Newsflash: Collections Agents Aren’t Allowed To Abuse You

There’s a certain level of anxiety one has when they pick up the phone and find out that it’s a collections agent on the line. It’s embarrassing enough that you have to deal with a collections agent at all, but if you’ve ever had the horrifying experience of dealing with an unethical agent or an agent who outright abused you via phone, it quickly turns into a living nightmare.

Most people wrongly assume that debt collectors are allowed to be rude, demanding, or even insanely intrusive. The actual truth is that the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act bars debt collectors from behavior that would typically be considered out of line for most other industries, and in many cases, violations victims could actually be entitled to payment for their troubles.

If any of the following happened to you, call us to see if you’re entitled to money.

1)   They verbally abused you or used profanity towards you. By law, they have to remain professional. If they’re threatening you, calling you names, or otherwise being abusive to you, you have a case. Besides, being that mean is just bad business practice.

2)   They called so frequently that it could be considered harassment. Phone calls should be done to annoy you. If you already tried to negotiate something, they should try to lessen the calls. If you feel they did it to harass you, then you may have a case.

3)   They told family members, friends, or any other third party that you had a debt that headed to collections. This is often a breach of privacy, especially if you have told them not to contact others in regards to the debt. It’s considered to be a form of public humiliation.

4)   The collectors also didn’t read your “mini-Miranda.” Did they tell you that you had the right to dispute or verify the debt? No? Well, they were legally supposed to, which means that you deserve a settlement.

5)   They threatened to arrest you, posed as police, or refused to identify themselves. This is obviously unethical, and has to be stopped immediately. If this happened to you, go to court as soon as possible.

6)   You’ve been called at your workplace even though you told them that it’s not allowed. This is considered to be public humiliation.

7)   They’re also not allowed to slap you with large fees, interest, or charges. Enough said?

The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act is there to protect you, and if you’ve dealt with collectors, you most likely have had at least one transgression. If you feel like you’ve been slighted, call us 201-461-0059. You may end up getting money out of it. 

10 Things Millennials Should Know About Paying Off Debt

As a lawyer, I have seen a fair share of young adults fresh out of college who were struggling with debt. It’s not uncommon to hear even older adults with young children ask questions involving paying down debt, the laws, and what their rights are. Sadly, I find many Millennials and members of Gen Y to be misinformed about debt repayment laws. As a lawyer, I want you to know these ten tips about paying off debt.

1. You should seek out leniency if you’re experiencing financial hardship. In many cases, creditors are willing to negotiate with people who had fallen on hard times. Hardships such as a job loss, major illness, and similar issues may also allow you to qualify for government assistance that can help you make life easier. While this is not always going to work, it works often enough that it’s worth giving a try.
2. Creditors are not allowed to harass you or threaten you. As a debtor, you have rights, too. If you’re getting harassed, threatened, or if the creditors began to reach out to people to embarrass you, you may have a good reason to call an attorney.
3. The sooner you pay off your debt, the better. It helps you stay out of debt, and also helps you improve your credit score. Most creditors will never fine you if you pay off your debt early.
4. There’s more to debt relief than just debt consolidation. Before you decide to go for debt consolidation, read up on other options for debt relief. You may find that debt settlement, debt negotiation, and even debt management education may be a better fit for your particular situation.
5. Debt snowballs faster than you think. If you want to see how quickly debt accrues, play around with a credit card interest calculator. You’ll soon find that the reason that minimum payments are so low is because they are designed to keep you in debt longer, or even make your monthly payments negligible. The lesson here is simple – interest is something you have to watch out for.
6. Bankruptcy should be a last resort. Bankruptcy is not a magical wand that waves away your debt without you having to do anything. It’s possible that you could lose your home. Bankruptcy also can have an effect on your credit score, and cause you to lose your car. In other words, there’s a lot more loss than you likely would want to deal with. If you have any other option available to you, pursue it.
7. Many debts can be forgiven through a debt settlement agreement. Most of the debts that fall into this category are unsecured loans, such as credit card debt. If you’re in too deep to pay it off normally, they’ll usually forgive the rest of the debt if you can provide a reasonable lump sum to pay off the bulk of it. These agreements are usually done with the help of a lawyer to ensure that they are actually binding.
8. While most debts can be forgiven through bankruptcy, there are some that are deemed “unforgivable.” By law, you are still required to pay child support, alimony, and college tuition bills – even if you have declared bankruptcy. Defaulting on any of these can cause you to deal with major consequences ranging from wage garnishment to jail time, depending on a number of factors. Because of this fact alone, you need to talk to a professional before you make the commitment to declare bankruptcy.  
9. You have a right to a factual credit report. If your credit report was dinged by an error given by a credit reporting agency, then you have a right to dispute it and get that error removed. That’s part of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
10. Generally speaking, you are not held liable for fraudulent charges that you didn’t make. If you find fraudulent charges on your cards, most banks will wipe them off. If you catch them within 30 days, then they may be legally required to do so. You do not have to pay for a crime someone else committed against you!

The bottom line is that you need to be informed about debt laws in New Jersey, and that the knowledge that you have will give you the power you need to take back your life. If you need legal advice or help with debt settlement, give us a call today 201-491-0059

Michael Lupolover-Consumer Protection at its Finest

Financial matters are hard to handle during the days of consumerism. Debts kept mounting yet individuals cannot seem to stop their excessive spending to think about the dire consequences of delayed payments. Most people have, in one way or another, experienced consumer debts in their lives. They have numerous reasons for having debts, but one of the major things involve the excessive use of credit cards to purchase more than what they need.

Managing consumer debts is not an impossible task. With the proper guidance, one can be able to reduce the amounting debts and regain financial stability altogether. Idealistic as it may seem, people must be open-minded and accept the fact that there are indeed solutions to get over various financial crises.

In an attempt to answer the despair of debts, the number of debt help companies started rising to provide settlement assistance. Financial advisers have doubled their efforts in enlightening people about the various ways to spend and save wisely. Furthermore, consumer law attorneys have taken action in providing consumer protection to those who are constantly being harassed by creditors. With these kinds of help, debtors can surely get over such money matters.

Individuals who are experiencing distress caused by banks and creditors can now breathe in a sigh of relief. Established lawyers such as Michael Lupolover have taken consumer protection to the next level and are offering assistance in debt negotiation. With their help and knowledge of Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, many people have settled debts and were able to escape harassment from creditors. Consumer Law attorneys are well-versed in different financial situations; thus, they would know how to defend your rights as a consumer.

Certain law offices offer a range of services that cater to every financial distress. For people who are hopeless in paying off their debts and want to start anew, the only way might be to file for bankruptcy.  Chapter 7 is the most common form, which helps debtors erase unsecured debts such as credit card debts, utility bills, personal loans and the like. The liquidation discharges, sells assets to pay back the debts but this law  does not cover cars and residential properties as long as payments for mortgage and car loans continue. Another form of bankruptcy is Chapter 13, which helps debtors regain their good credit and pay back their debts in a repayment plan.

Some companies like the Law Offices of Michael Lupolover, P.C.,  also offer debt collection defense that can protect consumers from lawsuits filed by creditors. Consumer law attorneys will do their best in turning the tables to your advantage and even have the creditor pay you for the nuisance. Debt negotiation services are also an option if debtors simply want a time extension and an easy repayment plan to settle debts. For harassed individuals who get unfair treatment and have experience abusive behavior from creditors, the lawyers can also help them file a case and resolve financial disputes in court.

Consumers should be smart enough to know their rights, especially now that we have the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. This federal law focuses on consumer protection that will help debtors survive such financial trials. Look for the right company that can provide the best services at affordable costs.

Michael Lupolover: Protector of People with Debt Problems

Money is the cause of most problems these days and is caused by the notion that many things could be acquired with the use of money. With this, people would do everything in their power just to have more money than they actually need, even to the extent of borrowing money without planning on how such amount could be paid back. Such act is actually unfair especially to the lender. However, there are times wherein people cannot afford to return the money at the allotted time for some acceptable reasons. These reasons were never heard or considered by the lender. As a result, conflict and even trauma surfaces, which are very unhealthy to any human being. If such event takes place, it would be best to see Michael Lupolover at once.

Michael Lupolover is a lawyer that once worked for a financial intermediation agency or a money lending institution. Because of this, he was given the privilege to learn the money lending industry in its deepest essence. Basing everything from what he learned from the industry, he decided to switch sides and begun serving the people who badly needed help against the creditors instead. Michael Lupolover saw how unfair the lenders were to their clients and decided to give the rightful justice to these people. He believes that despite the fact that these people have indeed violated their loan contract, they should also be heard of what they have to say about their violation. Then they should be given enough time and consideration to pay back the loan.

Because of Michael Lupolover, people who owed some money from lending institutions were able to relax. This is because they know somebody out there is ready and willing to bail them out. He would do everything within his power to have his client be heard and be given the rightful consideration one needs. It is his mission, to protect people from unfair treatment, which people might receive from some lending institutions. He understands the truth behind money and he believes that debtors should not get the harsh and embarrassing treatment people are getting from the collectors.

With Michael Lupolover, people can be assured that they will be served in the best possible way. However, they should bear in mind that borrowed money should be returned. There should be a valid reason for the delay of payment even before getting the help of this lawyer. 

About Michael Lupolover

Mr. Michael Lupolover started his legal career as an attorney working for a law firm specializing in debt collection. There he learned the nuts and bolts of the collection industry litigating against consumers who owed money for their credit card bills and enforcing those judgements. Not long after,  he decided to switch sides and start a debt settlement practice helping consumers settle their debts. He quickly grew the practice sizably and has since been responsible for the settlement of over sixty seven million dollars of consumer debt. While servicing those clients he learned how harsh and ruthless some collectors may be when collecting a debt. He  has evolved his practice to now include the enforcement of  federal rights given to consumers by going after rouge collectors for the violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act as well as the Fair Credit Reporting Act.  He has helped hundreds of consumers recover hundreds of thousands of dollars  from these violators. Michael is admitted to New York & New Jersey state bars and the District of Columbia as well as a member of multiple industry and state associations.

Mr. Michael Lupolover is a successful attorney as well as an entrepreneur who has demonstrable concern for assisting consumers in financial distress and those being harassed by collection agencies. Mr. Lupolover previously served as a practitioner at a law firm specializing in legal collections and judgment enforcement. He has been personally responsible for overseeing the settlement of over $50 million dollars of consumer debt. He is married and is raising two children and is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey, the State of New York, and the District of Columbia as well as in New Jersey and New York Federal Courts. Mr. Michael Lupolover is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law.