I’ve been dealing with a debt collector for a few months now, and honestly, it’s been a nightmare. They were calling my cell phone multiple times a day, sometimes before 8 a.m. I asked them to stop calling me at work because my employer has a strict policy against personal calls, but they kept doing it anyway. They even threatened to garnish my wages if I didn’t pay immediately.

I felt completely trapped and didn’t know what to do. I thought I just had to put up with it. Then a friend told me that Iowa actually has its own debt collection laws that are even stronger than the federal ones.

I looked into it and was shocked to learn a few key things. Apparently, Iowa Code § 537.7103 applies to original creditors too, not just third-party collection agencies, which I didn't know. Also, a collector can’t even garnish your wages without first getting a court judgment against you. I also found out the statute of limitations on credit card debt here in Iowa is only five years, and if a debt is that old, they might not even be able to sue you for it.

All those threats they made to me and the calls to my workplace might be actual violations of both state and federal law. I also read that if a collector breaks these rules, you might be entitled to up to $1,000 in damages, and the collector has to pay your attorney fees if you win.

It feels like a huge weight off my shoulders to know I have rights. I’m definitely going to talk to a consumer protection lawyer to see if what happened to me is worth pursuing. If you're an Iowan dealing with aggressive debt collectors, you should know your rights too. It’s the only way to fight back.

The website I found most helpful was this one, which broke everything down clearly: https://protectionforconsumers.com/iowa-debt-collection-laws-and-your-rights/