Are you or a loved one a victim of unfair debt collection? To know if you are, answer these questions:
- Are you constantly being called by a debt collector?
- Has the collector contacted your family or employer?
- Has the debt collector threatened you or swore at you?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you most likely are being harassed. A professional attorney can represent you when you’re being harassed in order to make the communication stop in regard to harassment efforts to get you to pay a debt collector.
1. Understand Your Rights
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act protects consumers from this harassment. You can submit a claim if you feel you’re being harassed with the help of a professional attorney.
2. Act Calmly & Keep Records
When dealing with debt collectors, just stay calm. Document all communication. If you don’t act aggressively, the creditor won’t be able to say they were defending themselves for what you said.
3. Ask for Debt Verification
Once someone has contacted you, they must provide proof of the debt in writing including the amount, the name of the creditor, a way to dispute it and other information. If you dispute the debt, the collector must stop all collection activity immediately. Disputing the debt is important, and you should do this any time you do not think that you owe the money being referenced by the debt collector.
4. Tell them to stop contacting you
You should make it clear that you understand your rights and know that they are harassing you. You can tell them with confidence to stop, and that you can take action against them.
5. Hire a lawyer
A professional lawyer can ensure that your rights are protected when you’re in debt. They can help you to make a decision on what you can do to help stop this communication whether filing for bankruptcy or not. To learn more about what we can do for your financial situation and to schedule a consultation today, call our law office in Boca Raton, FL at 561-245-4705.