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Can a Debt Collector Come to My House?

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Can a debt collector come to my house and show up at my door?

In truth, there is actually nothing in federal or state laws that actually prevents debt collectors from showing up on your doorstep. But unlike the repo man, there’s really not much profit in them being there, so it’s pretty rare.

The information below can help you understand your rights when it comes to in-person collection attempts. If you have questions or feel like a collector has crossed the line into harassment, you have a right to fight back. Remember, even if a debt collector comes to your house, they still have to follow the law.

When collectors come to call

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act limits and prohibits lots of things, but it actually doesn’t have any provision that prohibits a collector from knocking on your door in an attempt to collect a payment. On the other hand, there’s not really any profit in them doing it, so there’s not much reason for them to be there.

When a repo agent shows up to your house, they’re there to collect the property, but that’s not the case with a debt collector. In this case, what you owe is money. They can’t take any property without a court order. So a debt collector really just wastes time and money coming to your house. Think how expensive it would be if collectors tried this on everyone!

Not sure what do to about collectors after your debt? We can help.

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That’s not to say it never happens. If it’s a local collection agency and the collector decides they want to do it, they can show up on your doorstep. But they can’t…

  • force you to answer the door
  • enter your home
  • take property
  • go around to your neighbors telling them about your debt
  • show up in a police car or otherwise impersonate law enforcement
  • get a megaphone to broadcast your debt problems to the neighborhood
  • post flyers about your bad debt
  • do physical harm to you
  • otherwise harass or humiliate you into paying
  • refuse to leave when you ask them to do so

In other words, there’s basically zero reason for them to come to your home because there’s nothing they can do in person that they couldn’t do over the phone.

Video Transcript

[On-screen text] Is It Legal for Debt Collectors to Ring My Doorbell?
Debt collectors are at your door! Is that even legal?
YES.
Debt collectors can show up IN PERSON where you live. But FEDERAL LAW says they can’t do any of this…
Force you to open the door.
Enter your home without your permission.
Take any of your property to pay off debt.
Go to your neighbors and tell them about your debt.
Use a megaphone to shout about your debt in your neighborhood.
Show up in a police car, or pretend to be law enforcement.
In FACT, the law says they have to leave if you ask them to.
Learn more about what debt collectors can and can’t do at…
Debt.com: When Life Happens. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and newsletter for updates and news.

Repo is a different story

It should at least be noted that property repossession and debt collection are two entirely different things, even though they can both deal with debt owed.

Repossession happens when you either put property up as collateral on a loan and failed to repay the money borrowed or you purchased property on credit and then failed to pay for it in good faith. In this case, the lender or property title holder is legally within their right to take your property. In most states, it’s legal to repo your car out of a carport or even an open garage and hotwire it.

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