Debt collectors can bombard consumers with harassing phone calls in their efforts to achieve their goals. However, state and federal laws place limits on the practices debt collection agencies can use in an attempt to collect a debt. The legislation provides a framework you can use to pursue legal action against illegal and unethical debt collection methods.
If you find yourself in a tight financial situation with debt collectors, such as Harris & Harris badgering you about an unpaid bill, you may need to speak with a consumer debt protection expert. At Mike Agruss Law, our debt collection lawyers have the experience you need to deal with abusive debt collection practices.
What is Harris & Harris?
Harris & Harris Ltd is a debt collection agency specializing in collections for companies in the healthcare and utility industries while also offering its services to government entities. Debt collection by Harris & Harris on behalf of the government includes tax collections, toll violations, parking collections, and court fines.
What Does the Better Business Bureau Rate Harris & Harris?
Harris & Harris has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2018. The listing includes its 111 W Jackson Blvd STE 400, Chicago, Illinois, address and states that the company has been in business since 1968. Harris & Harris has a 1.02 out of 5-star rating resulting from over 80 consumer reviews. The profile also includes over 220 complaints in the last three years.
A common theme in the BBB consumer reviews and complaints seems to be Harris & Harris contacting consumers about debts that are not theirs or have been already paid by the debtor.
Is Harris & Harris Harassing You?
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) sets clear boundaries regarding what constitutes legal debt collection in the United States. It also lists a series of illegal behaviors and actions for which you can pursue damages if Harris & Harris engages in them.
For example, if Harris & Harris is calling you multiple times a day, several days per week, you should take action to make this illegal behavior stop. Is the debt collection agency calling you while you’re at work or contacting the HR department about your debt? This action is contrary to the FDCPA and warrants legal action on your part.Some debt collection agency representatives may threaten consumers with arrest, confiscation of assets, or even threats of violence. Whether these debt collection employees take it upon themselves to act this way or whether they are working on their supervisor’s orders makes no difference before the law. If you are the victim of such behavior, you need to seek immediate legal advice from a qualified debt collection attorney.
Any debt collector who willfully violates or fails to comply with any section of the FDCPA is legally liable for damages. You may be eligible to receive your actual damages and up to $1,000 in additional damages for each violation. The cost of your court and attorney fees are also recoverable.
What Should I Do if Harris & Harris Contacts Me?
Start by verifying that the debt you are being contacted about is valid and a mistake. Data entry mistakes often cause debt collection agencies to contact you instead of the rightful debtor. You should seek to correct errors as they can be as damaging to your credit report as an actual debt.
If you are the rightful debtor and Harris & Harris engage in practices that violate the FDCPA, refuse to engage in a dialog with the debt collector. Contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to report illegal conduct and speak with a consumer rights protection lawyer at Mike Agruss Law.
Our attorneys can work with the credit agency to validate the debt. Under the FDCPA, the debt collection agency must verify that their information is correct. Finding an error in the data they hold may be grounds for the deletion of your debt because of a technicality.
Protect Yourself From Debt Collection Harassment With Mike Agruss Law
Harris & Harris collects debt for a variety of organizations. An unpaid medical bill, a forgotten parking ticket, or even a clerical error can cause the debt collection agency to contact you.
At Mike Agruss Law, our goal is to ensure that debt collectors and other entities treat consumers respectfully. Harris & Harris cannot compromise your dignity because of outstanding debt or data entry errors.
If a debt collector is harassing you about a debt you owe or have repaid long ago, contact our consumer protection lawyers as soon as possible. We will protect you from harassing behavior and hold the agency accountable for trampling your consumer rights.
A free consultation with our experts will give you a roadmap of how we proceed with debt collection agency overreach. Allow our lawyers to assist you in stopping debt collection abuse in its tracks at no cost to you. Our policy as a law firm dictates that we do not accept a single cent unless the other side pays.
