National Lien Processors called “Bill” yesterday. Bill filed bankruptcy with me and was discharged in June 2013. Bill told them he filed bankruptcy, and National Lien Processors told him that bankruptcy did not apply to them. That of course is B.S. and they know it. They told Bill his lawyer better be ready to defend him. That was B.S. too. Lori, one of my top bankruptcy paralegals, called National Lien Processors at the number they left, 561-409-5490. They hung up on her. That’s what you get from scam outfits who know they are violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and don’t care.
The bankruptcy judge will fine legitimate outfits that step over the line with after-bankruptcy harassment. But he can’t do much with underground companies that know they are illegal and don’t care. That’s a job for Federal law enforcement.
Debt collection scams threaten to take legal action against people like Bill, but they are not going anywhere near a courthouse–because they are the people who are illegal. Besides just hanging up, there is one thing you can do. The Dodd-Frank law in 2010 set up a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, with a budget they get from the Federal Reserve. That means they have some money, a little, to actually investigate illegal scammers. Here’s the link where you can complain, if National Lien Processors, or somebody like them, calls you and makes illegal threats. When legitimate outfits step over the line and harass my clients after bankruptcy, I sue them in the bankruptcy court. But the bankruptcy judge can’t do much with underground companies who know they are illegal and don’t care. That’s a job for Federal law enforcement.
PS Bill did file a complaint today with the CFPB…if they update him, I’ll update this blog.