Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in New York

On 9/17 someone knocked on my door claiming they had a Federal Court Summons. My father (a retired federal officer) told me to call the police, which I did. I received another knock on my door at 2:30 a.m., the following morning. I again called the police. The following day I did a Federal Court search and found nothing in my name. The third visit was on 9/21 and a Civil Summons was taped to my door. I verified the debt, got in touch with the company and have since made one payment. Yesterday (10/1) I received a letter in the mail with no date, stating that a lawsuit had been filed against me. I looked on the NYCourts website and found that a lawsuit had been filed on 9/3. Today is 10/2. What is my best course of action at this point? Thank you.


Asked on 10/02/19, 10:09 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Andrew M. Doktofsky Andrew M. Doktofsky, P.C.

If it is a NYS court summons, you have at least 30 days to serve a written answer to the complaint, from the date it was left on your door. You most likely have more time, depending on when the proof of service was filed with the court. You should contact an attorney for assistance. Failure to answer the summons will result in entry of a default judgment against you.

Read more
Answered on 10/02/19, 10:24 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Credit, Debt and Collections Law questions and answers in New York