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Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for Pennsylvania Consumers

11/17/2008
Jeff Suher
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What to do if a Debt Collector Sues You.

Is a debt collection company suing you over an old credit card debt?

If a debt collector is suing you over an old credit card bill, you are probably wondering what to do.  When a credit card company is unable to collect money from you over a period of time, they often sell your debt for pennies on the dollar to a debt collection company. 

Often times the debt collector will sue you and can do so if it is within the four (4) year statute of limitations in Pennsylvania.

The first rule of thumb when receiving a summons for Court over an old credit card debt:

DON”T IGNORE IT!  This is the worst thing you can do.  If you ignore the summons and do not show up, the Court will enter a judgment against you.   The judgment will show up on your credit report for as long as seven (7) years.  The collector can execute on the judgment and could possibly freeze your bank account.

WHAT TO DO!  After being served with the Summons – make sure you read all the legal documents carefully.  The debt collector should attach validation of the old credit card debt, proving that you do in fact owe the debt and when that debt allegedly went into default. 

Basically, after the complaint look for documents that would show an agreement between you and the credit card company.  Also, look for documents that prove how much you allegedly owe the credit card company.

Most importantly, Contact an attorney immediately!  You only have so much time to respond to the Complaint.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?   The debt collector is hoping you do not respond to the lawsuit so it can get a default judgment. Also, quite often the debt collector fails to provide accurate documentation when filing the lawsuit.  Therefore, there is no need for you to ignore this.

If you have been sued, email us or call 1-877-YES-JEFF for a free consultation

Labels: debt collection attorney debt collection company sues debt collection harassment debt collection Pittsburgh attorney debt collector pittsburgh attorney debt collector sues attorney debt collector sues credit card debt collector sues for old debt debt collectors FDCPA Pittsburgh Attorney
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