How to Beat Paragon Contracting Services

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Being harassed for medical debt is extremely painful because illness is not something you go looking for, but it finds you unexpectedly. Medical bills can consume your entire savings, just so you can receive the care you need to recover.

Paragon Contracting Services (PCS) may not be willing to understand this predicament when they start calling about a pending medical bill. Like any other debt collection agency, PCS will go to any length to ensure you pay off your debt. Further, they may sue you if you ignore their attempts to collect.

This article will help you strategize how to beat PCS at whatever stage of the collection process. To begin with, let's learn who they are and what consumers have to say about them.

Sued by Paragon Contracting Services? Use SoloSettle to settle your debts for good.

What is Paragon Contracting Services, and how does it work?

Paragon Contracting Services, LLC, is a debt collection agency focused on collecting medical debt from healthcare facilities in Florida. They work with hospitals and private clinical practices specializing in family medicine, general surgery, critical care, and sports medicine.

PCS often buys delinquent debt for pennies on a dollar, or medical institutions hire them to follow up on recent debt and receive a percentage of what they collect. Their contact information is as follows:

Physical address:
5870 Hiatus Rd STE 200
Tamarac, FL 33321-6424

Billing Website: https://thbillpay.teamhealth.com/

Phone Number: (954) 377-2353

Complaints against Paragon Contracting Services

PCS has received hundreds of complaints on its Better Business Bureau page and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) database. Some complaints range from collecting on non-existent accounts, dealing with unprofessional agents, and refusing to remove an inaccurate debt on a consumer's credit report. The following is an example from their BBB profile:

"I got a random collection inquiry added from this company. I called them to figure out where this was from, and they informed me it was from North *** and couldn't give me more information because the phone number and address they had on file did not match mine. So I believe this is fraud. I called north shore medical, and they had no idea what this $300 bill was from as it was not in their records. My birthday is ****; for reference on finding my account."

From the example above, debt collectors often get the consumer's information wrong, and you may be billed for a debt that does not belong to you. To avoid this, ask PCS to verify the debt is yours by sending them a Debt Validation Letter. This document will require PCS to give full information on the debt. If they do not respond, they will have violated your consumer rights, and you have a winning chance in court. Watch this video for more information about a Debt Validation Letter.

Let's look at other consumer rights that can help you beat Paragon Contracting Services.

Exercise your rights when Paragon Contracting Services Contacts you

Debt collection agents are experts at following up on debt until a consumer bows down to their pressure. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) was formulated to protect consumers from the extreme measures debt collectors use to force them to make payments. These guidelines state that debt collectors should not:

• Phone you late at night or very early in the morning
• Talk to your colleagues or loved ones about your debt without your permission
• Threaten you with arrest
• Say that they will confiscate your driving license and other documents
• Lie to you about the debt or the action they will take
• Report incomplete or inaccurate information

If PCS violates these guidelines, submit a complaint on their BBB profile and CFPB website. You can also report them to the Fair Trade Commission website and your state’s attorney general's office.

Steps to respond to Paragon Contracting Services Lawsuit

The law allows debt collection agencies to sue consumers who refuse to pay a legitimate debt. Fortunately, you cannot be arrested for having debt in any state. Once you receive a lawsuit from PCS, you must act fast to ensure you respond within the timeline given in your state for sending an Answer. The following are the steps to take to beat PCS when they sue you.

1. Respond to each claim listed in the Complaint

The first task is to give a short response to the allegations PCS made about you and the debt in the lawsuit. The three short answers you can use are:

• Admit: This is agreeing to the allegation made, and you do not contest it.
• Deny: This forces PCS to prove the allegation made is true according to the law.
• Deny due to lack of knowledge: You are telling the court that you are not sure about the allegations because you do not have complete knowledge about them.

Even if all the information on the Complaint is accurate, admitting to all claims is detrimental to your case. The judge may unanimously rule in favor of PCS. The recommendation is to deny some claims and let PCS prove its case in court

2. Assert your affirmative defenses

Affirmative defenses involve stating the reasons why you should not pay the debt. If you can prove the defenses you include, the case may be ruled in your favor. Some defenses you can use are:

• The debt information is inaccurate or incomplete
• The statute of limitation is applicable (expired debt)
• PCS has no legal ground to pursue the debt (prove they were given the mandate to collect)
• PCS violated your consumer rights
• The original creditor canceled the debt
• You paid the medical debt and can prove it

SoloSuit understands this information may overwhelm consumers, so we created a customizable Answer document you can use.

3. File the Answer in court, and send a copy to Paragon Contracting Services

Filing your answer with the court is the final and highly crucial step. It would be unfortunate to see PCS get a favorable judgment because your response did not reach the courthouse or you were late in sending it.

Once you are done with the Answer, print it and make two copies. Mail a copy to the court or physically take it. Next, send a copy to PCS attorneys via certified mail to prove it reached them. Lastly, keep the third copy in your records.

Watch the following video for a summary of the steps we’ve just discussed.

Settle your debt with Paragon Contracting Services

If you know the money you owe is legitimate and you have confirmed the correct debt information, then it would be in your best interest to negotiate for settlement instead of going to court. It is also a viable option even if PCS hasn't sued you but has contacted you.

SoloSettle, powered by SoloSuit, helps you negotiate a debt settlement with Paragon Contracting Services by making an offer you can comfortably pay—without defaulting again. With SoloSettle, you don’t have to worry about communicating with the collector at all. All the heavy lifting is done for you. Reaching a settlement can help you stop constant collection calls and improve your credit score.

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

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

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

How to answer a summons for debt collection in your state

Here's a list of guides for other states.

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