Debt Settlement & Collections

Debt Settlement & Collection Services

Facing overwhelming debt can be a daunting and stressful experience. At The Credit Care Company, we're here to offer you a lifeline through our effective debt settlement and collections solutions. Our experienced team is dedicated to helping you regain control of your finances and working towards a brighter, debt-free future. Call our team in St. Louis, MO, at (314) 485-9940 to learn more about how we can help you!

Are You Tired of Debt Collectors Calling You?

Debt collectors can be an absolute nightmare. They can make you feel irresponsible, worried, and trapped. Individuals and families all over are struggling to make ends meet and have trouble paying their bills on time. You are not alone. Debt collectors have used dirty tactics over the years. In fact, Congress had to step in and stop them! They created laws to protect people like you. Are you tired of being harassed and abused by debt collectors?

There Is Good News

Consumers are now protected from many scare tactics and abusive collection practices. The only problem is that most of those who deserve compensation for violations of the new legislation don’t even know they exist! In all calls and voicemails, a debt collector must identify as a debt collector. Failure to do so can result in a statutory damage settlement of up to $1,000. You could have a case if you receive a voicemail from a debt collector that does not provide their identity. The average person has 1 or 2 of these voicemails on their phone. Saving all voicemails from debt collectors could earn you money! Deleting them could be like throwing money out the window of a moving car.

Debt Collectors Owe You One Thing: RESPECT!

New Regulations Include:

They cannot lie to you.
They cannot falsely threaten you.
They are not allowed to call you repeatedly.
They can only contact you at convenient times and places.
They cannot give out your information to third parties.
They cannot continue to contact you if you have asked them to stop, even if you have only asked once.
They must disclose their identity as debt collectors, and the purpose of their call is to attempt to collect a debt, and information received may be used for that purpose.
They must inform you of your right to dispute a debt.
They must tell you who you had the debt with initially and how much the original debt was written for.
They cannot verbally abuse you or threaten your safety or well-being. Physical threats are not taken lightly.
And much more!

What constitutes harassment by a debt collector?
Just a few examples include:
- Using abusive language. This includes threatening you or using profanity over the phone or in a message they leave for you.
- Giving you false information. Debt collectors must give you accurate information about how much you owe and who they are.
- Outright lying to you. Some debt collectors have been known to lie and say that they can have you arrested, that they are lawyers, or that there will be repercussions that aren’t legally allowed.
- Contacting you repeatedly or, sometimes, you’ve asked them not to call.
I have a judgment against me. Can I just pay it and get it released?
If you have a judgment against you, you might be thinking that you should just pay the judgment and get it released. And it’s true, that’s one way to handle it. You could contact the judgment creditor and work out terms to pay the judgment. But that may not be a good idea. Why? Because they are pros when it comes to settling judgments, and you’re not. Here are just a few things you need to consider:
- How would you know for sure if they were telling you the correct balance?
- Do you owe interest and legal fees or not? If so, how much? And how do you know for sure?
- Is it possible to settle the judgment for a reduced amount? If so, how much? And how do you know if you’re getting a good deal?
- And then what happens after you pay them?
- The judgment is supposed to get “released,” but what, exactly, does that mean? And how – and when – does that happen? How long does it normally take? How will you know when your judgment has been released? And if it doesn’t get released, what then?
What is a judgment? How does it affect me, and what can I do about it?
A judgment is a court order that requires you to pay a fine debt. Having a judgment for the debt is different from, and much worse than, just owing the debt. If you just owe a debt, but you don’t have a judgment for it, the creditor can harass you over the phone and send you bills and threatening letters (all of which can be very unpleasant), but they can’t really do anything to you other than that. If, on the other hand, you have a judgment against you for an unpaid debt, the creditor can seize and liquidate your assets (“take your stuff”), subject to certain limitations, to get paid.

With a judgment, the creditor can seize your assets, subject to certain limitations, to get paid. You may think that you don’t have any actual, physical assets that the creditor can seize, and you may be right about that, but that can still include the following:
- Garnish your bank accounts. With a judgment, the creditor can garnish your bank accounts. This means that they can freeze your bank accounts (all of them) and take all your money.
- File lien papers in the real property records. The credit can file an “abstract of judgment” in the real property records, which can cloud the title to your home. It will be difficult or impossible to sell your home or refinance your mortgage until the judgment is released.
- Subpoena you to appear at a deposition. The creditor can subpoena you to appear at a deposition and require you to bring documentation about your bank accounts and other assets with you. Once they get the information about your assets, they will use that information to seize whatever assets they can seize.
- A judgment will damage your credit. A judgment is one of the worst things you can have on your credit report. And it can remain on your credit report for at least 7 years, possibly much longer.
How long until my bad debt is cleared up?

The defaulted debt can remain on your credit report for 7 years. If you look at your credit report clearly, there is a field called “Date of Last Activity” or “DLA.” The date of the last activity is, not surprisingly, the last date any activity took place on the account. On a credit card debt, the last activity is the charge-off, and the date of the last activity is the charge-off date.

The derogatory entry on your credit report must drop off 7 years after the charge-off date. In fact, it is the date of the last activity, as reported by the creditor, which triggers the credit bureau to drop the entry from your credit report.

If a credit card company sells your account to a debt buyer, the 7-year time frame does not get extended. Some debt buyers, however, erroneously report a new – and later- date of last activity when they purchase an account. “Reaging,” as this practice is called, is not proper, and you are entitled to have the derogatory entry removed from your credit report at the conclusion of the original 7 years.
I know I have a lawsuit but haven’t been served. How can I get a copy?

The lawsuit is a public record. You can go to the courthouse and get a copy. The letter we sent you has your case number and the court on it. So, take our letter to the courthouse, and show the clerk. He or she will be able to get a copy of the lawsuit for you or show you where you need to get a copy. To go to the court and get a copy of your lawsuit, you need to know what court your lawsuit is in. Depending on what county you live in, there could be dozens of different courts.
I’m getting sued. Can I just call them and plan to pay the debt?

Sure, you could just call them and try to plan to pay the debt. But it’s probably the worst thing you can do because it will (probably) cost you more and damage your credit worse than having someone help you. Plus, if you try to handle your lawsuit on your own, you might end up with the worst possible outcome: you pay the debt in full and still get a judgment on your credit.