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Facts and Questions

At SCB, we understand that dealing with collections can be stressful. Our FAQ section provides answers to common questions about our services, payment options, and how we work with clients to resolve debt in a professional and respectful manner. If you don’t find the information you're looking for, please feel free to contact us directly—we're here to help!

For more information, please call ( 619) 281-3200 or contact us online.

Client FAQs

General Information

  • The recovery percentage depends on several factors, such as debtor bankruptcy, age of the debt, documentation and information on the debtor and what kind of debt it is. Medical, timeshare and corporate debt is handled differently. Overall our recovery rate is 50%.

  • Debtor information is entered in the system within 24 hours and our first demand letter is mailed the same day. Our asset liability investigators proceed with phone calls and follow up letters. Depending on the age of the debt, debtor location and financial situation you could receive money in the first week or it may take up to a year.

  • We provide you with weekly reports on your accounts. You can also give us a call anytime to inquiry about a specific account. Contact Client Services at 619-281-3200.

  • If a debtor disputes the debt, we will provide them with verification of the debt, which normally consists of the documentation initially provided by the client. If a debtor simply refuses to pay, then their account is forwarded to our legal enforcement department to proceed with legal action.

  • This is one of the most important factors in determining the resolution of debt. If the debt is old, it is usually harder to collect. It is important that clients send over accounts within 60-90 days of the account due date. The sooner that account is sent over to us, the better chances we have for payment resolution.

  • Overall, our staff has over 40 years in collections. The skip-tracing department is knowledgeable and have over 10 years of experience. The legal investigation team stays on top of any law changes and FDCPA regulations to provide the best resolutions. Asset liability investigators are constantly working towards a resolution and have being doing so for over 30 years.

  • We do everything according to the law. We treat our debtors with the utmost respect, we are here to help. In our mission statement we agree to abide by the law and be honest with everyone that comes in contact with us. It is our goal to make this a win-win situation for everybody.

  • We have been in business for three years. We absolutely love what we do. We have the opportunity to help thousands of debtors to resolve their past-due accounts and consequently improve their credit. We take pride in maintaining a great relationship with our clients, through our transparency on our account handling.

  • You can contact our department of sales at 619-281-3200. We can explain to you how our collections process works.

  • Our director of sales will go over your agreement contract. Once the agreement is signed, you can send over your past-due accounts and we take it from there. We can have you set up in a few minutes. Contact our department of sales at 619-281-3200

Judgment Recovery & Enforcement

  • The courts job is to allow you a means of filing your original complaint, having the facts heard and presented in front of a judge who makes a decision based on the facts presented as to who owes the debt. Once this decision is made (judgment is entered), the court's job is done. The court may provide a forum for the debtor to make payments on the judgment through the court clerk, but the ultimate responsibility for enforcing the judgment is on the Judgment Creditor and not the court.

  • You can, if you are willing to pay a large retainer, which is usually based on the attorney's hourly fee of between $250 to $450 per hour. Most attorneys do not have expertise in the enforcement and collection of a court judgment and in fact, many will refer their clients to a Judgment Recovery Agency.

  • In today's world, most transactions leave some sort of paper trail. Armed with the right resources, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide in today's high-tech society. We use legal means of locating debtors and assets, including computer research, credit reports, public and non-public records, court research, mail and phone tracing, records obtained by subpoena and gumshoe tactics requiring in-the-field investigation. We have legal access to information not available to the general public and are approved to utilize "restricted" databases used by law enforcement and investigative agencies. We are authorized by the court to enter the 'secure' files area, which increases the efficiency of our research/investigations. The majority of debtors are ultimately located.

  • In California a judgment is valid for 10 years; however, if renewed prior to 10 years, it is extended for another decade. Criminal judgments do not require renewal.

  • Yes, both state and federal judgments earn interest. California CCP §685.0l0(a) provides that interest accrues on state judgments at the rate of 10% per annum on the principal amount of a money judgment remaining unsatisfied. Federal judgments follow a more complicated formula, tied the weekly average 1-year constant maturity US Treasury yield, as published by the Federal Reserve System.

  • An out-of-state judgment is not enforceable in California until it has been 'domesticated' as a California judgment per CCP §§1710.10-1710.65. This is a procedure which involves filing an application with the court along with authenticated copies of the foreign judgment. It does require service and notice on the judgment debtor and there is a 30-day stay on enforcement, allowing the debtor to challenge the new judgment. The process of domesticating a federal judgments is seamless and requires no such notice to the debtor.

  • The rate of recovery is not readily determinable because each case has its own peculiar problems, and no file is closed until collected. Thus a debt which remains uncollected today may be satisfied tomorrow. However, with our highly experienced and knowledgeable team at SCB Judgment Enforcement, we are proud to say that our
    recovery rate well surpasses the national average.

Consumer FAQs

  • The creditor is not generally required to let you know it is referring your account to a collection agency. There are rare exceptions to this rule.

  • Within five days of an account being placed with SCB, Inc., our office will mail a written demand notice to you which will include the following information: (a) the amount you owe, (b) the name of the creditor, (c) the process to follow if you dispute the bill and (d) contact information of SCB, Inc.

  • It is important that you respond as soon as possible. If you don't, our agency may keep trying to reach you to collect. lf you legally owe the bill, you should arrange to pay it as soon as possible.

  • In California, once the debt has been assigned to a collection agency, it is the collection agency that is entitled to receive all payments. The collection agency becomes the "owner" of the debt you owe. The collection agency is responsible for collecting the debt and is the only one who can agree to payment terms.

  • An agency may only call at hours presumed to be convenient for the debtor—generally, between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. If these hours are inconvenient for you, you may ask the agency to contact you at other times. There is no law that specifically limits the number of calls an agency may make to you, but repeated calls over a short period, which may be annoying or harassing, are prohibited.

  • An agency may contact an employer, but only for the following reasons:

    1. To communicate with you at your place of employment.

    2. To verify your location.

    3. To garnish your wages once you have been taken to court and a judgment was entered against you.

    4. To find out whether you have medical insurance to cover a medical bill.

  • No. A collection agency has the choice of demanding the whole amount or taking payments on the bill. It will want to know your actual ability to pay the debt. The agency can set what it is willing to take for the amount of the payments and how often you will be required to make them.

  • No. The agency's responsibility is to collect the debts assigned to it. The agency will want to have payments made pursuant to an agreed plan, so it knows when to expect payment, and when the debt will be paid in full.

  • If the collection agency wants the payment agreement to be in writing, they have the right to require you to sign a contract as a condition of accepting payments. This can be a protection for both of you as long as you make the payments under the contract.

     

    If you make your payments on time and pay the agreed amount, the agency cannot change the way they are collecting the bill or demand more money. But, if you fail to make the payments according to the contract, the collection agency could then demand payment of or sue you for the entire remaining balance, not just the defaulted payment.

  • If possible, contact the agency before you miss a payment or send a partial payment. Explain the problem and what you plan to do to solve it and catch up on your payments. Many agencies will work with you, especially if you've already made several payments on time. In most cases the agency will add a late payment fee to your account, if you fail to make the payment on time.

  • If you do not owe the bill, or if the bill has already been paid, send the agency a written explanation along with copies of receipts, cancelled checks and any other information to back up your claim. It is important to send your letter within 30 days after your first contact from the collection agency. Once the agency receives your dispute letter, it must stop further attempts to collect the debt until it sends you written verification to show that you do owe the bill and that the amount of the bill is correct. If you are questioning only a part of the bill, the agency may not continue to collect on that part until it has provided verification, but you must make arrangements to pay the rest of the bill.

    If you are not the person the agency is looking for, write and explain the mistake. You may be asked to provide a driver's license or social security number to prove that you are the wrong person. If you are unsure about your legal responsibility for a debt, check with an attorney.

    If the collection agency is unable to obtain verification that you owe the debt, it may return your account to the creditor and stop collection efforts.

  • Yes. If a judgment is obtained by the agency you may be liable for additional expenses for court costs and/or attorney fees.

  • Yes. Most collection agencies, though not required by law, provide a brief period after receiving your account before reporting it to the credit bureaus. Therefore, it is important that you make immediate contact with the agency to resolve the matter before any negative information is reported about your past due account.

  • No. They are required to show it as "paid collection." The credit reporting agencies prohibit deleting a reported debt merely because it was paid.

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