ABUSIVE DEBT COLLECTION
It is difficult to ignore harassment and abuse from debt collectors. It can strain personal relationships, affect your employment, invade your privacy, and sometimes lead you to the brink of bankruptcy. Recognizing these problems, Congress created a set of rules, known as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) by which most debt collectors must abide. California expanded on these rules with its own set of additional protections, known as the Rosenthal FDCPA. If you are targeted by a debt collector who refuses to play by the rules, you should contact our office immediately.
COMMON VIOLATIONS
Threatening you with arrest
Threatening to sue you for a debt that is past the statute of limitations
Threatening to garnish/levy money that they cannot (i.e., Social Security benefits)
Failing to report to a dispute to a credit bureau
Re-aging the account it reports to a credit bureau to make it look newer than it is
Suing you in an inconvenient location
Contacting relatives to “locate” you, even though they already have your location information
Calling you multiple times in a single day
Calling you at work after being advised not to do so
Continuing debt collection efforts before validating the debt or after you have exercised your cease-and-desist rights
The FDCPA has a short, one-year statute of limitations, so when you are being abused or harassed by a debt collector, it is important you speak to an attorney immediately.
Our office offers free consultations.
We can often fight debt collectors on a contingency basis - meaning we only get paid if you do.
CONTACT US
369 Pine Street, Suite 410
San Francisco, CA 94104
Tel: 415-426-7850