It starts with a letter from FH Cann & Associates demanding you pay off an outstanding credit card or personal loan account. You toss the letter into the trash and forget ever seeing it.
That is, until the debt collection agency begins to call you repeatedly during all times of the day.
The mighty telephone remains a third party debt collector’s best friend when it comes tracking down consumers that owe money on credit cards and personal loans. Unfortunately, some bill collectors harass consumers over the phone, which is a tactic that is forbidden by a consumer protection law that has been on the books since 1977. Called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the federal law clearly prohibits bill collectors from using the telephone to harass consumers.
The Most Common Form of Harassing Phone Calls
Under the FDCPA, debt collection agencies are banned from making frequent phone calls throughout the day that demand payment on delinquent consumer credit accounts. The United States Congress made the prohibition of repeated phone calls one of the legal cornerstones of the FDCPA. The FDCPA also targets third party debt collectors that like to harass consumers at odd hours of the day. If you receive a phone call from FH Cann & Associates between the hours of 9 pm and 8 am, you should contact a licensed consumer protection attorney that has compiled an impressive record representing clients in FDCPA cases.
Making the Phone Calls from FH Cann & Associates Stop
The first step for getting FH Cann & Associates to stop calling you at work, at home, and on your cell phone is to enlist the help of an experienced consumer protection lawyer. Your attorney might suggest writing a formal cease and desist notice that carries legal clout because of the FDCPA. The language used in the letter must be emotionally neutral, which means it is a good idea for you to hand over the writing chores to your FDCPA lawyer. He or she will avoid antagonizing FH Cann & Associates by getting personal in the formal notice. You attorney will send the cease and desist letter via certified mail to create a paper trail confirming the bill collector received the letter.
Potential Monetary Damages
The United States Congress gave the FDCPA legal teeth by including a section that describes the possible monetary damages awarded in FDCPA cases. One of the ways to win monetary damages is to prove a debt collection agency’s harassment directly lead to you experiencing emotional distress. Emotional issues caused by third party debt collector harassment can negatively impact personal and professional relationships. Your FDCPA attorney will present the court with documentation linking emotional issues to the illegal actions conducted by a bill collector. Because of the lack of physical evidence, proving emotional duress is harder than proving physical distress. This is another reason why it is a good idea to work with a FDCPA lawyer.
Do not allow FH Cann & Associates to circumvent federal consumer protection law by harassing you. Speak with an accomplished FDCPA attorney to discuss how to stop the harassing phone calls from FH Cann & Associates.
Additional Resources
*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against FH Cann & Associates or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.