Receiving a letter or phone call from a third party debt collector such as Harris & Harris can cause considerable anxiety. However, the time has come to take advantages of the protections consumers enjoy under a landmark federal law.
Passed by the United States Congress in 1977, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) makes it clear consumers have the right to dispute debt collection claims of outstanding credit card and personal loan balances.
Did you know that under the FDCPA, the right to dispute a debt involves three important components? First, you have the right to receive notice of the debt. Second, Harris & Harris must confirm the debt is valid. Finally, the FDCPA grants you the right to contest the debt.
Congress did not place a time limit on enjoying each of the rights, but the FDCPA does require the debt collection agency must to you a letter describing the debt within five days of first contacting you.
Drafting a Letter with a Consumer Protection Lawyer
Drafting an effective dispute letter and sending it to Harris & Harris should include the legal expertise of a licensed FDCPA attorney. Not only do you receive critical advice on what to include and exclude in a dispute letter, you lawyer will ensure the dispute letter includes professional language that gets to the heart of the debt collection dispute.
You cannot afford emotionally charged language from diminishing the legal impact of your dispute letter. After a third party debt collector files a lawsuit, you should work with an experienced consumer protection attorney to draft a dispute letter and counteract the filing of a lawsuit.
Your attorney will determine whether Harris & Harris violated one or more of the provisions written into the FDCPA. Moreover, your lawyer will determine if the FDCPA violations constitute legal grounds for filing a lawsuit from to seek actual damages from Harris & Harris.
![Sample Dispute Letter to Harris & Harris Ltd.*]()
Example of a Dispute Letter Sent to Harris & Harris
You consumer protection lawyer will follow a template for sending a dispute letter to a debt collection agency. Your personal information, as well as the date, should appear at the top of the letter. Then, your attorney will craft a letter that looks something like the following dispute letter.
To whom it may concern:
Your debt collection agency contacted me on November 16, 2018 in regards to an alleged delinquent credit card balance. Let this letter show that I am formally disputing the validity of the alleged credit card debt. I am not accountable for the debt because (Insert Reason(s) here).
Since I am formally contesting the existence of the credit card debt, I want your debt collection agency to send me the following information in a timely manner:
- Amount of alleged credit card debt
- Full contact information for the original creditor
- Documentation that proves your company is legally authorized to collect consumer debts
- Documentation that proves I am responsible for paying off the credit card debt
Be advised that if you continue to contact me or try to seek a judgment in a lawsuit filed against me without submitting the proper paperwork, my lawyer will file the paperwork required to initiate a legal case against your debt collection agency.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Date
Having to deal with an aggressive debt collection agency requires the legal support of an accomplished consumer protection attorney. Speak with a FDCPA lawyer today to receive the legal support you deserve under the ground breaking federal law.
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 Harris & Harris or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.