A bill was passed on Tuesday, January 19th by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee. This bill protects creditors from the chance of being sued or fined if they are not properly notified of their debt at a specific location. Senator Kelli Stargell created this bill. After voting, it was a 7 to 3 in favor, which sent it on the way to the Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee.

The bill is designed to protect big corporations, like hospitals, who are sued or fined after debtors request that they not continue to call them with collection information. Hospitals would have never gotten the notice to stop these calls, but are still sued. However, there are concerns that this bill will reduce the protection of harassing bill collectors who place phone calls to debtors.   At Marcadis Singer, PA, we are very aware of our obligation to treat debtors firmly but fairly, and do not engage in “harassing”.

This is a very interesting move on the part of the Florida Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, and we will be watching the spillover effect closely in all areas of Debt Collection in Florida.

An amendment has been added to the Federal Fair Debt Collection Act in hopes that the trial attorneys will feel reassured that no clients will be harassed under this bill.