What's a Good Estimate on Time Frame?

[HopefulInOhio]

I have 7 credit cards and 5 are behind. I have a collection agency calling my parent's home wanting payment. Not as much, but still. I sent them a cease & desist letter but calls continue and probably still will. I even sent them my new address so they could contact me at my new apartment and leave my parents alone. Guess what the idiots did? They signed my C & D letter last month...I just got a letter in my mailbox forwarded from my old address that was wrote last week. And from the same person that signed my return signature letter. Maybe they think I'm lying about my new address..who knows?

You know what I feel like doing? I have a pay as you go phone that you can put $20 on every 3 months. I feel like doing that....reactivating it again....and giving that number to the collection agencies..I have 2 after me. Record a message saying I am who I am and to leave a message. That way they leave my parents alone. Just never answer the calls. I can save all message that come in too. Anyone ever do that?

I'm about 7 months behind now on the CC they're on me for. What is a good time frame before I get called to court?

I see where some folks say it takes a year or more and some have held out longer.

Ah....collection agencies...you gotta love 'em.

[BK'd-Betty]

You could do that - but it won't stop them from calling your parents. Once they have a number they know is connected to you, they just go down the call list and call till they get someone.

We even had them calling my husband's ex-wife (and he had been divorced from her for 15 years). We had other family members tell us that they called and left a message saying they were looking for us and that since they had the same last name, they were hoping to find other relatives. So, in our case, they were getting people with the same last name out of the phone book - or where ever! The only thing that stopped them was the BK filing.

The only other solution, in the meantime, is to have your parents get their number changed to an unpublished number. Some people don't want to do that since they've had that number forever, but it's the only way to get them to stop calling your parents.

Unfortunately, they will continue to call - and don't be surprised if they start contacting your neighbors, etc.

Our mortgage lender had several people knocking on our neigbors doors. They are relentless!

Good luck!

[HopefulInOhio]

Ok, now I'm really freaking out.

Ok...taking a deep breath now. God - I just want this over.

I'm so embarrassed they've got my family involved.

Just overwhelming.

[BK'd-Betty]

I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare or overwhelm you. I just wanted you to know what you might be facing. Collectors don't play fair at all.

It is horrible, but you'll be filing soon and it will all be over.

[HopefulInOhio]

Oh it's okay - lol...I wasn't trying to say you were..sorry.

I've just had a really wild week, what with the bank calling wanting a mortgage payment I don't have - and the stbx not paying it - and receiving letters and such from collections.

Anything freaks me out anymore...

I just hear about how the collectors can be so horrible..I feel depressed enough with all else happening to have to deal with the credit hounds.

I just cannot wait for the day this is over. I'll be doing a dance like no one's ever seen...and may never want to see again.......

[BK'd-Betty]

I know exactly how you feel - I had a panic attack every time the phone rang and had to go on meds for it.

That was a year and a half ago, and still, when someone calls the house and I answer and then I hear "Hello, is this Mrs. Bk'd-Betty?" - well it's like I have post traumatic stress syndrome - my heart starts beating fast, my hands start to shake and I start sweating - it's a reaction I just cannot control. And I don't have bill collectors calling anymore - it's usually a telemarketer trying to sell me something, but it was so stressful and so horrible, I live with that knee jerk reaction to this day.

Hang in there, things WILL get better for you and there will be a day very soon that you can relax.

Just know, you are doing the best thing you can to insure you & your daughters future!

[lrprn]

...the collection agencies..I have 2 after me. Record a message saying I am who I am and to leave a message. That way they leave my parents alone.

Unfortunately at this point after seven months of non-payment, the collection vultures aren't likely to leave your parents alone no matter what you do until you file bankruptcy and can give them a case number and your attorney's contact information.

Why are your parents answering the phone and talking to these vermin? Do they have caller ID? If they don't, consider paying for it for them along with an answering machine until you file. Advise your parents NOT to answer the phone if they don't recognize the number on caller ID and NOT to return calls from anyone they don't know on the answering machine.

Another idea - your parents can tell friends and family that they are screening their calls, then turn the ringer off and check the answering machine every hour or so to return calls they want to return. It's hard for the collection agencies to torture someone who doesn't ever answer the phone. We used a combination of using caller ID and the answering machine for five months before we filed - worked very well.

Another option for your parents is to give them your pay-as-you-go phone and have them give their friends and family that mobile number to use for a few months - totally ignore the regular phone until you file.

Be creative - there are lots of good ways to avoid being harrassed by creditors and collectors until you file and the automatic stay forces them to finally stop.

I'm about 7 months behind now on the CC they're on me for. What is a good time frame before I get called to court?

It varies from creditor to creditor. Most of the time you will have 4-6 months after stopping payment before your account gets moved to collections (which looks like has already happened for you) or written off. Then you may get another 4-8 months before a collector or the original nonsecured creditor that doesn't write you off begins to get serious about court action. From our own experience and others who have posted here, it seems most debtors get 10-18 months from the date of last payment until they start receiving notices that a creditor or collector is pursuing legal action in court to collect the debt.

Of course, secured creditors act much more quickly after payments stop. Most mortgage companies and car lenders start foreclosure /repossession efforts after two missed payments.

[SinkingFast]

That was a year and a half ago, and still, when someone calls the house and I answer and then I hear "Hello, is this Mrs. Bk'd-Betty?" - well it's like I have post traumatic stress syndrome - my heart starts beating fast, my hands start to shake and I start sweating - it's a reaction I just cannot control. And I don't have bill collectors calling anymore - it's usually a telemarketer trying to sell me something, but it was so stressful and so horrible, I live with that knee jerk reaction to this day.

I hear that one, Betty. And I didn't even answer the phone until I checked Caller ID. The constant ringing, ringing, ringing was insane. I turned the ringers off but the Caller ID thing would flash.

Now we have a newspaper calling 2-3 times a week trying to sell subscriptions. They use the automated dialer like the Collectors did. I answer the phone and there's a pause, sometimes longer, before a Human answers the phone. Same heart jump as before. Just for that split second.

We all know exactly what you're going thru, Hope. Lrprn gave you some good suggestions for handling the calls. Above all else, don't you or your parents speak to them. You risk giving info you don't even realize until it's too late.

[HopefulInOhio]

Thanks all -

And thanks for the ideas, lrpn.

I have almost begged my parents to not pick the phone up and let the machine get it.

My dad is in his 60s and someone that has to know everything that is going on around him - especially in his home. I have tried to explain - thru my embarassment - to please not pick it up. My mom is good about letting the machine get it now, but it's just him. My father is very hard to explain - he and I are not that close - and it's almost like he feels it's his home and he's gonna flat out tell them to not call. I've tried to tell him it's a matter of how fast I get hauled into court over what he says - he's starting to get it, but not as fast as he should.

They actually haven't called for a while until yesterday. They got my C & D letters and now a new man is calling. The previous ones that were becoming vultures have stopped....now that doesn't mean they won't start back, but hey...we'll see.

Another day in the life of foreclosure and bankruptcy....