Category: Debt Relief

An estimated 41% of Americans have some form of unpaid medical debt. Further, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) reported there was $88 billion in medical debt on the credit records of consumers. However, a recent study from Stanford University suggests that it might be much worse (at least $140 billion). With that in mind, millions of U.S. citizens face medical collections activities and negative information on their credit reports due to an inability to pay medical bills. At Ziegler Diamond Law, our debt relief lawyers understand the devastating financial impact a medical bill could have on your credit score,… Read More

Have you been getting debt collection letters and phone calls from an organization you don’t recognize? Chances are your debt may have been sold to a junk debt buyer. There was a time when a company might just give up on collecting debts, particularly small ones, if they couldn’t collect them easily. These days, if a company cannot collect a debt, they often just sell it to a junk debt buyer for pennies on the dollar. At some point, many companies today would like to get a little money rather than expend resources pursuing a hard-to-collect debt. As an added… Read More

Debt collection laws don’t usually get a whole lot of buzz, but as I’m sure you’ve seen on social media and through your local news outlets there’s a new debt collection law called Regulation F that went into effect on November 30th, 2021 that’s really caused a buzz. Now yes it’s true, Regulation F did expand some ways that debt collectors can communicate with you, but it’s important to remember two things: Collectors always have to abide by consumer protection laws. Regulation F also expanded some consumer protections. So bad news first! Let’s review the ways that Regulation F broadened… Read More

Debt, or at least liability to pay it off, does not necessarily last forever. In Florida, for everything except debt involving real estate, the statute of limitation for debt is generally five years for debts with a written agreement. Credit card debt for example has a five-year Florida debt statute of limitations. So does medical debt. That means that after five years, if certain things do not happen to keep a debt alive, a creditor may no longer sue you for payment. The Florida statute of limitations for debt is shorter than that of many other states, where you may… Read More

Are you being sued by TD Auto Finance? Are you afraid you will be soon? Keep reading. A Little Background TD Auto Finance is an indirect auto financing company that finances cars through car dealerships. They are actually a subsidiary of TD Bank, which is one of the 10 biggest banks in the United States.  TD Bank has branches throughout Florida, various other states and Canada. TD Auto Finance and TD Bank are members of TD Bank Group. TD Bank Group is quite a big outfit with over $900 billion in assets. They have more than 83,000 employees worldwide. The… Read More

When debt collectors keep calling, what can you do if you are not sure you owe the debt or at least the amount they claim? What if you are SURE you do not owe the debt? How can you make them stop calling? Of course, you can call a Florida debt collection defense attorney who will make the debt collector contacts top immediately. If it’s a large amount and you are not sure whether you owe it, that would be your best bet. Short of that, you can send an FDCPA (Fair Debt Collections Practices Act) cease-and-desist letter. What Kind… Read More

According to a 2021 report, the average American is $90,460 in debt. A recent survey reports that 47 percent of Americans carry a monthly balance on their credit cards. 70% of those people say they cannot pay it off this year. Despite debt being so common, we live in a society that stigmatizes those who owe money. People in debt are often so ashamed they do not seek the help they need. When people feel isolated in this way, they become a prime target for exploitation. We would like to tell you about some of the primary debt collector scare… Read More

It’s enough to increase your heart rate and make you break out in a sweat. The debt collector is calling! Debt collectors have tricks up their sleeves, so you are right to be concerned when debt collectors call. If you owe a lot of money, it very well may be worth your while to hire a debt collection defense attorney who knows the ins and outs. But if you are planning to speak with a debt collector yourself, you need to be prepared. Consider the following advice. Keep calm Debt collectors like to keep you off balance, and often they… Read More

We all know that medical debt drives many people into bankruptcy. It’s the largest category of debt in the United States. Even if patients recover, the weight of medical bills can ruin their lives. Well, it’s even worse than we or the government or anybody else thought. A study from JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) just published in July tells us that collection agencies held $140 billion in unpaid medical bills in 2020. (The study covers January 2009 to June 2020.) A previous study done in 2016 indicated the amount was almost half that — $81 billion. It gets… Read More

A debt collector has served you with a complaint for non-payment of debt. Before you were served, you tried to negotiate, but to no avail. What should you do now? Depending on the situation, here are some possibilities to defend against a debt collection lawsuit in Florida. 1. Consider Hiring a Florida Debt Collection Defense Attorney If the debt is substantial, you should at least consult with a debt collection attorney. There may be defenses of which you may be unaware or need help arguing. See our blog post, Do I Need a Florida Debt Collection Defense Attorney? Many attorneys, including… Read More