"Collections" refers to the process by which creditors attempt to get nonpaying debtors to pay what is owed. There are numerous laws in St. Louis Park, Minnesota regulating the conduct of collections agences.
What if I Am Owed Money in St. Louis Park, 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.
For example, it should go without saying that creditors are not allowed to use threatened or actual violence when trying to collect. They are also not allowed 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 significant, you might also want to hire a collection agency in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. You should make sure that any agency you hire is reputable, and has not been cited for violations of the laws governing collections.
What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in St. Louis Park, Minnesota?
If you actually 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 cordial manner. In any event, you should never ignore the problem, as this usually makes things worse.
Fortunately, you have some options in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. 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 allowed 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 St. Louis Park, 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 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 St. Louis Park, 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 St. Louis Park, Minnesota attorney, since such conduct on the part of the creditor might actually give you a claim for damages against it.
Also, if you are considering bankruptcy as an option, a good Minnesota attorney can help guide you through the process.