Start My Answer

How to Beat Mannbracken in Court

George Simons | December 02, 2022

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.

Debt collectors ^

Summary: Is a debt collector threatening you with a warrant over an old debt? Wondering if they can even do that? Not sure how you're going to win the fight? Learn how to respond to debt collectors and win your case.

Debt collectors are known for their extreme tactics of pursuing delinquent borrowers, but there are limits to how far they can go. Firstly, debt collectors cannot issue a warrant for your arrest or have you jailed because of a debt. Secondly, you cannot go to prison for an unpaid debt.

However, a debt collector can sue you for unpaid debt and serve you the summons. Depending on the case, the judge can issue a warrant for your arrest if you fail to appear in court. You can also go to jail for failure to honor your tax obligation or child support. Therefore, it is always the right thing to respond to a court order.

This article explains what debt collectors can or cannot do during debt collection processes.

Don't let debt collectors push you around. Respond with SoloSuit.

Debt collectors cannot claim to be a government agency worker

A debt collector cannot pretend to work for a government agency, such as consumer reporting or law enforcement agencies. Many debt collectors tend to threaten borrowers with claims that they can be arrested for failure to pay their debts and may even claim to work for agencies responsible for enforcing such laws.

However, they are not supposed to falsely claim that you have committed a crime by not paying your debt on time or threaten to arrest you. Such claims would be considered illegal, and you have a right to sue them in court.

Debt collectors cannot shame you in public

Your debt and what you owe a creditor is a private matter, and a debt collector should keep it that way during the collection process. Therefore, debt collectors can't publicly publish the borrowers' names or any information about the debt. They also can't discuss the debt with any other person other than the borrower (you).

If the debt collector has difficulty finding you, they can contact people who know you only to seek your contact information, such as your phone number and address. They can't, however, call you during odd hours.

Debt collectors cannot collect money you do not owe

Many debt collectors rely on information about a debt they may have bought from a creditor to pursue the borrower. Sometimes, they may unknowingly use information that is not updated to collect the money.

Sometimes, mistakes happen as the debt changes hands among different collecting agencies, leading to missing information or wrong entries. If you have been served with a lawsuit for a wrongly recorded debt, or you believe it is not yours, SoloSuit can help you file your Answer correctly.

Use SoloSuit to respond to a debt collector in 15 minutes.

Debt collectors cannot harass you

Debt collectors can be aggressive when collecting debts from borrowers. However, you can stop them from going overboard with their tactics, as required by the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The law does not permit debt collectors to:

  • Be violent against borrowers.
  • Call you repeatedly in a day.
  • Use profanity during their communication.
  • Call you instead of your attorney if you communicated to them in writing about contacting your attorney.
  • Call you at work or during working hours if you communicated to them in writing.

If you stop a debt collector from contacting you through legal means, they can do it one last time to let you know that they would no longer be contacting you. They can also contact you again to inform you of court summons if they decide to file a lawsuit.

It is always best to respond to a debt collector's first communication with you to prevent them from being too aggressive trying to reach you. At the same time, bear in mind the limits set by the FDCPA to protect you from bad debt collection practices.

Debt collectors are legally prohibited from utilizing harassment, embarrassment and other questionable tactics to collect on a debt. If you are being subjected to harassing behavior by a debt collector, you may have legal grounds to file a civil action against the debt collector, and their company, to obtain monetary damages.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How it works: SoloSuit is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay SoloSuit to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.

Respond with SoloSuit

"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James


Get Started


>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit: A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

How to answer a summons for debt collection in your state

Here's a list of guides for other states.

All 50 states.

Guides on how to beat every debt collector

Being sued by a different debt collector? We're making guides on how to beat each one.

Win against credit card companies

Is your credit card company suing you? Learn how you can beat each one.

Going to Court for Credit Card Debt — Key Tips

How to Negotiate Credit Card Debts

How to Settle a Credit Card Debt Lawsuit — Ultimate Guide

Get answers to these FAQs

Need more info on statutes of limitations? Read our 50-state guide.

Why do debt collectors block their phone numbers?

How long do debt collectors take to respond to debt validation letters?

What are the biggest debt collector companies in the US?

Is Zombie Debt Still a Problem in 2019?

SoloSuit FAQ

If a car is repossessed, do I still owe the debt?

Is Portfolio Recovery Associates Legit?

Is There a Judgment Against Me Without my Knowledge?

Should I File Bankruptcy Before or After a Judgment?

What is a default judgment?— What do I do?

Summoned to Court for Medical Bills — What Do I Do?

What Happens If Someone Sues You and You Have No Money?

What Happens If You Never Answer Debt Collectors?

What Happens When a Debt Is Sold to a Collection Agency

What is a Stipulated Judgment?

What is the Deadline for a Defendant's Answer to Avoid a Default Judgment?

Can a Judgement Creditor Take my Car?

Can I Settle a Debt After Being Served?

Can I Stop Wage Garnishment?

Can You Appeal a Default Judgement?

Do I Need a Debt Collection Defense Attorney?

Do I Need a Payday Loans Lawyer?

Do student loans go away after 7 years? — Student Loan Debt Guide

Am I Responsible for My Spouse's Medical Debt?

Should I Marry Someone With Debt?

Can a Debt Collector Leave a Voicemail?

How Does Debt Assignment Work?

What Happens If a Defendant Does Not Pay a Judgment?

How Does Debt Assignment Work?

Can You Serve Someone with a Collections Lawsuit at Their Work?

What Is a Warrant in Debt?

How Many Times Can a Judgment be Renewed in Oklahoma?

Can an Eviction Be Reversed?

Does Debt Consolidation Have Risks?

What Happens If You Avoid Getting Served Court Papers?

Does Student Debt Die With You?

Can Debt Collectors Call You at Work in Texas?

How Much Do You Have to Be in Debt to File for Chapter 7?

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Debt in Washington?

How Long Does a Judgment Last?

Can Private Disability Payments Be Garnished?

Can Debt Collectors Call From Local Numbers?

Does the Fair Credit Reporting Act Work in Florida?

The Truth: Should You Never Pay a Debt Collection Agency?

Should You Communicate with a Debt Collector in Writing or by Telephone?

Do I Need a Debt Negotiator?

What Happens After a Motion for Default Is Filed?

Can a Process Server Leave a Summons Taped to My Door?

Learn More With These Additional Resources:

Need help managing your finances? Check out these resources.

How to Make a Debt Validation Letter - The Ultimate Guide

How to Make a Motion to Compel Arbitration Without an Attorney

How to Stop Wage Garnishment — Everything You Need to Know

How to File an FDCPA Complaint Against Your Debt Collector (Ultimate Guide)

Defending Yourself in Court Against a Debt Collector

Tips on you can to file an FDCPA lawsuit against a debt collection agency

Advice on how to answer a summons for debt collection.

Effective strategies for how to get back on track after a debt lawsuit

New Hampshire Statute of Limitations on Debt

Sample Cease and Desist Letter Against Debt Collectors

The Ultimate Guide to Responding to a Debt Collection Lawsuit in Utah

West Virginia Statute of Limitations on Debt

What debt collectors cannot do — FDCPA explained

Defending Yourself in Court Against Debt Collector

How to Liquidate Debt

Arkansas Statute of Limitations on Debt

You're Drowning in Debt — Here's How to Swim

Help! I'm Being Sued by My Debt Collector

How to Make a Motion to Vacate Judgment

How to Answer Summons for Debt Collection in Vermont

North Dakota Statute of Limitations on Debt

ClearPoint Debt Management Review

Indiana Statute of Limitations on Debt

Oregon Eviction Laws - What They Say

CuraDebt Debt Settlement Review

How to Write a Re-Aging Debt Letter

How to Appear in Court by Phone

How to Use the Doctrine of Unclean Hands

Debt Consolidation in Eugene, Oregon

Summoned to Court for Medical Bills? What to Do Next

How to Make a Debt Settlement Agreement

Received a 3-Day Eviction Notice? Here's What to Do

How to Answer a Lawsuit for Debt Collection

Tips for Leaving the Country With Unpaid Credit Card Debt

Kansas Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection

How to File in Small Claims Court in Iowa

How to File a Civil Answer in Kings County Supreme Court

Roseland Associates Debt Consolidation Review

How to Stop a Garnishment

Debt Eraser Review

It only takes 15 minutes.
And 50% of our customers' cases have been dismissed in the past.

"Finding yourself on the wrong side of the law unexpectedly is kinda scary. I started researching on YouTube and found SoloSuit's channel. The videos were so helpful, easy to understand and encouraging. When I reached out to SoloSuit they were on it. Very professional, impeccably prompt. Thanks for the service!" – Heather


Get Started


Not sued yet?
Use our Debt Validation Letter.

Our Debt Validation Letter is the best way to respond to a collection letter. Many debt collectors will simply give up after receiving it.


Let's Do It

Contents