Being Sued For
Debt? Act Now Before
Debt Collectors Leave You Flat
Broke
When You Are Being Sued For Debt DO NOT Ignore That
Summons
The worst thing you can do when being sued by a debt collector
is to ignore the summons. By doing so, you will lose by default
judgment and suffer some pretty harmful consequences. Depending
on the state you live in, the total amount of the debt and the
debt collector in question, they could take any of these
actions:
(1) Put a lien on property you own.
(2) Seek to immediately garnish your wages
(3) Attach your bank account(s). Meaning, they have the
legal right to instantly snatch money out of your bank accounts
until the debt is paid in full. Or,
(4) Take some other drastic measures against you. In some
states, as astounding as it may sound, depending on the debt,
they may be able to take out a warrant against you.
Filing An Answer When Being Sued For
Debt Make no mistake about it, the clock is ticking
and that summons will not magically go away. Rest assured, the
debt collectors are hoping you don’t respond to the summons.
Alarmingly, way too many Americans do absolutely nothing when
they are sued over debts.
They fail or refuse to file an ANSWER because they didn’t
realize the horrible things that could happen to them. To avoid
having liens placed on your property, to avoid having your bank
accounts frozen or your wages garnished, YOU MUST FILE AN
ANSWER! And, you must file that ANSWER before the deadline
stated on the summons!
When Being Sued For Debt, Beware of Bad
Advice
Before I share the options you have, I have a stern warning.
The Internet is filled with all kinds of websites that share
answers from people who are in the same boat as you. REMEMBER:
these are not legal experts and for the most part, they will
provide you with misinformation concerning your circumstances.
The train of thought many of these individuals lead you to take
is immediately filing bankruptcy to escape the clutches of
relentless debt
collectors. That is an absolute last resort action that
won’t be necessary except in extreme cases; having shared that,
here are your options.
Talk To An Attorney
This should be your first option. Even if you don’t have the
funds for a retainer. Almost all attorneys will provide a free
initial consultation to evaluate your case. You can use that
consultation as somewhat of a barometer to determine which
direction to go. If you’re being sued for debt, you really
should speak to an attorney immediately, if only for the no
cost initial consultation. As always, in these types of cases,
get at least two opinions, preferably three. You should only
seek out attorneys that specialize in debt collection and consumer debt
collection laws.
To be quite Frank, if you subscribe to a service such as
PrePaid Legal or you have the money on hand, hire an attorney.
Let them deal this issue and get on with your life! If can’t
afford an attorney, your next option is going Pro Se; meaning
that you’ll be representing yourself.
Going Pro Se There is an old saying,
“Only a fool hires himself as an attorney.” That statement,
although true, has many exceptions to the rule. There is a huge
difference when being faced with representing yourself in a
criminal trial versus representing yourself when you are being
sued for debt in a civil suit. You can successfully represent
yourself in a civil suit such as this “IF” …you are properly
prepared! Learn the steps and process to defend yourself and
beat
debt collectors in a lawsuit.
Joel Marks has been helping people get
out of debt and avoid both bankruptcy and foreclosure for over
fifteen years. Utilizing savvy debt counseling, debt management
programs, Federal laws and a team of attorneys, debt
counselors and advisors, he has quietly assisted thousands come
from under the heavy burden debt.
For more information on this topic or any other issue
related to getting out of debt, living debt free, debt
management, debt relief, the Fair
Debt Collection Practices Act and stopping debt
collectors in their tracks, please visit www.DebtErasure.com
Source: http://debterasure.com/
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