Allowed to sue?
Date: Thu, 04/16/2009 - 12:00
I'm also dealing with a law firm locally that is trying to collect medical debt that I've disputed several times with the original creditor. The older part of the debt is 8 years old. The newer part is almost 1 year old. I'm being charged for services that were incorrectly billed to me. I don't know if the old debt becomes new, or if it's separate.
Thanks in advance, everyone! I've read every post on here (took a while!), and I feel a little more empowered to deal with them now!
I think that you should send them a debt validation letter by ce
I think that you should send them a debt validation letter by certified mail to check whether you owe them money or not. As a proper debt validation the creditor must send you details of the actual amount you had borrowed, the amount you have already paid and the outstanding amount (including interest and late payments). Once you send a debt validation letter, the creditor must stop collection of the debt unless they properly validate the debt.
On top of that, make sure that you note the day you received the
On top of that, make sure that you note the day you received the letter on your dispute. What's the date on the postal cancellation (if you still have the envelope)?
Also send those disputes to the Credit Reporting Agencies themselves, with the statement that: to the best of my knowledge, this is not my debt. When you send the dispute to the CRA, the creditors have 30 days (possible to extend it to 45 days) to respond to the CRA with **proper documentation** detailing the connection of the debt to you. If they cannot, then the CRA must remove any black marks from your credit report(s) and furnish you with the corrected copy.
Send these letters out *today*. Asset Acceptance is sue happy (do a Google search for ["asset acceptance" complaints] - over 6,000 hits) so you want to have as much documentation in your defense as possible.
Also, on that old hospital debt. 8 years sounds like it's past SOL. Certainly, it should be removed from your credit reports by now (if not, dispute).
