Any tips on using a collections agency?

[Joshua Higgins]

I recently had to go through the initial stages of an eviction for a tenant in a rental unit in Issaquah Washington. He had moved In about a month earlier, but he gave two fraudulent checks to my leasing agent during the lease signing process, after clearing the background and credit screening. He moved out before the eviction was completed, so his record probably still looks pretty clean. He still owes me around $2,400 and he is probably uncollectible. I’d like to collect my money but I also don’t want this guy floating around doing this to other landlords. Does anyone have any tips for working with a collections agency to both recover money and also flag a former tenant after a similar experience?

[Kyle J.]

Originally posted by @William Nelson:

@Kyle J. have you used either of these companies before? I’m nearing a situation where I believe I’ll need a collections agency and just want to feel out peoples experiences with them.

Not yet.  I've had one tenant I was contemplating using a service like these on, but I was ultimately able to collect all of the money owed to me through the court/wage garnishment process.