"Collections" is the process by which creditors try to get nonpaying debtors to pay the money they owe. There are a huge number of laws in Northport, Alabama governing the tactics that collection agencies can and cannot do.

What if I Am Owed Money in Northport, Alabama?

If you are owed money and the debtor refuses to pay, you have some options at your disposal. However, you must tread lightly when it comes to collecting your debts. Creditors and collectors are governed by specific consumer protection laws. Violating these laws can hurt your chances of recovering what you are owed, and even subject you to civil or criminal penalties.

For example, it should go without mentioning that creditors are not allowed to use threatened or actual violence when attempting to collect. They are also not authorized to use abusive language to the debtor, or contact a third party about the debt.

What you can do, however, is send an invoice of the debt to the debtor, along with a firm (but civil) demand for timely payment. If the debt is considerable, you might also want to hire a collection agency in Northport, Alabama. You should make sure that any agency you hire is dependable, and has not been cited for violations of the rules governing collections.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Northport, Alabama?

Of course, if you owe money and have the capacity to pay it, you should do so. If the collections caller is behaving courteously, you should do the same. In any case, it is never a good idea to ignore the issue, because that will definitely not make it go away.

Your best option in Northport, Alabama might be to contact the creditor directly, and try to work out some type of new repayment plan. The earlier you do this, the more receptive to your ideas the creditor is likely to be. If this isn't successful, you can demand that the collectors stop contacting you by phone, and they will normally be obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't make the debt go away, and you should only take this route if you are ready to defend against a lawsuit from your creditors, since demanding that they stop contacting you typically leaves them with no other option but to sue.

If you have retained a Northport, Alabama attorney during this process, they might advise that the best course of action is to apply for bankruptcy. This is a major decision, however, and should not be made easily. You should only apply for bankruptcy if an attorney advises you that it is a viable feasible option, given your individual circumstances.

How Can a Northport, Alabama Collections Attorney Help?

If you think that a collection agency is engaging in illegal tactics, you should call a local Northport, Alabama attorney, as you might have a claim for damages against the creditor or the collection agency.

If you are thinking about applying for bankruptcy, a seasoned lawyer in Alabama can help you with that process, too.