Did you know that in Massachusetts, debt collectors are not allowed to make unlimited phone calls in order to collect on a past due bill?
Under regulations put out by the Massachusetts Division of Banks, third party debt collection firms can only call you two times in a seven day period on your home phone.
And they can only call you two times in a thirty day period on any other line — for example, at your job.
Tell this to anyone who is seriously behind on their bills, though, and they’ll give you a severe quizzical look. Collectors routinely flout this regulation, harassing debtors at all hours, and repeatedly. The Division of Banks is well-meaning, but it’s not a very large state agency, and can’t really enforce its own regulations in a pro-active way.
This is where the bankruptcy process can be a blessing to people who are struggling financially. Filing a bankruptcy case automatically generates an order for debt collectors to stop calling (and writing, and suing, to boot), and the bankruptcy court is a well-funded national organization that has real judges ready to enforce its laws.
If you’re getting too many calls from collection agencies and have been thinking about whether bankruptcy could work for you, you can give me a call at (978) 975 – 2608, and I’ll go through the basics with you, and there is no obligation.
By Doug Beaton