Washington Collections Legal Questions

If you are enrolled in a debt consolidation program check your paperwork carefully because some programs include legal defense for these sorts of suits as part of your monthly program fee.  Qhether you know if you havethat coberage or not you should forward the summons to the program account rep because even if that's not part of your program fee they will likely be able to refer you to the proper attorney to defend you.  Just don't do nothing at all because if you do not respond at all the creditor/collector could win automatically then you have a judgment on your record not just a delinquency or default.... Read More

Ask the collection agency to send you a validation letter on company letterhead.  Then,  make sure to do a back ground check on the company.  Call Either the Attorney general in that state or Secratary of State office.  VALIDATE first before paying on a debt that you are not familiar with.   ... Read More

No, you will not lose your right to contest the debt.  You have a right to contest the debt with any defenses that may be relevant to your case.  If one of your defenses is rejected, you still maintain the right to raise other defenses. This is not intended to be legal advice, and is general in its nature. No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this information. Furthermore, this does not represent the views or opinions of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.... Read More

There are too many different variables to answer your question at this time.   You should consult a local bankruptcy attorney or consumer rights attorney to determine what course of action to undertake.  Most consumer and bankruptcy attorneys offer a free initial consultations to determine if you qualify for bankruptcy, and to determine if bankruptcy is appropriate or if you have other options. This is not intended to be legal advice, and is general in its nature. No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this information. Furthermore, this does not represent the views or opinions of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.... Read More

You should speak with a local consumer rights attorney.  There are various statutes that may protect you, and the debt holder may be barred from adding on costs if there was a judgment or settlement against you.  Additionally, there are various state specific exemptions available should the debt-holder receive a judgment against you, and a local consumer rights attorney will be able to determine if any exemptions apply to your situation. This is not intended to be legal advice, and is general in its nature. No attorney-client relationship exists or is formed by this information. Furthermore, this does not represent the views or opinions of LexisNexis or its affiliated companies.... Read More

 If I understand you question correctly, you purchased an item from a company and paid for that item with a check that was returned for non-sufficient funds ("NSF"); meaning that the company never received the purchase price. This would explain why the company never sent you the item you ordered. When your check was returned to the company for NSF, the company likely incurred a charge for the returned check. I will presume that this is the amount the company sent to collections.  Your question of whether this is legal depends on the terms you agreed to when you made the purchase and, I can safely assume that, you agreed to pay for any fees or charges resulting from NSF checks. So, based on my assumptions of your question, the short answer is yes, it is legal.... Read More