It is one thing to "love thy neighbor", but it is quite another thing to share financial information with the folks next door. However, we get calls from people all the time looking for help because their creditors have started calling their neighbors, parents, siblings etcetera.
Can a debt collector legally call your neighbors?
Surprisinglygly, yes. In some cases this practice is actually legal. This is just another example of how collectors are getting more resourceful as more and more consumers become buried in debt.
Federal law regulates only third-party bill collectors. Calls to someone other than the debtor, such as a neighbor or family member, are allowed as long as collectors only verify the debtor's address, phone number or place of employment.
What CAN'T debt collectors do?
Debt collection laws vary from state to state, but here are the basic rules that all collectors must follow. These laws prohibit debt collectors from:
- Calling outside the hours of 8am and 9pm, threatening violence or using profane language
- Refusing to identify themselves, misrepresenting what is owed or falsely implying legal action has been taken
- Contacting debtors at work if it is possible to reach them at home in the evening
- calling more than once weekly at work or continuing to call the workplace if the debtor has told them not to
Are you being harrased by collection calls. If so, you may need the services of a professional debt relief agency. Their solutions specialist can help you to determine whether you would benefit from a Debt Consolidation or Debt Settlement program.
