Collection Services
Preliminary Service
Our initial collection efforts will always start under Preliminary Service. “Preliminary” is a quick start, no excuse, forceful, aggressive demand for all of your money. Without current financial disclosure, we maintain our position of expecting nothing less than payment in full. We take personal pride in learning the details of your industry. This
specialized knowledge is tactfully used to create an advantage to defeat debtor obstacles that are without merit.
Forwarding Service
The next phase is our Forwarding Division, which commences when we decide to submit as your agent your unresolved balance to a bonded Commercial Law League of America collection attorney under the contractual provisions of CLLA & Operative Guides. Counsel that we select represents your company and must belong to the WWI network by meeting our criteria of a “commercial rights specialist.” Upon receipt of the forwarded unpaid balance your attorney will immediately make demands on your behalf. No lawsuits are filed without creditor consent.
Legal Services
Beware!
Court Costs & Suit Fees
No suit will be filed without your prior expressed consent. We will advise you of the court costs and suit fees requested by the receiving attorney at which time you may decline to file suit. Our goal is to always keep your overall exposure to an absolute minimum. Court costs are filing and service of process fees that vary in costs according to venue. If you authorize suit, counsel is entitled to a nominal “suit fee.”
Attorney suit fees are for work in filing and preparing legal paperwork and appearances in court. Williams & Williams does not participate in this suit fee. In many instances, we prevail upon your attorney to hold the suit fee entirely contingent upon collection, meaning that legal steps can be initiated on the basis of court costs alone. Although always subject to your control, our staff has decades of experience in selecting, supervising and motivating the best attorneys in successfully collecting your accounts in every jurisdiction of the world. Filing suit is a slow process with backed up dockets in many courts that can cause delays in judgments for many months or even years.
Counter Claims
In the extremely rare instance that debtor files a counter claim, most attorneys require hourly compensation instead of a contingency rate.
Questionable Methods Agencies Use To Supplement Fees
Some of our competitors employ dubious methods to supplement collection fees. Tricks of the trade include but are not limited to making court costs and suit fee checks payable to the agency, trial fees in addition to the suit fee, nebulous contingencies amending the original fee structure, pool accounting, creating false premises, attorney bar rates, making a settlement without client approval, holding the suit fee entirely contingent in exchange for your concession to increase fees, and not submitting any additional collections over the principal balance.
Transportation Collections
We Serve The Entire Transportation Industry
Williams & Williams, Inc. serves the entire transportation industry, which means that we accept debt from trucking companies, freight brokers, freight factoring companies, freight forwarders, NVOCC, maritime, heavy haul, specialized, truckload, water and air carriers. With the transportation industry being so vast, we have the transportation industry specialization required and the technical expertise for producing unmatched results. Our comprehensive and proficient understanding of Federal Code Title 49 statutes enables us to immediately focus your unpaid freight receivables.
10 Factors that Lead to a Successful Transportation Recovery
1. Specialized knowledge of Title 49 USC §§ 101-80504, the body of law that regulates freight.
2. There are over 80,000 Federal Regulations and Statutes pertaining to freight and we know the specific bodies of law that apply resulting in successful collections.
3. Federal Bill of Lading Act expertise.
4. Awareness of Shipper, Carrier, and Freight Forwarder Liability under Uniform Bills of Lading.
5. Load shift/freight damage specialists.
6. Success in overcoming disputes with rates, damages, detention and demurrages,
accessorial charges, customs, and backhaul claims.
7. Expertise in selecting, supervising, motivating, and educating attorneys with current transportation statutory and regulatory legislation.
8. Protection from unscrupulous double brokering and fraudulent freight brokers.
9. “Billing and Collection Practices” requirements expertise under 49 USC Title 49.
10. Courtesy Services- customization of Rules Circular, Bills of Lading, Customs Power of Attorney, Terms & Conditions of Extending Credit To Shippers, and free consulting
services for shippers and receivers.
