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Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:17 pm Subject: United Collection Bureau...GRRRR

Ok, so I filed my state tax return a couple of weeks ago...I was going to get back $292.00 by direct deposit.

UCB has a couple of accounts for me from Ohio State Univ. Hospital, where I spent 1 night a year ago after being hit by another vehicle. All of the bills will be covered by my settlement which hopefully will be completed soon, since I've officially been released from my orthopedic doctor. YAY!

My attorney sent UCB letters of protection, stating that they will be paid when we get paid by State Farm. Everything was cool, or so I thought.

I get a letter from the State of Ohio stating that they offset my tax return. Since OSU is a state run hospital, they took my tax return. So I called the number they gave me at the Ohio Attorney Generals office..When I put in the account number, it forwarded me to UCB. I about threw a fit.

I called my attorney, and he doesn't understand why they would do that without a judgement, and especially after receiving the letter of protection.

I'll get the money back eventually in my settlement, but it just makes me mad. That $292 would have taken care of another one of these stupid payday loans...or my car payment...Or a LOT of things. $292 barely makes a dent in the $3500 bill from the hosptital.

What makes it worse, is the accident was not even my fault, but I'm the one who's been pooped on for the last 12 months.

I'll be Ok though..Just had to vent.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 2:55 pm Subject:

Jessi

Have you spoken to your attorney about seeking a rather large settlement against the other insurance company.

Also, is your attorney the one who is handling your debts during that time, or just the accident case?

Regards-
Mike

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 3:03 pm Subject:

He'll be paying all of my bills out of the settlement.

I also want to try to get all of these bills taken off my credit report....They were not my fault, and had it not been for the jackass driving too fast on the ice, I would not be in this mess. It has added about $10,000 of debt..Which I know will be paid, but I don't want it showing on my credit report..I don't know what to do about it though. It's annoying.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 3:50 pm Subject:

Jessi, it sucks is what it does!!!! I understand they were a state hospital and all, but just wonder if CAs ponder on ways of getting their hands on our income tax returns since its that time of year. I know nows the time I usually get letters from collecion agencies offering me a 'income tax' special half off bargan.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 4:00 pm Subject:

Jessi, I hate to tell you this but I think your attorney should be doing something about this, or he just doesn't care. My sister was hit by someone when they ran a stop sign, and she had more than $40,000 in medical bills..it took over a year to settle her claims. Her lawyer gave her letters of protection, and if the company accepts the letters, then they have to honor them...so your lawyer should pursue it and get that fixed for you.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 4:11 pm Subject:

he's checking into it...He's in court today, so he's going to call me on Monday.

What I'm worried about, is I didn't hear anything from UCB for 9 months, and now that they got $292 from me, are they going to start bugging me again for more? It could be a month, or a year, or more before this gets settled.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:53 pm Subject:

But it is absolutely ridiculous that this is going on YOUR credit, the man who caused the accident should have HIS credit ruined, not yours. I hope it gets fixed for you.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:58 pm Subject:

I know...I'm hoping to get these things removed completely...Had it not been for State Farm's client hitting me, I wouldn't have had the bills. I surely didn't break my own leg..lol

Basically, the creditors feel that I should pay the bills myself, and then be reimbursed for them....That would be fine if I had the money to do that..I was strapped for cash when this happened..And even more so now, since i had to take a month of work to recover, I'm barely keeping up..Which is what got me into the payday loan cycle..etc...etc...So I'm slowly crawling out, but I don't need this accident haunting me for the next 10 years.

Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:55 pm Subject:

That's awful! A hospital intercepting your tax return is theiving charlatanry. Only the federal government can authorize a tax offset, not the state. Also, doctors and hospitals can't press you for money the way credit cards and loans can! A crime has taken place here!

Guest · Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 5:00 am Subject:

that's why my attorney thinks something weird is going on...For them to do that, wouldn't they need a judgement anyway?

It went through the attorney generals office, so techically the government did authorize it..the hospital knows it was a car accident claim...Who knows. It's aggrivating.

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:34 am Subject:

I always thought that the only way to garnish a income tax/state tax refund was by a judgement. How can they just come in and take the money?

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:16 am Subject:

I don't know...According to the CA it is because it is a state run school...But wouldn't they still need a judgement? Or at least notify me prior?

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:56 am Subject:

They should have to give prior notice that they were attaching to your state refund. I wouldn't let them get away with this where it is a claim from a car accident and a settlement is in the works. Your attorney should have a letter of protection sent to them on your behalf.

Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:13 am Subject:

I'll know more early next week.

I'll get the money back, it's just the principal of the thing.

All I know is I would have waited to file my state tax if I would have known they were going to pull this crap.

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