Is it legal for a collection agency to contact a person at their place of employment?
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Is it legal for a collection agency to contact a person at their place of employment?
Asked on August 11, 2011 Louisiana
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Many states have laws prohibiting unfair debt collection practices. There is also a federal statute on the subject as well, Unfair Debt Collection Practices Act". These laws prohibit harassing and deceiving debt collection practices by third party debt collectors.
Such illegal practices consist of, but are not limited to, contacting an employee's employer about the debt, calling the debtor at odd hours or frequently within a short period of time, threatening a lawsuit or criminal arrest and potentially calling a debtor at his or her place of work after being requested not to do so.
Depending upon the number of times a person has been called at work and if the debtor has requested that the calls at work cease by the collection agency, further calls at work by the debt collection company may violate state and/or federal unfair debt collection laws.
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