http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/free-debt-collection-help-blog.html Our debt collection blog keeps you updated with new information about dealing with debt collectors, and answers to your debt collection questions. en-us debt collection laws Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:38:48 GMT Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:38:48 GMT debtcollectionanswers.com http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/payday-loan-debt.html In Kentucky is it legal for payday loans companies call you at work in attempt to collect debt? My boss is not very happy about it and says that it is Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:38:43 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/both-parents-are-deceased.html ..Dad 2 yrs ago and Mom 5 yrs ago.-harassing collection calls for their debt. A third part collection agency 'TOTAL CREDIT RECOVERY LTD.' has been incessantly Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:30:57 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/new-fees-and-now-a-higher-demand.html My son (age 18) was caught shoplifting last fall. The store did not press charges but told him that he would be contacted about restitution. The amount Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:18:45 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/making-regular-payments-i-can-afford-can-they-send-to-collections.html I have a balance on an old apartment lease (broken lease 1 month rent) that I am making regular payments on of an amount I can afford as I am only one Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:04:43 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/default-judgement.html IF A CREDITOR GETS A DEFAULT JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU, AND THEY GARNISH YOUR WAGES, WHAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH THEY WILL GARNISH FROM EACH PAY PERIOD Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:51:45 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/process-server.html i received a settlement offer in the mail from a collector for a credit card. i also received a notice on my door from a process server regarding the Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:29:36 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/free-debt-collection-help-blog.html#New-Jersey-Considering-a-State-Debt-Collection-Law The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is the federal law that helps protect consumers from the abusive practices of debt collectors. However, many states have their own debt collection laws and those laws often provide consumers with more protections than the federal law and also impose bigger penalties on debt collectors found guilty of abusing the law. New Jersey may soon have its own debt collection law now that the New Jersey Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee has approved the New Jersey Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Next, the legislation will be considered by the full Assembly. Some of the legislations provisions mirror that of the FDCPA, but there are new provisions too. Also, compared to the federal law, the New Jersey legislation gives consumers the opportunity to win larger judgments against debt collectors if they sue a collector and win. Sponsors of the bill say that they are not trying to stop debt collectors from collecting debts from consumers. They are trying to stop debt collectors from harassing, abusing, intimidating or oppressing consumers into paying them money -- money the consumers may not owe. Its simply a matter of protecting consumers. Contact your Assemblyperson to vote FOR passage of the New Jersey Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:16:13 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/cease-and-desist-letter.html Before you send a cease and desist letter to a debt collector, read this important warning from consumer advocates and authors of Debt Collection Answers Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:57:12 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/i-no-longer-work-and-i-receive-social-security-benefits.html I went to the emergency room last year.(I have no health insurance at the time i was seen and I told them that I still do not have any medical coverage Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:37:37 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/what-do-i-do-if-a-debt-collector-is-calling-me-on-something-i-know-nothing-about.html Recently a debt collector has been calling me about owing money to a phone company that I have never had business with. They are saying that I owe them Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:25:11 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/garnish-bank-account.html I have three kids i have child support from my ex husband i receive unemployment cant they garnished my account..? Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:48:35 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/sent-to-collections.html Can I be sent to collections without receiving a statement of charges or being notified that if I do not pay my bill I will be sent to collections. Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:22:01 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/sued-for-a-debt.html I had legal papers served 30 days ago trying to collect to collect money owed to me. How long do i wait before my next step? And could you tell me what Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:10:03 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/continuous-calls-to-family-and-friends.html A specific debt collector continuously contacts my family and friends as early as 8am. I no longer live with them, haven't for years now, and, in fact, Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:00:15 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/re-already-paid-a-debt-but-still-being-asked-to-pay-it-by-creditors.html Ok so I already paid in full a debt with a credit card that I no longer use and I am trying to paid that credit card off that was used to pay that debt Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:35:09 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/hubby-just-stashes-the-bill.html My dear Hubby has gotten himself into a real pickle. He has several hospital bills, ambulance, medicine, hernia operation, you name it, he's got it. But Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:20:43 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/incorrect-social-security-submitted.html I live in Michigan. I have a third party garnishment in place for state tax refund creating offset. The debtor submitted the incorrect social sec #. Will Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:19:49 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/collection-account-abuse.html A few years ago a law firm called to collect a debt from my husband and I. The individual whom my husband had spoken to intimidated him into provided our Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:04:50 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/original-creditor.html Can a original creditor for example (chase/jp morgan) after they received a certified mail from me that they keep contacting in writing only and not to Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:19:08 GMT http://www.DebtCollectionAnswers.com/credit-report-self-help-repair.html Collection accounts on credit reports is a problem for many consumers who owe debts. But what's even worse is the fact that some collection agencies strong arm consumers into paying debts they aren't sure they owe (or that they dispute) by either threatening to ruin their credit ratings, or by actually doing so. Hopefully some of these collectors will get the message that they need to be more careful about how they report consumer accounts when they see that a nationwide debt collector has agreed to pay a civil fine of more than $1 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal law by inaccurately reporting credit information and pressing consumers to pay debts they often did not owe. According to the FTCs complaint, the company and two of its officers illegally tried to collect invalid debts and reported them to the credit reporting agencies without noting that consumers disputed them. In addition, even after receiving information from consumers that a debt was paid off or did not belong to the consumer, the company continued to assert, no longer with a reasonable basis, that the consumer owed the debt, without trying to confirm or dispute the consumers information, in violation of the FTC Act. The FTC charged that the company, Credit Bureau Collection Services, and two of its officers, Larry Ebert and Brian Striker, violated the FTC Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The company also is charged with violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act by reporting information to credit agencies that consumers had proved was inaccurate, failing to inform the credit agencies that consumers had disputed the debts, and failing to investigate after receiving a notice of dispute from a credit reporting agency. Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:44:05 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/stopped-check-fees.html The collection agency is trying to add $2300 or 3x the check amount in fees due to the fact the debt is a stopped payment on a check. I was told they Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:26:36 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/free-debt-collection-help-blog.html#OH-Debt-Collection-Firm-Agrees-to-Pay-Big-Fine The FTC just announced that it had reached a settlement with Credit Bureau Collection Services, a national debt collection agency based in OH. As part of the settlement, the firm will pay a $1.1 million civil fine. The settlement is the result of allegations by the FTC that the firm pressured consumers to pay debts they did not owe, reported the debts to credit reporting agencies without noting that the consumers had formally disputed the validity of the debts, and continued to claim that the consumers owed debts after they had provided the firm with proof either that the debts didnt belong to them or that they had already taken care of the debts. 
As part of the settlement, the Credit Bureau Collection Services is barred from taking a wide variety of actions including: making unsupported statements to collect a debt or to obtain information about a consumer; making claims that a consumer owes a debt without a reasonable basis for making that claim; and selling a debt If they can't show that the consumer owes it. Also, when there is a question about the validity of a debt or when a consumer questions the debt, the settlement requires the debt collection firm to either close the account and stop its collection efforts, or investigate the dispute. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:48:29 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/ge-money-bank.html We took a loan out from GE money bank (care credit) for $3000 in May 2009 for Chiropractic care. Within a month they started calling and demanding payment. Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:49:34 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/what-assets-can-be-taken-by-law-in-pa.html My wife has large debts, but no assets other than our house. I have 2 pensions and a small IRA. Are any of these assets available to debt collectors? We Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:55:52 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/long-gone-account.html I received a bill from a debt collector, in regards to an account that I believe to be closed and paid off from almost 20 years ago. I have not received Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:46:09 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/free-debt-collection-help-blog.html#What-one-credit-card-company-has-been-doing-with-its-money According to the Associated Press, during the last quarter of 2009, JP Morgan Chase & Co., spent a whopping $1.9 billion (yup, billion) lobbying Congress on such issues as "reform to credit card lending standards, mortgage lending, income taxes and market regulation reform." We assume that its lobbyists were not urging Congress to pass reforms that would benefit consumers and that other large financial institutions also spent big money lobbying Congress on those same issues. No wonder Americans don't feel like they have a voice these days! Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:45:13 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/personal-tax-forms.html A law office has a judgment on me that they haven't enforced yet. They send me a form every six months called a personal financial statement. Asking for Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:40:59 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/wisconsin-collections.html Can credit cards or collection agencies take money from my social security acct or my IRA Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:40:14 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/north-carolina-utility-bill.html In preparation for moving out of my old place I called and canceled my account with the gas company. Though I had all my mail forwarded I never received Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:56:58 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/calling-time.html What are the calling times during a work week and can you call on Saturdays Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:51:24 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/student-loan-debt-harassment.html I am working with my student loan company on my small balances but it automatically went to a collection company - ASSET MANAGEMENT - when they first called Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:51:05 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/loan-servicer-versus-collectionagency.html If a third part servicer contacts you about a delinquent loan they are not lien holder on, do they have to send you a validation notice per FDCPA? If they Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:15:02 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/free-debt-collection-help-blog.html#Consumer-Sues-Debt-Collectors-and-Wins-Big-Time A Florida man was sued in small claims court for not paying a $800, 3 year old debt owed to Capitol One Bank. Although he disputed the debt, he offered the credit company a couple hundred dollars hoping it would take the money and go away. But Capitol One didnt, so the Florida man hired an attorney to defend him in state court. The attorney argued that the statute of limitations on the debt had passed and therefore, the credit card company had no right to be trying to collect from his client. In response, Capitol One and its attorneys began a 5-year campaign against the Florida man (for a $800 debt mind you!!!) causing him to incur over $100,000 in legal fees. Finally however, in the Fall of 2008, a judge ruled in favor of the Florida man. With that case settled, the Florida man rehired his attorney to sue Capitol Ones attorneys in federal court, alleging that the companys attorneys had violated the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) by trying to collect a debt from him when the statute of limitations on it had expired. Last month, this case was finally settled for $120,000. Although most of his winnings will probably go toward paying the Florida mans legal fees, the settlement ought to send a clear signal to debt collectors that they should not violate the law and should encourage other consumers to contact consumer law attorneys when they believe that their legal rights are being trampled on. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:19:25 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/medical-debt-dispute.html I disputed ER treatment received at a baytown, tx. area hospital almost immediately following the questionable treatment. I had several conversations with Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:08:15 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/debt-that-is-not-mine-in-collections.html I have recently discovered that I have large amounts of debt (thousands of dollars) on my credit report that are not mine and that has been sent to collection Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:48:46 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/do-debt-collectors-need-to-be-bonded.html I reside in a condo association. Our attorney has presented evidence of embezzling. lawyer illegally hired by board W/o owners voting for his hire is submitting Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:48:00 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/insults-from-debt-collection-law-firm.html Did the lawyer have the right to refuse my payment plan after his paralegal had accepted the terms of my payment simply because I wanted to complain about Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:40:35 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/sba-guaranteed-loan-personal-debt.html The IRS kept my ta return and informed me that I owed federal debt from an SBA loan with a personal guarantee for my husband and my company ( i owned 10) Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:57:28 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/am-i-responsible-if-they-fail-to-bill-medicare-in-a-timely-manner.html In august of 2006 I had an outpatient surgery done for which I submitted the only insurance I have, Medicare both A & B, and I paid ALL bills I was aware Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:07:08 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/need-answers.html i have been running away from this problem but i know owe money and i want to start to paying it, but i dont know how much or who i have to pay it to Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:04:44 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/two-different-collection-agencies-same-debt.html MICHIGAN jurisdiction. Chase Bank credit card. Law Firm sends pre-lawsuit information saying that their client is Equable Ascent Financial. Telephone Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:16:24 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/free-debt-collection-help-blog.html#Explanations-for-Bad-Behavior-of-Debt-Collectors.-Pressure-&-Tedium? A recent article in Mainstreet.com provides at least a partial explanation for why debt collectors can be so mean. They usually work when the rest of us are off work and relaxing. They operate in a pressure cooker where they are expected to meet quotas, and not meeting them means less money in their pockets and maybe even job loss. Also, the day to day details of their work lives are pretty repetitive and boring and they regularly have to interact with upset, angry, defensive and emotional consumers. Does not sound exactly like a walk in the park, huh. No wonder that the Association of Credit and Collections Professionals reports that more than half of all debt collectors quit the profession after less than 5 years. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:00:53 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/help.html if you see your name in the paper, about a collection that is taking you to court, should you already have a letter, before the newspaper has the informatio Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:12:06 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/nco-financial-services.html Long Story Made Short: I had internet service connected with Provider A. A storm severed the line and the provider had still not repaired it after 1 wk. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:44:14 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/nco-and-the-numerous-names-it-uses-llc-fin-portfolio-etc.html Several years ago I had a financial meltdown due to the dot.com bubble burst and the failure of several firms that my bank was using for my IRA investments. Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:18:52 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/collection-calls.html How many times in a day can a credit card company call you to collect a debt Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:46:38 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/college-student-confused-about-handling-debt-collection-and-striking-a-deal.html I am a college student who got in over his head. I know I made a mistake and now I have to deal with the consequences. I raked up about $6000 of credit Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:26:48 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/portfolio-recovery.html Has been contacting me on an alleged debt according to them was 15-years ago. It looks to me like Georgia Statute of Limitations has ran and this is time-barred. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:05:35 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/free-debt-collection-help-blog.html#Debt-Collectors-Near-Top-of-FTC's-2009-Consumer-Complaint-List The FTC just released its list of the top complaints it received from consumers in 2009. Although it received the most complaints about identity theft last year, complaints about debt collectors and third party collectors was #2 on the list, just like the year before. However, the total number of debt collection-related complaints filed by consumers in 2009 was up slightly compared to 2008. If you would like to file a debt collection-related complaint with the FTC, check out this video which steps you through the process, http://ftc.gov/multimedia/video/scam-watch/file-a-complaint.shtm. Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:38:01 GMT http://www.debtcollectionanswers.com/how-long-can-a-creditor-try-to-get-you-to-repay.html I'm wondering if there is a statute of limitations for debt collection, and if there is, how long is it in the state of Michigan? Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:27:10 GMT