Ignoring a letter mailed to your home address by a debt collection agency is a bad idea. Ignoring the phone calls placed by a third party debt collector to you at home and at work makes a bad situation much worse.
When the debt collection process reaches the final stage, you will receive summons to appear in court. Ignore the summons and you can expect to find yourself in the deepest financial hole of your life.
When a bill collector such as Amcol Systems, Inc. files a lawsuit against a consumer, the company is filing a complaint in regards to the non-payment of an outstanding credit card or personal loan account.
The summons is the formal legal request for you to appear in court at a certain date, at a specified time. How you respond to the summons goes a long way towards determining the outcome of the formal legal complaint.
Team Up with a Consumer Protection Lawyer
Fighting a debt collection agency like Amcol Systems, Inc. on your own is not a recommended strategy. Instead you should work with a licensed consumer protection attorney that specializes in handling cases that fall under the legal umbrella of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
Passed by the United States Congress in 1977, the FDCPA makes numerous debt collection practices illegal. Outlawed debt collection tactics include harassing consumers over the phone and lying about the amount owed on a debt.
Your attorney will decide if a third party debt collector has violated one or more provisions of the FDCPA.
If your consumer protection lawyer does not uncover any FDCPA violations, he or she will determine how to handle the complaint filed by Amcol Systems, Inc. One of the most effective ways to respond to a lawsuit involves sending a debt settlement letter to the bill collector.
You can craft a debt settlement letter, but it will lack the legal punch of a debt settlement letter written by your FDCPA attorney. Your lawyer will request a payment plan that you can afford and make Amcol Systems, Inc. a little bit of money.
Monetary Damages Awarded in FDCPA Cases
If your attorney can prove a debt collection agency violated one or more provisions of the FDCPA and that the violations caused you physical distress, you might be eligible to receive monetary damages for your pain and suffering.
There are a wide variety of symptoms that materialize because of the overly aggressive tactics used by a third party debt collector. You might suffer from acute migraine headaches or a bleeding ulcer that is the result of dealing with incredible stress.
Your FDCPA lawyer will submit medical documentation that not only proves the existence of physical issues, but also the physical duress coincided with the harassment delivered by a bill collector. You can also expect expert medical witnesses to testify on your behalf.
Be proactive when you receive a complaint the summons you to a civil court. Speak with an experienced consumer protection attorney today to learn more about how the FDCPA protects you against civil lawsuits.
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 Amcol Systems, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.