How to Beat Bonneville Collections in Court

Lawsuits are never fun, but debt collection cases can be especially painful. You probably know this already if you recently received a Complaint from Bonneville Collections.

Debt collection lawsuits will stir up lots of different emotions. You might be nervous, confused, and looking for answers. That fear and uncertainty can paralyze you, making decisions impossible.

Luckily, SoloSuit can help. We have all the information you need to know about how to beat Bonneville Collections in court.

Who is Bonneville Collections?

Bonneville Collections is a debt collection agency based in Utah. The company is currently headquartered in Ogden, Utah. Bonneville Collections has expanded into offices across Utah, Idaho, and Washington State since it began in 1980. They work in the financial sector, offering billing and debt collection services to their clients.

You might be wondering, “Why is Bonneville Collections contacting me?” After all, you didn't borrow any money from them. Do they even have a legal right to your money?

That's a little complicated. Bonneville Collections doesn't actually loan any money itself. Instead, the company collects debt originally loaned by someone else.

For example, say someone ran up a $5,000 credit card bill and never paid it back. Their credit card company can sell this debt to a collection agency like Bonneville Collections. The original owner of the debt (in this case, the credit card company) sells this debt to recover some of their losses. Debt collection agencies usually buy debt at a huge discount. Then, the collection agency has the right to pursue the debt themselves.

That might sound a little bit convoluted. But it's actually a booming business. In fact, about one-third of Americans have debt in collections.

File a response to debt collectors with SoloSuit.

Receiving a Complaint from Bonneville Collections

Debt collection cases can sometimes seem like a David vs. Goliath story. You're just one lone borrower against a massive debt collection agency. How can you possibly win?

Fortunately, Bonneville Collections can't just steamroll over you. There's a set of rules they need to play by, and that gives you a chance to fight back.

Before we get started, let's cover some important language in debt collection cases.

• Plaintiff - Also called the “creditor,” the plaintiff is whichever party began the lawsuit. In your case, the plaintiff is Bonneville Collections.
• Defendant - In debt collection cases, the defendant is the “debtor.” In other words, they're the person who owes money. You should be named as the defendant in your case.
• Complaint - In any lawsuit, the Complaint is the document that initiates the case. This document will include how much money you allegedly owe, as well as other important information. If you received a complaint from Bonneville Collections, that means they're officially suing you.

Knowing this language can help you decode the complaint against you. Now that you understand some basic terms, you need to form your strategy.

Answer legal complaints the easy way with SoloSuit.

How Can I Beat Bonneville Collections in Court?

Your first order of business is responding to Bonneville Collections' Complaint. This is a time-sensitive step. You'll need to act quickly.

You must submit a response to Bonneville Collections' Complaint. This reply is called an “Answer.” In most jurisdictions, you need to do this within 14-30 days of receiving the complaint.

In your Answer, you'll need to tell the court why you shouldn't pay Bonneville Collections the money you allegedly owe. You can't just pick any reason, though. It needs to be legitimate. Here are a few defenses that the court may find acceptable (depending on the jurisdiction):

• Statute of Limitations - Bonneville Collections has no right to collect a debt outside its statute of limitations. This is a specific date set by each jurisdiction.
• No Paper Trail - Bonneville Collections needs to provide documents proving they own your debt. For example, if they're suing you over credit card debt, they'll need your cardholder agreement. If they can't produce this paperwork, they don't have a case.
• Incorrect Debt History - Sometimes a debt collector doesn't see the whole picture. They buy debt “as is” from lenders. As a result, they may not have a complete history of your payments. If you can prove that you made payments on your debt that aren't present in Bonneville Collections' paper trail, you may be able to dismiss your case.
• No Proof - Debt collectors like Bonneville Collections need to prove you owe them money. This means they must show the court some sort of agreement that signs your debt over from its original owner. Without it, they can't prove their case.

Pick the right defense with SoloSuit.

There are a few other defenses that the court will accept. These are highly situational, though. For example, maybe you already discharged your debt through bankruptcy. If so, you're no longer legally required to pay it.

Submitting an Answer to the court is a critical step in any debt collection lawsuit. If you don't file your Answer in the court-appointed time frame, Bonneville Collections can win their case automatically. This is how debt collectors win the vast majority of their lawsuits.

By simply responding to a Complaint from Bonneville Collections, you're already increasing your chances of winning your case. Don't give Bonneville Collections any help. Make them prove their case in court!

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to respond to a debt collection lawsuit.

How it works: SoloSuit is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your answer. Upon completion, you can either print the completed forms and mail in the hard copies to the courts or you can pay SoloSuit to file it for you and to have an attorney review the document.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit: A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

How to Answer a Summons for Debt Collection Guides for Other States

Here's a list of guides for other states.

All 50 states.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri

Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah; File a Motion to Satisfy Judgment Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

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Being sued by a different debt collector? We're making guides on how to beat each one.

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