"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 Oceanside, California governing the tactics that collection agencies can and cannot do.
What if I Am Owed Money in Oceanside, California?
If somebody owes you money and is declining to pay, you have many options at your disposal. However, in doing so, you will be governed by very specific consumer protection rules that govern the collection of debts. Violating these rules can hurt your chances at effectively collecting, and might even expose you to civil liability.
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 Oceanside, California. 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 Oceanside, California?
If you really owe the money that they are attempting to collect, and are able to pay it, doing so would be your best option for ending the collections calls. Of course, this is not everybody's situation. When dealing with collectors, you should try to maintain the high ground by behaving in a calm and amicable manner. In any event, you should never ignore the problem, as this usually makes things worse.
Luckily, you have some options in Oceanside, California. First of all, you should try to directly contact the creditor, and see if some altered payment plan can be worked out. If this doesn't work, you can ask the collectors to stop contacting you by phone, and they will normally be obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't make the debt go away, but it may give you some time to collect yourself and prepare a legal defense. Once this happens, the collection agency can only contact you to inform you that it intends to sue you for the debt owed.
If you have retained an Oceanside, California 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 Oceanside, California Collections Attorney Help?
If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its effort to collect, you should probably call an Oceanside, California attorney, since such behavior on the part of the creditor may actually give you a claim for damages against it.
If you are thinking about bankruptcy, a seasoned California bankrutpcy attorney can help guide you through the process.