New York ? Debt collectors can make your life miserable when you are struggling to keep up with your financial obligations and have fallen behind on some of your debts. However, the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act places limits on what they can do to collect the money they say you owe.

Debt collectors cannot:

¢ Repeatedly contact you about a debt within a relatively short period of time (during one morning or afternoon) in an effort to wear you down.

¢ Call you earlier than 8 a.m. or later than 9 p.m., unless you tell the collector that it’s OK to call you then. The FDCPA also prohibits debt collectors from calling you at a time that you tell them is inconvenient, or anytime on Sunday.

¢ Call you at work if you tell them that your employer doesn’t want you contacted there, or call your employer about the money you owe, except in the case of trying to collect past-due child support from you.

¢ Use profanity or abusive language when they talk to you or promise to ruin your reputation if you don’t pay what you owe.