Posted by ghost on May 14, 2004, at 17:50:47
In reply to can't stand the way i FEEL!!, posted by kellyr on May 8, 2004, at 13:03:27
you can't put a price on a human life. you can't put a price on YOUR life. make arrangements to make payments if you have an income (and make those payments as TINY as they can be-- even $5/month is enough to show youre making an effort to most places). if you don't have an income, explain that too. explain you'll pay when you can (if that's an option), but remember the following:
1. they cannot take away your home or vehicle, unless it was used as collateral for the services/money rendered. (this is not the case for hospitals). they can't make you homeless. they can't take away your vehicle/means of getting to a job.
2. they cannot threaten to take your money or dock your checks. this needs to be done by a court, and the judge will always refer to number 1 above, and will never, EVER, rule your payments to be such that you cannot afford to provide your own food, clothing, and shelter (and healthcare). so even if you have collections at your door, just remember they can be as nasty as they want to be, but they canNOT take away your rights to food, clothing, and shelter.
3. feel free to tell them that. let them take you to court. let them realise that you can't afford your bills and let a judge step in and see your side-- he will make sure you're not breaking the bank to pay off healthcare bills you cannot afford.
...of course, its better if it doesnt go to court, but just remember that they cannot take away anything of yours. they can be mean, they can threaten you, but they can't DO anything. can't get blood from a stone, right?incidentally, if you have bill collectors calling you constantly, you have the right to tell them the refrain from contacting you by phone. it's a form of harassment, especially if they do it after you've asked them (politely) not to. most laws are written such that they can contact you by "reasonable" means-- constant phone calls and/or threatening to take away your money is not reasonable.
good luck. keep your chin up. money stresses me out almost daily. but don't let it hurt your health. in the end, it's all just stuff. there's always a way to work things out. let me know if you need any ideas or help, okay?
poster:ghost
thread:344807
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040507/msgs/346914.html