**Disclaimer – Debtprison.net does not administer legal or financial advice. The contents of this website are my opinions on collection agencies and how to deal with them. Nothing on this website should be interpreted as legal advice or council. No opinions on this website should be used to replace the advice of your financial advisor or your legal council.

• Here are the facts on the recent case.

He owed $5,000 to creditor on a high interest credit card.

He stopped paying the debt one year ago.

Received a collection letter from collection lawyer (debt ballooned to $6,000) in another state not licensed in Mississippi. I advised to ignore the letter since the collector couldn’t sue in MS court.

Debt was transferred to another collection agency in TN which has a lawyer on staff in MS. They mailed out a collection letter to my friend two months ago describing the debt in the amount of $6,200.

My friend ignored the letter and did not request validation of the debt.

Summons came yesterday for civil suit for debt.

It doesn’t always happen this way. And in the case of my friend he is an unlikely candidate for civil suit. He has no assets, is a student in college, and has a part time job. Even though it will take the creditor probably years to retrieve their money with a judgment, they still pursued the civil suit/judgment.

My other friend was sued under the same circumstances. He was a full-time student and had a part time job with no assets. However, some people go years without being sued.

So what makes a person more likely to be sued than another?

There really are no certain criteria for determining when and if a collection agency will sue you.

For some hints check out the following articles I’ve written on the subject:

How to avoid a lawsuit from a collection agency

The more money you owe the more likely you’ll be sued within 18 months or less.

If you move to another state and fail to update your information (by not registering to vote, getting a new Drivers License, or applying for new credit) you can make it difficult for the collection agency to locate you. If they can’t locate you before the Statute of Limitations has passed you should be in the clear.

If you have assets like a car or home and a decent job then you are a good candidate for a lawsuit. However, the lack of all of these items doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t sue. And the more debt you owe the more likely they’ll sue.

Don’t forget to mail out a Debt Validation Letter in response to each collection letter you receive.

I’m advising my friend to get a lawyer to represent him. This can prevent him from being abused by the collection agency by paying a bunch of phony charges. Often, without any assistance, you can end up paying much more than what you should.

** Remember, the best way to solve these problems is to pay the debt and get it out of your life.

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Related Articles

* What is a Junk Debt Buyer?

* Restrictions on Wage Garnishment for Debt Collection.

* The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act

* Reasons not to file Bankruptcy or Settle Your Debts

* Can you go to jail for not paying your debts?

* How to settle your debts on your own

* How to deal with collection agencies

* Sample Debt Validation Letter