Submission Number: 00081 

Received: 11/22/2010 2:40:44 PM
Commenter: Randolph Hurst
Organization: 
State: Rhode Island
Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: Statement of Policy Regarding Communications in Connection with Collection of a Decedent’s Debt; Project No. P104806
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Debt collectors have access to public records regarding death, the existence of estates, and contact information of recognized executors of any such estates. Beyond those public records, contact with survivors is an invasion of the privacy of any family members of the deceased. Contact beyond that permitted within the public records should not be permitted. If the debt is secured, debt collectors already have the ability to repossess. If the debt is not secured, use of public records is enough to determine if the debt is further collectable from the deceased's estate. If the esate is not of enough value to require an assignment of an Executor or recordation with the State government, further contact will deliver more psychological harm to survivors than good. Vultures should review their practices in lending rather than disturb persons at such a vulnerable time.