can outstanding credit card debt become a felony?

Answer 1

if someone wants to get out of debt today it is pretty easy with a debt consolidation plan
however it may get a bit tricky at times, I suggest you get as much information as possible online on this first,

a good place to start in my humble opinion is:

http://umgarticles.atspace.com/debt-consolidation.htm

Answer 2

Generally, No.

However, there are some ways in which having an outstanding credit card debt could result in a felony conviction.. not directly, but indirectly.

For instance.. if you attempt to declare bankruptcy, and lie on the bankruptcy application and/or conceal assets.. that is a felony, and could result in dismissal of the bankruptcy and a criminal conviction.

However, the US as a whole got rid of the concept of debtor's prisons a long time ago. The credit card company can sue you. They can, if they obtain a judgment, garnish your wages and attach other non-exempt items to satisfy the debt, but they can't file criminal charges against you.

IF they have threatened to do so, they are in violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

You should consult an attorney who is licensed to practice in your state for more information on the specifics of your situation. If you don't know an attorney, contact your local or state bar association for a referral.

Answer 3

No, when the U.S. was formed one of the things that our fore fathers had written in the constitution was that a person could not be jailed for debts. One of the reasons the U.S. seceded from Great Britain was debtors prison.

The only way a person could be jailed is if they committed credit fraud.

Maybe you would like to know, if you tell the debt collector to stop calling they must. On the other hand it may force them to take you to court to collect via garnishment (taking money from your pay check). They can only call you from 08:00 to 21:00 during the day, unless they get a court order under special circumstances (like you do not work normal hours). Once they make contact with during the week they can not keep calling. Most companies have off shored the collection procedure. You sometimes get one of these collection companies that say, because they are working out of a foreign country they are not bound by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) law, but they are lying. If the company that you dealt with is in the U.S. they are bound by U.S. law for collections.