"Collections" is the process by which creditors attempt to get nonpaying debtors to pay the money they owe. There are a large number of laws in Windsor Heights, Iowa governing the tactics that collection agencies can and cannot do.
What if I Am Owed Money in Windsor Heights, Iowa?
If someone owes you money and won't pay, you have some legal options to seek repayment of your debt. However, you need to be careful in this area. There are many laws and regulations detailing what debt collectors can and cannot do. Breaking these laws, even inadvertently, can harm your chances at collecting, and maybe even expose you to civil penalties.
Some practices that collectors cannot engage in include the use of abusive language, contacting third parties about the debt, and threatened or actual violence.
You may, however, send a written demand for timely payment. The demand should lay out exactly how much the debtor allegedly owes. If there is a large amount of money involved, it might be worth it to hire a Windsor Heights, 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 various collections agencies in your area, to make sure the one you hire is reputable, and carefully follows the law.
What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Windsor Heights, Iowa?
Of course, if you owe money and have the ability to pay it, you should do so. If the collections caller is behaving cordially, 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.
Thankfully, you have many options at your disposal in Windsor Heights, Iowa. First, you should try to contact the creditor directly, and see if some sort of deal can be worked out. If this is unsuccessful, you can tell the collectors to stop contacting you, which may work in some instances. Of course, this doesn't make the debt go away, but it might give you a little bit of breathing room. The collectors will only be allowed to contact you to let you know that they are suing you for the money owed, or that they have stopped attempting to collect the debt.
If you have hired a lawyer in Windsor Heights, Iowa, they might advise that you file for bankruptcy. Of course, whether or not this is a good idea depends heavily on the facts of your particular case, so you should not do so until an attorney has reviewed the facts and determined that bankruptcy is a viable solution.
How Can a Windsor Heights, Iowa Collections Attorney Help?
If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its attempts to collect, you should probably call a Windsor Heights, Iowa attorney, since such conduct on the part of the creditor might actually give you a claim for damages against it.
If you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy, a good lawyer in Iowa can help you with that process, too.