About the Collection Department

Since 1957, Blume, Connelly, Jordan, Stucky & Lauer LLP has had a concentrated practice in the area of third party collections. Our attorneys are capable, knowledgeable, and highly experienced in collecting delinquent accounts and representing creditors in all State and Federal courts within Indiana.

Blume, Connelly, Jordan, Stucky & Lauer LLP has recognized that as times constantly change, the “tools” needed to be effective in the collection practice have also changed. We have dedicated an entire division of our firm to the collection practice. Our staff includes an experienced and dedicated group of commercial paralegals who use current skip-tracing, bankruptcy status, and people search programs. These web-based tools work well with our database software to find and maintain accurate debtor information.

In these fifty years of practice, we have established an excellent reputation and our clientele includes many respected businesses located in and around northeast Indiana. Our clients know that we will be persistent in our efforts to provide ethical and effective representation.

Blume, Connelly, Jordan, Stucky & Lauer LLP routinely handles cases throughout the state of Indiana. Our fee is typically based upon a percentage of the amount collected. Our clients appreciate knowing that our fee will be the same whether we initiate suit (recovery efforts) in Angola, Indianapolis, or Evansville. In many cases, including those in bankruptcy court, we can collect our fees and the court costs from the defendant/debtor.

If you are having difficulty collecting an account and you want to benefit from decades of experience, please call us at 423-3525 and ask to speak to one of our collection attorneys.

What happens if I want to sue a person that owes me money?

1. When our office receives the details of the debt from you, we will send a "Demand Letter" to the person who owes the money (the "debtor").  Our letter contains court-approved language and complies with the strict federal laws such as the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act).  The letter informs the debtor that the matter has been turned over to our office for collection.  The letter clearly states that if our firm is not contacted within ten (10) days, a lawsuit will be filed.  Often, a person will respond immediately after receiving a letter from a law firm.
   
   
2. If the debtor contacts our office, we will attempt to negotiate a settlement and re-payment plan.  We will not make any agreements without your specific authority.  In the event the debtor fails to contact our office within ten (10) days, we will file a suit in the appropriate court.  The amount of the debt determines which Court is used.  Claims for $6,000.00 or less are filed in Small Claims Court and suits over $6,000.00 are filed in Superior Court.
   
   
3. Each Court charges a "filing fee" which is typically the largest out-of-pocket expense you will incur.  The current fees in Allen County are $76.00 for a small claims suit and $136.00 for a Superior Court suit.  This expense will be reimbursed to you from the first dollars collected and before any fee is charged by our firm.
   
   
4. Contingency fees are the percentage of the collection that the attorney keeps for providing the service of collecting the debt.  We offer reasonable and fair rates that can be negotiated depending on the number of accounts you place with us as well as other factors.
   
   
5. After we file suit on your behalf, the court will require the debtor to respond or appear in court within six (6) weeks.  If the debtor fails to respond or appear, we will ask the Court to enter a default judgment.  If the debtor responds but does not dispute the fact that the debt is owed, we will have the debtor sign an Agreed Judgment.  If the debtor responds and disputes the claim we will obtain a trial date from the court.  Only a small percentage of cases actually require a trial.  In the vast majority of cases, we are able to secure a judgment without our clients having to testify as a witness.  In fact, your time and out-of-pocket expenses should be minimal throughout the entire collection process.
   
   
6. Getting a judgment is a valuable collection tool.  A judgment will act as a lien on any real estate owned by the debtor.  In addition, a judgment will appear on the debtor's credit report.  For these and other reasons, debtors will often pay what is owed shortly after a judgment is entered .  There is also a financial incentive for the debtor to pay because interest accrues on judgment balances at the rate of 8% per year.
   
   
7. If the debtor refuses to make payment arrangements, we can use more coercive efforts to collect what is owed to you.  For instance, we can garnish the debtor's wages, "freeze" money in bank accounts and, in some cases, we can even suspend the Defendant's driver's license.  In addition, personal property such as cars, motorcycles, boats and jewelry can be "attached" in order to satisfy a judgment.
   
   
8. Because it takes time to uncover information about assets and places of employment, you should not expect immediate results.  However, you can rest assured that we will diligently pursue collection of the debt.  Without cost to you, we use resources such as the Department of Workforce Development, BMV records and skip-tracing software to obtain information about debtors and their assets.  Even someone that is considered to be "judgment proof" or "uncollectible" can be forced to appear in Court and submit to questions from one of our attorneys as to his or her assets and ability to make payments.
   
   
9. We like to work closely with our clients.  One of our paralegals will be assigned as your contact person so that when you call our office, you will talk to someone who is familiar with you as well as your collection case.  We encourage clients to contact us if they become aware of information that may help us, such as a debtor's new address or employer.  Although we have hundreds of clients and tens of thousands of accounts, we take pride in keeping our clients informed. 
   
   
10. This is just summary of a typical commercial collection matter and what you might expect to happen.  There are legal variables that come up from time to time that might make certain cases different.  Trust that our attorneys are knowledgeable about collection law and are willing to answer any questions that might arise.