In early April, Katelyn was in a financial bind: Home sick with COVID, she hadn't been paid in weeks. And bills were due. "My landlord is kinda beating down my door right now," she said in a voicemail to our hotline. Weeks later, Katelyn got back in touch: She had made it through, thanks to a combination of playing hardball with one company and knowing how to play nice with others. Because of her job, she had an insider's understanding of the playing-nice process: Katelyn works in collections for a financial institution, so she knew how to ask for help. Even so, she didn't find the process easy. She came out of the ordeal with a heck of a story, and hard-won tips for all of us. In addition, here are a couple of resources mentioned in this story: * A collection of tips on dealing with medical bills and collection agencies, from one of our favorite teachers: TikTok mom Shaunna Burns. https://armandalegshow.com/medical-bill-tips-from-a-mom-who-knows-some-things * Hello Landlord is a free online tool that automatically generates letters you can send to your landlord, asserting your legal rights. (Right now, those rights may include some federal protections avainst evictions.) https://hellolandlord.org/ You can call and leave us a message too: (724) 267-6534 — that's 724 ARM N LEG Or share stories at https://armandalegshow.com/contact/ Thanks to everybody who supports our work! Join 'em here: https://www.patreon.com/armandalegshow  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.