partial payments not justified

I didn't know that debt collectors they do not and many of them will claim that they won't accept a partial payment.  Collectors want you to send them a lump sum payment and they don't care if you have to borrow it from a relative, skip your car payment or take a cash advance from your credit card.  So they use very aggressive tactics to scare you in to paying the debt in full as quickly as possible.  But the smarter thing to do is to pay them only what you can afford to pay them.  Keep paying your house and car payments, don't borrow money from relatives or your credit card and pay them only what you can afford each month.  Send it in every month even if they keep sending it back. Keep proof that you've been trying to send them money.  This will significantly reduce your odds of being sued, as most collection attorneys know that a judge, when presented with evidence that you tried to pay the debt, will yell at the plaintiff for wasting his time with an unnecessary suit when the defendant was trying to pay the debt.  Eventually, most collectors will give in and accept the partial payments.

This is such good advice. Even a small payment shows you're trying to get the debt under control if only in a small way. It's still a positive step.

If they say they won't take a partial payment, persist until they accept it. It really goes in your favor if the case ends up in court.

I am not 100% sure but I think the subprime crisis had a great deal of influence on this particular area. They want all the payments and not bits and pieces

That is good advice. I had to add though that it is a sad day when creditors pull that crap. Why would you refuse to receive money owed to you and risk being out that much more? So much business has gotten turned around these days between new policies and procedures it is beginning to feel like a circus.

I have a mortgage payment of about 781, I sent in 695, all I had last month. Reminding all I'm one payment behind on my mortgage or one plus 86.00. When I called them they said I was three payments behind. They included this month which isn't late yet plus the payment I've been behind. The kicker here is they are holding my 695.00 in a suspense account. They did not apply it to the principle at all. My second mortgage holder puts every penny I send them toward the loan. This seems unethical because it allows them to show you an additional full payment behind when it's really only 86.00, plus money was not applied to the principle, plus they are soaking up more penalty monies. Kind of twisted.