They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. However, the saying is not true for debt collection agencies that hound consumers that have relocated from Nevada to other locales in the United States.
Because of incredible financial incentives, third party debt collectors will follow your trail from the sidewalks of Las Vegas Boulevard to the hustle and bustle of The Big Apple.
Fortunately, a groundbreaking federal consumer protection law passed in 1977 protects you against aggressive bill collector practices. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), a debt collection agency is prohibited from implementing a long list of previously acceptable debt collection tactics.
The FDCPA also gives consumers the power to seek monetary damages for illegal bill collector behavior by filing a lawsuit in a civil court.
How Nevada Collection Laws Help Consumers
The United States Congress enacted the FDCPA to appease consumers that had grown tired of having to deal with the harassment dished out by debt collection agencies. Congress wrote numerous sweeping provisions into the FDCPA that cover every consumer conducting business in the United States.
Federal consumer protection law has as much power in Alaska as it has along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Virtually every state has also written FDCPA laws into the state legal system. At the core of state FDCPA laws is a provision called the statute of limitations.
In Nevada, the statute of limitations for collecting a debt owed on an oral agreement is four years, while written credit contracts extend the statute of limitations to six years.
![How Nevada's FDCPA Laws Can Help Protect You]()
Illegal Practices Listed under the FDCPA and Nevada Collection Laws
Did you know that a third party debt collector is limited by a FDCPA provision that clearly states the times it is lawful for the bill collector to call you? Under the FDCPA, debt collection agencies are not allowed to reach out to consumers between the hours of 9 pm and 8 am.
A third party debt collector is not permitted to threaten you with a lawsuit or threaten to seize private property to liquidate the property into cash. Your name should never appear on a bad debt list nor is a third party debt collector allowed to request more money than the balance owed on a credit card or personal loan account.
Nevada FDCPA laws clearly stipulate regulations that govern the tactics used by bill collectors. Taking the issuing of threats provision written into the FDCPA to a higher standard, Nevada FDCPA laws prohibits “extortionate” debt collection practices.
Debt collection agencies operating in The Silver State cannot attempt to collect, fees, charges, interest, and/or any “expense incidental to the principal debt.” A third party debt collector commits an illegal act by establishing a post box office number as the primary mailing address for written correspondence.
Block any attempt a bill collector makes to abuse or threaten you. Speak with a Nevada licensed consumer protection attorney today to learn more about how Nevada FDCPA laws can help protect you.
If you believe that a debt collector is violating Nevada 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.
Additional Resources