If you fall behind on your debt payments, your creditors, be it credit card companies, banks, etc. whom you owe money, might hire a debt collector agency to make an effort to recover it. Even though several collection firms are competent in their approach to dues collection, some still need to be authorized to pursue debts. Some people use unethical and harsh methods of debt collecting. You are not required to handle this harassment because you owe a bill.
It goes without saying that nobody likes falling behind on their payments as the debtor struggles to control the situation and pressure increases along with the mounting costs. It is possible that debt collectors are breaching the law when they start to go too far and start harassing. The debt collection harassment attorneys enforce your rights and notify creditors that improper collection practices will not be tolerated, which might seem intimidating if you do not fully understand your rights.
Below are some signs that ensure that you need to hire a debt collection harassment attorney.
When Your Creditor Consistently Breaches Agreements
When you accept a debt, you sign a contract that specifies the deadline by which you must pay it off. And your creditor can only ask you to pay the dues after your contract expires. In circumstances where your creditor does not keep their promises, you could want the services of a debt collection lawyer.
However, there are situations when your lender may violate the terms of the arrangement before the due date for repayment. If this is the case, you can have a debt collection lawyer handle the case.
If They Are Publicly Shaming You
Attempting to publicly embarrass you into paying the dues you might or might not owe is not permissible by debt collectors. In fact, they are not even permitted to send you a postcard. They are not allowed to make public the names of debtors. They are not even permitted to speak about the situation with anybody; they can only talk about it with you, your spouse, or your lawyer. Yes, they are authorized to contact individuals outside of your immediate family to locate you, but they cannot request your house phone number, office, or home address. In most situations, they are also not allowed to touch those persons more than once.
If They Showed Up At Your Work
A debt collector is not permitted to visit you at work to collect the debt. So, if your debtor is harassing you by visiting your place of work, it is time to get a debt collector harassment attorney. These attorneys are aware of the laws that you might not know of.
The law forbids collectors from disclosing your dues and turning up at your employment to collect your bill counts. Thus, debt collectors are not permitted to confront you at your job. However, they can call your place of work, but they cannot disclose to your employer or coworker that they are debt collectors. A debt collector is legally obligated to stop calling you at work if you request that they not do so.
When They Are Threatening To Sue
If a debtor refuses to pay the creditors their money, or if the creditors have no other means to get their money, they can sue the debtors. It is the final stage that takes place when the debtor owes a sizable sum of money. You are working in your office or running your business, and someone comes and gives you a letter or notice stating that you are being sued; this situation can be a bit difficult to handle.
However, you shouldn’t hesitate to retain a debt collection lawyer when a creditor files a lawsuit against you because they will be of the utmost assistance to you. This attorney will advise you on how to handle the matter and will respond to the notice on your behalf. In such urgent circumstances, you can retain the services of a debt collection attorney to contact your creditor, reach a settlement, and not let the situation worsen.
Also, you cannot be arrested for your dues. You cannot be jailed or have arrest warrants issued against you by the agencies. Furthermore, you won’t go to jail for not making timely payments on your mortgage, vehicle loan, medical bills, or credit card loan. Some prohibitions might lead to arrest; for example, if you get a notice to appear in court and if you do not appear, then they can send an arrest warrant.
Collection Of Dues Not Owed By You
The debt-collecting business is loaded with errors. There are chances that the collector might go after the wrong person to pay the debt. For example, there might be a situation where the debtor has already paid, but the collector is still harassing them; or the person does not owe any dues but is still getting the calls.
Although this problem is not unusual, it is illegal. A debt collection company might try to recover a due they can’t prove that you owe them in some circumstances. It is possible that you do not owe the money. Furthermore, it is against the law to impose any fees or interest not permitted under the terms of your agreement with the creditor.
Remember that once someone passes away, collection agencies can get in touch with their family or attorney to talk about paying off the debt, but they cannot falsely claim that the person is still required to do so.
Conclusion
Being in debt is not a problem, but it is a concern when it causes problems. Debt collection agencies or collectors may occasionally act unfairly or disregard the law. You must be aware of the signs of debt collection harassment to spot the collectors who resort to unfair means to extort their money. It can significantly affect your life and career if you understand when to contact a debt collection harassment attorney directly.
