Is it legal for bill collectors to come to your house?

There is no law that says they can't come to your house. However, if they threaten or harrass you, that's a different story.

Can you contact them and make payment arrangements? It's best not to ignore their phone calls or attempt to avoid payment altogether - in some states, they can take you to court, which can end up in a judgement against you (very bad for your credit) and garnish your wages.

What state do you live in? Where I live it is illegal and if asked to leave and they refuse they will be arrested for trespassing.

There are laws on debt collection for every state. Know the laws of your state before you deal with the CA. You should make sure that the company you are dealing with is not violating the laws. Which company is collecting for your debt?

Sounds like the old days..."the neighborhood bill collector". I thought door to door collections was outlawed?

I used to work for a company that did door to door collections in the 60-70's in new jersey. ( I didnt work for them back then).

Scary! I know soon after my divorce, there was a little loan that I had to take out to make ends meet from one of those local, walk-in places. One month, I had no money to spare....things were super tight with just the essentials. This loan place called me several times a day, and I kept telling them I would pay when I had some money. I would come home from work or from getting groceries, and find a note on my front door that they had come by. The scariest? One night, I took the kids to the movies (no, it didn't cost me any money...it was a "good job" gift certificate that I got from work...so the movies were free). When I came out of the movie, there was a note on my car from the loan office!!! I'm not kidding! If they were trying to scare me, they were succeeding! I called them the next day, and reiterated that as soon as I had the money, I would pay them....and, the next time they went following me around, I would call the authorities on them! I was able to pay the loan off the next month (forget exactly how...may have been a tax refund or something), and was very glad to be rid of them!

I would research the laws of your state. If it is illegal for them to come to your home, I would send them a cease and desist letter, explaining that only acceptable contact is by phone or mail...or just plain by mail.

I can not imagine some collector showing up demanding payment. Feel free to hand him/her a Cease and Desist letter when they walk up. Don't forget to ask for all relevant information, such as the license number of the individual performing the collecting, and their registered agent, and be sure to see proper identification, authorizing the collector to perform collecting, door to door. But, above all else, you demand proper validation of the debt in which they must prove that you owe. Even in states where it is legal to door to door collect, they must still possess the permits to do such a job, otherwise it is illegal, so ask for every damn thing that you can think of, make them earn your time.

Thanks for all the information! They have not been to my house yet, but are threatening to!

The creditor can come to you house.

They can make housecalls. Not very smart for them to, though. Knock on the wrong person's door and they might get pulled inside and beaten or shot. I wouldn't want to risk my own life so that my employer could get paid.

Some states have very strict trespass laws. Also, recently laws went into effect in a couple of states stating that you just had to "feel threatened" before opening up with a gun. I'd bet the door to door collectors don't operate in those states.

And I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to lose my life over a $300 PDL, if you get my drift. As if that's going to make someone who really doesn't have the cash produce it......

i would like to see a collector come here, these steps up here go way down.

I never heard of a CA coming knocking on doors?

'I'm with you', Tweety. Never heard of a bill collector, going 'door to door', either. Mmmm.....I din't think they could do that. Hey, Subigirl..if a CA put a note on your car, that means they were following your car....isn't THAT illegal??

Why do you think I called them the next morning and threatened to call the cops the next time they did it! Forget debt collection laws...I was going to file charges for stalking! The movie theater wasn't even in the same part of town as the loan office, and it was some time between 8 and 10 at night that they showed up! Let me tell you, it creeped me out big time! At that time, they probably would have even come up to my job, except for the fact that I worked on a secured campus (you couldn't get in to even the parking lot without a company issued badge, and if you were a visitor, security would call the person they claimed to be coming to see to confirm it...then they would let you in, and you would have to wait at the front desk for that person to come get you). I guess they may have tried, but then didn't want to let me know they were there, so they just left.

Here in Alaska, we are not required to retreat from a threat before shooting to kill. We need only state that we felt threatened, even if you could have run from the threat. No door to door collectors in this state. :lol:

They passed a similar law here in Texas during the last legislative session. I'm sure this particular loan place will not be sending out their collectors anymore. Texas also passed a concealed weapon law since I had my "stalker CA". You can now get a license to carry a concealed weapon, so you don't know who is carrying, and who isn't!

Same here...we're all packing, and guess what? No home invasions or armed robbery. I don't get it. :lol:

I had a debt collector show up on my door last night--wouldn't leave for quite awhile. I guess here in MN it is legal but foolish--he kept insisting for me to write out a check--we don't have a checking account--he was going to put it on a card--we don't have a credit card. He asked for cash--I had $5.00 but didn't give it to him--is now insisting on a phone all today to pay the entire amount of over $1500.00. Was asking about work and how we should be able to make payment because we both work--harrasment in my opinion.

Use the law in your favor...
According the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ? 805: A debt collector may not communicate with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt: (1) at any unusual time or place or a time or place known or which should be known to be inconvenient to the consumer.

Simply tell them it is not convient for you to talk about the debt at your home. Write it down, give them a copy.

They have the right until you tell them not to come back. If they return, there is a problem!