West Palm Beach Creditor Harassment Lawyer
Stop Creditor Harassment with the Help of an Attorney at The Port Law Firm in West Palm Beach and Port Saint Lucie
One of the most frustrating and stressful aspects of being behind in your payments to creditors is the non-stop harassment that you may be subjected to. Luckily, there are laws in place that limit the lengths bill collectors can go to in trying to collect a debt. Also, filing for bankruptcy provides immediate relief from creditor harassment. Read on to learn about the major protections consumers have against annoying or harassing bill collectors, and contact an experienced West Palm Beach creditor harassment lawyer at The Port Law Firm at our offices in West Palm Beach and Port Saint Lucie for fast, effective help in stopping creditor harassment.
Consumer Rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, protects consumers from creditor harassment by placing numerous restrictions on the activities of bill collectors. For instance, collection agencies are not allowed to contact you at inconvenient or unusual times or places. This includes calling you at home prior to 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m., and if you inform the collection agency that you are not allowed to receive calls at work, they must stop calling you or visiting you there. Bill collectors should not talk to your neighbors, friends or co-workers about your debt, although they are allowed to contact others if they are trying to find you.
The FDCPA prevents bill collectors from being abusive or harassing in their contact with you. This includes the use or threat of violence, using profanity, continually calling you just to annoy or harass you, calling you without saying who they are, publishing your name on a list of consumers who refuse to pay their debts, or using illegal means to harm your reputation.
Once you tell a collection agency to stop calling you, they must in most instances comply with your request. You can sue collection agencies for violations of the FDCPA and collect money damages under the law.
Stop Creditor Harassment with Bankruptcy
One downside to the FDCPA is that it only applies to collection agencies or professional bill collectors hired by the creditor, or to whom the debt was sold. The original creditor, such as a credit card company, furniture store or doctor’s office, does not have to follow all the rules in the FDCPA, but there are still limits to the type of conduct they may engage in.
The FDCPA also won’t stop lawsuits and subsequent methods to collect a judgment, such as garnishing your wages, enforcing liens or repossessing your property. These efforts can be stopped in bankruptcy, however. In fact, the moment you file for bankruptcy, the court puts in place an automatic stay which puts an immediate stop to attempts to collect a debt which is part of the bankruptcy. The automatic stay in bankruptcy gives you immediate relief from creditor harassment.
Call The Port Law Firm in West Palm Beach to Stop Creditor Harassment Today
Regardless of whether you have filed for bankruptcy or not, if you tell a bill collector or creditor that you are represented by an attorney and give them your attorney’s name and number, they should stop contacting you and instead deal directly with your lawyer. Hiring The Port Law Firm will give you immediate relief by knowing that you have a strong, effective lawyer advocating on your behalf and speaking for you in dealing with your creditors and credit problems. Schedule your free confidential consultation today and to put a stop to annoying, stressful and harassing calls from creditors.
