Brett,
The first thing you need to know is that the most important thing in dealing
with creditors is communication. They need to hear from you, and
frequently. It may be a little late for this advice, but it may help
anyway. The main thing they want is to know that you are still planning to
pay them back the money you owe.
Another piece of advice is to keep everything your creditors send you. Keep
recordings of all phone calls, all mail and answering messages. Take the
offensive (just don't act offensive). Though your creditors may act like
you are the worst person in the world, you still have rights. Learn what
your rights are and assert them. If any of your creditors makes a false
assertion (eg., that they will seize property they don't legally have a
right to take), you can take them to task on it.
Find a credit counseling agency. They will help you make payment
arrangements that will ultimately be of benefit to the creditors (way better
than receiving nothing!), as well as to you (payments you can afford). Some
creditors have bankruptcy insurance and don't care whether you pay them or
not. In any case, the credit counselor can help you sort it all out.
Here are some links I came up with using ixquick.com:
http://www.consumercredit.com/faq.htm
http://www.cc-bc.com/financial_information_center.htm
http://www.nfcc.org/offices/locator.html
http://www.debtfree.org/debtmgmt/index.cfm
I don't endorse any of the above, since I've never used them myself, but
they may be helpful in getting you out of debt hell.
As a last resort, you can contact the FTC to report a belligerent creditor
or for information on your rights.
https://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/crh/respref.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fdcpajump.htm
Here's a legal site that may be helpful:
http://freeadvice.com/
Ed
Brett wrote:
> I would appreciate any help I could get regarding my credit cards. I am
> way over my head in debt on them and way behind on the payments. The
> companies are threatening me with legal action. I am broke so I can't
> afford an attorney. What will the courts,companies, etc. do to me if I
> can't pay and I have no legal representation? I don't want to declare
> bankruptcy and I don't have the money to do that anyway. Anybody been in
> this situation? Help. Thanks.
