There are honest debt collectors in Ohio, but, unfortunately, there are others that break the rules. Often, debt collection agents try to tack illegal fees onto consumer debt or use abusive tactics that violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). In addition, Ohio consumers must watch out for debt collectors that attempt to collect old debts. Fortunately, all debt eventually expires and becomes uncollectable. Once a debt reaches a certain age, it is considered “beyond statute,” meaning that the statute of limitations has kicked in, and debt collectors cannot legally sue to collect on the debt. Of course, debt collection agents may still try to collect these debts.
Why Ohio Consumers Should Request Debt Verification Letters when Debt Collectors Call
According to the FDCPA, debt collectors must send written validation letters to the Ohio consumers they call within five days of initial contact. Still, if you get a call from a debt collection agent, you should ask for this letter before agreeing to anything. This is because, upon viewing the debt validation letter, you can determine the answers to two important questions. First: Is the debt actually yours? Second: Has the debt expired?
Understanding whether or not debt is legally collectable helps consumers in Ohio make educated decisions about whether or not they should pay debt collectors. Also, Ohio consumers with expired debt should understand the concept of debt re-aging. This happens when consumers make payments on debts that are beyond statute or close to expiring. Because, in most states, the timeclock for debt starts with the last recorded payment. Therefore, if a consumer pays even one dollar toward expired debt, they effectively “bring the debt back from the dead.” This is why some debt collectors refer to re-aged debt as “zombie debt.”
How Ohio Consumers Can Fight Back Against Intentionally Misleading Debt Collectors
Too often, debt collectors trick Ohio consumers into re-aging debt by giving them false information over the phone. This is why it is so important to get written validation letters before making payments or supplying a debt collector with personal information. If you receive a call from a debt collection agent who refuses to furnish a validation letter, consult an FDCPA lawyer. It is likely that this debt collector is either a scam artist or in clear violation of the FDCPA.
There are several other ways in which debt collectors frequently violate the FDCPA. In fact, even if you owe a non-expired debt, debt collectors may not use harassing or abusive tactics with you. For example, debt collection agents are not permitted to use harsh language with or threaten consumers in Ohio. They are also not allowed to call at all hours of the night and morning, or discuss consumer debt with third parties.
Sadly, many Ohio consumers don’t know their rights when it comes to dealing with abusive debt collectors. However, if a debt collection agent fails to disclose important information or makes you feel uncomfortable in any way, you have the legal protection of a federal statute behind you. Also, you don’t have to take on FDCPA violating debt collectors on your own. Instead, you can contact the Law Offices of Gary D. Nitzkin in Ohio. Our firm fights abusive and harassing debt collectors every day, and we can make them stop. In fact, when you give us a call or fill out the contact form on our website, an experienced FDCPA attorney will go to work immediately to end the harassment – for free. In some cases, when we file successful actions against debt collection agencies, our clients receive damage payments.
Stop Debt Collector Harassment in Ohio – Legally and for Free
Don’t put up with abusive debt collectors. At the Law Offices of Gary D. Nitzkin in Ohio, we’ve been ending debt collector harassment and cleaning up credit reports for consumers since 2008 for free. How do we do it? All of our fees come from the defendants in settled cases. This is why our clients pay nothing for the work we do.
Let’s start the conversation about what we can do for your credit. Set up your free consultation today by calling Attorney Gary D. Nitzkin, P.C. at (216) 358-0591 or sending him a message through our contact page.
For more information about Stopping Debt Collector Harassment, please visit https://creditrepairlawyersam.com/ohio/ohio-debt-collectors/.
