In the state of florida or wherever? I had a collector call me and try to get me to pay a debt that i know is completely invalid. So i had my attorney send the collector a letter of representation (certified mail), and basically state my stance as disputing the validity. the collector never responded, and almost a year later, they put it on my credit report and its screwing me over. i since then lost my lawyer, but i'd like to know if they could do that. please help!
2006-06-13 16:39:12 · 4 answers · asked by philosijew 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
If you are disputing the debt, contact the credit reporting agency and file a dispute. The creditor will have to validate the dept, or it must be removed from your report!
2006-06-13 17:10:26 · answer #1 · answered by fire4511 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Of course. And then you can contact the credit agency, dispute the charge, and write a letter for them to include with your credit history that declares that you dispute the charge.
Look into that process.
Also, find out which credit agency has the record of this. It may or may not be at all of the big 3. You will probably want to file your letter of dispute at all the ones that say you have the outstanding debt.
You should try to have whatever documentation you have supporting your claim, so you can support it with some proof.
Also, contacting the company or person to get them to corroborate your story - or clarify why it is incorrect - could be helpful. Not sure though, really - depends on the people and the situation.
Make sure you are sure you really do not owe the money. Otherwise disputing it might just dilute your credibility.
You might want to check records with the state or the BBB to see if the debtor has had a lot of people complain about their business practices. If they did you wrong somehow, and it is a business, they might have done the same thing to others. That might be worth looking into too.
Of course, I am not a lawyer or an accountant.
2006-06-13 17:35:06 · answer #2 · answered by John C 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can report you to the collection agency. It is your responsibility to follow up with the company on the validity of their charge. If you have documentation of your certified dispute letter, threaten them with legal action.
2006-06-13 16:45:31 · answer #3 · answered by Cunnilinguist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can. check your state laws for statute of limitations on a collection account. DO NOT under any circumstance acknoledge to the collector that you EVER owned the debt or it could renew the time allowed based on the statute of limitations.
2006-06-13 16:43:56 · answer #4 · answered by Jeremy M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋