Ed Marcus shrugs off Mrs. D.'s story. Yeah, his firm threatened, with no notice, to put her out of her home if she didn't pay right away. If someone can't afford those standard terms, all they need to do is tell me or someone else here, and we'll change them. Collection letters are designed to frighten. Less sophisticated folks tend to read them literally and do whatever it takes to comply, no questions asked.
Bill collectors count on that reaction.
J. Douglas Breen, a principal in the New Jersey company, is slightly more forthright about his company's collection tactics. People own real estate, they know they need to pay their taxes. People are free to contact me. If we were grossly violating people's civil rights, you'd have a line out your door of people who are complaining. Marcus downplays his firm's role in the whole Breen arrangement, and he won't divulge how many files his office handles or how much money he's making.