Is David Taylor and Associates calling you? Here’s what you need to know.
Most people react eagerly when the phone rings. Perhaps a loved one is calling, or their boss is confirming that they just got the promotion they’ve been coveting. When you’re seriously in debt, however, a ringing phone can also mean that a debt collector is calling, and the inevitable result is stress and anxiety, especially if the collector is rude and demeaning when you try to explain your circumstances.
You may not be aware that if a debt collector yells at you, calls you names, and discusses your debt with your friends and family, they are breaking the law. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, a consumer protection law enforced by the federal trade commission, states that a debt collector may not use methods like the following to trick or coerce you into paying them.
- Call you before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. time frame, or at work when you’ve already told them that your workplace prohibits such calls
- Use profane or obscene language
- Threaten to have you sent to prison if you don’t pay
- Pretend to be attorneys (if they are not), police officers, or government officials
- Ignore you when you formally request no more contact
- Tell your friends, neighbors, and co-workers about the debt to embarrass you into paying
Many debt collectors deliberately ignore the FDCPA and do whatever they think it will take to make you pay the debt.
David Taylor & Associates LLC is a collection agency located in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. It was established in 1999 and has a staff of approximately 45. Records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirm that David Taylor & Associates LLC has been sued by consumers who felt that their rights were violated during the debt collection process.
Daniel P. Sullivan v. David Taylor & Associates, LLC
According to PACER**, on August 21, 2007, an Illinois resident received a collection letter from David Taylor & Associates LLC. It demanded $1,082.34 to settle a debt allegedly owed to Sprint PCS. The Plaintiff had never owned a Sprint PC account, so he wrote to the agency demanding proof of the alleged debt.
David Taylor & Associates LLC responded by sending a second collection notice, which The Plaintiff received on January 8, 2008. He sent them a cease and desist letter and requested no further contact until it sent him validation of the alleged debt.
The agency allegedly disregarded his request for validation and sent him a third debt collection letter and “settlement offer” of $668.59.
Frustrated, The Plaintiff hired a consumer attorney and filed a complaint accusing David Taylor & Associates LLC of violating 15 U.S.C. § 1692g(b) by continuing its debt collection efforts even after receiving notice that the debt was disputed.
The matter was later dismissed.
The phone number for David Taylor & Associates LLC is 1-978-863-4000. If you see it on your caller ID, a debt collector is attempting to contact you. If they try to collect a debt that you know you don’t owe, and ignore your requests for validation, contact a consumer attorney.
The FDCPA does not permit debt collectors to contact you when a debt is in dispute, so if they disregard your rights, you can take them to court and potentially win $1,000 in statutory damages per FDCPA violation, as well as court costs and attorney fees. Disregarding the FDCPA is a mistake that could cause a collection agency to owe you money instead.
**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is (Case: 1:08-cv-01759, from United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division)
*Disclaimer:
The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against David Taylor & Associates LLC or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.