Does making payments to collection agency stop legal action
I have just been contacted by a collection agency on a past bill. I have informed them I am willing to make a payment arrangement but cannot meet what they want. They contacted me over thirty days ago but I just received a letter stating there what I was in collection for with them. I have spoken to them three times since the first contact. When I ask the agent for my account number and there address to send sometime of payment. She got angry with me because I could not set up an arrangement for the end of September. I was look at the date of October 2. I have tried calling two more times to have an automatic payment sent them them once a month but now no one will call me.
From the first phone call. The agent mentioned going straight to legal action. I had to ask her for the name of the company she was calling from she did not give me any account information at that time just her phone number to call.
If I send them money with out a "payment arrangement" in place can they still take legal action? Does which state you live in make a difference? If they keep refusing my calls or refuse to take my payment does that change anything?