Castle Law Office Blog | Missouri & Illinois Bankruptcy Legal Blog

What Bill Collectors Are Allowed to Do (And What They Aren’t!)

One of the most common issues that people have when they come into my office is their harassing creditor calls. They call during the day, at night, before work, after work, and sometimes even during work. They’ve even been accused of calling someone so much that it caused them to have a heart attack. But what is it exactly that they’re allowed to do?

First of all, it’s against the law for a bill collector who works for a collection agency to call you at unreasonable hours, usually considered before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act prevents them from harassing you, using abusive language, using false or misleading statements, adding unauthorized charges, and more.

They also shouldn’t be calling you at work, bothering your relatives, etc. The problem is that many debt collectors don’t always do as they’re told. And while a debt collector from a collection agency is supposed to follow the rules, a member of the collection department of your creditor may not have the same set of rules to follow.

You have to keep in mind that debt collectors have a legitimate claim. While they shouldn’t be harassing you, they are trying to collect a debt that you owe them—and they will continue past harassing phone calls. They usually escalate into more than the routine call to set up a payment date. I have handled cases where the calls turned ugly, including vulgar language, screaming, and even physical threats. They can actually get a judgment against you and garnish your wages, seize your bank deposits, or put a lien against your property.

At my office, you can stop harassing creditor calls as soon as you retain me. Filing bankruptcy can prevent all of the actions that creditors take against you and, best of all, you can get a handle on the debt that you owe them. If you are receiving harassing creditor calls, you can help yourself by making an appointment with us. And, as always, the appointment is free.