May 2012

In this Issue of Fightdebt! we take a new look at counterclaims. The Question of the Month asks how to prevent a debt collector from dropping its suit and selling the debt to someone else who will bug and may sue you. The answer is obviously to have a counterclaim, but the accompanying article goes into more detail that you will find useful as you develop your strategy.

In Life after Litigation we continue to look at what happens after a debt lawsuit is over and how you begin to restore your lifestyle and peace of mind. It turns out that getting the suit dismissed with prejudice is an important part of that. This month we discuss how to use the Fair Credit Reporting Act to begin to repair your credit.

The Litigation Technique article is about a debt collector’s seeking of attorney’s fees. They often ask for attorney’s fees without attaching a contract that gives the right to them, or providing the terms of the contract they claim gives that right. Failure to do these things is a violation of the FDCPA. And there’s more. Check it out.

The Scam Report this month deals with one of the many businesses feeding off the despair of people being harassed by debt collectors: FreeCreditReport.com. Don’t buy this product or anything like it until you have read and considered my scam report.

Next month I will have a couple of big new things coming out: A handbook for people who are going to trial without having had a chance to conduct much, if any, discovery, and a detailed analysis of the “account stated” theory that debt collectors like to use.