Is the National Association of Credit Management Calling You?*

Is the National Association of Credit Management-Western Washington and Alaska calling you? Here’s what you need to know.

The cost of living has gone up substantially in recent years but paychecks have not, so many people are struggling to make ends meet. You can literally be one illness or job cut away from being unable to pay your monthly financial obligations. Once your credit card bills, student loans, and other debts go into arrears, debt collectors will start calling and demanding payment in ways that are not always civil or professional.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

If a debt collector attempts to bully you, they’re breaking the law. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA, prohibits the use of oppressive collection tactics like the following:

• Using profane and abusive language
• Calling you repeatedly and leaving vague messages that do not identify them as debt collectors
• Contacting your friends and family and telling them that you owe money
• Demanding outrageous ‘fees’ in addition to the original debt
• Reporting false information to the credit bureaus
• Calling you at work after you tell them that you can’t take personal calls there

Alleged Violations against National Association of Credit Management*

The National Association of Credit Management–Western Washington and Alaska is a debt collection agency and branch of the NACM. Located in Anchorage, Alaska, this branch was founded in 1931 and is managed by its President, Jon Flora. Litigation records archived at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website reveal that the organization has been accused of collection practices that are strictly illegal under the FDCPA.

On or about October 30, 2007 a New York resident received a collection letter from the NACM-Western Washington and Alaska. The letter, which was later submitted as an exhibit in a subsequent court action, stated that he was required to pay the alleged debt within seven days and threatened “more affirmative action” if he refused.

A week later the plaintiff sent the company a letter requesting validation of the debt. He later claimed that it never arrived, but on or about March 26, 2008, the NACM-Western Washington and Alaska sent another letter informing him that if the alleged debt was not paid, they intended to file a lawsuit against him in the State of Washington.

The plaintiff hired a consumer attorney and sued the organization for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Threatening him with legal action it did not intend to take
• Failing to validate the debt as requested
• Using language that overshadowed his right to dispute the debt

The matter was later dismissed.

Hire an FDCPA Attorney

The phone number for National Association of Credit Management (Western Washington and Alaska) is 1-907-243-0736. If your phone rings and you see it on your caller ID, a debt collector is pursuing you. If they threaten lawsuits and refuse to validate the debt, hire a consumer attorney.

Such tactics violate the FDCPA, and the NACM-Western Washington and Alaska could be compelled to pay you $1,000 per FDCPA violation as well as attorney’s fees, court costs, and any actual damages. Standing up for your rights when a debt collector violates them could put them in debt to you instead.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is 2:08-cv-01505-LDW-ETB from United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against National Association of Credit Management or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.