"Collections" refers to the process by which creditors try to get nonpaying debtors to pay what is owed. There are countless laws in North St. Paul, Minnesota regulating the conduct of collections agences.

What if I Am Owed Money in North St. Paul, Minnesota?

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.

For example, it should go without mentioning that creditors are not allowed to use threatened or actual violence when attempting to collect. They are also not permitted to use abusive language to the debtor, or contact a third party about the debt.

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 substantial, you might also want to hire a collection agency in North St. Paul, Minnesota. You should make sure that any agency you hire is trustworthy, and has not been cited for violations of the rules governing collections.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in North St. Paul, Minnesota?

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 North St. Paul, Minnesota. 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 permitted 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 a lawyer in North St. Paul, Minnesota, 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 North St. Paul, Minnesota Collections Attorney Help?

If you think that a collection agency is engaging in unlawful tactics, you should call a local North St. Paul, Minnesota attorney, as you might have a claim for damages against the creditor or the collection agency.

Also, if you are considering bankruptcy as an option, a seasoned Minnesota attorney can help guide you through the process.