Defending Consumers and Their Assets

The only treatise to detail consumer defenses to debt buyer and creditor collection lawsuits on credit card, medical, criminal justice, and other consumer debts.

How to Defend a Collection Lawsuit

• Steps debt buyers need to prove debt ownership
• When collectors cannot use the state’s courtst
• Common errors the creditor’s complaint, attachments
• Surprising use of statute of limitations defense
• Abusive use of requests for admissions
• Limits on creditor attorney fees and interest charges
• The consumer’s counterclaims and class counterclaims

Special Tactics for Special Types of Collections

• Medical debt: financial assistance; surprise out-of-network charges; limits on credit reporting, refusal of medical care
• Defending debt owed to the government
• Minimizing criminal justice debt, harsh consequences of non-payment
• Stopping unfair collection on dishonored checks

Steps to Take After Judgment for the Collector or Consumer

• How to set aside a default judgment
• Federal rule protecting Social Security, SSI in bank accounts
• Avoiding wage garnishment, bank account freezes, seizure of homes and cars
• Stopping unfair collection on dishonored checks
• Debtor examinations and imprisonment for debt
• Seven ways for consumers to obtain their attorney fees
• Cleaning up the consumer’s credit report after the consumer prevails

Download the Print Edition’s TOC