Debt Collection & Defense
Does someone owe you money, but they refuse to pay? You may feel the effort to collect is too big of a burden to go it alone, or that you're too busy to spend time on it. Or you may not know how to go about it. Akiva Shapiro is an experienced litigator and negotiator. At the Long Island Debt Collection Practice of Akiva Shapiro Law, you will get the personal service you need to help you negotiate payment of the debt that is owed to you, as quickly as possible.
If the debtor won’t agree to a negotiated settlement, Akiva Shapiro will bring your matter to court on your behalf to enforce or obtain judgment, then seek out the debtor's assets - whether open or hidden - levy on them, and collect what you are owed.
You may have have you received a demand letter, or perhaps you've been served with a summons to appear on court. At the Akiva Shapiro Law, we understand that can be extremely stressful. Not only that, it is very often unjustified.
If someone is demanding money from you, click here to visit our page on the Long Island Civil Litigation Practice of Akiva Shapiro Law.
COLLECTIONS FAQs
Fortunately, most people who owe a debt are diligent about paying it when it is due. But we all know there are exceptions, which is probably why you are reading this now. If you are a creditor holding a debt that is past due, you have the right to protect yourself by engaging the services of a Long Island Collection Lawyer at Akiva Shapiro Law to help you to collect it.
Entrusting collection of your past due debt to Akiva Shapiro Law will help get you the results you want through a tiered, escalating approach. Our focus is on looking out for your interests to recover the money that is owed as professionally, expeditiously and cost-efficiently as possible.
If you have a debt that is secured, your Long Island Collection Attorney, Akiva Shapiro, can assist you in perfecting your interest in secured property. Perfecting a debt is the process of putting the world on notice that you have a creditor interest in the collateral. This is an essential step in protecting your rights to the secured property.
If a debt is secured by real property, perfecting it would require filing a mortgage or lien against the property. Perfecting a debt secured by personal property (such as motor vehicles, machinery or other tangible property) is accomplished by filing a UCC-1 financing statement.
At Akiva Shapiro Law, we look out for your money as well as your rights and interests by taking a graduated approach to collections. We begin by attempting to amicably resolve the dispute between you and the debtor to get you your money as quickly and as cost-efficiently as possible.
If the other side is willing to discuss the matter in good faith, but a simple resolution cannot be reached, we can step up the pressure by submitting the dispute to mediation or arbitration, if possible. Both methods of alternate dispute resolution are usually less costly and quicker than litigation, but they require the cooperation of both sides in the dispute.
If negotiations do not resolve the matter, or if the other side refuses to negotiate in good faith, we are prepared to pursue your cause of action—relentlessly if you so choose—to the fullest extent of the law, from lawsuit through judgment, followed by proceedings to find assets and income and collect upon them.
If the debtor will not cooperate, you may file a lawsuit in Long Island in Nassau or Suffolk County or in another appropriate county seeking a judgment against the debtor. After the summons and complaint are filed with the court, copies are served on the debtor through a statutorily- prescribed process. Once served, the debtor has a specific amount of time within which to file an answer or otherwise resond.
The ultimate goal of a lawsuit is to obtain a judgment against the debtor for the amount of the debt plus interest, court costs and, if allowed under the terms of the written agreement you have with the debtor, attorney’s fees.
Often the filing of the lawsuit, with the prospect of all the time and expense needed to defend it, will bring an unreasonable debtor back to the negotiation table for good faith negotiations.
When a secured debt is involved, Akiva Shapiro Law will pursue your rights in the collateral through the appropriate court proceedings seeking a judgment or court order directing the sale and/or seizure of the property.
Once a judgment is obtained, your experienced and skilled collection lawyer at Akiva Shapiro Law in Long Island will undertake to investigate the debtor to locate assets, including those assets that the debtor might be trying to conceal to protect from collection.
A judgment filed on real property owned by the debtor becomes a lien on the property, subjecting it to seizure and sale. The judgment also permits us to take steps to seize personal property owned by the debtor (including bank accounts and motor vehicles) in order to satisfy the debt.
At Akiva Shapiro Law, we understand the importance of getting your unpaid debt resolved to your satisfaction. That is why we take all steps available under the law to get you the money to which you are entitled. We understand the collections process and use it to your fullest advantage.
Contact your Long Island, New York Collection Lawyer
