Is Collection Bureau of Hudson Valley Calling You?*

Is Collection Bureau of Hudson Valley calling you? Here’s what you need to know.

Being deep in debt is incredibly stressful, especially when you’re in that situation through no fault of your own. When you’re finally unable to make the minimum payments on your credit card bills, medical debt, or mortgage, eventually debt collectors will start calling.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires third-party debt collectors be professional and ethical during their dealings with consumers.

This law, which was originally passed in 1977 because complaints about abusive debt collectors were at an all-time high, prohibits collection tactics like the following:

• Calling you outside of the hours between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. your time
• Swearing, yelling, and calling you names
• Calling you at work after you tell them that the workplace doesn’t allow such calls
• Leaving messages that do not identify them as debt collectors
• Threatening legal action they cannot take or have no intention of taking
• Discussing your debt with your friends and family or other third parties
• Demanding amounts that are not supported by law or the agreement that created the debt

Although illegal, these activities remain common because they work: consumers who are unaware of their rights pay whatever is demanded to make the harassment stop.

Company Profile: Collection Bureau of Hudson Valley

Collection Bureau Hudson Valley, Inc is a collection agency located in Newburgh, New York. It was established in 1974, has a staff of 75, and appears to specialize in collecting medical debt.

Records on file at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website indicate that Collection Bureau Hudson Valley, Inc has been accused of violating the FDCPA during its attempts to collect a debt.

Alleged Violations against Collection Bureau of Hudson Valley

According to PACER**, in late 2012 or early 2013, a New York consumer began getting a series of phone calls that were later determined to have come from Collection Bureau Hudson Valley, Inc.

The agency contacted her on multiple occasions via telephone and left numerous prerecorded voice messages in an attempt to collect an alleged debt.

One such prerecorded message that Collection Bureau Hudson Valley, Inc left on her cell phone voicemail system on or about December 11, 2013 stated:

“Please press one to speak to an agent or return our call about an important business matter at 1 (888) 913-7496.”

At the time the consumer received the said prerecorded messages, she did not know that the caller was a debt collector concerning the collection of a debt. Each of the prerecorded messages allegedly failed to identify the callers as debt collectors attempting to collect a debt.

The consumer hired a consumer attorney and sued Collection Bureau Hudson Valley, Inc for violating the FDCPA. These accusations stemmed from the alleged failure to indicate that the prerecorded messages were from a debt collector, which constituted a deceptive practice.

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an Attorney

The phone numbers for Collection Bureau Hudson Valley, Inc are 1-888-913-7496 and 1-845-561-6880. If either number appears on your caller ID, a debt collector is trying to discuss a debt you may or may not owe.

If they leave voicemail messages that fail to identify their company and their purpose, contact a consumer attorney.

Debt collectors are legally required to identify themselves and the reason for their call with every communication, and you could win statutory damages of $1,000 per FDCPA violation plus court costs and attorney fees.

The law mandates that collection agencies be respectful of your rights, and when they fail to do so, expensive penalties result.

Additional Resources

• What Third Parties Can a Debt Collector Contact?
• Has a Debt Collector Used Profane Language?

**Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is (Case 1:14-cv-06893-SJ-CLP, from United States District Court, Eastern 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 Collection Bureau Hudson Valley, Inc or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.