View Full Version : Collection Agency Trying to Collect not Licensed in my state
Becca1
Aug 19, 2009, 01:13 PM
I have a collection agency in New York trying to collect from me, I am located in WA state. According to all my research they are not even aloud to contact me until they are licensed.
~~ They have called claiming to be a law office
~~ Several women from there have called acting like they are having an affair with my husband... nice I know...
~~~ They have called at 6:59AM ~~ I have Legal Proof :)
~~~ I have sent them a long letter asking them to verify everything, with all the codes and all that good stuff
~~~ There response was a threatening letter saying they are going to sue us unless we pay in full. :mad:
~~ I have also filed complaints with the New York General Attorney & the WA State General Attorney.
I need to know what else I can do... Can someone confirm for me that they are not aloud to collect if they are not licensed...
Any other advice would be great!
Thanks! :)
N0help4u
Aug 19, 2009, 01:26 PM
From the way I read this the business has to be LOCATED within New York. If they are not located within New York all they have to have done was to have filed a form with New York verifying they are not located in New York.
If your business is NOT located within New York City, you must complete and submit the Debt Collection Agency Non-Resident form.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/licenses/122.shtml
excon
Aug 19, 2009, 01:44 PM
Hello B:
Couple things.. What license do you think they're supposed to have? How do you know they don't have it? What is the source of your "research"?
In MY view, the only law that applies is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. I'd Google it. It looks like they violated it, so the proper agency to report it is the FTC... However, IF the FTC does anything to them, you're not going to know about it...
But, if you owe the money, all this rigamarole is going to wind up costing YOU money in the long run.. The lawyer will add legal fees and court costs. When they sue, you'll pay those fees too.. It'll probably DOUBLE the amount you now owe. So, I don't know what you think you're accomplishing by throwing up all this subtrafuge..
I know money is tight, but if it was me, and I didn't want them traipsing through my bank accounts taking what they wanted, I'd borrow the money and settle the account. With CASH in your hand, I'll bet you can settle for HALF what you now owe.
excon
Becca1
Aug 19, 2009, 01:53 PM
Hello B:
Couple things.. What license do you think they're supposed to have? How do you know they don't have it? What is the source of your "research"? ~According to WA State Collection Agencies have to be licesned in order to even contact anyone, espcially if the collection agency is out of state ~ AND According to the WA State Website, There is NO listing for the company ~
In MY view, the only law that applies is the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. I'd google it. It looks like they violated it, so the proper agency to report it is the FTC... However, IF the FTC does anything to them, you're not going to know about it...
~I have done more than enough research, I know the laws inside and out ~
But, if you owe the money, all this rigamarole is going to wind up costing YOU money in the long run.. The lawyer will add legal fees and court costs. When they sue, you'll pay those fees too.. It'll probably DOUBLE the amount you now owe. So, I dunno what you think you're accomplishing by throwing up all this subtrafuge..
We don't owe the money, that's why they are threatening us ~ They can't prove it, because we don't owe it. ~
I know money is tight, but if it was me, and I didn't want them traipsing through my bank accounts taking what they wanted, I'd borrow the money and settle the account. With CASH in your hand, I'll bet you can settle for HALF what you now owe.
Well if you would like to pay them, go ahead... personally I don't really want to / like to pay for something I don't owe.. BUt hey, that's just me.. I guess I'm funny like that
excon :)
excon
Aug 19, 2009, 02:12 PM
Hello again, Becca:
You didn't say that you didn't owe it. MOST people who post here DO owe it. So, this makes it easy. Who cares if they threaten to sue?? Tell 'em to go ahead, and if you don't owe it, you'll win.
excon
PS> If you know the laws as well as you SAY you do, you KNOW there's a way to STOP their collection efforts COLD.