"Collections" refers to the process by which creditors try to get nonpaying debtors to pay what is owed. There are countless laws in Stewartville, Minnesota regulating the conduct of collections agences.
What if I Am Owed Money in Stewartville, 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 authorized 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 considerable, you might also want to hire a collection agency in Stewartville, Minnesota. You should make sure that any agency you hire is dependable, and has not been cited for violations of the rules governing collections.
What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Stewartville, Minnesota?
If you really owe the money that they are attempting 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 polite manner. In any event, you should never ignore the problem, as this usually makes things worse.
However, you do have some options in Stewartville, Minnesota. First of all, you should make an effort to get in direct contact with the creditor, as opposed to the collection agency, and try to work something out. If this fails, you can tell the collections agency to cease calling you, and they normally are obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't expunge the debt, but it can buy you some time. You should know, however, that when you show that you are not interested in dealing with the creditors or collectors directly, they will usually resort to a lawsuit.
If you have hired a Stewartville, Minnesota lawyer to help, he or she may advise that you file for bankruptcy. If you do apply for bankruptcy, creditors are immediately required to suspend all collection activities. Of course, bankruptcy is a major decision, and should not be made without the advice of an attorney.
How Can a Stewartville, Minnesota Collections Attorney Help?
If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its effort to collect, you should probably call a Stewartville, Minnesota attorney, since such behavior on the part of the creditor may actually give you a claim for damages against it.
If you are thinking about applying for bankruptcy, a seasoned lawyer in Minnesota can help you with that process, too.