The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act forbids debt collectors from harassing debtors at work or at home. When it comes to the workplace, debt collectors may not call the debtor at work if he requests they refrain from doing so and may not repeatedly call the debtor so that his work day is unreasonably disrupted. If a debt collector is harassing you at work, hiring an attorney allows you to take legal action to stop the harassment.
Cease and Desist Letter
You or your attorney can send debt collectors a cease and desist letter telling them not to call you at work or not to call you at all. By law, bill collectors may not call you at work if you tell them not to do so. You may not want to tell them to cease and desist calling you at all because bill collectors are more likely to sue you if they are barred from getting in touch with you to try to settle the debt.
Document Everything
Always document any harassment or abusive behavior. Write down what the bill collector said, when he said it and how often he said it. Unreasonably frequent phone calls can be considered harassment; in addition, bill collectors are not allowed to verbally abuse you, use foul language or make threats that they are not legally empowered to carry out. Calling you at work after being told to contact you only at home is also considered harassment. Thus, write down each instance as soon as it happens as evidence of the harassment.
Hire an Attorney
If you hire an attorney to handle your debt collection issues, you may refer all bill collectors to that attorney. Bill collectors may not continue contacting you directly after being told to contact your attorney regarding the matter. In addition, your attorney can help you take legal action against bill collectors to stop them from harassing you or advise you of the best course of action if you are being harassed.
File a Lawsuit
If you have proof that a bill collector is harassing you, you can sue her in civil court for damages resulting from her violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The bill collector may choose to settle the case out of court rather than go to trial; if so, your lawyer will help negotiate a fair settlement for you. You can also report debt collectors for bad behavior to the Federal Trade Commission.
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