Broadly, the term "Collections" refers to the practice of creditors attempting to force debtors to pay what they owe. There are numerous laws and regulations in Blount County, Tennessee that govern collection agencies, and strictly limit the types of tactics they are permitted to engage in.

What if I Am Owed Money in Blount County, Tennessee?

If somebody owes you money and is refusing to pay, you have various options at your disposal. However, in doing so, you will be governed by very strict consumer protection laws that govern the collection of debts. Breaking these rules can hurt your chances at successfully collecting, and might even expose you to civil liability.

As an example, when trying to collect, creditors may not use abusive language, contact third parties regarding the debt, or use violence or threats of violence.

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 Blount County, Tennessee. You should make sure that any agency you hire is trustworthy, and has not been cited for violations of the laws governing collections.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Blount County, Tennessee?

If you truly owe the money being sought, and you are able to pay it, you should of course do so. If the collection caller is behaving cordially, you should do the same. Even if the caller doesn't behave in a cordial manner, you should resist the temptation to respond in kind, and ask to speak with a supervisor, or simply end the conversation. Whatever you do, you should never ignore the issue. This will not make the problem go away.

However, you do have some options in Blount County, Tennessee. 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 stop calling you, and they typically are obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't eliminate 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 Blount County, Tennessee attorney to help you through this process, he or she might advise that you declare bankruptcy. Once this occurs, creditors are legally barred from attempting to collect against the debtor. Of course, this is a major decision, and should not be made lightly.

How Can a Blount County, Tennessee Collections Attorney Help?

If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its attempts to collect, you should probably call a Blount County, Tennessee 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 filing for bankruptcy, a good lawyer in Tennessee can help you with that process, too.