Is Aspen National Financial Inc Calling You?*

Is Aspen National Financial Inc Calling You?* Here’s What You Need to Know

Getting behind on bills and being pursued by debt collectors for arrears is a difficult position to be in. Some collectors consider it their main mission to bully and harass you into paying so that they can get paid too. They yell at you over the phone, threaten to send the police around to your house, and in general behave so aggressively that you wonder desperately if anything short of personal bankruptcy will make them stop.

The answer is yes. The law can.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) places strict limits on what third-party debt collectors may say or do when trying to collect a consumer debt. Activities like those listed below are illegal and can result in fines or license revocation if the consumer sues.

• Calling you several times per day, either personally or using an auto dialer
• Threatening to have you arrested or have your wages garnished
• Using profane and obscene language
• Demanding an amount that is not supported by law or the original debt agreement
• Talking to uninvolved third parties like your friends and co-workers that you owe money
• Attempting to collect a debt that has already been discharged in a bankruptcy filing

Company Profile: Aspen National Financial Inc

Aspen National Financial Inc is a collection agency located in Grand Junction, Colorado. It was founded in 2000, has locations in Colorado and Florida, and is managed by owner John Brewer. Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that Aspen National Financial Inc has been accused of violating the FDCPA.

Alleged Violations against Aspen National Financial Inc

Gail Lockhart vs. Aspen National Financial Inc d/b/a Aspen National Collections et al

According to PACER**, in November 2012, Aspen National Financial Inc began contacting New York resident Gail Lockhart to collect a $313 debt. She later complained that collectors called her at her workplace up to three times a day despite repeated requests to stop. During one call, Ms. Lockhart told the collector that she wanted to be transferred to a manager, only to allegedly be exposed to verbal abuse and intimidation. The same collector allegedly told her that the debt would be placed on Ms. Lockhart’s credit report if she didn’t pay it immediately.

She hired a consumer attorney and sued Aspen National Financial Inc for the following alleged FDCPA violations:

• Calling her at a place and time known to be inconvenient
• Calling her at her workplace after being told to stop
• Engaging in conduct intended to harass, oppress, or abuse her
• Using the telephone to harass her

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Aspen National Financial Inc are:

• 1-352-754-4509
• 1-800-981-9420
• 1-970-263-7320

If you see any of these numbers on your caller ID, be aware that a debt collector is on the line. If they call you at inconvenient times and places and threaten to damage your credit if you don’t pay, hire an attorney. Such hostile tactics are against the law, and if you sue Aspen National Financial Inc, you could potentially be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Never assume that owing money makes you a target of collector abuse.

**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is (Case 1:12-cv-09185-JSR from United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)

*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 Aspen National Financial Inc or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.