“Hey pal, don’t you think I know that collection harassment is against the law,” I told him.  I’m not usually a confrontational person, but these people were relentless.  They’ve been calling incessantly; they use abusive language to whoever happens to pick up the phone at my house, including my ten year old daughter.  I was really about to snap, there was no need for these people to be treating me and my family this way over a dispute of a few hundred dollars. Unfortunately a lot of people fall prey to this behavior because they aren’t aware of the laws that are in place to protect them.  Fortunately for us, my younger brother just so happens to be a pretty darn good attorney who not only informed me of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, but is also going to represent me in my harassment claim against that collection agent.  If it weren’t for him, I’d probably still be getting those nasty abusive phone calls, but he really got the legal ball rolling and our court date is rapidly approaching.  Under the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act you can sue any debt collector in federal court for damages if they cross the line and abuse you in an effort to collect a debt.