"Collections" refers to the process by which creditors attempt to get nonpaying debtors to pay what is owed. There are many laws in Ingham County, Michigan regulating the conduct of collections agences.

What if I Am Owed Money in Ingham County, Michigan?

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.

For example, when attempting to collect, creditors are not allowed to use abusive language, contact any third party about the debt, and of course they are not allowed to use threats of violence in an attempt to get their money.

Creditors may, however, send written demands for timely payment, along with an invoice that clearly lays out exactly what the debtor owes. If the debt is considerable, it might be worth it to hire an Ingham County, Michigan collection agency, which usually gets paid through a percentage of the debt collected. You should make sure, however, that the agency is dependable, and hasn't been cited for violations of consumer protection laws.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Ingham County, Michigan?

If you know that you owe the money being sought of you, and have the ability to pay it, you should do so - this is the quickest and surest way to end collections calls. Of course, this is not the case for everyone. Whatever your situation, you should always behave civilly with the collection callers, especially if they are doing the same. Whatever you do, you should not ignore the matter, because this will never make the problem go away, and will make things worse in the long run.

Fortunately, you have some options in Ingham County, Michigan. First of all, you should try 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 retained the services of an Ingham County, Michigan attorney, they might advise that you declare bankruptcy, depending on your individual situation. In any case, you shouldn't consider bankruptcy before weighing other options, and discussing the matter with an attorney.

How Can a Ingham County, Michigan Collections Attorney Help?

If you believe that a creditor is violating the law in its attempts to collect from you, you should get in touch with an Ingham County, Michigan attorney, since you might really have a claim for damages against the creditor.

If you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy, a good lawyer in Michigan can help you with that process, too.