Are debt collectors harassing you? Calling you at work, contacting your neighbors, boss or relatives? Is your phone ringing off the hook? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you'll want to read this and find out how to attend tomorrow's tele-seminar.
Lately I have received a number of emails questioning whether or not a debt collector can contact the consumer's neighbor, family member or boss about an alleged debt.
Many ask the same question: "Is this legal?"
Short Answer: NO!
Debt collectors can't communicate about a debt you may or may not owe with anyone other than you or your spouse. And even then, there are specific rules they must abide by -though many choose to violate them!
Today my friend John Watts of the Watts Law Group brings news of a FREE tele-seminar he's holding tomorrow and it's aimed at helping you understand your rights and how to protect them.
Are Debt Collectors Blowin' up your Phone?
By Guest Blogger: John Watts, Esq.
I don't normally start off a blog by talking about Lady Gaga, but...the recent song by Lady Gaga (and Beyonce) called "Telephone" has a line about "calling like a collector" - when referring to someone who keeps "blowin' up the phone" by calling and calling! Hmmm... seems collectors must be doing their job so well that they have now made it into pop songs!
When someone is facing "calling like a collector" we are often asked: "What is the best way to stop a debt collector from calling me?"
There are several answers depending on the situation.
If you owe the debt and the collector is acting honorably, then you can either pay it or send a cease and desist letter. A cease and desist letter tells the collector to not call you again. (We'll talk more about the pros and cons of this in a future blog).
If you don't owe the debt or even if you do but the collector is breaking the law, then often times the best way to handle the situation is to sue the abusive debt collector.
A client recently asked us if we like to send demand letters or settlement letters to collectors before suing. We don't. We find the best demand letter is a "stamped filed" complaint served on debt collectors. That does two things.
One - it gets them talking with us about resolving the case.
Two - it gets them to stop harassing our clients. Every now and then the harassment continues after a lawsuit is filed. This leads to "fast talking" by the defense lawyer trying to explain why the debt collector continued to harass our client even after being sued.
I hope you are not dealing with harassing debt collectors but if you are or if your friends or family are dealing with harassing debt collectors, keep in mind that a consumer litigation attorney may be the best option to get the collector to leave you alone. Put them on the defensive by suing (when appropriate) - that normally does the trick...
Steve Koval of Atlanta is scheduled to be with us on a tele-seminar tomorrow, April 2nd at 10 am CST, 11 am EST to discuss his experience with suing debt collectors. Steve is a talented consumer lawyer in Atlanta and you will enjoy hearing his thoughts on how to best deal with debt collectors.
Here are some of the topics we'll be discussing tomorrow on this "no charge" call:
Let us know if you are interested in attending this "no charge" tele-seminar by emailing or calling the below number. We'll chat about an hour starting at 10 am CST/11 am EST.
Next blog: I promise no talk of Lady Gaga songs...... unless she begins singing about all of the bogus foreclosures out there.... I'll get back to you on that one!
John Watts
Watts Law Group, PC
205-879-2447
Learn more about your rights and how to protect them by reading a few earlier blogs here: Debt Collection Issues.
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Lately I have received a number of emails questioning whether or not a debt collector can contact the consumer's neighbor, family member or boss about an alleged debt.
Many ask the same question: "Is this legal?"
Short Answer: NO!
Debt collectors can't communicate about a debt you may or may not owe with anyone other than you or your spouse. And even then, there are specific rules they must abide by -though many choose to violate them!
Today my friend John Watts of the Watts Law Group brings news of a FREE tele-seminar he's holding tomorrow and it's aimed at helping you understand your rights and how to protect them.
Are Debt Collectors Blowin' up your Phone?
By Guest Blogger: John Watts, Esq.
I don't normally start off a blog by talking about Lady Gaga, but...the recent song by Lady Gaga (and Beyonce) called "Telephone" has a line about "calling like a collector" - when referring to someone who keeps "blowin' up the phone" by calling and calling! Hmmm... seems collectors must be doing their job so well that they have now made it into pop songs!
When someone is facing "calling like a collector" we are often asked: "What is the best way to stop a debt collector from calling me?"
There are several answers depending on the situation.
If you owe the debt and the collector is acting honorably, then you can either pay it or send a cease and desist letter. A cease and desist letter tells the collector to not call you again. (We'll talk more about the pros and cons of this in a future blog).
If you don't owe the debt or even if you do but the collector is breaking the law, then often times the best way to handle the situation is to sue the abusive debt collector.
A client recently asked us if we like to send demand letters or settlement letters to collectors before suing. We don't. We find the best demand letter is a "stamped filed" complaint served on debt collectors. That does two things.
One - it gets them talking with us about resolving the case.
Two - it gets them to stop harassing our clients. Every now and then the harassment continues after a lawsuit is filed. This leads to "fast talking" by the defense lawyer trying to explain why the debt collector continued to harass our client even after being sued.
I hope you are not dealing with harassing debt collectors but if you are or if your friends or family are dealing with harassing debt collectors, keep in mind that a consumer litigation attorney may be the best option to get the collector to leave you alone. Put them on the defensive by suing (when appropriate) - that normally does the trick...
Steve Koval of Atlanta is scheduled to be with us on a tele-seminar tomorrow, April 2nd at 10 am CST, 11 am EST to discuss his experience with suing debt collectors. Steve is a talented consumer lawyer in Atlanta and you will enjoy hearing his thoughts on how to best deal with debt collectors.
Here are some of the topics we'll be discussing tomorrow on this "no charge" call:
- What are some of the more common types of abuses by debt collectors;
- Why debt collectors are willing to risk being sued by breaking the law;
- Why we don't normally send demand letters to abusive debt collectors before suing them;
- Steve's opinion on whether or not we should tape or record abusive debt collector calls;
- Why debt collection is often a problem after divorce (Steve practiced divorce law for many years before suing debt collectors);
- How his clients feel after suing abusive debt collectors and resolving their case.
Let us know if you are interested in attending this "no charge" tele-seminar by emailing or calling the below number. We'll chat about an hour starting at 10 am CST/11 am EST.
Next blog: I promise no talk of Lady Gaga songs...... unless she begins singing about all of the bogus foreclosures out there.... I'll get back to you on that one!
John Watts
Watts Law Group, PC
205-879-2447
Learn more about your rights and how to protect them by reading a few earlier blogs here: Debt Collection Issues.
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