Broadly, the term "Collections" refers to the practice of creditors attempting to force debtors to pay what they owe. There are various laws and regulations in Aransas Pass, Texas that govern collection agencies, and strictly limit the types of tactics they are authorized to engage in.
What if I Am Owed Money in Aransas Pass, Texas?
If somebody owes you money and is refusing to pay, you have many 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.
The law prevents creditors from engaging in any form of violence against the debtor in an attempt to collect. It further bars them from using abusive language or contacting third parties about the debt owed by the debtor.
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 Aransas Pass, Texas. You should make sure that any agency you hire is dependable, and has not been cited for violations of the laws governing collections.
What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Aransas Pass, Texas?
Of course, if you owe money and have the ability to pay it, you should do so. If the collections caller is behaving cordially, 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 Aransas Pass, Texas. 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 authorized 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 an Aransas Pass, Texas 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 Aransas Pass, Texas Collections Attorney Help?
If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its attempts to collect, you should probably call an Aransas Pass, Texas attorney, since such behavior 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 Texas can help you with that process, too.