If you are truly being harassed by a debt collector, an attorney help you immensely. There are lawsuits that can be filed against the debt collector for illegal collection attempts. The consumer should understand that the bad behavior of the debt collector is a separate issue from whether or not the consumer has to pay any money towards the debt. The attorney will help to navigate the system.
There are a myriad of ethical, strategic, and financial decisions that have to be made in that scenario. An attorney is going to keep you from getting buried by the other side. When a situation arises where you have a viable claim against a debt collector and you may be being sued for the underlying debt, you need to get an attorney right away.
What Sorts Of Debts Do You Generally Help Your Clients With?
We handle all types of consumer debt, including credit card debts, defaulted car loans, medical debts, mortgage debt, home equity lines of credit, and even some miscellaneous types of consumer debt and student loan debt. WE ARE NOT A BANKRUPTCY FIRM. Most of what we see is credit card debt and defaulted auto loan debt. One of the things I want to stress to consumers is that no lawsuit that is filed against you is a lost cause. You always need to get an attorney, even if it’s a small amount of money and even if you think you owe it. An attorney is always going to save you time and money.
What Is A Default Judgment As It Relates To Debt Collection?
A judgment, generally speaking, is a court saying that you owe the money. It doesn’t matter what your reasons are, why you don’t owe the money at all, or why you don’t owe the amount. Once a judgment is entered, it’s very difficult to get it set aside. When a judgment is entered, in Michigan, you have 21 days to appeal the judgment or ask for reconsideration. Otherwise, it becomes extremely difficult to get that judgment set aside. A default judgment is one where you fail to respond or to appear in court.
I see a lot of default judgments where consumers have tried to represent themselves. They ignore or don’t know how to respond to written questions or just don’t comply with the court rules and then, all of a sudden, they get a judgment in the mail. People need to understand that what we want to avoid is those judgments. Judgments are imposed when you lose and you can either lose on the merits or you can lose if you blow a deadline or don’t answer something. You need a lawyer to prevent a judgment from being taken against you. Real court is not like Judge Judy or some other television show. If you go to court without a lawyer, you are making a big mistake that can cost you thousands of dollars.
Once a judgment is taken and 21 days pass, they can seize every penny in every bank account with your name on it. They can take your car; they can put a lien on your house; they can garnish your wages, up to 25%. They don’t have to give you notice, other than notice of the judgment. You can wake up and find your car taken out of your driveway, even if the car has a loan on it.
For more information on Help Of An Attorney With Debt Collectors, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (248) 843-0550 today.