Most debt collection agencies have a timeline for the collection of delinquent credit card and personal loan balances. The companies start by sending a few letters to remind consumers about outstanding debts.
After the letters come phone calls and in many cases, the phone calls come into your cell phone at a rapid pace and during odd hours of the day. If you fail to respond to the harassing phone calls, a third party debt collector like Professional Account Management, LLC.
Can file a lawsuit in a civil court to make you pay off an outstanding debt.
Although the knee jerk reaction to a summons to appear in court is to ignore the summons, you have to be proactive by responding to the complaint. Otherwise, a bill collector can wait it out until the judge declares you in default.
A default will result in you paying much more than the original amount owed on a consumer debt. You will have to pay costly interest fees, as well as court costs and attorney fees.
How to Respond to a Summons
A summons to appear in court will include a deadline for you to respond to the summons. Make sure you respond well in advance of the deadline date. You can reply y sending a written letter or by stopping by the courthouse to verify you received the summons.
The key is to accept responsibility for the financial mess you got yourself in by participating in the lawsuit phase of the debt collection process.
After you respond to appear in court, the next move is perhaps the most important move you will make. By contacting a licensed consumer protection attorney, you let Professional Account Management, LLC.
Know that you will come to court with an accomplished team of lawyers that have litigated cases under the most influential consumer protection law ever passed in the United States.
Written into law by the United States Congress in 1977, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects consumers against overly aggressive debt collection practices. If your FDCPA attorney discovers any legal wrongdoing by Professional Account Management, LLC. he or she might recommend filing a counter claim that seeks monetary damages.
![What To Do if Professional Account Management, LLC. Sues You*]()
Do You Qualify for Monetary Damages?
Proving Professional Account Management, LLC. broke the law can result in a judge ordering the bill collector to pay up to $1,000 in statutory damages. If the debt collection agency’s actions caused you pain and suffering, you might qualify to receive monetary damages for physical and/or emotional distress.
Physical duress is much easier to prove, as your FDCPA lawyer will submit medical documentation that directly links symptoms such as an ulcer and intense migraine headaches to the illegal tactics implemented by a third party debt collector.
Although statutory damages are capped at $1,000, there is not a cap placed on the monetary damages award for suffering from physical and/or emotional distress.
Do not allow a lawsuit filed by a bill collector to throw you off your legal game. Speak with a highly rated consumer protection attorney today to learn more about how the FDCPA protects you against harassing debt collection practices.
Additional Resources
*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 Professional Account Management, LLC. or any other third-party collection agency, you may not be entitled to any compensation.