New debt collection regulations pass in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin recently approved Senate Bill 398, which bans debt collectors from using profanity or threatening lawsuits after the statute of limitations has passed on a debt. Bill Bartmann, the former owner of a Tulsa-based debt collection agency, was instrumental in helping to get the bill drafted and approved The legislation will bring Oklahoma's laws more in line with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in addition to tightening the state's no-call list protocols. Under the new regulations, sending text messages to a debtor is also banned unless he or she has consented. Following the passage of the bill, Bartmann traveled to Washington, D.C., in order to present recommendations to U.S. Congressman Barney Frank and others about how to crack down on abuse within the debt collection industry on a national scale. Figures from the Federal Trade Commission indicate an increase in reports of rogue tactics being used for collecting debts. Consumer complaints against collectors rose by 17 percent between 2009 and 2010.