"Collections" refers to the process by which creditors attempt to get nonpaying debtors to pay what is owed. There are many laws in Grand Rapids, Minnesota regulating the conduct of collections agences.
What if I Am Owed Money in Grand Rapids, Minnesota?
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.
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 substantial, it might be worth it to hire a Grand Rapids, Minnesota collection agency, which usually gets paid through a percentage of the debt collected. You should make sure, however, that the agency is trustworthy, and hasn't been cited for violations of consumer protection laws.
What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Grand Rapids, Minnesota?
If you truly owe the money that they are trying 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 civil manner. In any event, you should never ignore the problem, as this usually makes things worse.
Thankfully, you have numerous options at your disposal in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. First, you should try to contact the creditor directly, and see if some sort of solution 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 Grand Rapids, Minnesota, 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 specific case, so you should not do so until an attorney has reviewed the facts and determined that bankruptcy is a possible solution.
How Can a Grand Rapids, Minnesota Collections Attorney Help?
If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its attempts to collect, you should probably call a Grand Rapids, Minnesota attorney, since such actions on the part of the creditor might actually give you a claim for damages against it.
If you are thinking about bankruptcy, a good Minnesota bankrutpcy attorney can help guide you through the process.