HOW O COPE WIH DEB Fundng for ths booklet was provded by St. James Epscopal Church and the Delaware and Otsego County Offces for the Agng. 1997 by the Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York, Inc. (revsed 6/10/15).
hs booklet gves general nformaton about what you can do f you have money problems. It does not gve advce about your partcular legal problem. If you have specfc legal questons, you should contact your local legal ad offce, or a prvate lawyer. hs booklet only apples to the followng countes n New York State: Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkmer, Jefferson, Lews, Madson, Oneda, Onondaga, Oswego and Otsego. For help wth debt problems n another state, or n other parts of New York State, go to the federal Legal Servces Corporaton webste at www.lsc.gov. On the webste, clck on your state to get contact nformaton for local legal ad programs n your area. he Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York, Inc. s HelpLne (1-877-777-6152) can provde advce, self-help forms and referrals n most cvl (non-crmnal) cases. However, we are a non-proft agency, and our staff s lmted. We cannot provde actual legal representaton (ncludng court representaton) n every case. he Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York, Inc. cannot provde assstance wth crmnal cases or traffc tckets. For help wth a crmnal case, contact the publc defender s offce n your area. 1
If you have money problems, you are not alone. It can be hard to pay your blls f you lose your job, get sck, get dvorced, or have a death n your famly. hese thngs can happen to anyone. Here are some thngs you can do to take control: Make a Budget ake a look at your ncome. Are there ways to get more money comng nto your household? For example, can anyone n your famly start workng, or helpng out wth the blls? Even f you work, you may stll qualfy for benefts to help make ends meet. Your famly members may also qualfy. Here are some examples: Unemployment Benefts for lad-off workers. Apply at your Department of Labor offce. Food Stamps for help wth groceres. Apply at your county Socal Servces offce. Publc Assstance for cash help. Apply at your county Socal Servces offce. Emergency Assstance for help wth rent, utltes, back property taxes and other emergency needs. Apply at your county Socal Servces offce. Socal Securty Retrement for people who are 62 and over. he person s parents, spouse or chldren may also be able to get benefts. he parents, spouse or chldren of a worker who has ded may also be elgble (even f the worker was under age 62). Spouse ncludes an ex-spouse, n some cases. Apply at your local Socal Securty offce. Socal Securty Dsablty for people wth dsabltes. In some cases, the dsabled person s famly members can also get benefts. Apply at your local Socal Securty offce. SSI for adults and chldren wth dsabltes, and senors who are 65 and over. You must meet certan ncome and asset gudelnes. Apply at your local Socal Securty offce. HEAP for help wth wnter heat blls. Apply at your county Socal Servces offce or Offce for the Agng. Medcad for help wth healthcare blls. Medcad has recently expanded to cover many more households who dd not qualfy prevously. Apply at your county Socal Servces offce. Medcare for certan people who are 65 and over, or who have been elgble for Socal Securty Dsablty for at least 25 months. Apply at your local Socal Securty offce. Health Insurance under the Affordable Care Act. If you don t qualfy for Medcad, search for an affordable health plan onlne at www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov, or call 1-855-355-5777 (Y 1-800-662-1220). 2
Earned Income ax Credt for people who work. You may qualfy for a bg refund, even f you ddn t earn very much. o fnd a free tax clnc, call 1-800-829-1040. Hll-Burton Program for help wth hosptal blls. Apply at the hosptal busness offce. EPIC for help wth prescrptons f you are 65 or over. Call your local Offce for the Agng or 1-800-332-3742. Medcare Part C and D for help wth prescrptons (f you are on Medcare). For help enrollng, call 1-800-633-4227. Your local Offce for the Agng may also be able to help. Lfelne for help wth phone blls. Apply wth your local phone company. You may also qualfy for a free prepad cell phone. Vst www.safelnkwreless.com to apply. Secton 8 for help wth rent. Apply at your local Secton 8 program. SAR Program for help wth property taxes. Apply at your local tax assessor s offce. Ask about any specal programs for low-ncome senors, people wth dsabltes, or veterans. If you are 65 or over, you should apply for Enhanced SAR to get a bgger tax exempton based on your ncome. In most cases, f you get dened, you can appeal. Fle your appeal rght away, so you don t mss any tme lmts. If you need help, contact your local legal ad offce. Next, fnd ways to cut your expenses. Here are some ways to do ths: Shop around for the best prces. Get rd of thngs you don t need, lke cable V. Carpool to school or work. Get energy wse! Ask your local power company about how to weatherze your home. here may be free help n your communty. When you buy thngs for your home, look for the energy star. Qut smokng. he average smoker (1 pack per day) spends $165 per month on cgarettes. If you won t qut for your health, do t for your pocketbook! For help, call NY Quts at 1-866-697-8487. 3
Pay your mportant blls frst! House payments, rent and utltes always come frst. If you do not pay, you can lose your home or get evcted. You could also have a utlty shutoff. Also, f you mss your car payments, you can lose your car. Do not pay a less mportant bll, lke a credt card bll, just because a credtor s harassng you. ake care of basc needs frst. Do s and Don ts About Debt Beng n debt can lead to even more problems. Be careful! Here are some thngs to watch out for: Do not wat untl your blls get sent to a collecton agency. If you can t pay, call the credtor and explan why. he credtor may agree to take smaller payments. Get ths n wrtng from the credtor. Do not agree to pay more than you can afford. Consumer Credt Counselng Servces of CNY (now Clearpont) may be able to help. Call 1-800-750-2227. Beware of offers to refnance or consoldate debts. In most cases, you wll be worse off. If you borrow aganst your home, or car, you wll lose t f you can t make the payments. Check wth a lawyer or your local nonproft Consumer Credt Counselng Servce (Clearpont) before takng ths step. 4
If you are facng a utlty shutoff, apply for emergency help from your county Socal Servces offce. If you can t get help, the utlty company must work out a payment plan that you can afford. If you have problems gettng a payment plan, call the New York State Publc Servces Commsson at 1-800-342-3355 for help. Also, you may have the rght to stop a shutoff n wnter, or f you are elderly, blnd, dsabled, or have a medcal emergency. If the company won t help, call your local legal ad offce and the Publc Servce Commsson. Stay away from people who promse bad credt, no problem. he nterest rates are usually very hgh. If t sounds too good to be true, t s not true. Do not gve n to a credtor just because they threaten to report you to a collecton agency. If you are behnd on your blls, chances are your credt s bad already. Stay away from people who promse to fx your credt or your money problems. If you need help, call your local nonproft Consumer Credt Counselng offce (Clearpont) nstead. You can fx mstakes on your credt report yourself by sendng a dspute letter to the credt bureau. Beware of debt settlement companes. Many of these companes advertse on V or the rado, promsng to fx your debt problems. Sometmes, they even clam to be part of a government program! hese companes set you up wth a monthly payment plan, and promse to settle your debts for pennes on the dollar. Untl you buld up enough money n your account, however, the debt settlement company does not send any money to your credtors. Early on, most f not all of your monthly payment goes to the debt settlement company, not your credtors! In the meantme, your credtors are not gettng pad, and can stll try to collect from you. Student loans are dfferent than other knds of blls. In most cases, the lender wll work wth you f you can t make your payments. Don t gnore your student loans! If you do, your loan wll go nto default. If ths happens, you may rsk losng part of your paycheck or federal beneft check. You wll rsk losng your tax refund every year. Also, you wll not be able to get any more student loans n the future. So, f you can t make your payments, talk to the lender rght away. In most cases, you can choose from several dfferent payment plans, ncludng a plan based on your ncome. You can also apply for a deferment or forbearance, so you won t have to pay at all whle you get back on your feet. If you are dsabled, or f you went to a bad trade school, you can even apply for a dscharge to wpe out your loan. If you are already n default, you may stll be able to 5
get back n good standng, and get affordable payments (as low as $0 per month, n some cases!) Read our Lvng Wth Student Loans booklet for help. Stay away from rent-to-own stores, pawn shops, payday loans and tax refund loans. Interest rates are often as hgh as 200% or 300%! Get your taxes done at a free clnc. When you need a home or car loan, try your local banks and credt unons frst. Ask your local nonproft Consumer Credt Counselng offce (Clearpont) about specal loan programs for low-ncome homebuyers. Even f you have bad credt, you may stll qualfy. Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams. If you are facng foreclosure, you wll probably get letters n the mal promsng to make all your problems go away, for a fee. Do not pay for foreclosure preventon servces (unless you hre a lawyer lcensed to practce law n New York, to fle a bankruptcy case or defend you n a court case). Every county n New York State has a free foreclosure preventon program, and free legal servces may also be avalable. If you lose money to a scam, t s often mpossble to get t back. You are better off savng your money to catch up on your mortgage, or for movng costs f you cannot save your home. here s a lst of free foreclosure preventon programs at the end of ths booklet. Gamblng wll only make your money problems worse. If you thnk you have a problem wth gamblng, call 1-800-522-4700 for help. 6
How can I stop debt collectors from harassng me? Some credtors hre thrd party debt collectors (also called collecton agences ) to contact you about past-due blls. Some debt collectors try to get you to pay by makng threats. hey may also try to make you feel bad or gulty so you wll pay. Don t gve n! A collecton agency cannot: ake you to court ake your ncome or property Have you arrested, or sent to jal he worst thng a collecton agency can do s gve the case to a lawyer. he lawyer can take you to court. Even then, there must be a court order before the credtor can take your ncome or property. It s llegal for a debt collector to: Contact other people (lke your famly, neghbors, or your boss) about your blls, except to get your address and phone number Contact you before 8:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. Contact you at work f your boss does not allow t Contact you f you have an attorney Collect on a debt that has legally expred, because t s too old Use bad language or nsults Harass you wth phone calls Le to you about the debt (for example, sayng you wll be arrested) Ask for a postdated check and cash t before ts date If a debt collector does any of these thngs, get help rght away. Call your local legal ad offce. You can also make a complant to a federal or state agency. Go to page 13 to learn how to fle a complant. 7
Are you tred of letters and calls from a debt collector? Stop the debt collector by sendng a no-contact letter! In the letter, ask the debt collector to stop callng and wrtng to you. Explan why you can t pay, and let the debt collector know f you are beng harassed. Here s an example: Mrs. Smth 29 Man Street Utca, NY 13501 October 9, 2006 ABC Collecton Agency 111 29 th Street New York, NY 11111 Dear Sr or Madam: Please stop contactng me about account number 123456 wth the Oneda store. I am dsabled now and my only ncome s from SSI. he Far Debt Collecton Practces Act requres you to comply wth my request. I also want you to know that your employee, Mr. Jones, called me before 8:00 a.m. on September 1, 2012. He used bad language and told me I would go to jal. hs s llegal and must stop. By wrtng ths letter, I am n no way admttng that I owe ths debt. Yours truly, Mrs. Smth Send the letter by certfed mal, return recept requested. Keep a copy. It s llegal for a debt collector to call or wrte to you after recevng your letter. If the debt collector stll won t leave you alone, get help from a lawyer rght away. Call your local legal ad offce or the Lawyer Referral Hotlne (1-800-342-3661). In New York, t s also llegal for a credtor to harass or abuse you and your famly. Call the New York State Attorney General s Offce at 1-800-771-7755 for help. 8
What happens f I can t pay? Frst, and most mportantly, you cannot be arrested or go to jal for owng a consumer debt (except for back chld support or spousal support). If you can t make your mortgage payments, the bank must take you to court before they can foreclose on your home. If you are havng trouble makng your payments, call your local foreclosure preventon program rght away. here s a lst of programs at the end of ths booklet. If you can t make your car payments, the credtor can repossess your car and sell t wthout gong to court. If you stll owe anythng after your car s sold, the credtor can take you to court for the rest. For other types of blls, the credtor must take you to court to get pad. EXCEPION: for IRS debts and most types of student loans, a court order s not needed before part of your paycheck, your tax refund or certan lmted types of federal benefts can be taken. Read our Lvng Wth Student Loans booklet to fnd out more about your rghts. Never gnore court papers. If you get sued by a credtor, there are tme lmts to make a response. Get help from a lawyer rght away. If you do not make a proper response, you wll lose your chance to contest the lawsut. If you lose your court case, you wll have a judgment aganst you. A judgment s just a court order that says you owe the money. If the credtor has a judgment, the credtor may be able to take your ncome and your property to pay off the debt. Here are some examples of exempt ncome (ncome a credtor cannot take): SSI Socal Securty Dsablty (SSD) and Socal Securty Unemployment Publc Assstance Worker s Compensaton 9
VA Benefts Chld Support or Spousal Support Black Lung Payments and Federal Ralroad Retrement Most Pensons Student Loan Proceeds Is My Bank Account Safe? Under New York State s Exempt Income Protecton Act, your bank account can t be frozen f t contans $1,920 or less. If exempt benefts were drectly deposted nto your bank account wthn the past 45 days, your bank account can t be frozen f t contans $2,500 or less ($2,625 for court cases fled after 4/1/12). A new federal rule also protects drect deposts of certan federal benefts made n the past two months, even f the total s hgher than these lmts. Banks can t charge you a frozen account fee f your account balance s wthn these lmts. Amounts over these lmts can be frozen. However, the credtor stll can t keep any exempt money, even f your account s over the lmts dscussed above. he bank must send you a notce wthn 2 days, explanng your rght to keep any exempt money n the account (ncludng 90% of gross wages). he notce wll nclude a form for clamng exempt ncome. You must fll t out and mal t to the bank AND the credtor s lawyer wthn 20 days of the postmark on the envelope. Include proof that the ncome s exempt (for example, bank statements, beneft statements, paystubs, etc.) If you can prove all the money s exempt, the account must be unfrozen wthn 7 days. If exempt money s mxed wth non-exempt money n the account, the exempt amount must be unfrozen wthn 7 days. NOE: keep your exempt ncome n a separate bank account, or t may be hard to prove what part of the account s exempt. If the bank does not release your account, or f the credtor s lawyer serves you wth court papers, contact your local legal ad offce for help rght away. EXCEPION: for back chld support, spousal support, IRS debts and most student loans, part of certan beneft checks can be taken (wthn certan lmts). SSI and publc assstance cannot be taken, however. If your benefts are taken, ask for a hardshp form. For chld support and spousal support, go back to the court that ordered the support, and try flng for a modfcaton. Here are some knds of property credtors cannot take: Clothes and food Most furnture and applances Weddng rngs, and jewelry worth up to $1,000 10
School books Work tools Household tems Your home, f your equty n the home s $75,000 or less ($150,000 for marred people who own a home jontly). NOE: you can stll lose your home to foreclosure f you don t make your mortgage or tax payments, however. One car, f t s worth $4,000 or less, after subtractng your car loan ($10,000 or less f t s equpped for a dsabled person) NOE: the car can stll be repossessed f you don t make your car payments, however. If a credtor tres to take any of these thngs, call your local legal ad offce rght away. NOE: f you owe a debt from a dvorce, or for spousal or chld support, these tems of property may not be protected. Can a credtor take part of my paycheck? In some cases, yes. hs s called garnshment. he credtor must get a court judgment aganst you frst (except most student loan and IRS debts). By law, the credtor can t take more than 25% of your take home pay or 10% of your gross pay, whchever s less. However, you always get to keep at least $262.50 take home pay per week ($8.75 state mnmum wage for a 30-hour week). NOE: for chld support and spousal support, the law allows more of your pay to be taken, wthn certan lmts. For IRS debts and most types of student loans, up to 15% of your take home pay can be taken; however, you can ask for a hardshp form. What s an Informaton Subpoena? If you have a judgment aganst you, the credtor s lawyer may serve you wth an Informaton Subpoena. You wll see the words Informaton Subpoena near the top of the frst page. Bascally, ths s just a questonnare about your fnances. However, t s an actual court subpoena, so you need to take t serously. You must fll out the subpoena truthfully, and have t notarzed. You must mal t to the credtor s lawyer wthn 7 days of when you receved t. If at all possble, have a lawyer look t over before you mal t out. Call your local legal ad offce, to see f they can help. If you need more tme to respond, call the credtor s lawyer. Ask the lawyer to confrm the 11
extenson wth a letter to you. Even f you already mssed the deadlne to respond, the lawyer may agree to gve you more tme. If you don t respond, or f you refuse to answer any of the questons wthout a good reason, you could be held n contempt of court. If so, you could actually be arrested and go to jal. If there are any court hearngs scheduled about the subpoena, you must show up. Do Debts Have me Lmts? In New York, most consumer debts (such as credt card blls and medcal blls), expre 6 years after the last tme you made a payment. Court judgments n New York last for 20 years. If the judgment s fled n the county clerk s offce, t wll be a len aganst your home for 10 years (unless the credtor fles paperwork to get an extenson, for up to another 10 years). If the debt s from another state (for example, some credt cards ssued by out-of-state banks), the tme lmt may be longer or shorter. However, t s hard to know for sure unless you have a copy of your contract or credt card agreement. If a credtor does not take you to court before the tme lmt ends, the debt s no longer vald. However, admttng you owe the old debt n wrtng, or makng a payment on t, wll re-start the tme clock. Before payng an old debt, check wth a lawyer, to make sure the debt has not expred. Some debts, such as most student loans, tax debts, and support debts, do not expre (although there are some exceptons). Check wth a lawyer for advce about whether your debts are stll vald. Should I fle for bankruptcy? At the end of every seven years you shall make a release. And ths s the manner of the release: every credtor shall release that whch he has lent to hs neghbor and hs brother; because the Lord s release has been proclamed. -Deuteronomy 15:1-2 Bankruptcy s an old dea! It can be a good way to get a fresh start. It also stops your credtors from tryng to collect on your debts. Foreclosures, repossessons and lawsuts must stop rght away (at least temporarly). 12
here are two man knds of consumer bankruptcy: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Chapter 7 bankruptcy can wpe out most blls. Chapter 13 bankruptcy gves you the chance to catch up on your blls over 3-5 years. Bankruptcy s not for everyone. For example, f you have no ncome or property that a credtor can take, you are judgment proof. hs means there s nothng your credtors can do to get pad. If you are judgment proof, you may not need to fle for bankruptcy or even make payments. Also, f you only owe a few hundred or a few thousand dollars, you may want to wat untl your fnancal stuaton gets worse. o fnd out f bankruptcy s rght for you, talk to a lawyer. Most bankruptcy lawyers offer free consultatons. Call your local legal ad offce or the Lawyer Referral Hotlne at 1-800- 342-3661. How Can I Make a Complant? he federal government has a new agency, called the Consumer Fnancal Protecton Bureau or CFPB. If you have a complant about any of your debts, vst the CFPB webste at www.consumerfnance.gov. Clck on Submt a Complant, and follow the nstructons. If you don t have access to the nternet, you can call the CFPB toll-free at 1-855-411-2372. If you are hearng mpared, the DD/Y number s 1-855-729-2372. You can also contact the New York State Attorney General to fle a complant. You can vst www.ag.ny.gov, or call the consumer helplne toll-free at 1-800-771-7755. he DD/Y number s 1-800-788-9898. If your complant s about a credt card debt or bank loan (ncludng student loans), you can make a complant to the New York State Department of Fnancal Servces. hs ncludes complants about debt collectors who are tryng to make you pay these types of debts. You can fle a complant onlne at www.dfs.ny.gov. Clck on Consumers, then clck on Fle a Complant. You can also call toll-free at 1-800-342-3736. When you make a complant, make sure to keep a copy for your records. Send n copes of any documents that support your complant. 13
How to Cope wth Debt, Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York Inc. HELPFUL ELEPHONE NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES NEW YORK SAE AORNEY REFERRAL SERVICE 1-800-342-3661 CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROECION BUREAU (CFPB) 1-855-411-2372 1-855-729-2372 DD/Y NEW YORK SAE AORNEY GENERAL 1-800-771-7755 1-800-788-9898 DD/Y Broome, Chenango, Otsego and Delaware Countes: 44 Hawley Street, 17 th Floor, Bnghamton, NY 13901 (607) 721-8771 Cayuga, Cortland, Madson, Onondaga and Oswego Countes: 615 Ere Blvd. West, Sute 102, Syracuse, NY 13204 (315) 448-4800 Jefferson and Lews County: 317 Washngton Street, Watertown, NY 13601-3744 (315) 785-2444 Oneda and Herkmer Countes: 207 Genesee St., Room 508, Utca, NY 13501 (315) 793-2225 NEW YORK SAE DEPARMEN OF FINANCIAL 1-800-342-3736 SERVICES: LEGAL AID SOCIEY OF MID-NEW YORK, INC. Legal HelpLne Number: 1-877-777-6152 Broome & Chenango Countes: 168 Water Street, 2 nd Floor, Bnghamton, NY 13901 (607) 231-5900 Cortland County: 111 Port Watson Street, Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 428-8400 Herkmer, Madson and Oneda Countes: 268 Genesee Street, Utca, NY 13502 (315) 793-7000 Jefferson and Lews Countes: 44 Publc Square, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 955-6700 14
How to Cope wth Debt, Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York Inc. Oswego County: 108 West Brdge Street, Oswego, NY 13126 (315) 532-6900 Onondaga and Cayuga Countes: 472 South Salna Street, Sute 400, Syracuse, NY 13202 (315) 703-6600 Otsego and Delaware Countes: 1-877-777-6152 CONSUMER CREDI COUNSELING (CLEARPOIN) (800) 750-2227 49 Court Street, Sute 125, Bnghamton, NY 13901 (607) 773-4772 5794 Wdewaters Parkway, Syracuse, NY 13214 (315) 445-8960 215 Washngton Street, Sute 005, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 786-2861 COUNY DEPARMENS OF SOCIAL SERVICES Broome County: 36-42 Man Street, Bnghamton, NY 13905-3199 (607) 778-8850 Cayuga County: 160 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021 (315) 253-1011 Chenango County: County Offce Buldng, 5 Court Street (607) 337-1500 Norwch, NY 13815 Cortland County: 60 Central Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 753-5248 Delaware County: 111 Man Street, Delh, NY 13753 (607) 832-5300 Herkmer County: 301 North Washngton Street, Herkmer, NY 13350 (315) 867-1291 Jefferson County: 250 Arsenal Street, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 782-9030 Lews County: 5274 Outer Stowe Street, Lowvlle, NY 13367 (315) 376-5400 15
How to Cope wth Debt, Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York Inc. Madson County: 133 N. Court Street, P.O. Box 637, Wampsvlle, NY 13163 (315) 366-2211 Oneda County: 800 Park Ave., Utca, NY 13501 (315) 798-5700 300 W. Domnck Street, Rome NY 13440 (315) 338-0200 Onondaga County: 421 Montgomery, Syracuse, NY 13202 (315) 435-2700 Oswego County: 100 Sprng Street, Mexco, NY 13114 (315) 963-5000 Otsego County : (607) 547-4355 197 Man Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326 OFFICES FOR HE AGING Broome County: 60 Hawley Street, 4 th Floor, Bnghamton, NY 13902 (607) 778-2411 Cayuga County: 160 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY 13021-3483 (315) 253-1226 Chenango County: County Offce Bldg., 5 Court St., Norwch, NY 13815-1794 (607) 337-1770 Cortland County: 60 Central Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 753-5060 Delaware County: 6 Court Street, Delh, NY 13753 (607) 746-6333 Herkmer County: 109 Mary Street, Sute 1101, Herkmer, NY 13350-2924 (315) 867-1121 Jefferson County: 175 Arsenal Street, Watertown, NY 13601-2546 (315) 785-3191 Lews County: 7660 State Street, Lowvlle, NY 13367 (315) 376-5313 Madson County: 138 Domnck Bruno Blvd., Canastota, NY 13032 (315) 697-5700 16
How to Cope wth Debt, Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York Inc. Oneda County: 120 Arlne Street, Sute 201, Orskany, NY 13424 (315) 798-5456 Onondaga County: 421 Montgomery Street, 10 th Floor, Syracuse, NY 13202 (315) 435-2362 Oswego County: 70 Bunner Street, P.O. Box 3080, Oswego, NY 13126-3080 (315) 349-3484 Otsego County: 140 County Hghway 33W, Sute 5 Cooperstown, NY 13326 (607) 547-4232 NEW YORK SAE DEPARMEN OF LABOR Broome County: 171 Front Street, Bnghamton, NY 13905 (607) 778-2136 Cayuga County: 199 Frankln Street, Sute 204, Auburn, NY 13021 (315) 253-1590 Chenango County: 1 O Hara Drve, Norwch, NY 13815 (607) 334-2201 x128 Cortland County: 99 Man Street, Cortland, NY 13045 (607) 756-7585 Delaware and Otsego Countes: 12 Detz Street, Oneonta, NY 13820 (607) 432-4800 Herkmer County: 320 North Prospect, Herkmer, NY 13350 (315) 867-1400 Jefferson and Lews Countes: 1000 Coffeen Street, Watertown, NY 13601 (315) 785-9252 Madson County: 1006 Oneda Plaza Drve, Oneda, NY 13421 (315) 363-2400 Oneda County: 207 Genesee St. Sute 202, Utca, NY 13501 (315) 793-2229 300 W. Domnck Street, Sute 1, Rome, NY 13440 (315) 356-0662 Onondaga County: 443 N. Frankln Street, Lower Level, Syracuse, NY 13204 (315) 473-8250 17
How to Cope wth Debt, Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York Inc. Oswego County: 200 N. Second Street, Fulton, NY 13069 (315) 591-9000 SOCIAL SECURIY ADMINISRAION Broome and Chenango Countes: 2 Court Street, Sute 300, Bnghamton, NY 13901 1-866-964-3971 Cayuga, Cortland and Onondaga Countes: Federal Bldg., 4 th Floor, 100 S. Clnton St. Syracuse, NY 13261 1-800-772-1213 Jefferson and Lews Countes: 156 Bellew Ave. South, Watertown, NY 13601 1-866-627-6995 Herkmer, Madson and Oneda Countes: 10 Broad Street, Utca, NY 13501 1-877-405-6750 Oswego County: 17 Fourth Avenue, Oswego, NY 13126 1-866-964-7593 Delaware and Otsego Countes: 31 Man Street, Sute 1, Oneonta, NY 13820 1-877-628-6581 PUBLIC UILIIES Natonal Grd 1-800-642-4272 Publc Servce Commsson Hotlne for Immnent Shut Off 1-800-342-3355 New York State Electrc and Gas (NYSEG) Bllng Problems 1-800-572-1111 CREDI BUREAUS Equfax Credt Informaton Servces P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374 1-800-685-1111 Experan 1-888-397-3742 P.O. Box 2002, Allen, X 75013 18
How to Cope wth Debt, Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York Inc. ransunon Corporaton P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022 1-800-888-4213 FORECLOSURE PREVENION FREE LEGAL SERVICES Legal Ad Socety of Md-New York, Inc. 1-877-777-6152 Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Herkmer, Jefferson, Lews, Madson, Oneda and Otsego Countes Hscock Legal Ad, Inc. (315) 422-8191 Onondaga County Legal Servces of Central New York, Inc. 1-877-777-6152 Cayuga, Cortland and Oswego Countes or (315) 703-6500 FORECLOSURE PREVENION FREE COUNSELING SERVICES NeghborWorks Homeownershp Center (315) 724-4197 Herkmer, Madson and Oneda Countes Metro Interfath (607) 723-0723 Broome, Chenango and Otsego Countes HOME Headquarters (315) 474-1939 Cayuga, Cortland, Jefferson, Lews, Madson, Onondaga and Oswego Countes Delaware Opportuntes (607) 746-1600 Delaware County 1-800-662-1200 Y OHER EPIC (Prescrpton Drug Assstance for Senors) 1-800-332-3742 Natonal Problem Gamblng 24-Hour Hotlne 1-800-522-4700 NY Quts Smoker Qut Support Lne 1-866-697-8487 Funded n Part by the Legal Servces Corporaton 19