Unemployed and Broke--Time for the Cease Communications Letter

You are one of the thousands of now unemployed and you are broke. You would love to pay your credit card bill or other debt, but you just don’t have the money. Your creditor is calling every day and sending you threatening letters every week. It’s affecting your mental health and your family. What do you do? Well, if you truly have no ability to pay anything, you might consider the Cease Communication letter. The Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 USC 1692c(c) provides that a collector must stop communicating with a debtor by both phone and mail once that debtor requests the collector to stop in writing. So, if you can’t pay and are being driven crazy, write you’re creditor a letter saying; Pursuant to 15 USC 1692c(c), I hereby request that you cease all communication with me. Once that letter is received, your creditor may only contact you to tell you that further communication is being terminated or to notify you that specific remedies are being invoked (translation you are being sued). The requirement that they stop communicating with you doesn’t take effect until they receive your letter. Make sure you send it certified mail so that you have a record that they received it. The Cease Communication letter isn’t a solution to your debt problem, but it can restore the peace to your home.