"Collections" refers broadly to the various tools that creditors have at their disposal to get payment from debtors who are not paying what they owe. There are many Gallipolis, Ohio laws and regulations concerning the conduct of collections agencies, and what they can and cannot do in order to collect.

What if I Am Owed Money in Gallipolis, Ohio?

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 Gallipolis, Ohio. 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 Gallipolis, Ohio?

Of course, if you owe money and have the capacity to pay it, you should do so. If the collections caller is behaving amicably, 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.

Your best option in Gallipolis, Ohio might be to contact the creditor directly, and try to work out some type of new repayment plan. The earlier you do this, the more receptive to your ideas the creditor is likely to be. If this isn't successful, you can demand that the collectors stop contacting you by phone, and they will normally be obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't make the debt go away, and you should only take this route if you are ready to defend against a lawsuit from your creditors, since demanding that they stop contacting you typically leaves them with no other option but to sue.

If you have retained a Gallipolis, Ohio attorney during this process, they might advise that the best course of action is to apply for bankruptcy. This is a major decision, however, and should not be made easily. You should only apply for bankruptcy if an attorney advises you that it is a viable feasible option, given your individual circumstances.

How Can a Gallipolis, Ohio Collections Attorney Help?

If you believe that a creditor is violating the law in its effort to collect from you, you should get in touch with a Gallipolis, Ohio attorney, since you might really have a claim for damages against the creditor.

Also, if you're considering applying for bankruptcy, a seasoned attorney in Ohio can tell you if this is a good option, and, if it is, help you through the process.