The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) governs the actions of debt collectors in Mississippi and beyond. Anyone who has received relentless phone calls or has experienced callers using profanity or shouting, etc., understands how stressful such situations can be. The FDCPA protects people who owe a debt against creditor harassment.
While it is true that a lender has a right to attempt to collect a debt, no agent acting on behalf of the lender has a right to harass someone as part of the debt collection process. There are several steps a person can take to halt harassment in its tracks. Learning more about the FDCPA, as well as knowing what options may be available to pause or halt collections, can be helpful when a person is trying to resolve a serious financial crisis.
Send a letter in writing to request that phone calls cease
Under protection of the FDCPA, a person may send a written request to a collections agency, asking that no further communications be made. It is imperative to understand that taking this action can stop harassing phone calls, but it does not erase a debt. However, if an agency that has received a written request for no-contact does not abide by the request, the person who is being harassed may report the agency to the Federal Trade Commission.
Bankruptcy may help resolve creditor harassment problems
When a person files a petition for bankruptcy, it activates an automatic stay against debt collections. This prohibits creditors from further attempts to collect a debt. Certain types of debts are exempt from a bankruptcy-prompted stay. One way for Mississippi residents to learn more about available options for stopping creditor harassment is to ask an experienced bankruptcy law attorney to review a specific case.
