Jacksonville Creditor Harassment Lawyer
Florida Debt Relief Attorneys Keeping Debt Collectors in Line
Creditors, especially professional debt collectors, often treat borrowers like second-class citizens. Whether through aggressive letters, repeated phone calls, threats of repossession, foreclosure, or damage to your credit score, debt collectors will do everything in their power to intimidate borrowers into paying, even when borrowers have a good reason to push back. Even if you owe the money they claim you owe, creditors do not have the right to harass you, your family, your employer, or anyone else.
If you are experiencing creditor or debt collector harassment, you have the right to fight back. The Jacksonville creditor harassment lawyers at the Albaugh Law Firm are ready to help you take a stand, put a stop to creditor harassment and chart a path toward financial relief. Call our debt relief attorneys for a free consultation to discuss your debt, finances, and the actions taken by your creditors. You may be able to reduce your debt, gain financial security, and even seek compensation from creditors who violate the law with harassing conduct.
What Constitutes Creditor Harassment?
Federal and Florida state laws have strict regulations on how creditors may seek collection of debts they are owed. Under federal law, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) prevents creditors from engaging in conduct that could be labeled as harassing. Prohibited conduct may include any of the following:
- Repeated phone calls, especially at late hours
- Using offensive and aggressive language
- Damaging a debtor’s reputation by badmouthing them to employers, coworkers, and friends
- Communicating with a debtor at work after being asked to stop
- Misrepresenting facts, including amounts owed, dates payments are due, or the consequences of nonpayment (such as claiming that a debtor could be arrested)
The Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA) also prohibits abusive, harassing, unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices. Creditor behavior prohibited by the FCCPA includes:
- Pretending to be a police officer or representative of a government agency
- Pretending to be an attorney
- Threatening or trying to enforce a debt that is not legally sound
- Using offensive language
- Telling friends, family, or coworkers about your debt
- Using or threatening the use of force or violence
These are just a few examples of harassing conduct under the FDCPA and FCCPA. If your creditors or debt collectors have engaged in any behavior that seems overly aggressive, deceptive, or abusive, reach out to a Jacksonville creditor harassment attorney to put a stop to the conduct and consider your options for compensation and relief.
Fighting Back Against Creditor Harassment
The FDCPA and FCCPA set penalties for creditors who harass debtors. If you have been illegally harassed, you might be able to file a lawsuit against the creditor or debt collector and get:
- Damages caused to your property or finances
- Statutory damages up to $1,000
- Punitive damages for particularly egregious conduct
- Attorney fees and court costs
The creditor harassment attorneys at the Albaugh Law Firm can help you push back against creditor harassment by, for example:
- Communicating with your creditor on your behalf and requiring them to speak to your attorney instead of calling you directly
- Threatening them with legal recourse if they do not stop their conduct
- Collecting phone records, emails, letters, and other evidence of their conduct
- Hiring private investigators to review the debt collectors’ history of abusive behavior
- Search for other cases involving these parties
- Contesting the debt you owe
- Requesting debt validation
- Pursuing your claims of harassment under the FDCPA and FCCPA
Fight Creditor Harassment With a Serious Jacksonville Debt Relief Attorney
If you are getting harassing phone calls, emails, letters, or visits from debt collectors, the time to start pushing back is now. The debt collection defense attorneys at the Albaugh Law Firm will help you deal with your debt and overly aggressive creditors. If debt collectors step over the line, we will stop their harassing conduct and pursue statutory claims, where appropriate. Reach out to Albaugh Law Firm today at 904-471-3434 for a free consultation with a Jacksonville debt collection defense lawyer.
