Are You Being Called By Summit Collection Services, Inc.?*

Are you being called by Summit Collection Services, Inc.?* Here’s what you need to know

Debt collectors are the last people anyone wants to hear from. When they call, it means that you’ve fallen far behind in your monthly obligations and, unless an unexpected windfall is in your future, you could be facing wage garnishment or a lawsuit. It may not come to that, but if these collectors are rude and persistent to the point of harassing you, bankruptcy starts to look like an attractive option. Don’t do it without reading up on your rights first.

Your Rights Under the FDCPA

In September 1977 Congress enacted the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA.The FDCPA controls what debt collectors may do and say while collecting or trying to collect a debt, and prohibits harassing and deceptive tactics like those below.

• Using profane and abusive language
• Contacting someone at work after being informed that the employer does not permit such calls
• Threatening consequences they cannot legally inflict, or have no intention of carrying out
• Discussing the debt with anyone but the consumer, their spouse, their attorney, and any debt co-signers
• Directly contacting someone who has hired an attorney to represent them regarding the debt
• Ignoring a cease communications request

Company Profile: Summit Collection Services, Inc.

If you are being called by Summit Collection Services, Inc., information about the company is below.

Summit Collection Services, Inc. is a debt collection company located in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. It was established in 2012, has less than 10 employees, and is managed by its President, Bob Salerno. Reviewing the lawsuit records at the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) website confirms that consumers who felt they were being harassed by Summit Collection Services, Inc., went to court to assert their rights.

Alleged Violations against Summit Collection Services, Inc.

Christina Perez (Calabrese) vs. Summit Collection Services, Inc.*

According to PACER, in or around May 2008, Summit Collection Services, Inc. began contacting a New Jersey consumer to collect a debt allegedly owed to her former school. She later asserted that she never received a debt validation letter, and that the calls, some of which were allegedly made to her workplace, were both numerous and harassing.

Feeling harassed by Summit Collection Services, Inc., the consumer hired a consumer attorney and sued the company for allegedly violating the FDCPA in the following ways:

• Using oppressive and abusive means to contact her
• Using unfair and unconscionable means to collect a debt
• Using false, deceptive, and misleading means to collect a debt
• Failing to send a debt validation notice

The matter was later settled.

Hire an Attorney

The phone number for this debt collection agency is 1-201-251-1000. If it appears on your caller ID when the phone rings, be aware that you are being called by Summit Collection Services, Inc.. If they abuse your rights by calling you at work without permission, using abusive language, and calling nonstop, hire a consumer attorney who can help you file a claim against Summit Collection Services, Inc.. If the outcome is in your favor, you could be awarded $1,000 per FDCPA violation, which can add up if the agency has been especially unethical. When a debt collector treats you like dirt, an FDCPA lawsuit can be a serious wake-up call.

*Case taken from PACER (www.pacer.gov). File number is Case 2:16-cv-03969-SDW-SCM from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be constructed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Summit Collection Services, Inc., or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.