Debt Collectors
G.L. c. 93, § 49 — no telling others, no harassment, and no contact once a lawyer says so
- Telling, or threatening to tell, anyone but the person who may owe it about the debt, without the debtor's written permission, envelopes that show it is about a debt included.
- Contacting the debtor directly after their lawyer has said all communication should go to the lawyer.
- Harassing or embarrassing the debtor, by calling at unreasonable hours or with unreasonable frequency, threatening violence, using offensive language, or threatening action the creditor does not in fact take.
- Using forms that look like court papers.
A consumer protection violation. In Massachusetts, a creditor, its lawyer or its assignee collecting a consumer debt in any of those ways collects in an unfair, deceptive or unreasonable manner, which is an unfair or deceptive practice under the consumer protection law.
A creditor may still tell the debtor it may report the debt to a credit bureau or use an agent or lawyer to collect.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.L. c. 93, § 49 — Unfair or deceptive debt collection
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.