"Collections" refers to the practices engaged in by creditors designed to obtain payment from debtors who are not interested in paying what they owe. In Hurricane, West Virginia, there are many laws which strictly limit the practices that collections agencies can engage in.

What if I Am Owed Money in Hurricane, West Virginia?

If you are owed money and the debtor refuses to pay, you have some options at your disposal. However, you must tread lightly when it comes to collecting your debts. Creditors and collectors are governed by strict consumer protection rules. Violating these rules can hurt your chances of recovering what you are owed, and even subject you to civil or criminal penalties.

Some practices that collectors cannot engage in include the use of abusive language, contacting third parties about the debt, and threatened or actual violence.

One thing you are allowed to do is send a written demand for immediate payment. The demand should lay out the exact amount you believe is owed, so the debtor cannot plausibly claim ignorance of that fact. If a lot of money is involved, it might be prudent to hire a Hurricane, West Virginia collections agency. If you go this route, it is essential to make sure that you hire an agency that is dependable, and follows the relevant law to the letter.

What if Someone Is Trying to Collect Money Against Me in Hurricane, West Virginia?

If you really owe the money that is being sought, and can afford to pay it, you should do so. If the collection caller is behaving in a civil manner, you should try to do the same. In any case, the worst thing you can do is ignore the issue hoping that it will go away. It won't.

Luckily, you have some options in Hurricane, West Virginia. First of all, you should attempt to directly contact the creditor, and see if some modified payment plan can be worked out. If this doesn't work, you can ask the collectors to stop contacting you by phone, and they will normally be obliged to do so. Of course, this doesn't make the debt go away, but it might give you some time to collect yourself and prepare a legal defense. Once this happens, the collection agency can only contact you to inform you that it intends to sue you for the debt owed.

If you have hired a lawyer in Hurricane, West Virginia, 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 individual case, so you should not do so until an attorney has reviewed the facts and determined that bankruptcy is a feasible solution.

How Can a Hurricane, West Virginia Collections Attorney Help?

If you think that the collection agency is violating the law in its attempts to collect, you should probably call a Hurricane, West Virginia 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 West Virginia can help you with that process, too.