As one of the cornerstone legal principles of a historic federal consumer protection law, a debt collection agency such as Northtown Capital Associates, LLC cannot use deception to trick you into paying off a delinquent credit card or personal loan balance.
Deception comes in many forms, such as a third party debt collector lying about how much you owe on a personal debt. How can consumers prevent deceptive debt collection tactics from cheating them out of their hard earned money? The answer is by referring to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), which requires bill collectors to send debt validation letters to consumers.
What’s in a Debt Validation Letter?
As a consumer, you probably double check sales receipts to ensure you did not incur any extra charges. Mistakes can be made during transactions, but when a third party debt collector tries to collect more money than it is supposed to collect, the action taken by the bill collector is far from a mistake.
It is an intentional act to defraud you.
According to the FDCPA, a debt collection agency has to send you a debt validation letter within five days after making first contact with you. The letter should include the total amount of what you allegedly owe, as well as the name and contact information for the original creditor.
Some third party debt collectors simply make up debts and then use the name of an original creditor that never did business with you. A debt validation letter should confirm the age of the debt to make sure it is still legally valid as defined by your state’s statute of limitations for debt collection efforts.
![Did Northtown Capital Associates, LLC Not Validate Your Debt?*]()
Send a Return Letter
A debt validation is not the final word when it comes to verifying the existence of an outstanding credit card or personal loan account. The FDCPA grants you the right to send a return letter to request additional proof that you are on the legal hook for paying off the debt in question. After addressing the bill collector, the meat of the debt confirmation letter should look something like this:
“I am writing this letter in response to the debt validation letter you sent me on (Date). I maintain that I am not legally obligated to pay off the debt or pay any portion of the alleged debt. If you believe I am financially obligated to settle the alleged debt, please submit additional documentation that includes evidence of my transactions with the creditor you mention in your debt validation letter.”
The goal is to put a bill collector on notice that you will not take deceptive debt collection practices lightly.
Reach Out to a State Licensed FDCPA Lawyer
When you hire an FDCPA attorney to represent you against a third party debt collector like Northtown Capital Associates, LLC, you get much more than a legal advisor that helps you respond to a timely debt validation letter.
Your attorney will conduct an exhaustive review of your case to determine whether the bill collector crossed the legal line. If a debt collection agency violated one or more provisions of the FDCPA, you have the right to file a claim seeking monetary damages.
Schedule a free initial consultation with an FDCPA lawyer.
*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 Northtown Capital Associates, LLC, or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to compensation.
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