You receive a letter in the mail from the original creditor that gave you a line of credit on a card. The letter is asking for the money you owe on the delinquent credit card account. You toss the letter into the trash and when a few weeks pass, you believe you are off the financial hook.
You are wrong. Motivated by huge profits, debt collection agencies go hard after consumers to rake in the bucks.
Going hard means harassing consumers over the phone to pay off outstanding balances. However, you do not have to take the phone call harassment delivered by a third party debt collector like Westwood Management, Inc.
How a Federal Law Put a Stop to Phone Call Harassment
Enacted in 1977, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act outlaws dozens of previously acceptable debt collection practices. The most frequently cited provisions by consumer protection attorneys involves harassment over the phone. Whether you are at work or at home, a third party debt collector cannot call you between 9 pm and 8 am.
Moreover, even if a bill collector calls you during the FDCPA permitted time frame, the agency cannot call you several times on the same day. Repeated phone calls are banned and if you receive frequent phone calls from a debt collection agency, the time has come to contact a licensed consumer protection lawyer who specializes in litigating FDCPA cases.
Many bill collectors like to use the phone as a weapon of intimidation, and what better way to intimidate consumers than by using profanity in regards to debt collection efforts. However, the FDCPA prohibits the use of profanity during debt collection phone calls. In fact, the FDCPA makes it illegal to use any type of abusive language to coerce a consumer into giving up his or her rights.
![How to Stop Harassing Phone Calls from Westwood Management, Inc.*]()
Put a Stop to Phone Call Harassment
No, changing your number is not an effective method for ending the phone calls made by a bill collector. The answer involves working with a FDCPA attorney who will thoroughly examine you case to find a way to end the phone calls.
If the phone calls are coming into your work line, you have the right to use the “right to know” provision of the FDCPA. “Right to know” means a bill collector understands your employer forbids phone calls made by a debt collection agency in the workplace.
You can tell Westwood Management, Inc. the company now knows the phone calls must stop. Your employer does not have to get involved.
Do You Qualify for Monetary Damages?
Punishment is a big part of the FDCPA and by punishment, we mean monetary damages that account for physical and/or emotional duress.
The FDCPA allows consumers to request full compensation for any wages garnished by a third party debt collector that violated one or more provisions of the landmark federal law.
You can also request payment for all of the legal fees compiled during the course of a FDCPA case.
Take advantage of the legal protections written into the FDCPA. Speak with a highly rated consumer protection lawyer to learn more about the groundbreaking 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 Westwood Management, Inc. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.