If you have a debt, then you are inviting people to eventually collect it if you haven’t paid. But no matter how large your debt is or how you accumulated it, you do not have to suffer harassment from third-party collectors. These third-party collectors should not be harassing you about your debt; legally, it could cause a lot of problems for them.
The reason their behavior may end up getting them in trouble is that certain aggressive and unreasonable debt collection methods violate the Federal Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA). The FDCPA prohibits third-party collectors from threatening to sue you, threatening to freeze your bank account, and continuing to call after you ask them to stop. These behaviors–along with many others–may invite legal punishment from the federal government under the FDCPA
If any of the aforementioned violations sound familiar to you, then you should consider contacting an FDCPA attorney. This attorney will be in the best possible position to make the harassment stop, and they will advocate on your behalf to get you any compensation you may be entitled to for the FDCPA violations.
The Specific FDCPA Laws in Kansas
People in Kansas are lucky enough to be protected by the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. The language in the Kansas Consumer Protection Act prohibits “unconscionable” behavior in order to collect a debt. It also protects consumers who may have been tricked into forfeiting other rights in their settlement.
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Like many other states, Kansas also specifically forbids debtors from using “extortionate” means to collect a debt. That means that debtors cannot use violent or criminal means to get their money back.
Protections Under the FDCPA
In Kansas (and every U.S. state), the FDCPA protects you from certain behavior that third-party collectors engage in. Under this law, third-party collectors are not allowed to:
- Pretend to be an IRS agent
- Continue calling you repeatedly after you’ve asked them to stop
- Threaten to seize your property
- Call you at work if you’ve asked them not to
- Make your phone ring repeatedly
You get many more protections from the FDCPA as well, so even if one of the violations doesn’t fit into the ones that were just mentioned, you may still be protected. A more exhaustive list of the violations can be found here.
Talk to An Attorney Today
By now, you can probably recognize whether you’ve experienced harassment from third-party collectors. If you have, you should strongly consider filing an FDCPA claim, and, if possible, contacting a lawyer for representation. In this particular case, you won’t have to even pay your attorney unless you win; this is because these lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
It isn’t just because an FDCPA lawyer will be knowledgeable about the subject and able to assess your case and determine how to win. It’s also because winning your case would stop the harassment and may even grant you some financial compensation. You could be paid $1000 for each FDCPA violation, and while financial compensation doesn’t erase past crimes, it can help stabilize your future.