Many people who fall behind on their credit card bills will find that their debts are sold to debt collectors. A debt collection agency collects outstanding debts that are owed. Many times, these collection agencies will harass people with endless phone calls and threats if they don’t pay their debt. If you are wondering what you can do about these harassing debt collectors, then you should continue reading about how the law protected consumers for unfair debt collection practices and what options you have available.
Your Rights Against Harassing Debt Collectors
If you owe money to a creditor, and the debt is sold to a debt collector, they will pursue you for the outstanding debt. They can keep calling you to settle your account. However, there are rules that limit what times they can call you.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act known as the FDCPA is a federal law that was enacted to protect consumers from debt collectors who harass and threaten consumers. Under the FDCPA, debt collectors can’t threaten you or call you between the hours of 8a.m. and 9p.m. If the debt collector threatens you or sues you outside of those hours, you can sue them.
If you are wondering if a debt collector can call you at work, the answer is – yes. However, if you tell them that you aren’t allowed to receive these calls at work, then they must cease all collection activity. Moreover, debt collectors can’t abuse you or harass you.
If any debt collector threatens you with violence and profane language, you could sue them under the FDCPA. The FDCPA is there to protect you from debt collectors who violate the law. If you believe that a debt collector has violated the FDCPA, we can file a complaint against the collection agency, and you could be awarded money. It is important to understand that there is a statute of limitation under the FDCPA. The statute of limitations determines how long you have to bring a lawsuit against the debt collector. Under the FDCPA, you have one year to file a lawsuit.
If you decide that you don’t want to file a lawsuit against the debt collector, you can file a complaint with the attorney general’s office in the state that you live in.
What Steps Should I take if a Debt Collector is Harassing Me?
If a debt collector is harassing you, the first thing you should do is document everything. This means that you should save everything. If they are contacting you by phone, save your phone records. If they are emailing you save your emails, and if they are sending you letters to your home, save the envelope the letter comes in. The more evidence you have to show that the creditor has violated the FDCPA, the better case you will have.
Our lawyers can review all of the evidence you have to see if we can bring a case against the debt collector. Our lawyers take these cases on a contingency basis. This means, you don’t have to pay us, to pursue a case against a debt collector.
It is important to note, that just because you may have a case under the FDCPA it doesn’t mean that you may not owe that outstanding debt.
What Should I do if I owe a Debt Collector and Can’t pay?
If you are in financial trouble and can’t pay a debt collector, then bankruptcy may be an option for you. Filing bankruptcy can give you a fresh start. When you file bankruptcy, an automatic stay goes into place. This means that the debt collection agency, can no longer go after you for the outstanding debt. Bankruptcy has helped many people in financial trouble to get away from harassing debt collectors.
If you want to learn more about your rights against harassing debt collectors or want to get rid of your debt, give us a call today. Our lawyers can review your financial situation and all of the evidence you have against a debt collector to see if we can bring a lawsuit against them. It is important to understand that consumers have rights against debt collectors who violate the FDCPA. Many debt collection agencies violate these laws every day. Our office can fight these collection agencies so that you can get your peace of mind back.