Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

Creditor Harassment

The purpose of the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is to eliminate abusive practices in the collection of consumer debt, as well as to provide consumers with a means of disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information’s accuracy. The FDCPA defines a consumer’s rights in relation to debt collection and also imposes penalties for any violations of the Act.

If a creditor has been threatening or harassing you, it is possible that they are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. An attorney at Leavengood & Nash may be able to help you. Our firm offers creditor abuse representation as a part of our legal counsel when a client retains our services for a bankruptcy case. This representation is immediate and automatic and can save you a great deal of embarrassment as well as stress.

Acts Prohibited by the FDCPA

Following are some of the acts which are prohibited by the FDCPA:

Abusive or profane language
Contacting a consumer who is known to be represented by an attorney
Misrepresentation or deceit
Threatening arrest or legal action that is actually not permitted or is not seriously contemplated
Reporting false information on a consumer’s credit report
Contacting the debtor by “embarrassing media”
Communication with third parties, such as the debtor’s family, friends or employer
Failure to cease communication after a written request to stop

As a consumer, you have rights. If you feel that these may have been violated, or if you are facing overwhelming debt and are considering bankruptcy, a lawyer at Leavengood & Nash can help. We may be able to help you in recovering up to $1,000 under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act as well as having the debt collector pay for attorneys’ fees and more. Our firm represents clients throughout Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Florida.