On behalf of Law Offices of Mark M. Kratter, LLC on September 04, 2012
Many residents of Connecticut have received harassing debt collection calls. With the massive amount of job loss and the current state of the economy, Americans are being plunged into debt and can sometimes find themselves receiving relentless calls from collection agencies and other debt collectors. Fortunately, the federal government is beginning to take a closer look at those agencies and is beginning to fight against what can sometimes be overly aggressive and unscrupulous practices by these agencies. Anyone can find themselves in credit card debt, but no one should be subjected to harassing collection practices.
Estimates show a sharp upswing in Americans facing collection against this year. The numbers are up almost 50 percent since nine years ago. With underwater mortgages and the high number of job losses, many people are struggling not only to pay their day-to-day bills, but also make credit card debt and other payments on time. Lawmakers around the nation are taking notice and are beginning to initiate legislation that could potentially protect consumers against these types of practices.
Some tactics used by debt collectors could include harassment of family members and neighbors, threatening to arrest a debtor and even intimidating phone calls. These companies are now facing trouble all over the nation, and consumers who have grown weary of their practices are fighting back by filing lawsuits, which we wrote about in August. One such company allegedly falsely represented themselves as a legal aid service one woman had used. When she provided the person information about her situation, the man allegedly laughed and told her he was from a debt collection agency. She has since filed a lawsuit alleging the company violated federal law.
Although there are federal laws that protect consumers, many debt collection agencies repeatedly violate the laws. Fortunately, lawmakers and citizens appear to be taking a stand against this type of behavior.
Credit card debt can be overwhelming for Connecticut residents; however, they shouldn't be threatened by aggressive bill collectors over their debts. Fortunately, consumers have options open to them in the form of bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy can issue what is called an automatic stay. This will immediately stop collection activity and give Connecticut residents peace of mind while they figure out their next steps as they plan to conquer these issues once and for all.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "Aggressive debt collection tactics are drawing federal scrutiny," Jim Puzzanghera, Aug. 20, 2012
