New Hampshire Revised Statutes 358-C:3 – Prohibited Acts
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For the purposes of this chapter, any debt collection or attempt to collect a debt shall be deemed unfair, deceptive or unreasonable if the debt collector:
I. Communicates or attempts to communicate with the debtor, orally or in writing:
(a) By causing a telephone to ring or engaging any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously or at unusual times or at times known to be inconvenient with the intent to abuse, oppress or harass any person at the called number; or
(b) By use of profane, obscene or vulgar language that is intended to abuse the hearer or reader; or
(c) At the debtor’s place of employment if said place is other than the debtor’s residence, provided that:
(1) a debt collector may send a single letter to the debtor at his place of employment if he has otherwise been unable to locate the debtor; and
(2) a debt collector may phone the debtor at his place of employment if he is unable to contact the debtor at his residence, provided that:
A. the debtor does not inform the debt collector that he does not wish the debt collector to communicate or attempt to communicate with him at his place of employment; and
B. the debt collector shall not inform the employer of the nature of the call unless asked by the employer; and
C. in no event shall the debt collector make more than one phone call per month to the debtor at his place of employment unless the debtor affirmatively indicates in writing that he desires the debt collector to call him at his place of employment. (For the purposes of this subparagraph, any language in any instrument creating the debt which purports to authorize phone calls at the debtor’s place of employment shall not be considered an affirmative indication that the debtor desires the debt collector to call him at his place of employment.); or
(d) Using any written communication which fails to clearly identify the name of the debt collector, the name of the person (as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 358-C:1, X) for whom the debt collector is attempting to collect the debt, and the debt collector’s business address (the foregoing shall not require the name or address of the debt collector or the person for whom the debt collector is attempting to collect the debt to be printed on any envelope containing a communication); or
(e) By placement of phone calls without disclosure of the name of the individual making the call and the name of the person (as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 358-C:1, X) for whom the debt collector is attempting to collect the debt, or by using a fictitious name while engaging in the collection of debts; or
(f) By causing any expense to the debtor in the form of long distance telephone calls, telegram fees or other charges incurred by a medium of communication, by concealment of the true purpose of the communication; or
II. Uses or threatens the use of force or violence; or
III. Threatens to take any unlawful action or action which the debt collector in the regular course of business does not take; or
IV. Communicates or threatens to communicate, except by proper judicial process, the fact of such debt to a person other than the person who might reasonably be expected to be liable therefor; provided that the provisions of this paragraph shall not prohibit a debt collector from:
(a) Communicating information relating to a debt to a person residing with the debtor and reasonably believed to be a relative or family member over the age of 18, or to an attorney, financial counseling organization or other person who has notified the debt collector that he is representing the debtor; or
(b) From leaving a message at the residence of the debtor containing no information other than a request that the debtor contact the debt collector about the debt; or
(c) Communicating information relating to the debt to the debtor’s spouse or, if the debtor is a minor, to the parents or guardians of the debtor where the purpose of the communication is solely to locate the debtor; provided that:
(1) the debt collector has been unable to locate the debtor by other means for a period of 30 days; and
(2) the debt collector, having once communicated with any of said persons, shall not again attempt to locate the debtor by communicating with said person; or
(d) Reporting, or notifying a debtor that the debt collector may report a debt to:
(1) a consumer reporting agency defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 359-B:3, VI, or any lending institution, provided that if the debt collector knows the debt to be disputed he shall notify the consumer reporting agency or lending institution that the debt is disputed; or
(2) to an agent or attorney engaged for the purpose of collecting the debt. (For the purposes of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 358-C:3, IV, the use of language on envelopes other than the debt collector’s name, address or telephone number, indicating that the communication relates to the collection of a debt shall be deemed a communication of the debt.); or
V. Communicates directly with the debtor, except through proper legal action, after notification from an attorney, financial counseling organization or other person representing the debtor that all further communication relative to the debt should be addressed to the attorney, organization or other person unless the attorney, organization or other person fails to answer correspondence, return phone calls or discuss the debt within 10 days or prior approval is obtained from the attorney, organization or other person or the communication is a response in the ordinary course of business to the debtor’s inquiry; or
VI. Communicates with the debtor through the use of forms or instruments which simulate the form and appearance of judicial process or which give the appearance of being authorized, issued or approved by a government, governmental agency or attorney-at-law when they are not; or
VII. Makes any material false representation or implication of the character, extent or amount of the debt, or of its status in any legal proceeding; or
VIII. Makes any representation that an existing obligation may be increased by the addition of attorney’s fees, investigation fees, service fees or any other fees or charges when in fact such fees or charges may not be legally added to the existing obligation; or
IX. Makes any representation that an existing obligation will definitely be increased by the addition of attorney’s fees, investigation fees, service fees or any other fees or charges when the award of such fee or charge is discretionary by a court of law; or
X. Collects or attempts to collect any interest or other charge, fee or expense incidental to the principal obligation unless such interest or incidental fee, charge or expense is expressly authorized by the agreement creating the obligation and legally chargeable to the debtor; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit a debt collector from attempting to collect court costs in a judicial proceeding; or
XI. Threatens that nonpayment of a debt will result in the arrest of any person or the seizure, garnishment, attachment or sale of any property or wages without indicating, when a court order is a legal prerequisite to any such action; that
(a) There must be a court order in effect permitting such action; and, where applicable,
(b) That the debtor will have an opportunity to appear in court to contest such action prior to any such court order being effective; or
XII. Threatens to assign or sell to another the account of or claim against the debtor with an attending representation or implication that the result of any such sale or assignment would be that the debtor would lose any defense to the debt or would be subjected to harsh, vindictive or abusive collection attempts.
I. Communicates or attempts to communicate with the debtor, orally or in writing:
Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 358-C:3
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
- Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
- Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
- month: shall mean a calendar month, and the word "year" a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed; and the word "year" shall be equivalent to the expression "year of our Lord. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:8
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies corporate and politic as well as to individuals. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:9
(a) By causing a telephone to ring or engaging any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously or at unusual times or at times known to be inconvenient with the intent to abuse, oppress or harass any person at the called number; or
(b) By use of profane, obscene or vulgar language that is intended to abuse the hearer or reader; or
(c) At the debtor’s place of employment if said place is other than the debtor’s residence, provided that:
(1) a debt collector may send a single letter to the debtor at his place of employment if he has otherwise been unable to locate the debtor; and
(2) a debt collector may phone the debtor at his place of employment if he is unable to contact the debtor at his residence, provided that:
A. the debtor does not inform the debt collector that he does not wish the debt collector to communicate or attempt to communicate with him at his place of employment; and
B. the debt collector shall not inform the employer of the nature of the call unless asked by the employer; and
C. in no event shall the debt collector make more than one phone call per month to the debtor at his place of employment unless the debtor affirmatively indicates in writing that he desires the debt collector to call him at his place of employment. (For the purposes of this subparagraph, any language in any instrument creating the debt which purports to authorize phone calls at the debtor’s place of employment shall not be considered an affirmative indication that the debtor desires the debt collector to call him at his place of employment.); or
(d) Using any written communication which fails to clearly identify the name of the debt collector, the name of the person (as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 358-C:1, X) for whom the debt collector is attempting to collect the debt, and the debt collector’s business address (the foregoing shall not require the name or address of the debt collector or the person for whom the debt collector is attempting to collect the debt to be printed on any envelope containing a communication); or
(e) By placement of phone calls without disclosure of the name of the individual making the call and the name of the person (as defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 358-C:1, X) for whom the debt collector is attempting to collect the debt, or by using a fictitious name while engaging in the collection of debts; or
(f) By causing any expense to the debtor in the form of long distance telephone calls, telegram fees or other charges incurred by a medium of communication, by concealment of the true purpose of the communication; or
II. Uses or threatens the use of force or violence; or
III. Threatens to take any unlawful action or action which the debt collector in the regular course of business does not take; or
IV. Communicates or threatens to communicate, except by proper judicial process, the fact of such debt to a person other than the person who might reasonably be expected to be liable therefor; provided that the provisions of this paragraph shall not prohibit a debt collector from:
(a) Communicating information relating to a debt to a person residing with the debtor and reasonably believed to be a relative or family member over the age of 18, or to an attorney, financial counseling organization or other person who has notified the debt collector that he is representing the debtor; or
(b) From leaving a message at the residence of the debtor containing no information other than a request that the debtor contact the debt collector about the debt; or
(c) Communicating information relating to the debt to the debtor’s spouse or, if the debtor is a minor, to the parents or guardians of the debtor where the purpose of the communication is solely to locate the debtor; provided that:
(1) the debt collector has been unable to locate the debtor by other means for a period of 30 days; and
(2) the debt collector, having once communicated with any of said persons, shall not again attempt to locate the debtor by communicating with said person; or
(d) Reporting, or notifying a debtor that the debt collector may report a debt to:
(1) a consumer reporting agency defined in N.H. Rev. Stat. § 359-B:3, VI, or any lending institution, provided that if the debt collector knows the debt to be disputed he shall notify the consumer reporting agency or lending institution that the debt is disputed; or
(2) to an agent or attorney engaged for the purpose of collecting the debt. (For the purposes of N.H. Rev. Stat. § 358-C:3, IV, the use of language on envelopes other than the debt collector’s name, address or telephone number, indicating that the communication relates to the collection of a debt shall be deemed a communication of the debt.); or
V. Communicates directly with the debtor, except through proper legal action, after notification from an attorney, financial counseling organization or other person representing the debtor that all further communication relative to the debt should be addressed to the attorney, organization or other person unless the attorney, organization or other person fails to answer correspondence, return phone calls or discuss the debt within 10 days or prior approval is obtained from the attorney, organization or other person or the communication is a response in the ordinary course of business to the debtor’s inquiry; or
VI. Communicates with the debtor through the use of forms or instruments which simulate the form and appearance of judicial process or which give the appearance of being authorized, issued or approved by a government, governmental agency or attorney-at-law when they are not; or
VII. Makes any material false representation or implication of the character, extent or amount of the debt, or of its status in any legal proceeding; or
VIII. Makes any representation that an existing obligation may be increased by the addition of attorney’s fees, investigation fees, service fees or any other fees or charges when in fact such fees or charges may not be legally added to the existing obligation; or
IX. Makes any representation that an existing obligation will definitely be increased by the addition of attorney’s fees, investigation fees, service fees or any other fees or charges when the award of such fee or charge is discretionary by a court of law; or
X. Collects or attempts to collect any interest or other charge, fee or expense incidental to the principal obligation unless such interest or incidental fee, charge or expense is expressly authorized by the agreement creating the obligation and legally chargeable to the debtor; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit a debt collector from attempting to collect court costs in a judicial proceeding; or
XI. Threatens that nonpayment of a debt will result in the arrest of any person or the seizure, garnishment, attachment or sale of any property or wages without indicating, when a court order is a legal prerequisite to any such action; that
(a) There must be a court order in effect permitting such action; and, where applicable,
(b) That the debtor will have an opportunity to appear in court to contest such action prior to any such court order being effective; or
XII. Threatens to assign or sell to another the account of or claim against the debtor with an attending representation or implication that the result of any such sale or assignment would be that the debtor would lose any defense to the debt or would be subjected to harsh, vindictive or abusive collection attempts.