Iowa Debt Collection Laws: Fields of Opportunity

Today, February 25, 2013, The National List published the white paper on debt collection law in Iowa, written by attorneys Mark U. Abendroth and Thomas E. Sherzan, and their law firm Abendroth and Russell, P.C. The firm has been a member of The National List since 1996.

Founded in 1987, Abendroth and Russell, P.C. is an Iowa law firm based in the Des Moines metro area. The Iowa State Slogan is “Fields of Opportunity.” “We have the opportunity to ‘Cover Iowa,’ and we have over 100 years of combined legal experience with which to serve our clients. At Abendroth and Russell, it is our mission to provide our clients with the best legal services available, to excel in our practice areas, to ‘do what we do and do it well’ for the mutual benefit of our clients and our employees.” As commercial and retail collection specialists, Abendroth and Russell, P.C. provides a full range of services for Iowa businesses and for national companies doing business in Iowa.

Mark U. Abendroth is a founder and shareholder in Abendroth and Russell Law Firm, where he focuses his practice primarily in the areas of retail and commercial collections (90%) and real estate transactions. He has worked in the debt collection industry for 33 years. He says that collection work has taught him to, “Treat consumers fairly, but keep them accountable for their debts.” The people in the collection industry that he gets to work with—in his office, his state and around the country—is what he enjoys most about his job. 

Mark received his undergraduate and law degree from Drake University. He holds an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell. He also belongs to and has held positions in the following industry associations:

• The National Association of Retail Collection Attorneys (NARCA)
  • Chair-Grievance Committee (2010-2012)
  • Chair-American Payroll Association Liaison (2006-2008)
  • Legal Symposium Task Force (2012-Present)
  • The Debt Buyers Association (DBA)
  • ACA International
  • Iowa Creditors Bar Association
    • Co-Founder

Mark and Thomas both live in Des Moines. They each told us something different that creditors need to know about debt collection in Iowa. Mark: “There is a sliding scale for how much money can be garnished in any one calendar year.”  Thomas: “The Iowa Court of Appeals has set specific requirements in order to obtain default judgments on consumer credit card debt.” More detail on both topics can be found in the white paper.

Thomas E. Sherzan
Abendroth and Russell, P.C.

Thomas is an associate at Abendroth and Russell, where he practices primarily in the areas of collection litigation and real estate transactions. From his practice of debt collection law he has learned “the importance of maintaining accurate records and documentation.” He enjoys his daily interaction with people, whether in the office, on the phone or at the courthouse. He received his B.B.A. from the University of Iowa in 2008 and his law degree, with honors, from Drake Law School in 2011. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association.

Mark U. Abendroth
Abendroth and Russell, P.C.

Mark is married with four grown children and six grandchildren. Outside of work, he enjoys fishing, hunting and time with his family. Thomas is married and has a four-month-old son. When he’s not working he enjoys spending time with his family, running and walks with his dog.

The National List thanks Mark and Thomas for submitting this paper and for telling us something about themselves and their firm. You can access their paper at http://www.nationallist.com/white_papers/iowa.