레이블이 Credit Collection Laws in Texas인 게시물을 표시합니다. 모든 게시물 표시
레이블이 Credit Collection Laws in Texas인 게시물을 표시합니다. 모든 게시물 표시

2013년 11월 28일 목요일

About 'fair debt collection practices act texas'|How to Collect a Debt in Texas







About 'fair debt collection practices act texas'|How to Collect a Debt in Texas








The               Fair               Debt               Collections               Practices               Act               (FDCPA)               was               established               in               1977               in               order               to               banish               unfair               and               immoral               collection               practices               by               debt               collectors.

Many               people               who               are               behind               on               their               bills               feel               threatened               or               intimidated               by               bill               collectors,               and               will               refuse               to               talk               to               them.

It's               nice               to               know               that               even               though               you               owe               money               to               a               bank               or               finance               company,               you               still               have               rights.

The               FDCPA               defines               and               protects               those               rights,               and               creates               an               atmosphere               of               civility               so               that               you               can               feel               comfortable               talking               to               your               creditors.

In               most               cases,               creditors               have               repayment               options,               or               can               suggest               alternative               financing               arrangements               in               order               to               get               you               back               on               track               with               your               financial               obligations.

An               important               fact               to               note               is               that               the               FDCPA               only               applies               to               third-party               collection               agents.

These               agencies               (collection               agencies,               collection               attorneys)               are               collectors               that               are               collecting               for               someone               else.

First-party               collectors               are               agents               that               collect               for               debts               that               their               company               owns,               such               as               a               mortgage               company               that               calls               you               directly               if               you               miss               a               payment.

Many               first-party               collectors               will               abide               by               the               FDCPA               in               order               to               reduce               their               litigation               exposure,               but               they               are               not               bound               by               it.
               Another               thing               to               consider               is               that               the               FDCPA               does               not               override               individual               state               laws               concerning               collections.

As               a               consumer,               state               laws               will               in               most               cases               give               you               more               rights,               and               limit               the               collector's               rights,               such               as               divulging               information               to               spouses               without               prior               consent               by               the               consumer.
               Below               are               the               major               points               that               a               consumer               should               know               about               the               FDCPA.

These               are               the               basic,               everyday               issues,               and               not               meant               to               be               a               comprehensive               review               of               the               Act.

Knowing               these               points               will               help               you               to               understand               what               a               creditor               can               and               cannot               do,               and               whether               your               rights               are               being               violated.
               The               Fair               Debt               Collections               Practices               Act
               Location               Information
               Basically:               The               collector               is               allowed               to               try               to               find               you.


               Details:               A               common               practice               of               debt               collectors               is               to               pull               your               credit               bureau               report,               and               look               for               your               last               listed               place               of               employment.

They               will               then               call               your               job               and               try               to               contact               you.

This               is               allowed               by               the               FDCPA               as               long               as               the               collector               identifies               who               they               are               and               where               they               are               calling               from,               and               does               not               indicate               to               anyone               but               you               that               you               have               a               debt.

Collectors               are               also               able               to               call               any               other               third-parties               for               your               contact               information,               including               family               members,               neighbors,               other               creditors,               your               attorney,               and               anyone               else               they               can               find,               providing               that               they               follow               the               above               rules.
               Example:               A               collector               was               collecting               on               mortgages               in               Florida,               and               needed               to               find               a               particular               debtor               before               the               foreclosure               sale.

Their               phone               number               was               unlisted,               and               they               were               not               responding               to               the               letters               he               was               sending.

He               looked               on               411.com               for               every               home               on               their               block,               and               started               calling               neighbors.

He               contacted               the               next-door               neighbor,               who               advised               him               that               the               debtors               were               still               living               in               the               home               and               having               wild,               loud               parties               every               night.

She               offered               to               walk               her               cordless               phone               over               to               the               debtors,               knock               on               the               door,               and               wake               them               up               for               the               collector.

He               could               hear               the               neighbor               opening               her               door,               her               feet               crunching               in               her               gravel               driveway,               and               then               loud               bangs               on               what               was               presumably               the               debtor's               front               door.

The               phone               was               then               passed               to               the               debtor,               and               they               proceeded               to               have               a               lovely               conversation.

All               of               this               was               allowed               by               the               FDCPA               because               the               collector               never               indicated               to               the               neighbor               that               the               person               he               was               looking               for               owed               a               debt,               just               that               he               really               wanted               to               talk               to               them.
               Communication               with               Debtors
               Basically:               The               collector               can               contact               you               to               ask               you               for               money               owed.


               Details:               The               collector               needs               to               contact               you               between               8               A.M.

and               9               P.M.,               but               not               during               times               that               they               know               to               be               inconvenient               to               you.

So,               if               you've               told               the               collector               that               you               work               the               night               shift               and               sleep               in               the               morning,               they               would               be               prohibited               from               calling               you               in               the               morning.

If               you               advise               the               collector               that               you               have               an               attorney,               and               provide               the               attorney's               name               and               number,               the               collector               is               required               to               communicate               only               with               your               attorney.

If               you               advise               a               collector               that               you               are               not               allowed               or               able               to               receive               calls               at               work,               they               are               prohibited               from               calling               your               job.

If               you               contact               a               collector               in               writing               and               advise               them               to               cease               communication               (or,               "stop               contacting               me"),               the               collector               can               only               contact               you               one               additional               time               to               let               you               know               that               they               will               stop               contacting               you.

They               can               also               contact               you               after               a               cease               communication               to               let               you               know               of               special               offers               of               repayment               or               discounted               payoffs               (special               remedies).

A               collector               can               never               communicate               with               third               parties               without               your               specific               permission.

Third               parties               are               considered               anyone               but               you,               your               spouse               (in               most               states),               your               attorney,               or               your               parent               or               guardian               if               you               are               a               minor.

Exceptions               include               credit               reporting               agencies,               creditors,               attorneys               or               representatives               of               the               creditor               or               collector,               and               executors               and               administers               of               a               debtor's               estate.
               The               collector               cannot               send               you               a               letter               that               has               any               indication               that               you               owe               money               to               them               on               the               envelope.

That               includes               an               ink               stamp               saying               "PAST               DUE",               as               well               as               the               name               of               the               collection               agency               if               it               implies               a               debt.

So,               Big               Debt               Collectors,               Inc.

cannot               have               their               name               on               the               return               address,               but               BDC,               Inc.

can.

In               no               way               can               they               send               postcards               through               the               mail               as               a               contact               attempt               or               location               attempt.
               Harassment
               Basically:               The               collector               is               not               allowed               to               make               you               feel               uncomfortable.


               Details:               This               is               what               the               anti-harassment               portion               of               the               FDCPA               boils               down               to:               collectors               must               act               professionally               and               ethically.

Collectors               cannot               contact               a               debtor               more               than               once               a               day               unless               specifically               given               permission               by               the               debtor.

They               cannot               use               threats               of               violence,               obscene               language,               or               cause               your               phone               to               ring               repeatedly.

They               cannot               threaten               legal               remedies               (lawsuits,               foreclosure,               repossession,               etc.)               unless               they               are               legally               allowed               to               take               those               actions.

They               cannot               advertise               your               debt               for               sale,               or               put               your               name               on               a               list               as               a               debtor               (except               to               a               credit               reporting               agency).

They               must               identify               themselves               and               whom               they               work               for               when               communicating               with               you.
               Example:               A               field               collector               who               worked               for               a               mobile               home               financing               agency               before               the               FDCPA               took               effect               used               to               have               an               effective               way               of               getting               the               debtor               to               communicate               with               him.

If               a               debtor               were               avoiding               his               calls               and               letters               ("ducking"),               he               would               go               to               the               mobile               home               and               remove               the               air               conditioning               unit               and               front               door               from               the               home.

In               South               Carolina,               in               the               summer,               this               usually               resulted               in               prompt               responses               from               the               debtors.

This               is               a               prime               example               of               why               the               FDCPA               came               into               being,               and               the               abuses               it               was               meant               to               stop.
               False               or               Misleading               Representation
               Basically:               The               collector               cannot               lie               to               you.


               Details:               The               collector               cannot               give               you               false               or               misleading               information               about               your               debt,               their               identity,               what               they               will               or               will               not               do               to               you,               or               anything               else.

Specifically,               they               are               prohibited               they               cannot               provide               false               or               misleading               information               about:               
               -               The               amount               of               money               owed               
               -               The               legal               status               of               the               debt               
               -               Their               ability               to               garnish               wages,               repossess               property,               or               any               other               remedies               unless               allowed               by               law               
               -               The               timeframe               of               any               legal               action               or               remedy               
               -               Any               action               that               will               not               or               cannot               be               taken               by               the               collector               
               -               The               identity               or               nature               of               any               communication               (i.e.

sending               a               letter               that               appears               to               be               from               an               attorney               or               government               office,               or               pretending               to               call               from               a               police               office               or               government               bureau)               
               -               Their               identity,               or               identity               of               their               company               
               -               Any               information               given               to               a               consumer               or               debtor               in               any               communication
               Example:               In               mortgage               collections,               the               obvious               remedy               for               non-payment               is               foreclosure.

It               is               not               uncommon               to               hear               collectors               advise               debtors               that               their               home               will               be               seized               and               sold               by               the               bank.

This               is               allowed               by               the               FDCPA,               because               it               is               a               real               legal               remedy.

However,               to               insinuate               that               it               will               happen               "soon",               or               to               give               unrealistic               timelines               is               prohibited.

If               a               home               is               in               New               York,               a               notoriously               lengthy               foreclosure               state,               a               collector               cannot               say               that               the               home               will               be               foreclosed               on               "soon"               if               the               legal               process               hasn't               started               yet.

However,               in               Texas,               the               foreclosure               process               takes               about               six               weeks.
               Unfair               Practices
               Basically:               The               collector               cannot               do               things               to               unjustly               cost               you               money               or               hurt               your               character.


               Details:               The               collector               cannot               collect               any               money               other               than               what               is               owed               through               the               default               of               the               loan,               and               the               provisions               of               the               contract.

Many               contracts,               such               as               mortgages,               credit               card               applications,               and               car               loans,               stipulate               that               you               will               be               liable               for               legal               fees               or               collection               costs.

Therefore,               the               collector               will               also               be               collecting               the               costs               and               fees               as               well               as               the               original               debt,               plus               any               interest               as               indicated               by               the               contract.

A               collector               cannot               send               a               letter               COD,               or               call               you               collect,               because               that               would               cost               you               money               that               is               not               reasonable               for               collection               purposes.

The               collector               also               cannot               accept               or               solicit               postdated               checks               that               are               dated               more               than               five               days               ahead,               unless               they               send               a               letter               indicating               their               intention               to               do               so***.

Of               course,               the               collector               cannot               threaten               to               or               actually               deposit               a               postdated               check               early.
               ***Post-Dated               checks               vs.

Check-by-Phone               -               It               is               a               common               practice               for               collectors               to               request               that               you               do               a               "check-by-phone"               when               they               are               requesting               money               either               immediately,               or               when               setting               up               a               payment               plan               with               you.

This               service               allows               a               collector               to               print               a               check               in-house               and               deposit               it               to               a               bank               using               your               check               information               (Routing               number,               Checking               Account               Number,               and               a               Check               Number).

This               is               allowed               by               the               FDCPA,               and               not               considered               an               Unfair               Practice               as               long               as               the               collector               sends               a               letter               reminding               you               that               you               have               authorized               that               payment               if               it               is               dated               more               than               five               days               out.
               Conclusion
               The               best               way               to               get               out               of               serious               debt               is               to               work               with               your               creditor.

They               may               be               able               to               help               you               in               ways               you               were               not               aware               of.

The               FDCPA               is               designed               to               empower               the               debtor               to               feel               comfortable               communicating               with               a               collector,               and               to               make               sure               that               the               collector               is               playing               fair               and               being               nice.

Communicate               openly,               and               remember               that               your               situation               does               not               rob               you               of               your               rights.
               
               Caveat               
               The               author               is               not               a               legal               professional,               nor               does               he               profess               to               be               so.

The               above               article               is               meant               to               be               a               summary               of               the               Fair               Debt               Collection               Practices               Act               as               it               is               understood               by               the               author.

If               you               feel               that               your               rights               as               a               consumer               have               been               violated               in               any               way,               it               is               recommended               that               you               consult               an               attorney               to               determine               your               legal               recourse.









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