Patrick Austin is a licensed attorney with a background in data privacy and information security law. Patrick received his law degree at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief for the National Security Law Journal.
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.
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:
Are you being sued by NRC Collections? Respond with a written Answer to avoid default and give yourself
time to negotiate with Nations Recovery Center and settle for less than you originally owed. NRC collectors
should
work with you to find a resolution.
If you were contacted by Nations Recovery Center(NRC) regarding an unpaid debt, you may be feeling overwhelmed and
unsure about the future. Do not throw your hands up in despair. Solo is here to help. Learn how to effectively
engage with NRC and the steps you can take to achieve a debt resolution.
Settle debt with Nations Recovery Center
You can negotiate debt settlement at any stage of the collections process. SoloSettle makes it easy.
NRC is a third-party collection agency based in Atlanta established in 1991 to provide debt collection services to
the banking, retail, insurance, commercial, and medical service industries.
Check out NRC Reviews as you prepare to negotiate your debt
Looking for info on what other people have said about their debt collection experience with Nations Recovery Center?
If so, check out these reviews:
Online reviews for NRC are both good and bad. This is understandable since everyone is different and individual
circumstances will impact how someone feels about their interactions with the debt collector. Nevertheless, the
mixed reviews should not deter you from taking proactive steps to engage with NRC in an effort to resolve the debt
collection matter. Proactive and productive communication is of paramount importance.
Of course, if the idea of calling a debt collector to try and negotiate sounds particularly awful, then consider
using SoloSettle to negotiate online and resolve your debt through
our innovative digital settlement platform.
How to Settle Your Debt with NRC
The debt settlement process is relatively straightforward. Generally speaking, you will make an offer to the debt
collector. In response, the debt collector will either accept the offer or make a counteroffer. Once an agreement is
reached, you pay the negotiated amount (which is typically lower than the amount originally owed).
SoloSettle can help you with all of these three steps and more.
Keep reading to explore each step in detail. Don’t like reading? Check out this video instead:
Here are some tips and advice on how to navigate the debt settlement process:
Respond to a pending debt collection lawsuit: If you’ve been sued by NRC, you received court
documents notifying you of the case. These documents are known as the Summons and Complaint. Do not ignore a
debt collection lawsuit, even if your plan is to try and reach a negotiated settlement. Failing to respond to
the debt collection lawsuit can result in a default judgment which may lead to wage garnishments and/or property
liens. Make sure to file an Answer with both the local court and send a copy to the debt collector’s
designated counsel.
Convey your settlement offer to the debt collector to kick off negotiations: Send an initial
offer to begin the negotiation process. You will never know how much a debt collector is willing to accept for
settlement until you convey an offer. You may be wondering, “How much should I offer to settle my debt?”
Generally speaking, your opening offer should be less than the maximum you can actually afford to pay. This is
important because if NRC makes a counteroffer, you have room to negotiate. Never make a settlement offer that
you cannot afford to pay, even if it means waiting until you’ve saved up enough to move forward. Be prepared to
pay off your debt as soon as the debt collector accepts your settlement offer.
Get the debt settlement agreement in writing: Having your offer accepted by the debt collector
is a great feeling. However, before you make a payment toward the debt, the debt collector needs to agree to the
terms in writing. In most instances, the debt collector will provide you with a written settlement offer, and
both you and the debt collector should sign the document before a payment is made. You may be tempted to skip
this step in the hopes of being able to move forward and get the debt matter behind you. However, it is
critically important to remember that a debt settlement agreement is only valid if it is memorialized in
writing.
Pay the Negotiated Amount: Once the debt settlement terms are in writing and both parties have
signed the agreement, you can make the negotiated payment.
These debt collection defenses are proven to hold up in court
If the NRC sues you for debt, there are several defenses you can use when responding to the lawsuit.
Many creditors transfer debts ‘as is' to the NRC collection agency. They rarely verify if the creditor provided the
correct balances or credit any payments the debtor has made. Also, they may not provide documents showing the date
you incurred the debt. If the agency can't give this information, the debtor can argue the case in their favor as
these documents are crucial to verifying the actual amount owed.
Violation of FDCPA Regulations
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) protects consumers against aggressive debt collection practices.
Knowing your rights under the FDCPA is critical to identifying when a debt collector has violated federal law, which
is an excellent defense in court. Listed below are more methods a debtor can consider when the collection agency
violates FDCPA regulations:
Sue the debt collector in state court: In such a lawsuit, the debtor must prove that the agency violated FDCPA
regulations. If successful, you're entitled to $1,000 in statutory damages or more if you've suffered harm due to
the violations.
Sue the agency in a small claims court: This is a better option for consumers who don't have the time for a
full-blown state court lawsuit or don't want to hire an attorney. A small claims court action allows individuals to
argue their case without an attorney and ensures an expedited court process. The debtor fills out simple
documentation to start the case, and hearings are held within two months of filing the claim. The only downside of
filing a small claims court action is that the amount of damages is limited.
Report the violations to a government agency: The Federal Trade Commission, FTC, is tasked with overseeing debt
collectors and ensuring that the FDCPA regulations aren't violated. The debtor can file an online complaint with the
FTC highlighting any such violations. Similarly, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is another government
agency consumers can use to report FDCPA violations.
Report state law violations to the state's attorney general: Aside from violating the FDCPA regulations, the agency
may be breaking state laws. If so, the debtor should contact the state's attorney general to obtain guidance on
possible actions. The attorney general may decide to prosecute on behalf of the state if it receives many complaints
against the agency in question.
To sue, the debt collector must have the paperwork outlining the agreement between the debtor and the original
creditor. For example, if collecting credit card debt, the contract
should be in the form of a cardmember agreement showing:
The state law as applies to the case
How much the debt collector can collect in interest
Attorney fees
In many cases, NRC debt collectors don't have this paperwork and may never collect it from the original creditor. As
a result, they use regular billing statements to pass off as cardmember agreements. These statements aren't adequate
substitutes for a cardmember agreement or any other contractual agreements you entered with the original creditor.
The debt collector will find it challenging to convince the court to accept these documents as evidence.
Statute of Limitations Lapsed
The statute of limitations is the period the debt collector or creditor has to file a legal claim. Once this time
lapses, the law bars the creditor or debt collector from filing a lawsuit. The statute of limitations varies state
by state.
No Standing Defense
Standing means a business. In this case, a debt collector has a legal interest in debt-collection lawsuits. The NRC
must prove it legally owns your debt. This is because the debtor didn't enter a contract with the agency in
question; the creditor did. It can only prove legal interest by showing that the creditor assigned the agency to
collect debt on their behalf. If the agency can't provide this proof, the case won't hold.
You can also raise these additional defenses to defend yourself in a NRC Collection Agency lawsuit
If you don't owe a debt, this can be used as a defense in court. For example, you may have filed for bankruptcy, and
some debts have been discharged. If the agency is still suing you for these debts, you can argue that you've filed
for bankruptcy. Also, some debts may be legally invalid due to fraud, coercion from a contracting party, or
corruption during negotiations.
With this information, you should have one or even multiple defenses that you can use when responding to NRC in
court. If you have the resources, It can also help if you consult a local attorney to determine and argue the most
effective defenses to your lawsuit.
How to Answer a Summons for debt collection in all 50 states
Some creditors, banks, and lenders have an internal collections department. If they come after you for a debt, Solosuit can still help you respond and resolve the debt. Here’s a list of guides on how to resolve debt with different creditors.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Don’t have time to go to your local courthouse to check the status of your case? We’ve created a guide on how to check the status of your case in every state, complete with online search tools and court directories.
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 all 50 states.
Debt settlement is one of the most effective ways to resolve a debt and save money. We’ve created a guide on how to settle your debt in all 50 states. Find out how to settle in your state with a simple click and explore other debt settlement resources below.
Not sure how to negotiate a debt settlement with a debt collector? We are creating guides to help you know how to start the settlement conversation and increase your chances of coming to an agreement with every debt collector.
We give a factual review of the following debt consolidation, debt settlement, and loan organizations and companies to help you make an informed decision before you take on a debt.
You can represent yourself in court. Save yourself the time and cost of finding an attorney, and use the following resources to understand legal definitions better and how they may apply to your case.