In this video you will get answers to these questions:
- What is a claim letter?
- What are some examples of a collection letter?
- How long does a claim letter last?
- What are the 5 most important things to know about collection letters?
Collection letters are often the preliminary stage in filing a lawsuit. But they can also be an effective tool for resolving disputes before they go to court.
Collection letters are often used by businesses to request money owed or a refund, but they can also be used to request a specific action.
It may be a smart move for your attorney to prepare a collection letter, as it gives the recipient a chance to rectify the situation without having to face a lawsuit. Typically, these letters contain a brief history of the dispute, request a specific resolution at a specific time, provide legal justification for the claim or refer to a contractual provision, and indicate what the sender intends to do if the claim is not met.
Although the concept is simple, there are details that can help make collection letters more successful in resolving disputes and protecting your interests.
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Information about the claim letter
1. A collection letter shows the other party that you mean business.
Suppose your company is involved in a dispute with another company. They made phone calls and wrote emails. Angry words are exchanged. The other company may think that you will not pursue the matter legally. A reminder makes the possibility of a lawsuit "real" for the other company. Perhaps for the first time, the other party must weigh the possible consequences of failing to comply with the claim.
2. A reminder is generally considered by the court to be a sign of good faith.
The letter shows that the sender wants to resolve the issue and is not wasting valuable legal resources. Courts like to see that efforts have been made to resolve disputes. Sending a reminder letter by certified mail (return receipt requested) and regular mail shows that you have made an effort. In some cases, a reminder is required prior to court proceedings.
3. Information from a collection letter can be used against you.
If it ends up in court, a judge will read the collection letter. Insults or threats can hurt your case. An unreasonable amount of money may be demanded.
The wording of a collection letter is important. Certain problems fall under theFair Debt Collection Practices Actor other federal and state laws. You want to make sure that any claim made complies with all applicable laws.
You will also want to make sure that the wording of the letter does not represent a waiver of your rights.
4. By sending a reminder, you can save money and time in the long run.
Although it costs money to have your attorney write a collection letter and settle, if you are successful, you will save more than going to court. Legal procedures are often slow and expensive. Even if you win, you will likely have to pay legal fees and there is no guarantee that a court judgment can be enforced.
A collection letter does not have to be written by a lawyer, but a letter from a law firm is generally taken more seriously and offers the protections listed above.
5. Never ignore a collection letter.
If you receive one, contact your attorney immediately. Some people think that if they don't reply, the sender will disappear. This is usually not the case, especially if the other party has retained a lawyer.
React and try to solve the problem or you risk going to court. And the courts may not look kindly on those who simply ignore warning letters.
This does not mean that you have to give in to all demands. You can affirmatively defend yourself, countersue, or try to settle the matter for less than the amount claimed.
Establish a policy within your organization that certified mail be delivered to a senior manager and dealt with promptly. Since on-demand letters usually have a deadline, you want to make sure they are a high priority.
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As you can see, collection letters can be an efficient way to resolve disputes. You can expedite a successful outcome and avoid costly litigation. Even if you end up suing, a collection letter will show the court that you made a reasonable attempt to work with the other party to resolve the problem.
Video-Transcription
What is a claim letter? And what should you know if you receive a reminder or are thinking of sending one? These are the questions I will address today. I'm Aaron Hall, an attorney representing business owners in Minneapolis, Minnesota. You can learn more about me at aaronhall.com. And please read the description below for an important disclaimer.
All right, what's a collection letter? It is simply a letter in which one of the parties demands something. It is usually written by a lawyer. And usually the letter asks a person to do something that is illegal or to do something that is required of them. For example, I can send a letter on behalf of my client if another party does not fulfill the contract. And the letter said: "On behalf of my client, we ask that you stop breaching the contract." Or, for example, a letter might read: "We ask that you stop infringing on my client's intellectual property rights." or trademark issue. So these are some examples of a collection letter.
How long does a claim letter last? Well, it could be between one and four pages long, I guess. Usually mine are between one and three pages long. One side will be really simple and just say, "Look, we want you to stop doing something," and we'll ask them to contact us and try to work things out. It would be three or four pages if we set out the specific legal reasons why you must comply with the service letter. And maybe it means that if you don't do this, then here's what we're going to do and we're going to look at attorney and court costs and damages for breach of contract, whatever those details are, that we'd like to share in a letter. longer.
Here are five things to remember about collection letters. A reminder letter shows that the sender is serious. When a sender of a collection letter has retained a lawyer, he is clearly spending money to protect his rights and shows that he is more serious than just emailing or calling and pursuing the legal claims themselves.
Second, a warning is generally considered by the court to be a sign of good faith. It shows that the parties are trying to work things out instead of going straight to court.
Third, remember that wording can be used against you in a collection letter. This is often why a lawyer writes it, because he wants to be very careful about what is said in a collection letter. As the old saying goes, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.
Fourth, sending a collection letter can save time and money in the long run. And that's because if you can avoid litigation, which is costly, stressful, and distracting, a collection letter can help you work things out in negotiations. Negotiations are often much cheaper, much faster, and much less stressful than going to court and hearing your case before a judge. Legal proceedings often last for months, if not years.
Fifth, don't ignore a collection letter. When he ignores a collection letter, he is essentially telling the other party, "I'm not going to write back and try to work this out," and that often leaves them no choice but to sue him. So by responding to a collection letter in a timely manner, or letting his lawyer respond to it, he can try to work things out without costly and stressful litigation. I wrote an article on my website aaronhall.com. You can click the URL in the description below to view it. And if you have any questions, visit my website. Take a look at the links below. And feel free to subscribe to this channel for other how-to videos like this one. This video is subject to a disclaimer. Please see this disclaimer below. And thanks for joining me today. I'm Aaron Hall. Learn
More at aaronhall.com.
For more information visit my website at aaronhall.com