Has a debt collection agency called you in the middle of the night? Do you face constant threats of having your personal property seized because you owe money on a credit card or personal loan account?
Have you missed work because of the embarrassment caused by a third party debt collector calling you at work?
If the was pre-September 1977, you would have a difficult time dealing with a bill collector. Fortunately, consumers are protected from debt collection agency harassment.
It’s called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
FDCPA Laws in Connecticut
The United States Congress passed the FDCPA to ensure every consumer benefited from numerous legal protections that were not previously granted under federal law.
This means the FDCPA helps protect consumers that live in Barrow Alaska, as well as Hartford, Connecticut.
Every one of the 50 states has enacted a similar consume protection law and in Connecticut, the state consumer protection law is called the Connecticut Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (CFDCPA).
Like federal consumer protection statutes, the CFDCPA makes it illegal for debt collection agencies to physically threaten and verbally abuse consumers.
The CFDCPA also forbids third party debt collectors from calling consumers between the hours of nine at night and eight in the morning.
What makes the phone call provision of the CFDCPA even more helpful for consumers is the CFDCPA allows you to record the phone conversations you have with a bill collector.
Referred to as a one party consent state, Connecticut requires the permission of only one of the participants in a phone call to record a conversation.
![How Connecticut's FDCPA Laws Can Help Protect You]()
State and Federal Protections under the FDCPA
Under both state and federal FDCPA laws, you have the right to request a third party debt collector send you information about an alleged credit card or personal loan debt.
You have the right to send a cease and desist letter to a bill collector and if the cease and desist request is not followed, the FDCPA at the state and federal level allows you to hire legal counsel to consider filing a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages.
Many bill collectors count on consumer ignorance when it comes to understanding the legal protections they enjoy under FDCPA laws.
You might face an illegal sequestering of funds from your bank account or have to deal with an unethical debt collection agency that impersonates a law enforcement agency.
Third party debt collectors do not want consumers to learn there are statute of limitations imposed for collecting consumer debts.
In Connecticut, the statute of limitations for collecting a delinquent credit card balance is six years. This means a debt collection agency has six years starting from the last day of activity on a credit card account to pursue the collection of the outstanding balance.
Make sure you know about the rights granted under federal and Connecticut FDCPA laws. Speak with a licensed Connecticut consumer protection lawyer today to get a bill collector off your back.
If you believe that a debt collector is violating Connecticut FDCPA laws, you should seek the help of an FDCPA attorney.
You may be able to seek up to $1,000 in damages for each violation of the FDCPA. An attorney will be able to help navigate you through the entire process.
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