Collector call

[nceguyfromne]

I don't consider this to be a wise strategy, especially if you're intent on filing in the near future - say less than a year.

Those 3-4 *will* know that you're paying the others and *will* triple the amount of calls, making you wish you stopped paying all of them altogether. It also might prompt some of them to sue faster.

If I were in your position, I'd have stopped paying all of them yesterday. You should be well under the protection of BK stay by the time any of them decides to sue.

My $0.02 only...

Good luck to us all.

Jf24, please don't pay your unsecured creditors at the expense of keeping oil in your furnace. You are robbing yourself to pay Peter and Paul. I understand the calls at work are unnerving but that is something you can address with a simple letter or phone call to each of your creditors demanding that they stop contacting you at work. If you are filing in the next few weeks, or even the next few months, you'll be safe from judgments. Trust me when I say, the size of the balance won't reflect at all on the call volume. In fact, my most frequent calls came from my smaller balances. We're talking a couple hundred dollars in some cases. Capital One and Discover practically had me on speed dial and my balances with them were only a fraction of my larger balances. As others have also mentioned, when their collections departments pull your credit report, they're going to be wondering why you're paying your larger balances and not them. To them, this says you have the means to pay them but just don't care to. That makes you a prime target for escalated collection and possibly a fast-tracked referral to their attorneys. My largest CC ($25,000 balance) sent my account to collections around the 90-day mark and once there it languished until I filed my case around the 120-day mark. Not even a threat of a lawsuit from any of them.

[IamOld]

If I could add a ditto - before filing quite a few creditors pulled my credit - and saw "nice" things like Charge-offs, etc etc etc...don't let them see you paying creditor X - because like shark and other said, they will come after you harder.

[Jf24]

Wow, so much you learn here, thanks

One more question about this. I'm married but will file as an individual with all cc debt in my name except one card that is in both our names and another small one in my wifes name alone. What will happen if we pay this joint card only like I planed on doing since my wife is on it. I would not include it in the BK.

[IamOld]

jf - the card you speak of...the ONE card that is in BOTH your names - unless you are ONLY an AUTHORIZED USER you will HAVE to list it in the bk - IF you're WIFE keeps paying on it (this is an interesting question for your atty) then the card issuer cannot do anything to her.)

The card that is in your WIFE's name ALONE is NOT included if you only file.

[GoingDown]

Yes, but it's so much better and more fun to talk to them and tell them to contact your attorney. I let them go through all the stuff about "this is an attempt to collect a debt" and listen quietly and then give them my attorney's name and number. They alway's seem so exasperated at the end. It really must suck to have their job!

I think it is among the worst jobs in the world.

Many of them are people who just recently got out of prison and can't find any other job to do.

Scary that they have all of our personal information at their finger tips.

Which is why I stopped talking to them on the phone years ago.

[shark66]

I think it is among the worst jobs in the world. .

It's got to be.

That being said, I can't quite fathom why people take these jobs. To feel empowered over the poor souls they hound down and threaten?

I'd rather be doing a *really* dangerous job. Heck, a mob hit man sounds noble when compared to a debt collector.

Come to think of it, almost anything - apart from being a politician - sounds noble in comparison...

Good luck to us all.

[JackBondLove]

After I had signed the form and paid to hire my attorney, I simply responded to the collectors that I had filed for BK, and gave the name and number for my attorney, even though the filing was not until a few weeks later. I never got any subsequent calls.

[mountanddo]

Many of them are people who just recently got out of prison and can't find any other job to do.

Scary that they have all of our personal information at their finger tips.

I never thought about what kind of people take these types of jobs. The collector I talked to sure didn't sound like he was having a very good day after I spoke with him. He sounded bored and frustrated. I'd rather work at McDonald's for minimum wage than take a job like this. At least there you get to hand out Happy meals!

[Jf24]

As others have also mentioned, when their collections departments pull your credit report, they're going to be wondering why you're paying your larger balances and not them. To them, this says you have the means to pay them but just don't care to. That makes you a prime target for escalated collection and possibly a fast-tracked referral to their attorneys. .

jf - the card you speak of...the ONE card that is in BOTH your names - unless you are ONLY an AUTHORIZED USER you will HAVE to list it in the bk - IF you're WIFE keeps paying on it (this is an interesting question for your atty) then the card issuer cannot do anything to her.)

The card that is in your WIFE's name ALONE is NOT included if you only file.

The one card I was talking about the wife and I are both on it as a joint account. If this is the only card being paid would they look at this when they look at my credit report and wonder the same thing. Why I'm paying this and not them.

Sorry this is getting off topic. Should I stop my second mortgage payment in hopes of a strip? Mother is cosigner on first mortgage and rather not go there. (bought house before getting married). Then the arears woluld be paid through ch13. Same credit union has both mortgages.

[lillymarlene]

If I could add a ditto - before filing quite a few creditors pulled my credit - and saw "nice" things like Charge-offs, etc etc etc...don't let them see you paying creditor X - because like shark and other said, they will come after you harder.

Must be what happened to me last year. I quit paying a couple of my big creditors in 2009 because they either had cancelled my cards, since they didn't like my debt to asset ratio and/or had upped my min to something I couldn't pay. I kept on paying some of my creditors, foolishly thinking I could keep them. Next thing you know, I was being sued by 2 of my cards with the smallest balances. Probably these big banks were just making a type of "test run."

I did show up in court for one creditor, hoping to delay the proceedings, which I suceeded in doing. I didn't want to risk getting a default judgement, since those may be more difficult and expensive to remove later.

[Jf24]

Took the advice from here and stopped all payments on the cards. Got 1 creditor call so far at work. Told them I can't talk at work and give me a number to call back at. After interupting him several times from his reason for calling he gave me the 800 number to call. Called about an hour later and got a nice lady on the phone and told her I can't get calles at work and she said she will erase the work number.

This is one of the 3 I couldn't get the number changed on to google voice. I think the person you call back would be much nicer the the one calling you.

Question about paying one creditor and not the other and the problems that causes like discussed here. Is this only for the unsecured creditors and not for your home or car loan? Keeping the house and car.

[buzzstpoint]

If you plan on keeping your house/car and possibly reaffirm, then you will want to keep paying on those notes. Credit cards you can stop paying on and save that money for an attorney.