How Debt Collections Work

If you have debt, such as credit cards, there is a timeline followed by your creditors in collecting these debts.

Thirty Days

If you miss a payment on one of your debts by more than thirty days, the creditors will immediately start making phone calls and sending you letters about paying the debt.In some situations, the lender will also report to credit reporting agencies that you were more than thirty days behind on the payment of a debt. If you should find that you cannot

make a payment, you should call the creditor and explain your financial circumstances and advise the creditor when a payment will be forthcoming.

Sixty Days

You now are two months behind in paying the debt. This will cause credit cards to go into collection activity. This is an area maintained by the creditor to deal with nonpayment of credit cards. The amount of collection activity will become more forceful. The creditors may warn you about some type of delinquency action to be taken against you. The creditor will contact credit bureaus and provide them with information that you are sixty days behind. It is still not too late to contact your creditor and try to work out some type of payment plan.

Ninety Days

You are now three months behind on paying your debt. The creditor, in most situations, will cancel or suspend your credit privileges. You will definitely be reported to a credit bureau concerning your delinquency. Late fees and interest will be charged to your account. This may be the last time you have an opportunity to reactivate your account by entering into a payment plan. The creditors will become confrontational if a payment plan is not worked out.

Charge Off and Litigation

After more than ninety days, a creditor can charge off your debt as un-collectable. This may trigger the matter being sent out to a third party collection agency or collection lawyer. The collection agency or collection lawyer will send aggressive letters and make very aggressive phone calls trying to motivate you to pay your debt. They will also threaten

you with legal action if the debt isn’t paid. Should the collection activity by the collection agency be unsuccessful, your debt may be turned over to a collection lawyer who will institute a lawsuit against you. Should you receive a summons and complaint with regard to the debt, it is important you either go to court and submit a written answer to the summons and complaint or retain counsel to represent you.

Bankruptcy

If you have multiple creditors chasing you regarding the payment of credit cards or other debts, bankruptcy may be an option for you. There are two types of bankruptcies available to individuals, which are Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies. The filing of a bankruptcy will stop debt collection activity, stop foreclosures from moving forward and assist you in re-establishing your credit in the long run. Chapter 13 bankruptcies, in certain situations, can also eliminate second mortgages.

There are many myths that people believe regarding bankruptcy that are simply untrue. Should you have questions regarding debt collection activity or bankruptcy issues, feel free to call the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo. Our office has filed hundreds of bankruptcies and assisted our clients in numerous lawsuits against them regarding alleged debts. Feel free to call us for a free consultation

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