Debt settler to pay restitution, fine

A Florida lawyer and his debt-settlement company were fined and ordered to stop engaging in unlicensed activity in Minnesota, according to a Department of Commerce consent order signed last month. In a December 2010 statement of charges, the department alleged that Michael Metzner and his business, Consumer Law Group P.A. , offered to contact a Minnesota resident's creditors and negotiate a settlement of her debts. The department claimed the company charged excessive fees, including a $675.57 enrollment fee, failed to contact a creditor as promised, and made misleading statements or omissions. Metzner and Consumer Law Group were ordered to pay a $4,000 fine to the state and $2,500 in restitution to the customer.