443-615-7400

Estate Recoveries, Inc.
415 Williams Ct.
Suite 116
Baltimore, MD 21220
Main: 443-615-7400
Alt: 800-229-8472
Fax: 443-451-2700
http://www.eri-strategies.com/content/about_us

They keep calling and are very polite; but have the wrong number. I don't mind as it helps the boredom :)

they keep calling for my dead ex i have told them so but they keep calling

They're calling me about one of my ex-husband's family member; I guess she's passed away and they're trying to collect her debts...I wish someone would find the ex for me. He owes it to our kids!

My son died in a car accident Dec. 3 2009 he was 22years old living from pay check to pay he didnt have much money when he was living so why would he after he is dead I wish they would stop calling

Please report them to FTC.  File a complaint.  I just did.  If enough of us do it, we can get these people.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Please report them to FTC.  File a complaint.  I just did.  If enough of us do it, we can get these people.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Please report them to FTC.  File a complaint.  I just did.  If enough of us do it, we can get these people.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Please report them to FTC.  File a complaint.  I just did.  If enough of us do it, we can get these people.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Please report them to FTC.  File a complaint.  I just did.  If enough of us do it, we can get these people.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Please report them to FTC.  File a complaint.  I just did.  If enough of us do it, we can get these people.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Unwanted calls on my cell phone

No, stupid. The FTC is not going to go after someone for doing what is - A.) Legal and B.) Not an offense of the FTC as stated on their website:

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media.

Unfortunately, in the United State even after a person is deceased their estate (vehicles, property, etc.) can be given to the creditors.

I did write to the company to let them know their caller was rude.   Contact info was provided above.   Their by-line is "with respect and empathy" and they were neither.  I have no issue with my deceased family member's creditors trying to get  what is rightfully owed, but they don't have to be rude to the grief stricken family member as we have no association with the debt our loved ones left.

Caller left a message on my answering machine mentioning my son's father-in-law who died a year ago. Nobody at my home has any connection to his estate (my son lives in a different state).  I did not return their call, I reported them to the "Do not call" registry :

https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx

because they do not have the right to call me.

If your phone number is on the "do not call" list and these people call you, report them, if enough people file complaints maybe our government will actually do something to enforce the "do not call" law.

You’re Dead? That Won’t Stop the Debt Collector

Published: March 3, 2009
MINNEAPOLIS — The banks need another bailout and countless homeowners cannot handle their mortgage payments, but one group is paying its bills: the dead.

Dozens of specially trained agents work on the third floor of DCM Services here, calling up the dear departed’s next of kin and kindly asking if they want to settle the balance on a credit card or bank loan, or perhaps make that final utility bill or cellphone payment.

The people on the other end of the line often have no legal obligation to assume the debt of a spouse, sibling or parent. But they take responsibility for it anyway.

“I am out of work now, to be honest with you, and money is very tight for us,” one man declared on a recent phone call after he was apprised of his late mother-in-law’s $280 credit card bill. He promised to pay $15 a month.

Dead people are the newest frontier in debt collecting, and one of the healthiest parts of the industry. Those who dun the living say that people are so scared and so broke it is difficult to get them to cough up even token payments.

Collecting from the dead, however, is expanding. Improved database technology is making it easier to discover when estates are opened in the country’s 3,000 probate courts, giving collectors an opportunity to file timely claims. But if there is no formal estate and thus nothing to file against, the human touch comes into play.

New hires at DCM train for three weeks in what the company calls “empathic active listening,” which mixes the comforting air of a funeral director with the nonjudgmental tones of a friend. The new employees learn to use such anger-deflecting phrases as “If I hear you correctly, you’d like...”

“You get to be the person who cares,” the training manager, Autumn Boomgaarden, told a class of four new hires.

For some relatives, paying is pragmatic. The law varies from state to state, but generally survivors are not required to pay a dead relative’s bills from their own assets. In theory, however, collection agencies could go after any property inherited from the deceased.

But sentiment also plays a large role, the agencies say. Some relatives are loyal to the credit card or bank in question. Some feel a strong sense of morality, that all debts should be paid. Most of all, people feel they are honoring the wishes of their loved ones.

“In times of illness and death, the hierarchy of debts is adjusted,” said Michael Ginsberg of Kaulkin Ginsberg, a consulting company to the debt collection industry. “We do our best to make sure our doctor is paid, because we might need him again. And we want the dead to rest easy, knowing their obligations are taken care of.”

Finally, of course, some of those who pay a dead relative’s debts are unaware they may have no legal obligation.

Scott Weltman of Weltman, Weinberg & Reis, a Cleveland law firm that performs deceased collections, says that if family members ask, “we definitely tell them” they have no legal obligation to pay. “But is it disclosed upfront — ‘Mr. Smith, you definitely don’t owe the money’? It’s not that blunt.”

DCM Services, which began in 1999 as a law firm, recently acquired clients in banking, automobile finance, retailing, telecommunications and health care; DCM says its contracts preclude it from naming them.

The companies “want to protect their brand,” said DCM’s chief executive, Steven Farsht. Despite the delicacy of such collections, he says his 180-employee firm is providing a service to the economy. “The financial services industry is under a tremendous amount of pressure, and every dollar we collect improves their profitability,” he said.

To listen to even a small sample of DCM’s calls — executives played tapes of 10 of them for a reporter, electronically edited to remove all names — is to reveal the wages of misery, right down to the penny.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04 ... 1&sq=dcm&st=cse

The debt collectors are behaving badly again. This time they're hitting up surviving family members for money that's owed by the dead!

The New York Times reports that some collection agencies specialize in this somewhat morbid pursuit. Collectors even receive "sensitivity" training to deal with grieving relatives. They'll speak in hushed tones on the phone like a funeral director and refer you to a legitimate grief counselor if necessary.

In most cases, you have no legal obligation to assume the debt of a late spouse, sibling or parent. But the collectors will never tell you that.

The only states where there is a possibility that a surviving spouse may have some responsibility for a debt are "community property states" -- Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

In such states, an executor/executrix or administrator (in the event there is no will) may be responsible for assessing the estate to see if there's money to pay out to creditors.

But in general, if you get a call from these slimeballs, know that you likely don't owe them a penny.

http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/category/12/103/358/

What Happens to Debt After Death?

You come home one day and find a letter, asking you to pay your recently deceased spouse’s $400 credit card bill. Soon after, you start receiving collection calls. What should you do? Are you responsible for paying the bill?

It is not uncommon for creditors to turn to relatives for collection after a person dies. In some cases, they may be legally on the hook for the debt. However, often times, they are not. Knowing the law can help you handle bill collectors without being bullied into unnecessary payment.

When dealing with the debt of a deceased person, the first thing you want to consider is if anyone else’s name on the account. Each account holder can be held legally responsible for the outstanding balance, regardless of who used the account or whatever agreement the account holders had on who would pay the bill. Taking the example above, let’s say the credit card was a joint account, owned by your spouse and you. He was the only one who used the card and made the payments. You simply co-signed on the application because he had a low credit score. Unfortunately, since your name is on the account, you are still on the hook for the outstanding balance. This rule only applies to co-signers, not authorized users, who are not legally obligated to repay the debt. (However, you can be held responsible for charges you make after the death of the primary account holder, so don’t buy a $3,000 television with the card thinking you can get it for free.)

In most states, relatives whose names are not on the account cannot be held personally responsible for a deceased person’s debt. In community property states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin), spouses may be responsible for paying the debt, even if their name is not in the account. If you live in one of these states, it is a good idea to talk to a lawyer about what your obligations are.

Even if you are not obligated to pay a creditor out of your own pocket, that does not necessarily mean you can tell them, “Tough luck. You are not getting a penny.” Obviously, the creditor cannot collect directly from a borrower who is not alive, but they are entitled to collect from his or her estate, meaning they can take from assets before they are passed on to heirs (although certain assets, such as retirement funds and life insurance, may be exempt). For example, if your father left you the $10,000 in his savings account and had a $3,000 loan outstanding at the time of his death, the lender would get $3,000, and you would get $7,000. However, if there are not enough assets to cover the bills, then some creditors are simply out of luck – they cannot collect money the estate does not have.

It is the role of the executor of the estate to pay the deceased person’s outstanding bills. If you are the executor, you may want to consult with a lawyer about your state’s probate process and laws. There may be specific regulations on the order that the debts should be paid.

If you are not the executor of the estate but are receiving phone calls and/or letters asking you to pay, you should refer the creditor to the executor. If they are persistent, send a certified letter stating that the person is deceased and you are not responsible for paying the debt. Don’t let yourself be intimidated into paying a debt you are not responsible for. If the bill collector is making claims you don’t believe are true, such as saying you are a co-signer on the account, ask for proof. Let them know you are aware of your rights and will report them if they do not stop calling you. Harassing bill collectors can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (877-382-4357) and state attorney general’s office. (They investigate patterns of complaints but typically do not intervene in individual cases.) If the collection activity still does not stop, you may want to hire an attorney to send them a letter and, if needed, take additional legal action.

While you may inherit Great Aunt Suzy’s doll collection or Grandma Jane’s floral sofa, luckily, in most cases, you won’t inherit your relatives’ debt.

http://www.balancepro.net/education/publications/debtafterdeath.html

calls come in for everyone except me .

Just received a call for my ex-mother-in-law. I have been officially divorced from her daughter for 12 years. Her daughter even committed bigamy marrying someone else 2 years prior to that. Do your research people! Pester them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i don' know why these people are calling my number. i have no idea who they are and i need them to plase stop calling here

Got called by these people a few times but I don't answer. I just got this phone a couple of months ago and it's prepaid. I'm only sixteen so I don't think it's me they want, prob the person who used to have this phone number. Just wish they would stop calling me.