N.J. Debt-Collection Act Closer To Reality
By Jonathan Summers

The first call came in late April. Megan Duffy, a 21-year-old college student, answered the phone at her parents' home in Belmar, N.J., and heard the voice of a debt collector. With just one credit card and a few hospital bills to pay off, she wasn't bothered. For Duffy and other New Jersey residents who feel bothered by debt collectors, relaxation could be on the way. An Assembly committee on June 4 accepted the New Jersey Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which would expand a 1977 federal law and give victims of harassment access to help at the state level. "New Jersey's long overdue to come up with a state statute," Burzichelli said. The bill would more strictly regulate the communication debt collectors can have with debtors, and dictate harsher penalties on violators.

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