Receiving a phone call from a debt collection agency leaves you with a sinking feeling. It gets much worse when you arrive home one day to find a third party debt collector like MRS Associates left you multiple voicemails. How do you handle the voicemails left by a bill collector? Do you ignore the messages or do you fight back against MRS associates?
The answer is to contact a licensed consumer protection attorney who specializes in litigating cases that involve the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Enacted by the United States Congress, the FDCPA prohibits a large number of debt collection techniques that for decades were considered legal. You do not have to put up with harassing and intimidating phone calls and if the debt collection practices used by a bill collector crosses the legal line, you have the right under the FDCPA to file a claim that seeks statutory and/or monetary damages.
Interpreting How the FDCPA Addresses Voicemails
As the primary intent of writing the FDCPA, the United States Congress wanted to eliminate overly aggressive debt collection tactics, especially tactics that involve phone conversations. However, the groundbreaking federal consumer protection law does not directly address the issue of voicemails. Instead, the FDCPA contains a provision that makes it illegal for a debt collection agency to contact a third party concerning a credit card or a personal loan balance that you owe. Even if a third party debt collector such as MRS Associates identifies itself on a voicemail, the company can still violate the FDCPA by leaving a message that a third party heard. It is difficult for a bill collector to leave a voicemail that no one else but you hear.
![When Can MRS Associates Leave a Voicemail?*]()
What if a Third Party Did Not Hear the Voicemails?
When you work with a licensed consumer protection lawyer, he or she will ask if a third party heard a voicemail left by MRS Associates. If you cannot find anyone that heard a voicemail left by the debt collection agency, your FDCPA attorney will ask about other potential violations of the historic consumer protection law.
For example, a third party debt collector is not allowed to leave a voicemail that contains abusive language. You also should speak with a FDCPA attorney if a bill collector threatens you in anyway over a voicemail system. Under the FDCPA, debt collection agencies are prohibited from threatening to seize private property, as well as threatening to take consumers to court.
Get the Legal Advice You Deserve
When a third party debt collector tries to contact you via a voicemail, you know the company is serious about erasing the consumer debt from its books. The company that leaves the voicemail will have a team of highly skilled lawyers on its side to convince you to pay off a delinquent credit card or a personal loan balance. To counteract the legal advantage, you should schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced FDCPA lawyer. Your FDCPA attorney will explore every legal option, including the option to file a lawsuit against MRS Associates for violating one or more provisions of the federal consumer protection 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 MRS Associates or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.