Jail for debt – NO jail for lies. Ms. Anderson, CEO ACA, try ME!
It is sad to see the MN Star Tribune publish this vile “counterpoint” by Rozanne M. Andersen, CEO of the ACA International, the primary organization of debt collectors.
Counterpoint: Avoid jail by paying off debts
Last update: June 19, 2010 – 9:14 PM
Over the past two Sundays, the Star Tribune has recounted horror stories about Minnesotans jailed for failing to appear in court as ordered by a judge (“In jail for being in debt,” June 6, and “Wasting tax dollars collecting debts,” editorial, June 13). The articles and subsequent editorial characterized the practice of serving bench warrants as egregious, suggested the process was a waste of the taxpayers’ money and called for legislators to revisit this subject when they convene in 2011.Minneapolis-based ACA International is the leading trade association for more than 5,000 third-party debt collectors, asset buyers and debt collection attorneys. ACA believes the travesty is not the fact that the bench warrant process exists; rather, it’s that citizens who blatantly disobey court orders are seen as victims.We disagree with the Star Tribune’s off-base assertion that this is a problem created by, and unique to, debt collectors. While the Star Tribune focused on people who were arrested because of a missed court date pertaining to a rightfully owed debt, the reality is that court orders to enforce judgments are fairly common as a means to enforce state law for a variety of matters, including personal injury, child support and orders to testify in court.
Third-party collectors collect debt on behalf of business clients. When attempts to collect by way of phone calls or letters prove unsuccessful, creditors often forward the account to a collection attorney and ask that it be sued out. The best advice I can give to anyone who owes a bad debt is to not ignore calls from the creditor, to respond when contacted by a debt collector, and to seek the advice of an attorney if served with a summons and complaint. Ignoring a debt will never make it go away.
Minnesota is fortunate to have many resources available to help consumers understand their legal rights. ACA is committed to helping consumers understand their rights, and we encourage anyone who has questions about the debt collection process or their legal rights to visit askdoctordebt.com. [LIES emphasized]
Should the Minnesota Legislature choose to debate in 2011 how to best save taxpayers money by more efficiently and effectively attending to people who have missed a mandated court date, ACA would welcome the opportunity to work with lawmakers on systemwide reform.
ROZANNE M. ANDERSEN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
ACA INTERNATIONAL, MINNEAPOLIS
Of course Ms. Andersen spews lie after lie:
“Ignoring a debt will never make it go away.”
What a BLATANT and outrageous LIE!
In FACT, just about ALL debts “go away” after the statute of limitations expires.
The statute of limitations for cell phone bills is two years (federal law) and every state has its own laws determining how long a creditor can SUE for a debt. For credit cards, the time varies from 3 to 10 years.
But even more important, MOST collectors do go away if you just IGNORE them!
Not only have I been working with many clients, but I am proud to have taken a stand against credit card abuse and I voted with my money:
I had PERFECT credit when Washington Mutual decided to triple my interest rate. Because they refused to lower my rate, they never got one penny from me again and since other creditors subsequently (and foolishly) also raised their rates, I defaulted on about $90,000. I was financing the construction of my home with credit cards and had planned on refinancing the debt into a mortgage.
I KNOW that MOST collectors WILL go away when you ignore them.
Of course I keep the collection letters and I RECORD all calls and messages left by them. If they do sue me, I have counter claims. Collectors CONTINUALLY violate the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
- If the debt is more than you can settle if you are sued and you’re NOT judgment-proof, do NOT demand that the collector not contact you again. What you SHOULD do depends on YOUR situation and the creditor/collector, but don’t ever demand that a collector stop contacting you if they have valid claims and could sue you.
However, creditor lawsuits have increased tremendously in recent years and here are a couple of recent corruption documentaries:
- Arizona State Bar supports CRIMINALS, corrupt lawyers and banks
- Cohen & Slamowitz Unfair Collection Litigation Practices
A few weeks ago a reader emailed that he challenged the Cohen & Slamowitz default judgment and not only did the judge vacate the judgment, but he dismissed with PREJUDICE (they can’t sue again) when C & S failed to submit documentation for the debt.
Another debt “gone away.”
In typical collector fashion, Ms. Anderson LIED to get people to pay “alleged” debts.
Not to mention that consumers get next to NO legal help, do NOT know their legal rights and that the ACA website askdoctordebt.com is NOT a place for consumers to get help, but for collectors to get consumers to PAY.
How about JAIL for LIES?
Ms. Anderson, YOU should be in jail for making such an outrageous FALSE statement.
As I have documented so many times, collectors routinely lie to people and they even EXTORT monies NOT owed!
If lies were illegal, we’d solve most of the planet’s problems and we could pursue happiness — as is our constitutional right. This is not an exclusive American problem, but most economies and governments are based on lies and operate with one goal: to exploit and to CONTROL the PEOPLE and to amass wealth and power for the elite.
I do NOT think that Ms. Anderson is part of the elite, but apparently she strives to further their goals, she doesn’t have the brains to understand reality or she is obsessed with dollars.
One thing’s for sure: The ACA, askdoctordebt.com and Ms. Anderson are NOT trying to help you, they’re trying to get your last dollar.
- As the ACA president, Ms. Anderson is personally responsible for the pain and suffering the members of her organization inflict on human beings and the divorces, medical problems, suicides and murders they cause – just like BP CEO Hayward is responsible for the catastrophe in the gulf.
And just like oil drilling, collections are not necessary. We could use alternative energy and alternative currencies (not created by the private bankers) and ALL of us would have greatly improved chances of living healthy and productive lives.
There is NO debtors’ prison – why are people jailed?
In some states creditors who receive judgments can have the court issue a subpoena, ordering the consumer to appear in court for the “debtor’s examination.” Sometimes creditors also send forms to be completed by the debtor, requiring the disclosure of all assets and income.
When consumers fail to respond and if they fail to appear in court after being ordered by the judge, a BENCH WARRANT can be issued. Often people don’t even know about it until they get pulled over for a traffic violation and get arrested.
It is DEPLORABLE that any state would ARREST the people who have been abused, deceived and essentially bankrupted by the CRIMINALS (who created money out of NOTHING when making loans at usurious interest rates) and their henchmen, the collectors.
There is NO need to waste even MORE tax payer money on jailing consumers.
Literally TRILLIONS of dollars were given to bankers and international corporations (bailouts and “stimulus” money) and now they JAIL the people while the corporate criminals enjoy record bonuses.
There are MANY services available to provide collectors with information about debtors’ assets and income.
The creditors HAVE the debtors’ social security numbers and they can easily obtain asset and employment information through inexpensive data services.
Ms. Anderson wants to SCARE people into paying debts with money that SHOULD be used to pay for food, rent, utilities, health care, etc.
Why don’t you try ME, Ms. Anderson?
Why don’t you have ME jailed?
Most people are so scared, don’t know the law and don’t have the TIME to learn about laws and courts because they’re busy working and just trying to get by. Why don’t they sue ME?
Filed under: collection, litigation and tagged ACA, jail for debt
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