Collection agency harrassing my elderly grandma trying to reach me!? Please advise.

[allfiredup]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? I live in Georgia and the collection agency (Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc.) is located in Virginia.

I lost my job in May 2007 and defaulted on several unsecured credit accounts (which was everything except my car loan). I worked for the first half of 2008, but was laid off again in May 2008 and haven't worked since.

A collection agency now owns one the credit card accounts that I stopped paying in 2007. They haven't been able to contact me because I moved shortly after losing my job (living with family) and they don't have my address. When I find a job and get back on my feet, I will do my best to pay what I owe and clean up my credit mess.

Somehow, this collection agency has connected me to my 86-year old grandmother. They've been calling her every day for over a week, waking her up (she sleeps until noon) and upsetting/confusing her. I grew up next door to her, but moved when I was 15 (over 20 years ago) and it's nowhere on my credit report, so I have no idea how they identified her as my relative!?

My immediate/primary goals are-

1) To stop the calls to her immediately and permanently!
2) To avoid disclosing my address and, more importantly, my phone number in the process of accomplishing #1.

I'm very embarrassed by this situation and I realize that I seem like a deadbeat. But I have no money to pay them and that won't change no matter how much they call me or my family!

Thanks!

 

[Zigner]

Seriously - man up. Let the agency know YOUR contact info so they don't have to bug granny.

 

[JETX]

My immediate/primary goals are-

1) To stop the calls to her immediately and permanently!

Simple. Contact them and give them YOUR contact information.

2) To avoid disclosing my address and, more importantly, my phone number in the process of accomplishing #1.

Learn to be a mature responsible person... and accept the consequences of YOUR actions.

I'm very embarrassed by this situation and I realize that I seem like a deadbeat. But I have no money to pay them and that won't change no matter how much they call me or my family!

So, how EXACTLY is any of this THEIR fault??

BTW, some addlepate is likely to come along and claim this is a FDCPA violation.... it isn't. A creditor can contact 3rd parties to try to locate the deadbeat debtor who is avoiding them.

 

[xylene]

The poster has not provided sufficient facts to state categorically that the actions of Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. are NOT violations of the FDCPA.

The poster however has not provided anything that would fully substantiate a FDCPA violation.

However, let us not be stupid. Daily calls to any 3rd party, especially a third party that was not a residence or employer, is grasping at straws to be viewable as legitimate skip tracing efforts.

 

[TigerD]

However, let us not be stupid. Daily calls to any 3rd party, especially a third party that was not a residence or employer, is grasping at straws to be viewable as legitimate skip tracing efforts.

Grandma should stop hiding the deadbeat. The FDCPA allows them to call her everyday until she provides his info.

§ 804. Acquisition of location information
Any debt collector communicating with any person other than the consumer for the purpose of acquiring location information about the consumer shall—
(3) not communicate with any such person more than once unless requested to do so by such person or unless the debt collector reasonably believes that the earlier response of such person is erroneous or incomplete and that such person now has correct or complete location information;

The OP should stop doing this to his dear grandmother. He can end it all by calling the collection agency and paying his bill.

DC

 

[Zigner]

He can end it all by calling the collection agency and paying his bill.

DC

Actually, as far as poor old victimized granny is concerned...all he has to do is give them valid contact info.