"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 Dyersville, Iowa governing the tactics that collection agencies can and cannot do.

What if I Am Owed Money in Dyersville, Iowa?

If someone owes you money and won't pay, you have several legal options to seek repayment of your debt. However, you need to be careful in this area. There are many rules and regulations detailing what debt collectors can and cannot do. Violating these laws, even inadvertently, can harm your chances at collecting, and maybe even expose you to civil penalties.

As an example, when attempting to collect, creditors may not use abusive language, contact third parties regarding the debt, or use violence or threats of violence.

You may, however, send a written demand for timely payment. The demand should lay out precisely how much the debtor allegedly owes. If there is a large amount of money involved, it may be worth it to hire a Dyersville, Iowa collections agency, which will probably take its fee in the form of a percentage of the debt collected. You should do some research on different collections agencies in your area, to make sure the one you hire is trustworthy, and thoroughly follows the law.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Dyersville, Iowa?

If you truly owe the money that is being sought, and can afford to pay it, you should do so. If the collection caller is behaving in an amicable manner, you should try to do the same. In any case, the worst thing you can do is ignore the issue hoping that it will go away. It won't.

Luckily, you have some options in Dyersville, Iowa. 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 typically 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 hired a lawyer in Dyersville, Iowa, they might advise that you apply for bankruptcy. Of course, whether or not this is a good idea depends strongly on the facts of your specific case, so you should not do so unless an attorney has reviewed the facts and determined that bankruptcy is a possible solution.

How Can a Dyersville, Iowa Collections Attorney Help?

If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its effort to collect, you should probably call a Dyersville, Iowa attorney, since such actions 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 Iowa can help you with that process, too.