How to Resolve Debt With Westwood Funding

George Simons | January 24, 2025

George Simons
Co-Founder of SoloSuit
George Simons, JD/MBA

George Simons is the co-founder and CEO of SoloSuit. He has helped Americans protect over $1 billion from predatory debt lawsuits. George graduated from BYU Law school in 2020 with a JD-MBA. In his spare time, George likes to cook, because he likes to eat.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Avoid court by settling debt with Westwood Funding: Review your finances, propose an offer (50% could be a good starting point), get a written agreement, and make your payments on time according to the agreement. Solo can help you with all these steps and more.

Westwood Funding is a revenue-based finance company that provides working capital to small and medium-sized businesses.

Although these types of loans can provide money upfront, the result can be more debt than you can repay. If you’re unable to repay the debt, Westwood Funding may end up suing you in court.

If you have received a Summons and Complaint in the mail from Westwood Funding, it is essential that you answer it. If you do not answer it, a default judgment may be placed against you. This will open up other avenues for debt collection, such as wage garnishment, liens on your property, or money being taken directly from your bank account. This article outlines everything you need to know about Westwood Funding and how to resolve your debt.

Settle debt with Westwood Funding

You can negotiate debt settlement at any stage of the collections process. SoloSettle makes it easy.

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Who is Westwood Funding, and who do they collect for?

Westwood Funding, also known as Westwood Funding Solutions, LLC, is a loan office located in Florida, New York, and New Jersey that offers many different financing options to businesses. These include merchant cash advances and small business loans. Merchant cash advances are loans that give companies quick access to money. They often have very high interest rates and APRs. The catch with merchant cash advances is that they can be difficult to pay off.

Since Westwood Funding offers business financing up to $3 million, businesses from the following industries often obtain funding:

  • Commercial real estate
  • Trucking industry
  • Car lots
  • Salons
  • Spas
  • Construction
  • Medical offices
  • Liquor stores
  • Hospitality industry
  • Auto repair

The above list is not comprehensive as Westwood Funding provides capital to businesses nationwide in various industries.

Westwood Funding Solutions LLC is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and maintains an A+ rating. Consumers can also read reviews on TrustPilot.

Westwood Funding handles its own collections in-house, so if a third-party debt collector contacts you, verify it by contacting Westwood Funding directly. The Westwood Funding phone number and other contact information are as follows:

Steps to answer a debt collection lawsuit

If you are being sued for a debt, you will receive two documents in the mail called the Summons and Complaint. Listed on the Summons will be the deadline for you to file your response (14-30 days, depending on which state the lawsuit is in).

The Complaint contains all the specific accusations against you. You must respond to the Summons and Complaint with a legal Answer document to avoid automatically losing the case with a default judgment against you.

There are three steps involved in responding to the Summons and Complaint:

1. Answer each allegation listed in the Complaint

Answering a complaint is essential. Be sure to thoroughly read the complaint before you decide how to respond to each part of it. You will need to either admit, deny, or state that you do not know about each allegation listed. Generally, it's best to deny as many allegations as possible.

2. Assert your affirmative defenses

Affirmative defenses are legal reasons that Westwood Funding's claims against you are invalid.

Examples of common affirmative defenses include:

  • The account is not yours
  • The contract was previously canceled
  • The statute of limitations has expired (or in other words, the amount of time you have to be legally sued for a debt has expired)
  • The debt has already been paid or excused
  • The debt has been partially paid

Make the right defense the right way with SoloSuit.

3. File the Answer with the court and serve the plaintiff

Filing the Answer correctly is very important. Be sure to print two copies and mail one to the court. You will then need to pay the filing fee to the court, ranging from $7 to $450, depending on your state. Finally, you should mail the other copy to the plaintiff's attorney.

You can typically find the address for where you should send your Answer on the Summons and Complaint you received in the mail. This is the attorney's address which should be on the top left of the first page, while the court's address should be in the first two paragraphs.

Check out this video for more information on these three steps:

Does Westwood Funding have a right to sue?

One way to respond to a debt lawsuit is to challenge Westwood Funding's right to sue. They will legally need to be able to prove that the debt belongs to you and that they have the legal standing to sue you. For example, they must provide a credit agreement signed by you and documentation of the chain of custody of all paperwork.

Understand the burden of proof

When you are served with a lawsuit, the burden of proof rests with the plaintiff. This means that Westwood Funding will need to prove the following:

  • That you are responsible for the debt
  • That they have the right to sue you
  • That you owe a specific amount

Demanding proof is one of the best ways to respond to a debt collection lawsuit. When you deny the claims listed in the Complaint, Westwood Funding must then prove every aspect of the debt, including that all fees and charges were within the original credit agreement and that you signed the agreement. They must also prove that the current balance is correct.

Look into the statute of limitations

The statute of limitations governs how long you can be sued for a debt. The rules differ in each state, but it is typically somewhere between 4-6 years. The beginning of this time period will start on the last day you were active on that account.

Oftentimes, a creditor or loan officer will attempt to get you to pay toward an old debt. They do this because a payment of any size restarts the clock on the statute of limitations. You should always check the statute of limitations on a debt before you agree to make any payment.

Settle a debt with Westwood Funding with these four steps

Debt settlement is often the best way to avoid going to court. Debt collectors know that filing a lawsuit is a time-consuming and expensive process and would often rather settle for less than the full amount of the debt. The following steps outline the debt settlement process.

  1. Take a look at your finances and determine how much you can afford to pay Westwood Funding to settle the debt. How much do you have to offer to pay the debt? Though you may be able to settle for less, a helpful benchmark starting point is 50% of the original debt. Your initial offer should be slightly less than the maximum amount you can afford to pay now. This will give you some wiggle room as you engage in negotiations with Westwood Funding.
  2. Make a debt settlement offer to initiate negotiations. Explain how much you’re offering and when you can make the payment. It might be helpful to include a description of why you need to settle the debt.
  3. Get the terms of the agreement in writing. Once you and Westwood have reached an agreement, make sure it’s memorialized in a written and signed debt settlement agreement. File it with the court if you’ve been sued. This will protect you from future disputes or legal action, as long as you fulfill your end of the agreement.
  4. Make your payment on time. Be true to your word and follow the plan that is outlined in the settlement agreement documentation. Failure to pay on time could escalate things further and even lead to legal action (if it hasn’t already been taken). If you’ve set up a payment plan and, for whatever reason, you can’t make your payment on time, reach out to Westwood Funding to discuss further options. Open communication goes a long way when working with lenders like them.

If Westwood Funding has sued you, make sure you receive official notice that the lawsuit has been dismissed or dropped.

Learn more about debt settlement in the following video:

How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states

Here's a list of guides on how to respond to a debt collection lawsuit in each state:

The Ultimate 50 State Guide

Debt collector guides

Are you being contacted by a debt collector? We’re making guides on how to resolve debt with each one.

Arbitration

If the thought of going to court stresses you out, you’re not alone. Many Americans who are sued for credit card debt utilize a Motion to Compel Arbitration to push their case out of court and into arbitration.

Below are some resources on how to use an arbitration clause to your advantage and win a debt lawsuit.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a great way to legally resolve debt, but it's usually best to consider it as a last resort. Here are some bankruptcy guides to help you decide which debt resolution option is best for you.

Check your case status

Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created state guides on how to check the status of your case throughout the US, complete with online search tools and court directories.

Credit

Debt has a big impact on your credit. Below is a list of guides on how to repair and improve your credit, even while managing major debt, along with other credit-related resources.

Debt collection FAQs

Find answers to some of our the most commonly-asked questions about debt collection below.

Debt collection documents and templates

If you're dealing with debt, these documents and templates will help you respond, protect your rights, negotiate, and resolve your debts.

Debt relief

We’ve created a specialized guide on how to find debt relief in all 50 states, complete with steps to take to find relief, state-specific resources, and more.

Debt settlement

Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created state guides on debt settlement. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.

Eviction

Facing an eviction? The following guides will help you navigate your situation with confidence.

Federal debt collection laws

Knowing your rights makes it easier to stand up for your rights. Below, we’ve compiled all our articles on federal debt collection laws that protect you from unfair practices.

Legal aid

Helping people find access to justice is at the heart of Solo's misison. If you're dealing with a legal debt issue, the following guides will help you through it.

Medical debt

Having a health challenge is stressful, but dealing with medical debt on top of it is overwhelming. Here are some resources on how to manage medical debt.

Personal finance

Learn how to manage your finances and overcome crushing debt. Check out our personal finance guides below.

State debt collection laws

Debt collection laws vary by state, so we have compiled a guide to each state’s debt collection laws to make it easier for you to stand up for your rights—no matter where you live.

Statute of limitations on debt

Like all debt collection laws, the statute of limitations on debt varies by state. So, we wrote guides on each state’s statutes and more.

Stop collection calls

Do you keep getting calls from an unknown number, only to realize that it’s a debt collector on the other line? If you’ve been called by any of the following numbers, chances are you have collectors coming after you, and we’ll tell you how to stop them.

Wage garnishment

Forgot to respond to your debt lawsuit? The judge may have ordered a default judgment against you, and with a default judgment, debt collectors can garnish your wages. Here are our guides on how to stop wage garnishment in your state, plus other wage garnishment resources.

The Debt Hotline

Hosted by Team Solo, The Debt Hotline breaks down debt and personal finance topics with help from attorneys, financial experts, and industry pros. We respond to real questions to help you navigate debt with knowledge and courage.

Other debt resources


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