Oklahoma Debt Collection Laws: Oklahoma is OK

Today, March 26, 2013, The National List published the white paper on debt collection law in Oklahoma, written by associate attorney Nicholas R. Hood of Hood & Stacy, P.A., which has offices in Oklahoma and Arkansas. For more than thirty years, the firm has been serving the needs of a broad range of clients in the areas of creditor bankruptcy, commercial and retail collections, mortgage foreclosures, landlord-tenant relations, corporate business, wills, probates, and real estate. Their practice is more than 90 percent dedicated to debt collection. The firm has been a member of The National List of Attorneys for six years.

Nicholas R. Hood, a native Arkansan and second-generation Hood & Stacy attorney, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Missouri Valley College with a dual-degree in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. He obtained his Juris Doctor cum laude from Valparaiso University School of Law, where he was a member of the honors program and publishing note-writer for the Valparaiso University Law Review. He is currently licensed to practice law in Arkansas and Oklahoma and specializes in the areas of collections, replevin, foreclosures, and creditors’ rights.

“One unique thing creditors need to know about collecting debt in Oklahoma is,” Nicholas said, “Oklahoma is mostly a rural state that has a large number of courts for its population. That said, Oklahoma has two very metropolitan areas that operate in a much different fashion than the rest of the state. In addition, each county—and even judges within the same county—operates independently, and therefore cases often require an approach that is unique to that county or judge.” He encourages attorneys intending to practice in OK to obtain an in-depth understanding of the “many different rules—state, federal and local—that intersect to regulate the actions of those lending credit, purchasing debt, and rendering legal services related to debt collection.” You can find out much more about OK debt collection law by reading his paper.

Nicholas Hood

Nicholas says that debt collection work has taught him to “treat every interaction with a debtor or his or her counsel with no preconceived notions,that every case is unique, and as such, must be handled in its own unique way.” For him, the most enjoyable aspect of his job is “negotiating with opposing counsel, attempting to secure the best outcome for my client, and challenging myself to get better and better with each new case or legal matter.”

Nicholas is a member of the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA), the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Arkansas Bar Association and the Benton County Bar Association. When he’s not working, he enjoys playing tennis and golf, working out and spending time with friends and family. His firm is a strong supporter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and participates in other charitable ventures on an event-by-event basis.

The National List thanks Nicholas for submitting this paper and for telling us something about himself and his firm. You can access the paper at http://www.nationallist.com/white_papers/oklahoma.