Lynn Ellen Coleman

I offer personal, compassionate assistance with debt and consumer law issues to persons in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina.

• Collections Defense
• Student Loan Law
• General Civil

• Skype
• Zoom
• WebEx

• Free Consultation
  I offer a free online or telephone consultation.
• Credit Cards Accepted
  Debit cad only for bankruptcy. Credit card (all major cards) for other areas.
• Contingent Fees
  For certain consumer law cases only.
• Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
  I offer flat fees, contingency fees, and hourly fees depending upon the nature of the case.

North Carolina

Since 2000

Texas

1986-2000

St. Mary's University School of Law

J.D. | Law

1983 - 1986

Trinity University

B.S. | History, Political Science

1979 - 1982

North Carolina State Bar

Member

Current

National Association of Consumer Advocates

Member

2010 - Current

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys

Member

2009 - Current

North Carolina Bar Association

Member

1999 - Current

Q. Can I sue someone from Craigslist for selling me a misrepresented dog breed?

March 18, 2025

A: You can always try, but the issue is, how likely would it be that you would win? How much are your damages (how much is the dog you received worth)? With no written contract and no requirement for papers, its a "he said, she said" situation. Court costs are around $180.00 for small claims. Do you know this person's real name and residential address? You have to sue in the county where this person lives, have their real name and address. You will not be compensated for your travel or missed time from work. You might lose because it's common sense to realize paying that little for a purebred dog is not realistic. It's impossible for any lawyer to give you a good opinion without seeing the ad and having a recording of the verbal representations as well as seeing the dog. I would give you a 50% chance of winning and I'm not sure it would be worth the time and effort. In addition, we have no wage garnishment here in North Carolina and many people have no assets worth taking to satisfy a judgment. You chances of collecting the money if you win are slim, and there's additional work serving additional paperwork after you get a judgment before the Sheriff can even try and collect anything for you if they do not pay. ... Read More

Q. Does a reopened foreclosure case indicate a granted stay on a writ of possession?

March 12, 2025

A: If this was an eviction rather than a foreclosure, No. It just means the file was reopened. It is possible the request may be denied by a Judge without a hearing if there was no sufficient basis alleged. The Judge may schedule an emergency hearing if you did not request a hearing and pay the hearing fee. The judge may grant the request but schedule a hearing for the issues to be argued by both parties.

You mention this was a foreclosure. There is no "writ of possession" when a foreclosure is granted. There is a sale date and once the property is sold and the ten day upset bid has passed, that bell has been rung and the party who purchased the property owns the house. It is too late to appeal, and if your eviction followed a foreclosure sale, you may have a difficult time getting to remain in the property using the procedure you outlined.

Your question is very confusing because there is no such thing as a "maxim of commercial law" upon which to stay giving possession of the property to someone who purchased at at a foreclosure. Your remedy was to appeal the grant of foreclosure or seek an injunction against the sale. I fear that you may have filed something frivolous. ... Read More

Q. Is there a form to file a Motion to Stay Execution for a judgment in NC?

March 12, 2025

A: No, there is no "form". I have answered your question before a few weeks ago, and an out of state lawyer provided a thoughtful answer. If you refuse to file bankruptcy you need to hire an experienced attorney to help you, this is too difficult a Motion to attempt to do on your own. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy is probably the only way to force your creditors to work with you for an orderly payback plan.