North Carolina Debt Collection Laws: A Better Place to Be

Today, March 21, 2013, The National List published the white paper on debt collection law in North Carolina written by president and managing partner, Lee C. Rogers, of the law firm Sessoms & Rogers, P.A. The firm has been a member of The National List since 1980.

Sessoms & Rogers, P.A. has been helping businesses and individuals in North Carolina collect debts for the past thirty years. They offer legal services that propagate fair business practices by helping enforce consumer responsibilities. Their creditors’ rights practice includes a group of skilled attorneys. They provide services that include consumer debt collection and defense of creditors and debt collectors under federal and state consumer protection statutes. They offer both original creditor and debt buyer clients valuable debt-collection services, in accordance with all applicable requirements of federal and state law. Sessoms & Rogers, P.A. is committed to the fair treatment of consumers, as we work to assist clients and consumers to resolve debts.

Lee Rogers

Lee C. Rogers attended North Carolina Central University Law School. He has been working in the debt collection industry for almost 25 years. Ninety-nine percent of his law practice is dedicated to debt collection. Lee told us, “I don’t think anyone sets out to be a debt collector or a collection attorney, and it seems like it could be a very dry practice. But I have found that every day brings something new and interesting and real opportunities for learning and development. It is an area of law where you are providing a tangible, measurable service to your client, helping them to achieve the goal of increasing their collections and remaining compliant with the law. I have the ability to assure that consumers are treated fairly and with dignity.”

One thing that makes debt collection unique in North Carolina is “Although there are 100 counties with nearly 100 ways of interpreting NC law, they all agree that NC law does not permit wage garnishment in debt collection cases.” This may make NC, as it’s state slogan says, “A better place to be” for debtors. Among other interesting aspects of NC law found in the paper, we learned, “While the FDCPA generally does not apply to creditors collecting on their own behalf, the NC Debt Collection Act applies to any person engaged in debt collection from a consumer, which includes a creditor collecting its own accounts. Therefore, creditors and debt collectors alike must comply with the NC Debt Collection Act when attempting to collect debt from individual consumers.”

Lee is a member of the National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA), ACA International, the NC Creditors Bar Association (Board member) and the Debt Buyers Association (DBA). Sessoms & Rogers has won numerous awards for performance from their clients. They donate to animal protection causes and service animal organizations. The firm also supports its employees on an ad hoc basis as they work for numerous charitable causes.

Lee lives in Durham, NC with his wife and their six rescue dogs. Outside of work, he enjoys playing hockey, rescuing and socializing dogs, cycling and attending Duke University football and basketball games.

The National List thanks Lee 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/northcarolina.