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COLLECTION OF DEBTS AND ACCOUNTS
Adrian & Pankratz, P.A. is specially suited to help you collect your business accounts. In addition to our 30 years of experience, specialized computer system, and our trained staff, we have the advantage of using all legal remedies to collect your account. We are not just a collection agency, so we can use the legal system to help you collect your accounts. In using the law, we treat your customers or patients firmly, effectively, and with respect.
 The Collection Process
When you hire our firm, we agree to collect on your overdue accounts in return for a percentage of the revenue collected. Once you employ our services to collect on your overdue accounts, we immediately begin a detailed collection process. Immediately after you submit your overdue account files to us, our collection staff enters the necessary information on each debtor into the computer system to build an information file.
Demand Letter
Our next step is to send the debtor a reminder that he or she has an overdue account with your business. It states legal action will be taken if they do not contact our office or payment is not received within thirty (30) days. Payment arrangements can be set up with the debtor at this time or at any other time through this process.
Law Suit
If the debtor fails to respond to our demand letter, we file a law suit. Court costs are incurred at this time and the court sets a hearing date. Once the suit is filed, the Clerk of the Court directs the sheriff to serve the debtor with a summons. Once a summons is filed, and before the case goes before a judge, the debtor may respond with payment or a request to establish a payment schedule.
If the defendant does not respond to this summons, the court grants judgment by default. If the debtor responds but denies that he or she owes the money, the case goes to trial. At the trial, if we prove the amount is owed, the court will grant the judgment for the amount due. A representative for the plaintiff will be asked to appear at the trial to verify the bills. Obtaining judgment from the court is a critical step in this process. Once we receive judgment, this opens up additional resources of the law to assist us in further pursuing overdue accounts.
Garnishment
Once judgment is entered, the law allows us to file a "garnishment," which is an order to anyone who might owe the debtor money (an employer or bank where the debtor has deposited money) to pay all or part of that money to the court rather than the debtor. If we have determined where the debtor works or banks, this is a very effective method of collecting judgments.
Hearings in Aid of Execution
If the name of the debtor's bank or employer is unknown, and we lack information about his assets, we may order the debtor to appear in court to answer questions about his financial situation, current employment, current bank and property. This information is obtained to assist in later collection efforts. An attempt is made to set up a workable repayment plan.
Payment Arrangements
After judgment has been obtained, we can accept payments in lieu of further collection efforts, if it seems clear that the debtor is unable to pay the full amount of the debt immediately. Our firm is always prepared to use any of the methods allowed by law should a debtor miss a payment.
Interest
The law permits interest to accrue on the principal amount of the debt. From the time we receive an account for collection until you receive payment in full, we will calculate and collect interest in addition to the original amount owed.
 Are Delinquent Accounts Costing Too Much?
Minimizing Your Losses
Take a minute to analyze your business. Which part do you like least? Which part do you avoid at all costs? Think about the one area of your business you would readily turn over to someone else. Chances are that area is the collection of your accounts receivable.
Face it: Tracking down and confronting people who have not paid their bills can be time consuming and distasteful. Yet this is the part of your business that, left unattended, can represent hundreds or thousands of dollars in lost revenue for you each year.
Can you really afford to ignore that list of overdue accounts much longer? Finally, there is a law firm in Kansas that can rescue you from the collection "black hole" if you need to collect against debtors residing or doing business in Kansas.
The collection professionals in the law firm of Adrian & Pankratz, P.A., offer you efficient and effective collection services that are oriented to your needs and competitively priced. We are successful in our collection efforts because we use the legal system's positive aspects. We listen to your concerns; analyze your needs, and use a detailed and modern, sophisticated computer system to meet those needs.
Our Track Record
Our track record speaks for itself. Contact us if you would like to receive references from our current collection clients. You will receive a remittance of payments from us at the end of each month indicating the status of each overdue account.
The Main Advantage
The main advantage of using our law firm, which handles thousands of collection cases, is that through the legal system, we have a better chance of achieving results. In addition, judgments against debtors can be renewed indefinitely until the account is collected. Time is on our side.
The Legal Advantage
What makes Adrian & Pankratz, P.A effective in the collection business is that our trained professionals understand the legal system and know how to use it successfully to collect overdue accounts. In using the law, we treat your debtors firmly, effectively, and with respect.
The law is the only collection procedure that has any real strength. Other collection methods often directly or indirectly attack the debtor's character. Through our collection system, we pursue our client's rights as provided by the law, yet we seek to maintain the debtor's dignity and hence our client's reputation and dignity. We recognize the value of maintaining a positive image with all debtors, even those with overdue accounts.
What also sets Adrian & Pankratz, P.A., apart from others that may handle collections is that we employ a professional staff concentrating on collections. We use our computer system to take prompt action on all collection cases. Our system allows us to maintain current records, produce follow up reports, and generate documents to track specific accounts. Through our detailed maintenance system, we provide quick and responsive service.
How Much?
As collection professionals, we charge a percentage of the amounts collected on each account. Our fee can vary depending on the volume of accounts we receive from you. You will also be charged for the filing fees incurred when pleadings are filed with the court.
About Our Firm
The law firm of Adrian & Pankratz, P.A., provides a wide variety of legal services, including our collection services. Our Collections Department is managed and staffed separately from our legal department, so that we can provide experienced, specialized service to our clients in both departments.
Located in Newton, the firm of Adrian & Pankratz, P.A., practices primarily in the counties of Sedgwick, Harvey, Butler, McPherson, and Reno. We also handle cases in Marion, Saline, Rice, and Barton Counties. We have successfully handled collections for a wide range of businesses, including medical centers, hospitals, professional associations, City and County governments, and retail businesses.
Contact the collection professionals at Adrian & Pankratz, P.A., for efficient, result oriented, cost effective collection services
 Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between your firm and an agency?
If the debtor does not respond to our first demand letter, we file suit. The law is the only collection procedure that has any real strength. Other collection methods often directly or indirectly attack the debtor's integrity. Through our collection system, we pursue our client's rights as provided by the law, yet we seek to maintain the debtor's dignity and hence our client's reputation and dignity.
What good is a legal judgment?
First, judgments can be renewed indefinitely, with interest accruing, until the account is collected. We can pursue collection of an account in the State of Kansas as along as you wish us to do so. Judgments appear on credit reports, which can provide motivation to pay the account. Having judgment also allows us to garnish wages and/or bank accounts, allows us to order the debtor to come to court to provide information to us, and may allow us to put a lien on any real property the debtor owns. Rather than simply bullying debtors, we can take action to get money for our clients.
How much will I pay for this?
We charge a percentage of the amount collected on each account. Our fee can vary depending upon the volume of accounts we receive from you. You will also be charged for the filing fees incurred when pleadings are filed with the court.
What information is needed for your firm to begin collecting for us?
We will need as much of the following information as you can provide: the name and address of the debtor, date of birth, spouse’s date of birth, social security number, place of employment, past address. The more information you are able to provide, the higher the chances of collecting the debt. This is also true regarding how soon the account is turned over.
Declining Recovery Rates by Age at Time of Placement
The figure below illustrates the percentage of recovered accounts compared to the age of the receivable.
Declining Recovery Rates by Age at Time of Placement
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