In the face of today's changing economic climate, recognizing and managing future risks becomes a priority for credit professionals. Stevens & Ricci business credit solutions can provide a business with products and services to enhance cash flow. For corporate solutions, see our Resource Center. For third party collection services, see our section on Commercial Debt Recovery.

Iowa Collection Attorneys and Iowa Lawyers for Business Debt Recovery

June 8th, 2011
Iowa Commercial Debt Collection Attorneys
The vast majority of companies in Des Moines, Iowa are disappointed with the poor results they receive when using a standard collection agency. If this describes your experience, consider using a team of collection attorneys instead! The corporate debt collection firm of Stevens and Ricci has a 72% recovery rate when compared to the 28% rate that the standard collection agency delivers. Not only are we better, we’re faster, too! When you use our recovery services, you can expect payment in less than 45 days on average. Sometimes, it’s even faster! If your company is located in or near Cedar Rapids, IA or Dubuque, IA, call our offices today!
Greenfield, Iowa Collection Attorneys Never Miss a Critical Opportunity
It’s no big secret why the Stevens and Ricci firm delivers results when others only make promises. We never miss a critical opportunity! Your collection agency will make a phone call or two, but quickly give up when their calls are avoided. Our business debt collection attorneys never stop there! We take whatever steps are necessary to track down your delinquent debtor, no matter where they might be, to negotiate the payment of their debt. Our national support network includes private investigators and collection lawyers that leave no stone unturned when it comes to our clients! Although we concentrate on pre-litigation services exclusively, just the mention of filing suit usually brings your debtors around. When you consider that the collection agent doesn’t have much to back up their requests, it’s not surprising that our debt recovery attorneys always outperform their efforts. By creating a team of collection and legal experts, the Stevens and Ricci firm leaves nothing to chance! Don’t miss your chance to have our team represent your interests on your next corporate claim in Grundy Center, IA or Iowa City, IA.
Iowa Laws Only Protect Your Debtor
While the laws in Iowa will allow you to continue trying to collect your debt for five years without a written contract and ten years with one, you really shouldn’t let that much time pass without receiving payment in full. After all, the longer you wait, the less likely you are to see a dime. While you’re being patient, your customer could file bankruptcy or simply close their doors and disappear. These events don’t mean it’s impossible to collect, but they certainly complicate matters. Instead of wasting time, allow the Stevens and Ricci firm to collect on your overdue accounts in a timely fashion!
West Des Moines, Iowa Debt Collection Attorneys vs. Collection Agencies
Although this really isn’t a fair comparison, we just couldn’t resist. To be completely honest, the Stevens and Ricci firm does have knowledge and authority that just isn’t available to the standard collection agency. While your collection agent is limited to voice mail, we can gain direct access to your debtor and their representatives for face-to-face meetings. When your debtor hires their own legal team, you collection agency will cease all collection efforts. In stark contrast, our corporate debt recovery attorneys look forward to this development as a new contact point. Continue reading the following sections for even more reasons that you should hire the firm of Stevens and Ricci for your collection efforts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Bounced Checks in Des Moines, IA
Even when you’re desperate for money, you have to be careful when accepting checks, especially from delinquent customers. Instead of solving your problem, you may be creating a new one for both your operation and your customers. When the check number is low, watch out! This usually means that the account is new, and most bad checks are written within the first year. If you do find yourself in the situation where you’re holding a bad check, never return it to your customer until they’ve paid in full through cash, money order, or cashier’s check. When you use the services of the Stevens and Ricci firm, this problem disappears. We always make sure that your debts are collected in a secure manner before the payments are forwarded to you.
Creative Collection Methods in Dubuque, Iowa
When necessary, the Stevens and Ricci firm can get quite creative. We often hire private investigators to look into your debtor’s other business partners including other vendors, suppliers, financial institutions, and more. We might take a look at public records or meet with the district attorney prior to enforcing a judgment. If your debtor refuses to answer the door when our process server arrives, they frequently dress up as a delivery man or send someone else who looks a little less professional. This often opens an otherwise locked door. Sometimes, we work with your debtor’s lawyers and charge a fee that can be used as a new reason to settle the debt.
Iowa Case Study
In 2004, an Iowa City building supply firm contracted with Stevens and Ricci to collect a $25,000 debt against a local builder. The open debt wasn’t for the building materials because that debt had been paid. It was for sales tax that the debtor claimed should be absorbed by our client due to a problem with the wording in the credit application and invoices.
We tried our best, but couldn’t immediately collect the debt. It went into the cold case file after we reported it to both major commercial credit bureaus. Because the debtor had a fairly good reason for not paying, we thought it best to move on to other matters.
In February 2010, the builder called our offices in Des Moines to find out why we had reported them as delinquent with the commercial credit agencies. This employee had no idea what had happened back in 2004.
When our corporate debt recovery attorney called them back to review the matter, the employee simply asked for proof that the sales tax had been paid by our client. This was an easy enough request to satisfy, and a very different situation from what had occurred in 2004 when the builder wanted our client to forgive the debt as a discount and for a problem with the building materials.
After receiving proof of payment, the builder settled the debt for $20,000 in return for a clearing of the credit reports. The Stevens and Ricci firm was able to settle this six-year-old account because our debt collection attorney handled the issue in a professional manner!

Iowa Commercial Debt Collection Attorneys

The vast majority of companies in Des Moines, Iowa are disappointed with the poor results they receive when using a standard collection agency. If this describes your experience, consider using a team of collection attorneys instead! The corporate debt collection firm of Stevens and Ricci has a 72% recovery rate when compared to the 28% rate that the standard collection agency delivers. Not only are we better, we’re faster, too! When you use our recovery services, you can expect payment in less than 45 days on average. Sometimes, it’s even faster! If your company is located in or near Cedar Rapids, IA or Dubuque, IA, call our offices today!

Greenfield, Iowa Collection Attorneys Never Miss a Critical Opportunity

It’s no big secret why the Stevens and Ricci firm delivers results when others only make promises. We never miss a critical opportunity! Your collection agency will make a phone call or two, but quickly give up when their calls are avoided. Our business debt collection attorneys never stop there! We take whatever steps are necessary to track down your delinquent debtor, no matter where they might be, to negotiate the payment of their debt. Our national support network includes private investigators and collection lawyers that leave no stone unturned when it comes to our clients! Although we concentrate on pre-litigation services exclusively, just the mention of filing suit usually brings your debtors around. When you consider that the collection agent doesn’t have much to back up their requests, it’s not surprising that our debt recovery attorneys always outperform their efforts. Read the rest of this entry »

Missouri Collection Attorneys and Missouri Lawyers for Business Debt Recovery

June 2nd, 2011
Commercial Debt Recovery in Missouri
If you’re not satisfied with the results provided by your Missouri collection agency, consider using a collection attorney instead. The corporate debt recovery firm of Stevens and Ricci has a 72% recovery rate and collects on most debts within 45 days. When compared to the much longer timeframe and meager 28% recovery rate offered by the average collection agency, the choice becomes clear. If your company is located near Kansas City, MO or St. Louis, MO, call us today to find out more about how we can help with your commercial claims.
Columbia, Missouri Collection Attorneys Succeed Where Others Fail
When your collection agency fails, it’s usually because they have missed a critical opportunity. They will call your debtor, leave several voice mails, and even send very official looking letters. However, the debt collection attorneys at Stevens and Ricci will track down your debtor for face-to-face negotiations when necessary. Our business debt recovery attorneys are supported by a national team of private investigators that will take whatever steps are needed to physically locate your debtor and his agents. Although our services concentrate strictly on pre-litigation collection methods, your debtor will instantly know that they have entered a dangerous area once the calls begin coming from a collection lawyer. Let’s face it; just the hint of a lawsuit can move mountains in the collection arena. At Stevens and Ricci, we have combined the very best talents from the collections industry and the legal field to take advantage of every opportunity to collect on your accounts. Don’t miss your opportunity to use the services of Stevens and Ricci for your next commercial claim.
Missouri Has a Time Limit on Collecting Commercial Debts
In Missouri, you may have as little as five years to collect on your commercial accounts. While this may seem like a very long time, it can fly by when you’re busy with your core operations. If you’re relying on the services of a collection agency to handle this for you, it can escape your notice as well. Did you know that every month of delays reduces the chances that you will ever be paid? Instead of wasting your valuable time, and money, give our offices in Union, MO or St. Louis, MO a call today!
St. Louis, Missouri Debt Collection Attorneys vs. Collection Agencies
As well as saving time, using an experienced corporate debt recovery attorney has many other advantages over hiring a regular collection agency. Not only will a business collection attorney outperform a collection agent every single time, he also has the knowledge and authority to use collection methods that just aren’t available to the typical collection agency. A collection agent is usually stopped in their tracks by voice mail, call screening, avoidance, or an opposing legal team. These tactics never stop a commercial debt collection attorney. We can gain direct access to your debtor or their agents by using our authority with the court. If we know that your debtor has hired their own legal counsel, we will seek them out to take the negotiation process even further. Continue reading to learn about more ways that a Stevens and Ricci collection lawyer can help with your specific situation in Union, MO.
Pursuing Principals in Columbia, Missouri
Have you came across a customer who has ran up a large debt in their corporate name, and then refused to pay? If you have, you’re not alone. Many dishonest individuals are forming illegal corporations to do just that. However, the Stevens and Ricci firm of professional collection attorneys can help in this situation. We can pierce the corporate veil to pursue the principals who truly owe the debt. By using the theories of alter-ego and liability, we can often recover your funds. One commonly used method is to prove that the principal owes the debt personally because they mixed their private funds with company money by paying with non-corporate checks.
Consent Judgments in St. Louis, MO
When a debtor agrees to a payment plan with your collection agency, the agent rarely gets this in writing. At Stevens and Ricci, this is a very different matter. Our collection lawyers will convince the debtor to strengthen the agreement by adding a consent judgment. This is a legal document that allows the creditor to enter for an immediate judgment against the debtor when even one payment is missed. Because we usually know the banking information from the paperwork, this allows us to seize the funds from their bank account without going to court or paying any additional fees. With this powerful instrument at our disposal, the chances of payment increase dramatically. In fact, you’ll find that you’re in a better position with a consent judgment that if you were a secured creditor.
Kansas City, MO Case Study
A surgical equipment supplier recently called our Kansas City office for help. They had sold a large amount of supplies to a local surgery center. Before paying, the center closed their doors, left no forwarding address, and even turned off their phones. The surgery center was a corporation, and our new client had no personal guarantor behind the account.
Before calling us, they did a little legwork of their own, and called every credit reference listed on the center’s credit application. Finally, they found a vendor who was left in the same situation. The other vendor had already gone the credit agency route. The agency told the vendor that the debt was uncollectible because it was owed by a failed corporation.
Our client wasn’t ready to give up so easy. After accepting the case, our debt collection attorney began to interview employees at both our client’s facility and the vendor’s location. Before long, he found the contact he needed. An employee revealed the name of a hospital administrator who personally knew the surgeon who had owned the failed surgery center. From this contact, we were able to obtain the owner’s name and the phone number for his private practice.
After speaking directly to the owner, we learned that he was in the progress of opening a new surgery center with new investors. After some discussion, he agreed to accept personal responsibility for his previous debt and signed a Letter of Responsibility.
To be perfectly clear, the owner was well within his legal rights to refuse to pay the debt. However, the professional investigation skills and negotiation tactics supplied by a Stevens and Ricci corporate debt recovery attorney made the difference. Because we treated this doctor with respect, he continues to be a valued customer for our client!

Commercial Debt Recovery in Missouri

If you’re not satisfied with the results provided by your Missouri collection agency, consider using a collection attorney instead. The corporate debt recovery firm of Stevens and Ricci has a 72% recovery rate and collects on most debts within 45 days. When compared to the much longer timeframe and meager 28% recovery rate offered by the average collection agency, the choice becomes clear. If your company is located near Kansas City, MO or St. Louis, MO, call us today to find out more about how we can help with your commercial claims.

Columbia, Missouri Collection Attorneys Succeed Where Others Fail

When your collection agency fails, it’s usually because they have missed a critical opportunity. They will call your debtor, leave several voice mails, and even send very official looking letters. However, the debt collection attorneys at Stevens and Ricci will track down your debtor for face-to-face negotiations when necessary. Our business debt recovery attorneys are supported by a national team of private investigators that will take whatever steps are needed to physically locate your debtor and his agents. Although our services concentrate strictly on pre-litigation collection methods, your debtor will instantly know that they have entered a dangerous area once the calls begin coming from a collection lawyer. Let’s face it; just the hint of a lawsuit can move mountains in the collection arena. Read the rest of this entry »

Ohio Collection Attorneys and Ohio Lawyers for Business Debt Recovery

May 20th, 2011
Corporate Debt Recovery in Ohio
The vast majority of the time, businesses don’t see the results that they were promised when they contract with an Akron, Ohio collection agency for their commercial debt recovery needs. However, when they choose to make the switch to a team of collection lawyers instead, they are amazed at the results. The commercial debt collection firm of Stevens and Ricci delivers a 72% collection rate that is much superior to the 28% rate that the standard collection agency offers. Our recovery rate is faster, too! In most cases, we can complete the recovery process in 45 days or less. If you’re located near the Avon Lake, OH area, call us today to start the collection process!
We Succeed in Canton, Ohio Where Others Fail
The Stevens and Ricci collection lawyers succeed where your collection agency fails because they often miss critical opportunities. Their standard operating procedure includes making a few phone calls, leaving voice mails, and writing your debt off as uncollectable when there is no response. On the other hand, our business collection lawyers track down your debtor to negotiate payments. In addition to debt collection attorneys that are available in every state of the nation, our corporate debt recovery network includes a team of private investigators that will leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding the party who owes your business money. Although our services are purely pre-litigation, we get results. As you well know, a typical collection agent just doesn’t make the same kind of impression as a professional attorney. At our law firm, we combine collection and legal functions into one streamlined organization to take full advantage of every opportunity. Don’t miss your chance to have Stevens and Ricci represent you on your next commercial claim in Cincinnati, OH.
Don’t Count on the Cleveland, Ohio Laws to Protect Your Interests
While the statute of limitations in Ohio allows a company to take up to 15 years to collect a debt, this doesn’t mean that your time isn’t running out. The longer that you wait, the more likely it is that you will have to take your customer to court to collect. In many cases, they may even want to pay their debts, but simply can’t. If you wait too long, their available cash reserves may go to another creditor. Once you go to court, you will probably obtain a judgment. Frequently, this only gives you personal satisfaction. You may never see a dime, but you will see hefty legal bills and lost time in the courtroom. Instead of taking this road, you can reduce the amount of time to collect dramatically by calling the Stevens and Ricci office in Columbus, OH!
What Can a Debt Collection Attorney Do That a Collection Agent Can’t?
The answer to that question is a simple one: a lot. A collection attorney has expert knowledge of the laws in this area and specific powers as an agent of the court. With one type of strategy, we can petition the court to force the debtor to appear and answer questions about their financial situation. If your debtor chooses to retain their own legal team, it puts most collection agencies at a distinct disadvantage. Our team of debt collection attorneys actually welcomes this situation. Instead of backing off, we’ll contact their lawyer for a face-to-face meeting to move the negotiation process to the next level. Continue reading for even more advantages that come with using the corporate debt collection team of the Stevens and Ricci firm in Dayton, Ohio.
What if My Debtor Sold His Business?
If a debtor is going through a liquidation, merger, acquisition, or bankruptcy, most collection agents throw up their hands in frustration before stamping your paperwork with a big, red uncollectable stamp and handing it back to you. However, our business collection attorney will examine the legal paperwork involved in the transaction for set-aside provisions or reserve allowances for unsecured creditors. Frequently, there is a legal provision that is intended to pay your debt.
How Can We Hold My Debtor to a Payment Plan?
If you’re tired of your collection agency negotiating a payment plan with your debtor only to see more missed payments in the future, we have a strategy that eliminates this problem. We will persuade the debtor to add a consent judgment to any short-term payment plan. In this case, our client can enforce an immediate judgment without going to court or paying any fees if even one payment is missed. This virtually guarantees payment and puts you, our client, in a better position than a secured creditor in Newark, Ohio!
Toledo, OH Case Study
One of our Toledo, Ohio clients perfectly illustrates how the Stevens and Ricci firm provides superior service! They sold surgical equipment to a surgery center, but were left with an outstanding balance when the surgery center failed and closed their doors. No phone number or forwarding address was left behind. The surgery center was also a corporation which meant there was no one person to pursue for the debt.
Our client contacted another vendor and was told that their collection agency declared their outstanding debt with the same surgery center uncollectable because there was no one to contact. In desperation, they contacted Stevens and Ricci to take care of the matter.
To start, our collection team interviewed employees at both our client’s and the other vendor’s call center. During this process, we found that one of the local hospital administrators was a business contact and close personal friend of our client’s debtor. We obtained an address and a phone number in order to establish contact.
During the conversation with our collection attorney, the debtor, a prominent local doctor, disclosed that he was in the process of starting a new surgery center in a different location with different financial backing. We convinced him to accept responsibility for the balance owed on our client’s equipment.
This debtor had absolutely no legal responsibility to pay this debt. However, the professional and respectful demeanor of our collection attorneys resulted in a successful collection effort for our client. As a bonus, the debtor was able to save his reputation and continues to make purchases from our client. This win-win situation would have been highly unlikely with a standard collection agency!

Corporate Debt Recovery in Ohio

The vast majority of the time, businesses don’t see the results that they were promised when they contract with an Akron, Ohio collection agency for their commercial debt recovery needs. However, when they choose to make the switch to a team of collection lawyers instead, they are amazed at the results. The commercial debt collection firm of Stevens and Ricci delivers a 72% collection rate that is much superior to the 28% rate that the standard collection agency offers. Our recovery rate is faster, too! In most cases, we can complete the recovery process in 45 days or less. If you’re located near the Avon Lake, OH area, call us today to start the collection process!

We Succeed in Canton, Ohio Where Others Fail

The Stevens and Ricci collection lawyers succeed where your collection agency fails because they often miss critical opportunities. Their standard operating procedure includes making a few phone calls, leaving voice mails, and writing your debt off as uncollectable when there is no response. On the other hand, our business collection lawyers track down your debtor to negotiate payments. In addition to debt collection attorneys that are available in every state of the nation, our corporate debt recovery network includes a team of private investigators that will leave no stone unturned when it comes to finding the party who owes your business money. Although our services are purely pre-litigation, we get results. As you well know, a typical collection agent just doesn’t make the same kind of impression as a professional attorney. Read the rest of this entry »