Collecting Debt from the Dead

Paying bills from beyond the grave

Have they come for his credit card payment?

It seems odd that people who are not legally obligated to pay off a deceased family member’s debt would do so, but often they do.

At DCM Services in New York, agents are charged with the task of calling up a debtor’s next of kin and asking them to pay up.

Why pay when you don’t have to?

In most cases the person who ends up paying a deceased relative’s death doesn’t have to do so. After all, people generally don’t bequeath their credit card debt or overdue payday loans to their loved ones in their wills.

But still, the agents at DCM often get promises that the person they’ve contacted will pay off as much of the debt as they can. Some relatives might pay because they feel a sense of loyalty to the credit card or bank. Some feel a sense of morality and just believe that all debts should be paid.

Most of all, though, people feel they are honoring the wishes of their loved ones.

Strange obligations

Surprisingly, this story from The New York Times seems to indicate that debt collectors who are seeking to collect on dead people’s debts have more success than those collecting from the living. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Collecting Debt from the Dead"