Almost everyone has debt. These days, it is a way of life. Sometimes in life, bad things happen to good people. These bad things can put people in situations they cannot control. As a result, sometimes people have a hard time paying back their debt. However, there is always help available, and bankruptcy can potentially lead to debt relief.

Yet, having a hard time paying off debt does not make someone a criminal or a bad person. It also does not mean that debt collectors can harass you either. Maryland residents can benefit from learning how to get relief from their debt and to stop creditor harassment. As reported in The Frederick News-Post, more than 3,000 Maryland consumers made complaints about abusive debt collection practices in the past three years.

Creditor harassment is a serious problem for some people, as attempts to collect money can become abusive. This is sometimes due to the fact that the profit debt collectors make depends on how much debt they collect from consumers.

For example, a company holding a credit card with a balance of $5,000 may decide it does not want to try to collect that debt, so they will sell the ability to collect on the debt for an amount much less than the debt -- say, $500. The company paying the $500 buys the right to collect the money from the person that owes it. Therefore, any amount they collect over $500 is profit. Moreover, to make that profit, debt collectors sometimes resort to intimidation.

Abusive collection practices are illegal. By knowing your rights and the things debt collectors cannot do, you can protect yourself and the law can help you, too.

Test your knowledge by taking a look at the following things debt collectors cannot do:

  • Debt collectors cannot threaten you by telling you that you can be hurt or arrested for not paying your debt
  • Debt collectors cannot lie to you
  • Debt collectors cannot lie to credit reporting agencies about your repayment
  • Debt collectors cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. unless you give permission in advance
  • Debt collectors cannot talk to anyone but you, your spouse or your attorney about your debt (this includes your children)

Source: Frederick News-Post, "Complaints show debtor's frustration, fear," Bethany Rodgers, Dec. 11, 2011