If you’ve received a collection letter from Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP, don’t ignore it, but don’t rush to pay either. The firm handles debt collection for government entities and private creditors, and its letters typically demand payment and may reference legal consequences. Your first moves are to demand written verification of the debt within 30 days, check whether the debt is still within your state’s statute of limitations, and respond on time to anything that looks like a lawsuit.
Send a Written Dispute Within 30 Days
You have 30 days from the date you receive the validation notice to dispute the debt in writing. If you submit that written dispute, or ask for the name of the original creditor, inside the 30-day window, the collector has to stop collection activities on the disputed portion until they mail you verification.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692g
The validation notice itself must arrive in writing within five days of the firm’s first communication with you, unless the information was already in that first letter. It has to include the amount of the debt, the name of the current creditor, a statement that you have 30 days to dispute before the debt is assumed valid, and notice that a written dispute inside 30 days triggers verification. If the original creditor is different from the current one, you can ask for that name and address in writing during the 30-day period.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692g
Send your dispute in writing. Errors are common: debts get attributed to the wrong person, or stay on the books after they’ve been paid. Verification is what forces the collector to show that the amount is accurate and that they have the right to pursue it.
Check Whether the Debt Is Time-Barred
Every state sets its own statute of limitations on debt, and once that period runs out the debt is time-barred. Federal regulations prohibit a debt collector from suing you, or threatening to sue you, on a debt that’s past the statute of limitations. They may still be allowed to send letters or call asking for payment, unless you tell them in writing to stop.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 C.F.R. § 1006.26
Be careful what you say and do on an old debt. Depending on your state, a partial payment or acknowledging the debt in a signed writing can restart the clock and give the collector a fresh window to sue. If they sue anyway on a debt that’s clearly time-barred, that itself can be a federal violation you can raise as a defense or as the basis for a claim for damages.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 C.F.R. § 1006.263Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692k
Respond to Any Court Paperwork on Time
A collection letter can be a step toward a lawsuit if the debt isn’t resolved. If the firm files suit and wins a judgment, that judgment can lead to wage garnishment or a bank levy, depending on your state’s rules. Ignoring a summons risks a default judgment, so respond within the deadline stated on the paperwork.
Once you’re in the case, you can challenge whether the debt is valid or argue that the time to sue has expired. The creditor generally has to prove the debt is valid and that they have the right to collect. Cases are often settled before trial, which can be an opening to negotiate a smaller payment.
Know the Rules the Firm Has to Follow
If the firm is acting as a debt collector on a consumer debt, meaning an obligation used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act applies. The collector can’t use false, deceptive, or misleading statements, and can’t threaten legal action they aren’t allowed to take or don’t actually intend to take. That includes misleading threats about seizing property or garnishing wages.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692a5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692e
They also can’t call you at unusual or inconvenient times, which the law presumes means before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. local time, and they can’t call you at work if they know or have reason to know your employer forbids such calls.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692c Harassment, obscene or profane language, and threats of violence or criminal action against you or your reputation are prohibited.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692d
On credit reporting, if the collector reports the debt to a credit bureau after you’ve told them you dispute it, they generally have to note that it’s disputed, and they can’t report information they know to be inaccurate.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2 If you spot inaccuracies on your credit report, you can dispute them with the credit reporting agency, which typically has 30 days to reinvestigate.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1681i
What You Can Recover If They Break the Rules
If a debt collector violates the FDCPA, you may be able to sue for actual damages, court costs, and attorney fees, and a court can award statutory damages of up to $1,000.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S.C. § 1692k Keep the letter, save voicemails, and log calls with dates and times. That record is what turns a rule into a remedy.