issuing party's legal rights. These may be at odd hours or so frequent as to constitute unlawful activity. Really as soon as possible, and typically parties will do that when the situation has gotten so severe that theyre willing to take some legal action to get this to stop. Jamess, the scenario you presented appears to be a good case of copyright infringement. Could you tell me if a C&D is an appropriate action for this situation? It wont heal anything and I will not forgive her for this. Bullying and threats are also considered forms of harassment. I want to send her a cease and desist letter, ordering her to stop contacting me. What kind of illegal activity are we talking about? What are some common mistakes? My son is 9 months old and my sister-in-law has continuously posted pictures of our son on her Facebook after we have asked her not to, we do not want any pictures of him on Facebook. The debt collector is harassing you and it is causing significant stress. I recently found out from an investigation that a law firm conducted that my previous employer was not giving me a good reference for potential employers. (DATE) Dear Sir or Madam: This CEASE AND DESIST ORDER is to inform you that your harassing and intimidating actions against me has become unbearable. Specific Cease & Desist Templates A Cease And Desist Letter may need to be sent in a number of circumstances including: Defamation, Slander, and Libel Templates: What can I do to make him give my jewelry back? When someone tells you off privately with unfounded criticism, you can respond in kind or just walk away. A cease and desist letter regarding the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act violations would be an appropriate response. If a debt collection agency is overwhelming you with excessive phone calls, use a Cease and Desist Debt Collection Letter to demand that they stop. A former employee left and is spreading rumors and has taken several paying clients from the non profit (we have programs and classes for kids and adults). To summarize, one of the main promises agreed to between myself and Jonathan Roberts was in how my money would be invested, knowing and understanding about the importance of the preservation of these funds due to the fact that the funds would be needed for any future medical costs that will be incurred since the set aside funds were for the purpose of paying for any future medical costs pertaining to specific injuries sustained until all funds are exausted. This is essentially an attempt to stop libel and slander without going to court. View the letter as an opportunity to verify whether you are or arent in violation of someones rights. The only requirement is anticipated litigation, but it would be easy for the company to say they intended to sue if the other company had hired the person in question. Now, I cannot get a job because of this. If they don't, you have written documentation that you have notified them of the possible consequences of ignoring your request. A former employee, who worked on landscape designs while she was working for us, started to consult with another company and began referring work to them. Step 2. from U.C. Cease-and-desist orders are used in many areas of the law. It helps a great deal when trying to handle things in your life. No, don't send an email. My question is, if a non-govt citizen posts on social media about something, (me), and a family member is silencing my voice using sinister . A Cease And Desist Letter may need to be sent in a number of circumstances including: The following is a cease and desist letter template for those who are looking for a sample form to use as an example. A copyright infringement lawsuit requires that the copyright be registered. Read More: The Proper Way to Serve a Cease & Desist Letter. We are unsure of the whereabouts of the ex-employee(city , state, address). It has come to our attention that you have been copying [CLIENTS COPYRIGHTED WORK]. If a debt collector continues to contact you even after you send a cease and desist letter, file a debt collection complaint with FTC, CFPB, and your state's attorney general's office. What is the purpose of a cease and desist letter? Infringing on a trademark can lead to federal claims of trademark violations and may result in substantial civil damages. We are a web design firm with a client whos .com domain name expired, and was snatched up by the very people it was registered with GoDaddy, Inc. to be used abusively for advertising purposes. Copyright Cease And Desist Letter Template, Copyright Infringement Cease And Desist Letter Template: Sample Form, Defamation of Character Cease and Desist Letter Template, Trademark Infringement Cease and Desist Letter Template, Copyright Infringement Cease and Desist Letter Template, Harassment Cease and Desist Letter Template, Cease and Desist Letter Template to Stop Debt Collection, Breach of Contract Cease and Desist Letter Template. They no longer can say, Oh, I didnt realize it. Or, I was never told to stop. Theyre now on notice of their illegal activity. To add to the mix, GoDaddy (as well as our business) is in the USA, and the client is in Canada. No matter how you send it, experts recommend keeping your copy of the document and the return receipt. If they do not do so, they are in violation of a court order and may face contempt of court proceedings. All Takhar Group can tell me is my first and last name and my home address, which have not lived in for 5 years. When Should Cease And Desist Letters Be Sent? ..He assured me that safeguards were in place to protect against large losses. I have left 9 months ago and one client just got his and called me to ask if I had gone back? Who can send one? I called the company today to schedule a pick up and immdediately the lady raised her voicemail and told me that I shouldnt have got the furniture if I didnt have a job and that I needed to pay.