# FDCPA and inspections........



## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

SOOOO many ways to get in hot water here. FDCPA does NOT mess around. W/O says if occupied and nobody home, Leave callback card in envelope marked "confidential" Well now what happens if property is tenant occupied and the tenant gets the CC? Instructions say DO NOT leave CC with tenant! Also per FDCPA the door hangers fail to identify who is responsible for the notice, neglecting to mention that it pertained to collection of a debt, default, or demand for payment.

The FDCPA mandates debt collectors identify themselves to those from whom they are collecting and to disclose the reason for contacting the individual. Additionally, the FDCPA requires all debt collectors to mail the debtor a specific letter within five days of initial communication, notifying the debtor of their legal rights to obtain validation of the debt, including total amount owed, the creditor’s name, and how to dispute the debt.


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## Ohnojim (Mar 25, 2013)

*Not to mention all the state laws*

It is a legal nightmare, additionally you are soliciting and may need a local permit for that. I would advise against anyone doing occupancy inspections that require contact or postings. All it would take is one complaint from someone who is already probably not too happy out the situation.


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## Field Audit Services LLC (Mar 24, 2013)

GOTTA use common sense. Put the intended recipients name on the envelope as well, that covers you on that aspect. 

As for the letter to be sent 5 days later: "(c) A debt collector may not be held liable in any action brought under this title if the debt collector shows by a preponderance of evidence that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid any such error."


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

Field Audit Services LLC said:


> GOTTA use common sense. Put the intended recipients name on the envelope as well, that covers you on that aspect.
> 
> As for the letter to be sent 5 days later: "(c) A debt collector may not be held liable in any action brought under this title if the debt collector shows by a preponderance of evidence that the violation was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adapted to avoid any such error."



I'll let the courts decide that one............


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## G 3 (May 3, 2015)

I've done these before. The "Confidential Letter" does not offer any information regarding the loan, or what the issue is, so there are no legal problems here. You post a letter asking the "Borrower" to call the mortgage company back. When someone calls the number in the letter, that caller will go through a screening process to make sure that they are the person the mortgage company needs to talk to. When the caller can't answer the questions, they are politely told that since they are not the borrower, no information can be given out. Please refer this letter to the borrower, and have them give us a call.

Some of these jobs are easy, some have a crap ton of questions that the bank wants you to ask the borrower.


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## Ohnojim (Mar 25, 2013)

If there was some money in them, I might look at it differently. But for the money generally offered for these, and all the paperwork generally involved. I'm not taking the chance of some halfwit filing a complaint.


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

G 3 said:


> I've done these before. The "Confidential Letter" does not offer any information regarding the loan, or what the issue is, so there are no legal problems here. You post a letter asking the "Borrower" to call the mortgage company back. When someone calls the number in the letter, that caller will go through a screening process to make sure that they are the person the mortgage company needs to talk to. When the caller can't answer the questions, they are politely told that since they are not the borrower, no information can be given out. Please refer this letter to the borrower, and have them give us a call.
> 
> Some of these jobs are easy, some have a crap ton of questions that the bank wants you to ask the borrower.



Did you read the court cases? Obviously a judge thought there was some merit as he gave it class action status.....


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## Field Audit Services LLC (Mar 24, 2013)

mtmtnman said:


> I'll let the courts decide that one............


Wait a second here..You post about the FDCPA and going to jail and that is fact. I post about FDCPA WITH fact and all I get is a "I'll let the courts decide that one"? WTH, man? Why is it good for the goose but not the gander?



> Did you read the court cases? Obviously a judge thought there was some merit as he gave it class action status...


 To which case (or cases, you said both) are you referring to, my friend? And did you read the FDCPA? Seems you are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here. I've had complaints; can't please everyone all the time; and they have stopped there. As a complaint that was resolved. No courts. No judges. No FDCPA.

Not sure what case (or cases) you are using as examples, but I gather from being a class action suit, it was widespread company policy to be disrespectful to the debtor. That is one company, not an industry. And a class action suit doesn't arise from leaving a letter marked 'Confidential' on the front door, as there's more to the story than you know, me thinks. :yawn:


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## PPPrincessNOT (Nov 11, 2013)

We did an eviction for a realtor last summer... In this particular county the sheriff sends 6 officers. They knock once then ram the door. So they ram the door and the renter comes out in his tighty whities and starts screaming all confused. The sheriff and the renter and the realtor determine he has a signed lease and tell him he needs to contact his landlord. And we pack up to leave. (there is now a circus of neighbors looking on most with phones videoing He (very nicely) asks if he needs to contact his landlord about the now broken front door.
The only female officer literally runs up to him and starts screaming "If you paid your effing bills you wouldn't have a broken door you effing deadbeat"

We were all stunned.. Probably the only time in my life I was speechless. LOL the renters neighbor walks up says hes an attorney does Bk's and what not and tells the renter he will go pro bono and sue the officer for violating the FDCPA and slander or libel whichever it is.
We talked to the realtor the officer AND the dept were getting sued... don't know more then that.

Wont mess with any of that crap... to easy to get sued..

M


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## JoeInPI (Dec 18, 2014)

Agreed- service papers and evictions- not anymore.


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

Field Audit Services LLC said:


> Wait a second here..You post about the FDCPA and going to jail and that is fact. I post about FDCPA WITH fact and all I get is a "I'll let the courts decide that one"? WTH, man? Why is it good for the goose but not the gander?
> 
> To which case (or cases, you said both) are you referring to, my friend? And did you read the FDCPA? Seems you are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here. I've had complaints; can't please everyone all the time; and they have stopped there. As a complaint that was resolved. No courts. No judges. No FDCPA.
> 
> Not sure what case (or cases) you are using as examples, but I gather from being a class action suit, it was widespread company policy to be disrespectful to the debtor. That is one company, not an industry. And a class action suit doesn't arise from leaving a letter marked 'Confidential' on the front door, as there's more to the story than you know, me thinks. :yawn:



The letter they are asking you to post does NOT follow FDCPA guidelines. That is the whole jist of the lawsuit. I talked to the law firm in Chicago about it last week............


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## Field Audit Services LLC (Mar 24, 2013)

All my letters state it is an attempt to collect a debt. As I said, sounds like one company, not the industry.


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## mtmtnman (May 1, 2012)

Field Audit Services LLC said:


> Wait a second here..You post about the FDCPA and going to jail and that is fact. I post about FDCPA WITH fact and all I get is a "I'll let the courts decide that one"? WTH, man? Why is it good for the goose but not the gander?
> 
> To which case (or cases, you said both) are you referring to, my friend? And did you read the FDCPA? Seems you are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill here. I've had complaints; can't please everyone all the time; and they have stopped there. As a complaint that was resolved. No courts. No judges. No FDCPA.
> 
> Not sure what case (or cases) you are using as examples, but I gather from being a class action suit, it was widespread company policy to be disrespectful to the debtor. That is one company, not an industry. And a class action suit doesn't arise from leaving a letter marked 'Confidential' on the front door, as there's more to the story than you know, me thinks. :yawn:




Here is an example of how a door posting SHOULD read. This is not a 2 liner that all the nationals spew out......


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## Field Audit Services LLC (Mar 24, 2013)

I know where that came from.


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## thanohano44 (Aug 5, 2012)

mtmtnman said:


> Here is an example of how a door posting SHOULD read. This is not a 2 liner that all the nationals spew out......



The fdcpa also has state specific laws. Do your due diligence and get fdcpa certified. The fdcpa doesn't necessarily apply to the direct lenders, it applies to the 3rd parties who are doing the work on behalf of the bank. It would be wise for you to know your local guidelines as well as federal.


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## AaronMcKeehan (May 8, 2015)

Lol this is why it is so difficult to be in this industry. 

"This law, that law, this certification, and that certification." 
"Oh did you get insurance?", 
"Did you post the sign with the right color?" 
"Want to spray for weeds, well you need a certification for that, but to obtain the certification you need a few years in a technical school(New Mexico: http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/pesticides/)." 
"Did you get a General Contractor License?"
"Actually according to the law here, you need to be a licensed plumber to make those repairs"
"According to this law you need to have a home inspector license to provide that report"
"FNMA requires that you get the home in conveyance condition, at a fair market value, within a certain period of time, if you dont, expect fines"
"You need to use a certain doorknob for that door"(I can twist these doorknobs off with a pipe wrench like I was cutting through butter)
"Return to the house a few times to provide the same bid. Get approved for the first bid when the problem wasn't as bad"
Day one: "We have a work order 100 miles away, can you help us with it??" Me: "Sure." Day Two(Work order is late): "Why is the work order late?? You know we will charge you back for it"

MY PERSONAL "FAVORITE"
"Bid everything and if you miss something you will be charged back"

*WHY WOULD ANYONE GET INTO THIS INDUSTRY OR STAY IN IT WITH THIS MANY COMPLIANCE ISSUES AND BE WILLING TO GET PAID LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE ON A NET30+ BASIS??????????*


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