Illinois city may hire debt collection agency

One Illinois city is considering hiring a debt collection agency in the hopes of recovering unpaid utility bills. The Journal Courier reports that the city of Road House is thinking about hiring a company to go after the high number of delinquent accounts and get back some of the funds that have yet to be paid. The news source reports that the city is owed more than a quarter-million dollars, leaving many residents and officials fuming at neighbors' irresponsibility. "Every month, we're sent a bill saying we'll be shut off if we don't pay. I asked for a printout of overdue bills. When I saw it added up to $284,000, I flipped," city resident Barb Alred told the council, according to the news source. "How can they ride the coattails of the people who pay every month? If they had any backbone at all, they ought to come in and pay. We ought to put their names in the paper." If a person does get contacted by a debt collector, there are a number of rights they should be aware of. In a release from the Better Business Bureau, the group's president and CEO, Steven A. Cox, said that debtors being contacted should ask for written proof to make sure the collection agency is legitamate.