Debt Collector Adding Fees You Don’t Owe: What’s Permitted and What’s an FDCPA Violation

Debt Collector Adding Fees Not In Contract

Debt collectors can only charge fees or interest that were explicitly authorized by your original credit agreement or permitted by state law. Adding unauthorized charges like generic “collection fees” or “handling fees” is a direct violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). Debt buyers frequently purchase accounts without the original signed contract, meaning … Read more

Wrong Amount in a Debt Collection Lawsuit: How to Challenge Unauthorized Fees and Inflated Balances

Wrong Amount Debt Collection Lawsuit Defense

You can dispute the amount a debt collector is suing you for without denying that a debt exists, and this is a complete defense against the inflated portion of their claim. Debt buyer lawsuit balances are frequently inflated with unauthorized post-default interest and collection fees that the original contract never allowed. Under the FDCPA, collectors … Read more