Fair Debt Laws and Collection Compliance

Recorded: March 9, 2010

Presenters: Randolph Houts

Duration: 1 hour

Price: $249 / $199 for Affiliation Members

It doesn’t matter whether you outsource collections or handle it in-house, you still need to know what the Fair Debt Collections Protection Act (FDCPA) requires of you. Most importantly, you want to ensure that if you rely on outside collectors and lawyers, they don’t get you into trouble. And you don’t want to be dragged into a lawsuit if your vendor violates debt collection laws. There are a host of legal liabilities to be aware of and rules pertaining to who can talk to the borrower or third parties and under what conditions. You need to keep an eye on your vendors to minimize risk. You need to know about legal defenses and damage control if rules are violated.

Protect your institution by joining us in this informative webinar to learn the dos and don’ts of debt collections and to answer questions like:

• What kind of damages might be asserted if the vendor and I were sued? ?
• Will insurance provide protection?
• Is there any way to protect my company contractually?
• What activities of my vendors are most likely to generate a claim?
• What if they don't send a demand?
• What should they be sending to begin the collection/litigation process?
• Validation of the debt
  • ...do they have to take a pause?
  • ...what information should be supplied and how am I involved?
• How should my vendor be communicating with the borrower? With third parties like family, employers, or friends?
• What if I get complaints about abusive treatment or bad language?
• Are there any techniques I should have my vendor avoid?
• Can I still talk to my borrower if we both have lawyers?
• What can my collector/attorney threaten the borrower with?
• What should I know about leaving messages for the borrower?
• Do I have to be concerned about licensing and insurance?

The webinar is designed to answer all of these questions and more.

BIO: Randolph Houts

Randolph C. Houts is the author of Pratt’s State by State Debt Collections. He is the owner of Randolph C. Houts and Associates, a firm that represents financial institutions in collections and creditor bankruptcy proceedings. Houts has taught and worked in the area of debt collections for more than 20 years.

Houts received his Bachelor of Science Degree from San Diego State University. He has a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. Houts is a member of the California Bar Association and the National Association of Development Companies (NADCO). NADCO works closely with the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) to ensure that SBA 504 program regulations are useful and appropriate. Houts is one of a select group of attorneys certified to conduct closings and approve SBA real property secured loans for funding.

Continuing Professional Education Credit

Delivery Method: Group Internet-based       CPE Credits: 1
Program Level: Overview       Prerequisites: None       Advance Preparation: None

Sheshunoff Consulting + Solutions is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasbatools.com.

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