Creditor Harassment
Handling Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies in Arizona
5 Commonly Asked Questions about Creditor Harassment
- What is creditor harassment?
Creditor harassment is a form of harassment that occurs when creditors or collection agencies engage in illegal behaviors such as name calling, issuing threats or sending fraudulent legal notices to people who are in debt.
Is creditor harassment illegal?
Yes, creditor harassment is illegal. Years ago, the federal government passed the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Under this Act, creditors are not allowed to engage in unlawful collection activities like calling people repeatedly, calling peoples’ employers, calling peoples’ families, verbally abusing people, telling people they will go to jail if they do not pay their bills or sending people false legal notices.
Can creditors call me anytime, anyplace?
No. Creditors are allowed to call people during reasonable hours. This means that they may call during the hours of 8AM - 9PM. Also, creditors may not call you at your place of employment. Additionally, they are prohibited from calling your employer, family, friends or neighbors to collect debts you owe.
What should I do if creditors are calling me for debts I don’t owe?
If creditors are calling you to obtain payments for debts you do not owe or for debts that may belong to another person, you should ask them to send you a verified letter detailing the debt. You should then tell them to stop contacting you because you plan to file a dispute for the debt. If you need additional assistance when it comes to contesting the debt in question, you should hire a skilled creditor harassment lawyer.
How do I get them to stop?
The answer to this question is simple – hire an attorney that handles creditor harassment cases. Once a lawyer is involved, creditors will usually stop their unlawful actions in order to avoid legal action.
Tucson Bankruptcy Law Firm
The Tucson Bankruptcy Law Firm is truly a results oriented bankruptcy firm. If you would like to speak with one of our Tucson bankruptcy attorneys about your debt, contact us to set up an initial consultation!
The Tucson Bankruptcy Law Firm is comprised of independent Tucson bankruptcy lawyers that handle Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy cases in Arizona.