When to Escalate Your Collection Efforts

Have you noticed a once-reliable customer suddenly becoming difficult to reach?

If your attempts to reconnect have failed, it may be time to escalate.

You should consider involving a debt collection attorney when:

• Communication has completely stopped
• The debtor appears to be hiding or relocating
• The balance owed is significant
• You suspect multiple creditors are involved

At this stage, timing is critical. The longer a debt goes unaddressed, the harder it may become to recover.

How Legal Support Can Help

Working with an experienced debt collection law firm provides access to tools and strategies that most businesses don’t have in-house.

Legal professionals can:

• Conduct advanced skip tracing investigations
• Initiate formal demand processes
• File and enforce judgments when necessary
• Navigate multi-state or international collections
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations

Firms with extensive experience in Michigan debt collection have spent decades refining these processes and can significantly improve recovery outcomes. 

Read more in our latest article.

Take the Next Step with Michigan Collection Services

If you’re struggling to collect from an elusive customer, you don’t have to handle it alone. An experienced collection services attorney in Michigan, like the Muller Law Firm, can evaluate your situation, recommend the most effective strategy, and help you move forward with confidence. Call 248-645-2440 or submit an online contact form to get started!

Practical Ways to Re-Establish Communication

Are your calls going unanswered, emails ignored, and invoices left unpaid?

If traditional phone calls aren’t working, it’s time to broaden your approach. Today’s communication landscape offers multiple avenues to reconnect.

1. Try Alternative Contact Methods

Don’t rely solely on one channel. Instead:

• Send professional, documented emails
• Use text messaging when appropriate
• Check prior documents (credit applications, contracts, invoices) for additional contact details

Sometimes a debtor may ignore one form of communication but respond to another. 

2. Verify and Update Contact Information

Outdated contact details are more common than you might think.

Review:

• Business websites and social media profiles
• Public business records
• Prior correspondence and documentation

Even small updates—like a new phone number or email—can reopen communication.

3. Consider Direct Outreach (with Caution)

In some cases, a face-to-face visit may prompt a response. However, this approach should be handled carefully.

Potential outcomes include:

• Productive, in-person resolution
• Discovery that the business has relocated or closed
• Escalation into confrontation

Because of these risks, professional guidance is often recommended before taking this step. 

4. Use Skip Tracing Techniques

When a debtor actively avoids contact, skip tracing can help locate updated information.

This process may involve:

• Database searches
• Asset and address verification
• Identifying new business affiliations

Skip tracing is a powerful tool—but it’s most effective when handled by experienced professionals who understand legal and ethical boundaries.

Read more in our latest article.

Take the Next Step with Michigan Collection Services

If you’re struggling to collect from an elusive customer, you don’t have to handle it alone. An experienced collection services attorney in Michigan, like the Muller Law Firm, can evaluate your situation, recommend the most effective strategy, and help you move forward with confidence. Call 248-645-2440 or submit an online contact form to get started!

Two Additional Things to Know About the Michigan Statute of Limitations

Unsure how to pursue payment on old accounts?

In our last blog, we went over three important points of the Michigan statute of limitations concerning debt collection. Here are two additional points:

1. The statute may be revived in a few different ways. A partial payment can reset the clock, even if the SOL has long passed.  The legal term for an action that restarts the statute of limitations is a NOVATION. Under most state law, the partial payment could toll the statute all over again as of the date of payment.
2. You may still have a legal case on a very old debt. Our Michigan collection services can assist you in determining the best course of action for your company.

A little bit of information can go a long way; knowing more about your rights to pursue payment you’re owed can help turn hesitation into action. These facts should help you make some decisions on old, open accounts you’ve had on the back-burner for a while.

Learn more in our latest article.

Take the Pressure Off with Michigan Collection Services

If you find that taking action on several outstanding accounts is more than you can handle on your own, we can help! Our attorneys have the tools to get the job done effectively and ethically. Call 248-645-2440 or fill out our quick online contact form to get started!

Three Things to Know About the Michigan Statute of Limitations

Worried about old, overdue balances on the books?

Old overdue accounts should be turned over to Michigan collection services as soon as possible to avoid having your account eliminated by the statute of limitations. Here are the five things you should know about Michigan SOLs on debt.

1. As a creditor, the statute of limitations sets the time period for you to take legal action against a debtor.
2. The statute of limitation is six years for most written or oral contracts. The countdown does not begin until the customer misses the first payment or defaults on the terms of the contract. The statute could be renewed when a new payment is made.  
3. If your agreement or contract with your customer was for the sale of goods, you would normally only have four years to start a legal action to recover on the outstanding balance.

Learn more in our latest article.

Take the Pressure Off with Michigan Collection Services

If you find that taking action on several outstanding accounts is more than you can handle on your own, we can help! Our attorneys have the tools to get the job done effectively and ethically. Call 248-645-2440 or fill out our quick online contact form to get started!

Why You Should Have Tighter Controls on New Customers

Are you worried about customer loyalty?

When you first extend credit, your new customer knows they’re being monitored. For that reason, in most cases they’ll pay the first few invoices on time. After that point, some customers decide that they can relax and pay less promptly because they’ve already earned your respect and are no longer under the microscope, and their payments may start slowing.

In order to collect on a debt, you need to be able to identify exactly who your debtor is – such as a partnership, a corporation, or a limited liability company. This is not always easy! This process can be long and complicated, especially if your debtor is using multiple names and/or locations.

Learn more in our latest article.

Hire a Michigan Commercial Collections Attorney Today!

To protect your creditors’ rights, contact an experienced attorney for commercial collections in Michigan at (248) 645-2440 or via contact form for an effective resolution to your collection matters. Let the experts worry about your collections, so you have more time to focus on growing your business.

Four Ways to Implement Tighter Controls on New Customers

Are you finding it challenging to get new customers to pay on-time?

To protect yourself, you may choose to adopt some of the following controls:

1. Put the customer on a short leash, such as a 15-day watch list, so you detect a slowdown in payments almost immediately.
2. Be ready to turn off the credit faucet: no credit if no payment.
3. Hold up further deliveries of your goods or services until the customer pays his late invoices.
4. Get additional assurance of payment, such as liens, guarantees, and promissory notes.

Learn more in our latest article.

Hire a Michigan Commercial Collections Attorney Today!

To protect your creditors’ rights, contact an experienced attorney for commercial collections in Michigan at (248) 645-2440 or via contact form for an effective resolution to your collection matters. Let the experts worry about your collections, so you have more time to focus on growing your business.

Monitoring a Payment Plan

Have you set up a payment plan with a debtor?

When your debtor is short of cash and can’t pay off the entire debt at once, setting up a payment plan makes a lot of sense. But after you have the payment plan in hand, how do you keep the payments coming in?

After you set up a plan where the debtor is to pay off the account in installments, you should closely monitor the account, watching for any sign that the debtor is falling behind again. After the payment plan is implemented, remind the debtor that you expect all installments to be paid on time. 

But what do you do if the debtor misses a payment? Once again, the account is delinquent, and you certainly don’t want to go back to square one. As long as you actually intend to file a lawsuit if the debt isn’t paid, this is the time to threaten litigation.

Read more in our latest article.

Need a collection company that operates in Michigan?

You’re in the right place!

Your money is our #1 priority. If your or your debtor live in Michigan, our collection company can help! Take the pressure and frustration off your plate by contacting the Mullers at (248) 645-2440 or by submitting a contact form.

Effective Reminders for Debtors on Payment Plans

How can you make sure your debtor doesn’t fall behind on a payment plan? 

After you set up a plan where the debtor is to pay off the account in installments, you should closely monitor the account, watching for any sign that the debtor is falling behind again. After the payment plan is implemented, remind the debtor that you expect all installments to be paid on time. 

Here’s how you can remind your debtor effectively:

• Send statements to the debtor in advance of each payment due date. Restate the due date, amount due, and remaining balance.
• Place reminder phone calls/emails. Remind the debtor that you expect all installments to be paid on time.

Read more in our latest article.

Need a collection company that operates in Michigan?

You’re in the right place!

Your money is our #1 priority. If your or your debtor live in Michigan, our collection company can help! Take the pressure and frustration off your plate by contacting the Mullers at (248) 645-2440 or by submitting a contact form.

Why is it Important to Create Urgency?

Have you sent a reminder to your debtor, and they’re still not paying?

Imagine yourself forgetting to pay a couple of bills before you take a long vacation. One bill is from your doctor, and the other is from your credit card company. When you come home, you’ll probably find two or three reminders – in your mailbox or email and on your voice mail – from your credit card company. Each reminder is sterner than the last, transitioning from polite to insistent. In contrast, your doctor probably hasn’t contacted you at all or perhaps has sent you another statement. By the time your doctor warns you that your account may go to collections, you may have already heard from your credit card company’s law firm.

Credit card companies figured out a long time ago that urgency works. If you’re like most people in this situation, you’ll respond predictably: you’ll pay your credit card bill before you pay your doctor.

Debtors who have more debt than money (most of them) have to set priorities. You are competing with other creditors, and you need to make payment of your bill the debtor’s priority. 

Learn more in our latest article.

Michigan Collection Services You can Rely On

If you’re tired of trying to get ahold of your debtor and you’re looking for reliable collection services in Michigan, you’re in the right place. To get in touch with a collection firm that prioritizes you and your money, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here.

Beginner's Guide to Payment Reminders

How do you craft effective payment reminders?

When you follow up with your newly delinquent customers, you want to grab their attention. Common techniques for creating urgency include:

• Interest and penalties: Consistent with your credit agreement and state laws, add interest, late fees, or both. Give your debtor the unambiguous message that the consequence of dragging out payment is that they’ll end up having to pay more money.
• Attention-getting words and “big red letters:” It’s corny, but it works. Send notices more often with notations like “urgent” and “past due” on them in red ink. (If you’re dealing with consumer debtors, keep any red ink that suggests the communications for debt collection inside the envelope. You can mark the envelope “urgent,” but save words like “past due” for the printed invoice that you put inside.)
• Frequent reminders: Use a series of collection letters. For pointers on this, check out our guide to writing demand letters.
• Multiple modes of contact: Use different forms of communication to keep your reminders in front of your debtor: email, overnight delivery, telegram, hand delivery, fax, text messages, and even social networking websites – whatever works.
• Making a phone call: If collection letters and similar contacts don’t result in payment, sometimes a phone call will bring in the money.

Learn more in our latest article.

Michigan Collection Services You Can Rely On

If you’re tired of trying to get ahold of your debtor and you’re looking for reliable collection services in Michigan, you’re in the right place. To get in touch with a collection firm that prioritizes you and your money, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here.

Dealing with Problem Checks, Part 2

How do you do business with a customer whose check has bounced?

If your customer admits the check isn’t going to clear, even if you deposit it a second time, tell them to send a cashier's check or drop off cash. They can contact an overnight courier (such as UPS or FedEx) and instruct it to pick up the cash or cashier’s check at the appointed time. When you employ a courier, a cashier’s check is preferable to cash.

Don’t forget to tell your staff about the change in the customer’s credit status: anybody who interacts with the offending customer, both at the sales desk and in the credit department, must know that the customer is on cash or its equivalent only.

When a customer makes good on a bad check, you may choose to be forgiving, but only the first time. A repeat offender should be notified that their checks will no longer be accepted. Restrict repeat offenders to cash, money orders, or cashier’s checks.

Read more in our latest article.

Customer refusing to pay? Get help from a Michigan collection service!

If you’re fed up with a customer refusing to pay, the Mullers can help. Our collection services are based in Michigan, but we can help you no matter where you are in the U.S. We can even help internationally! For more information, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here.

Dealing with Problem Checks, Part 1

What do you do if a customer’s check bounces?

Although you’re filled with joy (and maybe a tiny bit of skepticism) when you hear “the check is in the mail,” you know that checks don’t always clear the bank. You must be diligent and monitor the flow of checks through your business. Everybody receives a bad check now and then, but how you handle it can make a big difference in your cash flow and bottom line.

Receiving a bad check isn’t a small infraction. It’s a major breakdown of the financial relationship and in your ability to trust your customer. Because the extension of credit is based on trust, bouncing a check goes to the core of the business relationship.

Communicate with your customer immediately upon receipt of a bounced check. 

Express in no uncertain terms that the check must be replaced with real money within 24 hours, or you’ll take further action.

Read more in our latest article.

Customer refusing to pay? Get help from a Michigan collection service!

If you’re fed up with a customer refusing to pay, the Mullers can help. Our collection services are based in Michigan, but we can help you no matter where you are in the U.S. We can even help internationally! For more information, call (248) 645-2440 or submit a contact form here.

When to Hire Debt Collection Professionals

What kind of debt collection professional should you hire?

What should you expect from them?

Before you hire a professional, you must determine what services you need. Professionals come in all shapes and sizes, and they offer a laundry list of services to assist your credit and collection operations. 

Here are some services debt collection professionals can provide:

Billing Services and Early-In Collection Services – These services help you at the beginning of the credit process, from the time you provide your goods or services, long before any delinquencies occur. Why hire a professional so early? You may prefer to use an outside service instead of hiring and managing your own credit personnel, or you may prefer to maintain a small, in-house staff while the outside company provides the backup you need as your workload ebbs and flows.

Skip Tracing – It’s becoming easier for people and even businesses to move around without leaving much evidence as to where they’ve gone. Phone numbers may remain the same, regardless of where the debtor is located. When your debtors disappear, professionals can often find them and their assets.

Learn other services collection professionals can provide!

Looking for Debt Collection in Michigan?

Since 1961, our top-rated lawyers have been dedicated to debt collection in Michigan! At Muller, Muller, Richmond, & Harms, P.C., our debt collectors specialize in pre-suit collection, litigation, and judgement enforcement.

Let our experts handle all the work for you! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you!

How to Keep Your Cash Flow Steady

 Have you noticed a decline in prompt payments from customers?

A domino effect occurs when your customers fail to pay your company on time – resulting in your company’s inability to pay its creditors on time. To keep your cash flow positive and sufficient to cover your company’s bills, you must implement some general controls as a part of your credit policy.

Be aware of slowing payments – This is a big red flag! Watch for any signs of deterioration in paying habits. While one late payment may not break the bank, a late payment shows a disregard for your company’s payment terms – such that even one late payment does justify a polite nudge to the customer. The nudge can be a compliment such as, “thank you for the payment,” combined with a reminder of your payment terms, “please keep in mind the payment terms.”  

Learn more general cash flow controls on our website!

Debt Collection Services in Michigan

Get the money you’re owed with help from Muller Law Firm. Our collection attorneys will fight for your creditor’s rights! With offices in Birmingham and Grand Rapids, we handle claims against debtors located in Michigan, even if you are located out of state or out of the country.

Fill out the information on our “Contact Us” page or give us a call at 248-645-2440 for collection services in Michigan. 

How to Successfully Seize Your Debtor’s Assets

If you know about your debtor’s assets, like inventory, equipment, vehicles, watercraft, or other personal or real property, you can ask the court to issue a writ to attach property, sometimes referred to as a writ of execution or a writ to seize property.

We can help you form a successful debt collection strategy for seizing your debtor’s property. Most states require that you use writs to attach property against personal property first and real property second. Certain types of property are exempt from execution. For example, a home owned by both a husband and wife would typically prevent attachment unless your judgment is against both of them.

Learn more about the process of seizing assets!

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Is Your Debt Collection Lawsuit Being Contested?

Waiting for your defendant to answer your lawsuit?

If the defendant files an answer to your lawsuit, the court clerk places the case on the court’s trial docket. You receive a copy of the answer either from the civil clerk or directly from the defendant.

Even if the defendant starts out by contesting the case and denying your claim for payment, he or she can pay you off and obtain a dismissal or propose a partial settlement or repayment agreement at any point along the way. To facilitate a settlement, some courts can provide a standard order for installment payments that you may complete and file to settle your case.

Learn more!

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

How to Determine Your Litigation Strategy

If you can’t get paid any other way, it may be time to consider collecting through a lawsuit. Before you jump straight into court, however, get things right by considering the following:

1. The strengths and weaknesses of your claim, and whether you need to settle for less than you want or write off the debt.
2. Whether you should file a lawsuit or instead consider alternative dispute resolution.
3. Who you should name as a defendant in your collections case.
4. What legal theories you should raise against the defendants.

Your goal is to devise the best strategy, right from the start, to achieve the best possible result. 

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Situations that May Require a Write Off

Does your situation require a write off?

Let’s find out!

Our experienced debt collection attorneys in Michigan recommend writing off a debt if your debtor falls into any one of these categories:

1. Out of business customers
2. Debtors who can’t be found
3. Customers in bankruptcy or receivership
4. Claims on a deceased debtor’s estate

However, every case is different! Please talk to an experienced debt collection attorney in Michigan today to ensure nothing else can be done.

Make the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Having Trouble Clearing a Check? Call in the Experts!

When a check you deposit doesn’t clear, your bank will return the check to you. The check will have a number of markings on the front and back, indicating when and where it was processed, and that it was rejected because of nonsufficient or insufficient funds. If the customer doesn’t immediately offer to replace the NSF check with a cashier’s check, deposit the same check a second time. 

The second time may be the charm and it may clear. Monitor your account to see if it fails to clear a second time, and if it does, seek debt collection help immediately. It’s time for aggressive action to be taken by the experts at Muller, Muller, Richmond and Harms, P.C. 

If all else fails, call in the experts! Learn more here!

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.

Phone Calls Not Working? Figure Out a Debt Collection Strategy!

Are your delinquent payers becoming a major concern? Do you want the help of a debt collection expert?

At Muller, Muller, Richmond, & Harms, P.C., our attorneys specialize in debt collection in Michigan. We can help you build a strategy customized to fit your business needs. We want to ensure you receive the best possible outcome in pursuing your case. 

Take the First Step! Contact an Attorney for Debt Recovery in Michigan Today!

If you need the help of an attorney for debt collection in Michigan your first step is easy! Fill out the information form on our “Contact Us” page, or give us a call at 248-645-2440, to ask questions and figure out your next steps. We offer a free consultation and strategy meeting, no fees unless you win! Don’t let the money owed to you go away – get started today! We look forward to hearing from you.