Harris & Harris is a Chicago-based accounts receivable and collection firm founded in 1968. It collects for hospitals and health systems, government agencies, toll authorities, phone and utility companies, and lenders.
- Type
- Collection agency
- Also known as
- Harris & Harris, Ltd.; Harris & Harris of Illinois, Ltd.
- Headquarters
- Chicago, IL
- Collects
- medical and hospital bills, toll charges, government and public-sector accounts, telecommunications accounts, utility bills, banking and finance accounts
- Phone numbers it lists
- (800) 362-0097
- Website
- harriscollect.com
4,016 debt collection complaints were sent to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Harris & Harris, Ltd. from November 13, 2023 to November 12, 2026. A complaint is a consumer's account, not a finding that the company broke the law. Read the complaints in the CFPB database.
Who Is Harris & Harris?
Harris & Harris, Ltd. is an accounts receivable and collection firm headquartered at 111 W. Jackson Blvd in Chicago. Its website says Samuel J. Harris started the business in 1968 in the basement of his home on Chicago's South Side, that his sons later joined it, and that it now has more than 750 employees and is licensed in all 50 states. It lists a Texas office in Coppell, outside Dallas. In May 2026 the company announced that it had acquired Frost-Arnett Company.
Connecticut regulatory records show two related Illinois corporations, Harris & Harris, Ltd. and Harris & Harris of Illinois, Ltd., at the same Chicago address.
Why Harris & Harris May Be Contacting You
Harris & Harris collects for organizations rather than buying debt. Its website lists government and public-sector agencies, toll authorities, healthcare providers, telecommunications and utility companies, and banking and finance clients. In Washington State, it collected hospital bills for Providence hospitals. A letter from Harris & Harris is most often about a hospital or doctor bill, an unpaid toll or violation notice, a city or county bill, or a final phone or utility balance.
Its contact page lists (800) 362-0097 for consumers paying a debt. A different toll-free number on the same page is for business clients.
How to Check a Debt Harris & Harris Says You Owe
Medical and toll accounts are where errors most often hide, so ask for the underlying records before paying.
- Read the validation notice closely. It must name the creditor (the hospital, agency or company) and itemize the balance from an itemization date (15 U.S.C. § 1692g; 12 C.F.R. § 1006.34).
- Dispute in writing within the validation period and ask for the account history. For a toll account, ask for the transaction dates, plaza locations and images; for a hospital bill, ask for the itemized statement.
- Use Texas's itemized-bill rule for medical debt. A Texas hospital or other licensed health care facility may not pursue collection until it has sent you an itemized bill (Tex. Health & Safety Code ch. 185). Our update on Texas's itemized medical bill law explains it.
- Check insurance and financial assistance. Make sure insurance was billed, and ask the hospital whether you qualify for its charity-care or financial-assistance program.
- Know the time limit. Texas generally allows four years to sue on a consumer debt (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004), and debt buyers may not sue on a time-barred one (Tex. Fin. Code § 392.307). Limits vary by state and may differ for government charges.
What Harris & Harris Can and Can't Do
Because Harris & Harris regularly collects debts owed to others, it is a "debt collector" under the FDCPA for consumer accounts (15 U.S.C. § 1692a(6)).
- It may not report a medical debt to a credit bureau before communicating with you about it (12 C.F.R. § 1006.30(a)). Our update on medical debt on credit reports covers the bureaus' current policies.
- It may not add collection fees that the creditor's agreement or the law does not allow (15 U.S.C. § 1692f(1)).
- It may not call more than seven times in seven days about one debt (12 C.F.R. § 1006.14(b)(2)).
- It may not falsely imply that it is a government agency, even when it collects for one (15 U.S.C. § 1692e(1)).
- It may not threaten wage garnishment it cannot carry out; Texas does not allow it for ordinary consumer debts such as medical bills (Tex. Const. art. XVI, § 28).
If a Harris & Harris collection crossed these lines, see our Texas FDCPA attorneys page.
Government Actions on the Public Record
- Washington Attorney General consent decree (State alleged first notices on Providence hospital debts omitted required charity-care and itemization disclosures; $1 million payment and notice requirements; no admission) (2024-02-21)
- Connecticut Department of Banking consent order (alleged collection activity in Connecticut without a license; $10,000 civil penalty; neither admitted nor denied) (2023-02-02)
We Sue Debt Collectors That Break the FDCPA
Texas Debt Law files Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuits against debt collectors in federal court for consumers in Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia and Colorado. If Harris & Harris or anyone collecting for it harassed you, misstated what you owe, threatened action it could not take, or told others about your debt, you may have a claim. A court can order a collector that violated the FDCPA to pay your actual damages, up to $1,000 in additional statutory damages, and your attorney's fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)). An FDCPA claim generally must be filed within one year of the violation (§ 1692k(d)), so keep your letters, call logs, voicemails and screenshots, and talk to us early. Texas residents may also have claims under the Texas Debt Collection Act. Learn more from our FDCPA attorneys.
Free FDCPA Case Review(214) 851-2250
Or start your free case evaluation online. No lawyer can promise a result; every claim depends on its facts and proof.
Sources
- Harris & Harris: home page
- Harris & Harris: About us
- Harris & Harris: Contact us
- Washington Attorney General news release (Feb. 21, 2024)
- State of Washington v. Providence Health & Services et al., consent decree as to Harris & Harris, King County Superior Court No. 22-2-01754-6 SEA (copy posted by AccountsRecovery.net)
- Connecticut Department of Banking: Harris & Harris consent order (Feb. 2, 2023)
- Texas Health & Safety Code ch. 185 (itemized bill before collection)
- CFPB Consumer Complaint Database: Harris & Harris, Ltd., debt collection
This profile is general information compiled from public sources, not legal advice, and it does not state or imply that Harris & Harris has violated any law. Company details change; tell us if something here is out of date. Lea este perfil en español.