How Debt Collectors Put Consumers in Jail for Unpaid Bills
Leaving your debts unpaid isn't illegal and the financial fallout of the recent economic crumble has left millions of Americans owing debt they cannot afford to pay. The economic crisis is a double-sided coin. Consumers are left without the money to pay their debts, while collection agencies lose revenue. The natural result is more aggressive collection methods.
Believe it or not, it gets worse. Bill collectors are notorious for "gutter service." Gutter service occurs when a collector fails to serve you a summons prior to a lawsuit or intentionally sends your summons to the wrong address. If you aren't aware of the pending collection suit against you, there is no possible way for you to show up in court – and no way for you to compile a defense. The collection agency simply waits until you miss the hearing before filing for a warrant and sending the sheriff to pick you up.
There Is No "Get Out of Jail Free" Card
Under normal circumstances, you could have the collection judgment overturned merely by filing a Motion to Vacate and using the expired statute of limitations as a defense. If you have to pay a portion of the debt to be let out of jail, however, you essentially hand the collection agency the ammunition it needs to legitimize its lawsuit.
Debt Collectors That Threaten to Put You in Jail
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act bars collectors from threatening to take any action against you that they lack the legal right to take. This includes threatening to put you in jail for not paying your debts. If you want to get technical (and I really, really do) those who are put in jail for nonpayment aren't arrested because they did not pay a collection agency. They're arrested for their failure to adhere to court orders – even if they weren't aware of those orders.
Forcing Payment in Full
If filing a warrant against nonpaying debtors weren't bad enough, some judges are setting bail for the exact amount the debtor owes and then turning the bail money over to the collection agency when the debtor raises enough money to free himself. Although this isn't going on in all states, its going on in Minnesota. The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently published an article detailing this exact practice. I'm linking the article below if you're interested in taking a look.
Minneapolis Star Tribune article
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
There is no surefire way to protect yourself from unethical debt collection procedures, but you can make yourself less of a target in the following ways:
Know the age of your debt. The statute of limitations kicks in as soon as you default on the account. Keeping track of the statute of limitations means you'll know immediately whether or not a collection agency's lawsuit is legal or illegal as soon as you receive the summons. If the statute of limitations has already expired, you can use this as an affirmative defense when you file your answer – resulting in the court dismissing the debt collector's case and eliminating any chance the company may have had to have you arrested.
Never ignore a summons. In most cases, ignoring a court summons won't result in the collection agency filing a warrant for your arrest – but it will result in a judgment. Plus, answering the summons demonstrates to the collector that you are willing to fight for yourself and not an easy target.
Keep old collection letters – and the envelope too. Keeping old collection letters and the envelope they came in with your name and address clearly visible serves as proof that the collection agency knew your address when it filed its lawsuit. If a debt collector sues and you receive the summons, having the letters isn't necessary. If the collection agency uses gutter service to ensure it receives a judgment, having proof that the company participated in illegal activity in an effort to extort payment from you through an arrest gives you one heck of a case against the collector.
Tout your "judgment-proof" status. Do you lack a job? A home of your own? Nonexempt income? Being judgment-proof doesn't stop a bill collector from getting a judgment, but it does stop the collector from using the judgment to force you to pay. If you're judgment proof, make sure the collection agency knows it. Collectors want to focus their major collection efforts, such as lawsuits and sending debtors to jail, on those they can actually collect from.
Related Articles:
How to Respond to a Debt Collector's Lawsuit
Can You Reset the Statute of Limitations on a Debt?
The Debt Collection Lawsuit Threat
Going to Jail for Unpaid Collection Debts
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