Ways to Stop Debt Collection Phone Calls From Bill Collection Agencies
Bill collector phone calls are one of the most annoying things on Earth. There are both bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy means to stop these annoyances.
One way to stop the calls is to be represented by an attorney who understands all of the ways to get them to stop. Believe it or not, debt collectors are really regulated by law on what they can and can’t do to collect a bill. The reason you may not believe this is because they regularly ignore these laws.
Some of the things that they cannot do to collect a bill include: failing to identify themselves, calling at unreasonable hours, using obscene language, and contacting you after you let them know in writing that you are not going to pay the debt. That last part is a great tip too. If you want them to stop calling, let them know in writing that you’re not going to pay. If they continue to call after that, then you might want to seek out an attorney and sue for damages.
Also, if you dispute the debt or demand verification of the debt in writing, the debt collector must cease debt collection activity until verification is provided. Failure to comply with any of these rules can result in damages of a minimum of $1,000 plus attorney fees.
Another way to get collection agencies to stop calling is to hire a bankruptcy lawyer. Once you do that, debt collectors can’t call you unless they’re collecting their own debt. Since most creditors have outside collection agencies and law firms collecting their debts, it’s rare to be contacted by an agency collecting their own debt. Therefore, any time these debt collection agencies contact you after they are notified that you are represented by a lawyer, they’re liable! It’s possible to stop creditors from calling and at the same time collect thousands of dollars plus attorney’s fees for violating the law!
If you file for bankruptcy, it can get even better for you. Because of something called the “automatic stay,” if a creditor contacts you after you file for bankruptcy, they’re automatically liable even if the creditor doesn’t know about the filing. Once you finish bankruptcy, there’s something called a discharge injunction, which is basically a never ending automatic stay, with the same rules.
Using any of these methods described, debt collector calls will be a thing of the past.
Ryan Shanezorg is a law scholar from Cleveland. You can visit his website with more resources regarding bankruptcy and bill collectors at Bankruptcy lawyers in Cleveland Ohio
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