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Sued by First Financial Bank – How to Win

Chloe Meltzer | December 02, 2022

Chloe-Meltzer
Legal Expert
Chloe Meltzer, MA

Chloe Meltzer is an experienced content writer specializing in legal content creation. She holds a degree in English Literature from Arizona State University, complemented by a Master’s in Marketing from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: Are you being sued by First Financial Bank? Find out how to win against First Financial Bank in court.

Millions of Americans suffer from debt, and if you have a past due credit card debt of your own, you might feel like all hope is lost, but this is simply not true. Debt collections are common but can lead to negative consequences.

If you have defaulted on your credit card debt and cannot figure out an arrangement with your original creditor, then you may end up being sued by a debt collector such as First Financial Bank.

This can be a terrible experience, but it will be easier if you know what is coming. The most important thing you should know is that you should not ignore a summons to appear for a debt collection lawsuit.

Being sued for non-payment of debt

If you are unable to pay for your credit card bills, then there are many ways that debt collectors can try to push you into paying them. You may have already experienced many of these, such as written statements, or serving you with a lawsuit.

One of the first steps taken typically involves reporting your account to a credit agency such as Equifax, TransUnion, or Experian. If a collection agency is involved, then you will end up with a record of missing payments on your credit report as well. You will most likely see your credit score go down due to late payments, charge-off status, and collection accounts.

If you are ignoring calls or debt collection letters from a debt collection agency, you should stop as soon as possible. This can make the situation a lot worse. When you get to this point in the creditor lawsuit, you may be given one more chance to settle your debt or pay it off. If you do not decide to do either of these options, then you will be required to go to court.

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What you need to know about debt collection lawsuits

If you have been sued by First Financial Bank, then you need to prepare yourself. This will depend on your state of residence, but usually, the process is similar. After you receive a summons in the mail, the process of suing you will begin. You will be given important information on the summons that you receive. It will include:

  • Who is suing you
  • Amount you are being sued for (may include balance, interest fees, and legal expenses)
  • Date of the hearing
  • How to file a formal response

You cannot go to jail for nonpayment of a debt. You must be aware of this. In some situations, debt collectors may try to tell you this to scare you. If the debt collector threatens you with this, you can report them to the FTC (Fair Trade Commission) as a violation of the federal law known as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Make the right defense the right way with SoloSuit.

Sued by First Financial Bank – How to Win

If you are being sued by First Financial Bank for debt, then you must know the steps you take to win this lawsuit.

Ask for debt verification

Although you may have received a summons for the debt, it does not mean you actually owe the debt, or that it is accurate. If you are being sued for unpaid debt, then you must ask the debt collector to verify that debt. Force them to prove that it belongs to you.

It is common for debt collectors to sue consumers by mistake, or to make mistakes on the lawsuit. The balance might be wrong, or the payment dates could be off. This is extremely common because debt collection agencies often purchase these debts from creditors at a cost that is next to nothing. Because of this, they are often not given the necessary paperwork to collect on the debt.

Legally you can ask for verification of a debt under the FDCPA. The only requirement is to send the request in writing, as a legal Answer. This should be mailed as a certified letter (return receipt requested) to the party that is suing you.

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Decide on your response

When you receive the summons and complaint regarding your debt, it is essential to pay close attention. You most likely do not have much time to respond, only between 14 to 40 days (depending on which state you live in). If you ignore the lawsuit and do not show up in court you will lose automatically.

Your best bet is one of the following responses:

  • Settling the debt is possible if you speak to the creditor or debt collector. You can either decide how much you can pay and offer that as a settlement amount in one lump sum, or generate a payment plan. This may not always be possible, but it is worth it to try. If you decide to do this, then you need to be careful about what you sign. If you accidentally sign something that gives up your rights, you may be in a bad situation.
  • Speaking with a credit counselor is another option. Certified credit counselors can often help you to set up a debt management plan. This will allow you to pay off your credit card debt in one payment, and pay off all of the individual payments, making it more manageable.
  • Going to court is something that may be inevitable if you do not find a settlement or debt management plan. It is also the only option if you wish to fight the debt collection lawsuit in court. Whether the statute of limitations has expired, or you have another affirmative defense, this is the best way to beat First Financial Bank 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.

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"First time getting sued by a debt collector and I was searching all over YouTube and ran across SoloSuit, so I decided to buy their services with their attorney reviewed documentation which cost extra but it was well worth it! SoloSuit sent the documentation to the parties and to the court which saved me time from having to go to court and in a few weeks the case got dismissed!" – James


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