There are many times when you may fall behind on paying your bills due to financial difficulties, such as losing a job or unforeseen emergencies. Regardless of the reason, no one should be a victim of harassment or abuse from a debt collection agency.
At Morgan & Morgan, our debt collection attorneys are experienced in stopping collection agencies from excessively hounding you over your debt. Our expert understanding of the laws that protect citizens from debt collectors has allowed us to successfully stand up to the collectors for many of our clients, securing them compensation and offering them much-needed peace of mind.
Debt collectors have been known to try and bully struggling Floridians into paying unfair debts at moments of weakness. They may even try to collect on a debt that you aren’t responsible for.
Fraudulent collectors will try to scam you out of your rights and money, but with a Morgan & Morgan attorney at your side, you know that someone will be there to fight for your rights.
If you are being constantly harassed by debt collectors, we can help. To find out how The Villages’ debt collection attorneys may be able to help you, please fill out our free case evaluation form today.
What Debt Collectors Can’t Do
If you have experienced constant harassment from debt collectors, you may believe there is nearly nothing they can’t and won’t do. However, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act places strict standards of conduct upon nearly every third-party debt collector in the United States. Debt collectors cannot:
- Threaten force, violence, or defamation;
- Use obscene, profane, or abusive language;
- Publish the names of alleged debtors;
- Place phone calls with a frequency that is intended to harass;
- Misrepresent the amount, nature, or origin of an alleged debt;
- Impersonate law enforcement or another authority;
- Misrepresent the potential penalties for non-payment, including telling alleged debtors they will be prosecuted, imprisoned, or have their wages garnished (unless garnishment is actually authorized by a court);
- Add charges or fees not authorized by the original agreement;
- Solicit or demand an excessively postdated check; and
- Threaten to repossess property when the right to do so does not actually exist.
Florida state law reiterates similar protections and actually provides some additional ones such as making it illegal for a debt collector to communicate with an alleged debtor’s employer — or threaten to do so — without a legitimate garnishment order.
How Can Victims of Debt Collector Harassment in Florida Fight Back?
Debt collectors must cease communication with you once you notify them that an attorney represents you. Further, if you dispute a debt, they must cease communication until they are able to provide sufficient verification of the amount and nature of that debt.
Contact The Villages’ Debt Collection Attorneys Today
Debt collectors take advantage of their victims when they at their weakest. They rely on fear and their victim’s lack of knowledge of the law to perpetrate illegal conduct while pursuing debt.
If you have experienced any of the conduct described here or otherwise been the victim of debt collector harassment in The Villages, we may be able to help. Fill out our free case evaluation form today to learn what a debt collection attorney may be able to do for you.