When your financial situation has led you to fall behind on monthly bills, the last thing you need is creditors acting out of line. Even if you are unable to pay the minimum payments each month, creditor harassment is never appropriate. Learn how to recognize when your creditors have gone too far.

As stipulated in The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), debt collectors cannot, by law, act in the following manner:

1. Repeatedly call you at home or work with the intent to abuse, harass or annoy you or family members who answer your phone.

2. Although debt collectors have the right to alert you of any legal or financial consequences when a bill is outstanding, they do not have the right to threaten you with violence or harm.

3. Your creditors must treat you with respect, regardless of how behind you are with a debt. When a debt collector uses profane or obscene language, this action constitutes harassment.

4. Although creditors do have the right to report outstanding balances and late payments to credit reporting agencies, by law, they cannot publish lists of people who have refused to pay their debts.

5. When you receive a call from debt collectors, by law, they must identify themselves and the company they represent. If a debt collector refuses to identify himself, this is considered a form of creditor harassment.

Unfortunately, some creditors use misleading and unethical tactics to collect debts. You have the right to pursue action. The Buettner Law Group can help. Contact us for a consultation to identify your options.