Getting Sued for Past Due Debt?
Being sued for unpaid debt is a possibility but you may be able to avoid legal action. It’s common for debtors to forget or ignore the fact they owe money on an old or past due debt until a summons is received catching you off guard. Avoiding a lawsuit requires you to take action but also keep in mind you should review your legal rights as far as paying debt obligations and review questions or concerns with a legal expert.
Reducing your chances of getting sued includes paying your bills. A logical step of course but if you know you owe the debt, make arrangements to get it paid on your terms before you are legally forced to submit. If you know of an account in collections, make an effort to contact debt collectors and set up an arrangement.
Anytime you make an agreement, get it in writing for your records. This may help protect yourself from getting sued and even a form of defense if you ever have to go to court. Keep record of payments made including dates payments were submitted and payment amounts. You’ll also want to note when the account is paid off. Make sure it gets reported to credit bureaus in a timely manner.
If you get a notice that you are being sued you may able to make arrangements without the lawsuit proceeding. The summons has information on who filed the suit and you may want to contact them to see if a settlement can be reached outside of court.