[apillar]

After the woman from Fort Worth slams down the phone, the Touchstone crew goes to work. Predictably, she doesn't answer their return calls. So in subsequent days they use tracking software and loan document details to generate letters and leave phone messages with neighbors, co-workers and relatives that they're trying to reach her. Finally, a few weeks later, worn down, the woman accepts a repayment plan.

They better not be claiming the call is from a debt collector when they are talking to her neighbors, co-workers, and relatives or she can go after them to the tune of $2,500 per violation. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for paying your debts, but in most cases these debts have, long ago, been judged uncollectible by the original creditor and sold off to these debt collection outfits for pennies on the dollar.

Their is a guy that's on one of those radio financial shows by the name of Bud Hibbs that documents how many of these debt collectors are little more than fly by night organized crime outfits. He has a website www.budhibbs.com if you would like to see what I mean.

[LuLuLuLu]

So, what does one do when one has made all but one mortgage payment on time — and that missed payment was made up the next month (I pay the bills and I was hospitalized) — and the lender, who has now received copies of all canceled checks 8 times — still says one is in default? Pay big bucks to an attorney? They all want to file bankruptcy for us. Other than the mortgage, we have no debt.

Or how about things that don’t show on the credit report and somehow generate calls from “lenders”? 13 years after divorcing my *()&*(^&*^* ex-husband, I’m supposedly on the hook for thousands on a credit card that I didn’t sign for nor have I ever seen.

Mr. Lu and I have the mortgage only; we have a couple of store cards that we use now and again and pay when the bill comes.

I’m learning that since we live below our means, we are not Obama-Americans. What is to become of us?