Death Won’t Stop The Debt Collector

Even though the person that is contacted usually has no obligation to pay the debt, collection companies are finding that the one group that is still paying their bills are the dead.

Collecting debts from dead people is a growth industry. Debt collection companies are benefiting from improved database technology that allows them to file timely claims on the estates of deceased debtors.

If there is no estate to probate, the companies are using the human touch, calling heirs and asking if there will be payment on the debt. 

A consultant to the debt collection industry told the New York Times that the relatives of the deceased usually pay the debts in an effort to let “the dead rest easy, knowing that their obligations are taken care of.”

If asked, the collector will confirm that the relative has no obligation to pay the debt with their own funds, but it isn’t disclosed upfront.