Before you can enjoy the rousing success of a business meeting, you come down to Earth fast after playing back the voice messages left on your work answering machine. A representative from Municipal Services Bureau left several messages, with each message turning more aggressive in tone. To make matters worse, you played the messages back loud enough for a few co-workers to hear. Has Municipal Services Bureau broken the law? You need to work with a licensed consumer protection attorney to find out.
How Federal Law Interprets Debt Collection Agency Actions
In response to the anger expressed by constituents, the United States Congress wrote the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) into law on September 20, 1977. The sweeping consumer protection law prohibits third party debt collectors from calling consumers between 9 pm and 8 am. Bill collectors are also forbidden from calling consumers repeatedly. Another FDCPA provision that protects consumers makes it illegal for bill collectors to use abusive language in attempts to strike fear into consumers. The FDCPA also grants consumers the right to file a claim in civil court seeking monetary damages for the pain and suffering caused by a debt collection agency.
![When Can Municipal Services Bureau Leave a Voicemail?*]()
Leaving Voicemails is a Violation of the FDCPA
If a third party debt collector leaves you one or more voicemails, you should schedule a free initial consultation with a highly rated consumer protection attorney. Under the FDCPA, leaving voicemails is not specifically addressed. However, the groundbreaking federal consumer protection law does prohibit bill collectors from a contacting third party in regards to outstanding credit card and personal loan balances.
It is incredibly difficult for a debt collection agency to avoid violating the FDCPA by leaving voicemails. If one of your professional colleagues hears a voice message left by Municipal Services Group, the debt collection agency has violated the FDCPA provision banning the practice of reaching out to third parties concerning delinquent consumer debts.
More Voicemail Violations
It is not just the voicemail itself that violates the FDCPA. There are also other ways leaving a voicemail violates the landmark consumer protection law. Municipal Services Group cannot leave you a voicemail that threatens you in any way. The bill collector is not permitted to issue a threat to take away your private property. You do not have to put up with threats to contact the IRS or a law enforcement agency. For the work example, you can stop all phone calls by informing Municipal Services Group that it has the “Right to know” your employer forbids phone calls made by third party debt collectors in the workplace.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a FDCPA Lawyer
The voicemail violations committed by a bill collector might warrant the filing of a lawsuit in civil court. Your FDCPA attorney can seek statutory damages that cover every violation of the federal consumer protection law. He or she might opt to file a claim for monetary damages covering the medical bills generated from physical and emotional suffering. For monetary damages covering physical and emotional distress, your FDCPA lawyer will need to present strong evidence to convince a judge of your pain.
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 Municipal Services Group or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.