[Badeye]

‘Laurie Crimeni said her son had no assets or estates to pay the debt he left behind, and all of the accounts were exclusively in her son’s name.’

I have some doubts about this statement.
If this is true, how did the creditors end up calling them in the first place?

[Puppage]

If this is true, how did the creditors end up calling them in the first place?

Same phone number as the parents because he lived at home?

[rabscuttle385]

If this is true, how did the creditors end up calling them in the first place?

The son probably lived at the same address as his parents, so when the creditors called for the son, guess who picked up the phone. Debt collectors will do anything to collect debts owed, even if it means guilt tripping relatives into paying the debts, even if they have no legal responsibility to do so.

[OldNavyVet]

I agree. The 27 year old probably had enough of an estate to pay off part of his debts, and his “Personal Representative” — probably a parent — isn’t about to pay those debts.

[antiRepublicrat]

If this is true, how did the creditors end up calling them in the first place?

They pressure people in hopes that they'll settle even if they don't have to. They'll even offer a lower settlement to entice the people to pay. If the people fight it then all the collector lost was the cost of some stamps and phone calls.

[Doohickey]

The same way they end up calling me to collect on debts owed by deadbeats that have the same name as I do. Public records. It’s a disgrace what they’re allowed to do. I’ve had my wages garnished by California (I don’t live there mind you - it was just my name), had collections attempted by movers in Florida (never lived there) and a landlord in Oklahoma (never lived there either).

Not a week goes by that I don’t get at least one call from some collection agency.

Now they’re getting clever with recordings that tell you that by listening to the message you’re attesting to be the person they’re looking for. Debt collectors can go to hell.

[jwparkerjr]

re: how did the creditors end up calling them in the first place?

I've had them call the woman who was my younger son's first wife trying to get her to pay something they thought I owed. They have been divorced for 15 years. She was on her fourth marriage. She was living in a completely different county. She's had at least half-a-dozen addresses since they were divorced. Still they called her and got really abusive, threatening all sorts of bad things.

For the most part they buy the account for a reduced amount and anything over that they can collect is theirs. The person calling is on a form of commission. It's a nasty world.

[Fido969]

Debt collectors routinly call people with the name name in the area the debtor was from, “can I talk to so and so - do you know where I can get in touch with him?” Once you admit you know them, you’ll get called about three times a week, usually around dinner time.

I have had it happen with relatives and former employees, I tell the agency to stop calling me, and they call me anyway. I find out where the call is comeing from, and call the local sherrif with a complaint and request a restaining order.

Then if they want to violate the restaining order they can go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

[ravingnutter]

Skip tracing...they look at past addresses and do cross checks for phone numbers, I used to do that for a rental company years ago. I am having this same problem with a medical creditor of my 28 y/o daughter's for a bill that is less than 90 days old. They have her current address and phone number and she has spoken to them recently, but they are still calling my house, even though our number is unlisted with a letter on file with the phone company not to give it to anyone unless it is official business, so I am not sure how they got it...and sending letters here.

They also contacted her ex-boyfriend's mother's home, who she hasn't seen in 7 years and have been harassing them and telling them lies about how they got their phone number and address, they said my daughter claimed to live there when the bill was incurred. Unfortunately, their number is listed, the creditor must have pulled the prior address from her credit report. My daughter just hired a lawyer to countersue them for harassment.

These people are ruthless. I had a creditor come to my work one time years ago after I had just filed bankruptcy after bad divorce...100% payout, I pay my bills, just needed a reduced payment plan....and shove me in front of several employees. I filed assault charges and they were forced to eat the debt.

[Vigilanteman]

I would suspect that a lot of the debt was sold to bottom feeders for pennies on the dollar. There are self help books and other resources available on the topic.

[a real Sheila]

An aggressive creditor WILL track down family members and harrass them, legal or not. One of my brother-in-law’s creditors called my husband 2 years ago and were on the verge of getting shi++y toward my husband about his brother’s debts, but I think they wisely noted a tone in my husband’s voice which let them know he was NOT an idiot and would go off on them in a heartbeat. He politely verified his brother’s phone number and took a message to relay to his brother (who they claimed to have called repeatedly and were unable to reach).

[tbw2]

They might also have made the mistake of sending a check in to his creditors to help pay them while he was alive.
Conversely, they might have the parents’ contact information if he lived there while accruing his debts.

[Chickensoup]

Laurie Crimeni said her son had no assets or estates to pay the debt he left behind, and all of the accounts were exclusively in her son’s name.

because he probably lived in their basement.