"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 Atlanta, Georgia governing the tactics that collection agencies can and cannot do.
What if I Am Owed Money in Atlanta, Georgia?
If you are owed money and the debtor won't pay, for whatever reason, you are entitled to seek collection by any lawful means. Of course, the means of collection that are considered "lawful" are quite limited. You should be aware of the rules that govern collections before you proceed, as violating them can hurt your chances of collecting, and even expose you to liability.
The law prevents creditors from engaging in any form of violence against the debtor in an attempt to collect. It further bars them from using abusive language or contacting third parties about the debt owed by the debtor.
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 Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Atlanta, Georgia?
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.
Fortunately, you have some options in Atlanta, Georgia. First of all, you should attempt to contact the creditor directly, and see if something can be worked out. If this doesn't work, you can demand that the collection agency stop contacting you by phone. When this happens, they are not authorized to contact you further. This, of course, doesn't make the debt go away, but if the calls are becoming unbearable, it might buy you a little bit of time. Usually, when this happens, the creditor gives up on extra-judicial collections, and files a lawsuit against the debtor.
If you have hired an Atlanta, Georgia attorney to help you through this process, he or she may advise that you declare bankruptcy. Once this occurs, creditors are legally barred from trying to collect against the debtor. Of course, this is a major decision, and should not be made lightly.
How Can a Atlanta, Georgia Collections Attorney Help?
If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its effort to collect, you should probably call an Atlanta, Georgia 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 applying for bankruptcy, a seasoned lawyer in Georgia can help you with that process, too.