First off, thanks for making this site! I am disputing a charge an old apartment complex is charging me regarding clean up fees. They threatened me with sending it to my credit report. They had an internal collection agency tell me that. They said I could dispute the charge with evidence. At that point I had my lawyer write a letter stating he (my lawyer) would start litigation with them. Him, nor I, have heard anything from them since. From what I understand they cannot send anything to my credit report stating I owe anything because it is in dispute. I reviewed my Credit Report and it says that I owe the apartment complex the money. In a not it says it is in consumer dispute. My questions: Should it be on my credit report at all? Since it is on my credit report under collections, is it adversely effecting my credit score. In the mean time I have sent one dispute to Transunion. Please help! Thanks, Sebastian
Anyone who reports data to a credit bureau must report that information with 100% accuracy. If you dispute it, it can stay on your report as long as it is marked as disputed (as you say it is). If you don't think this is accurate, then report it through the credit reporting agency. They'll ask the apartment if its correct and they must confirm that it is, correct it, or remove it. If they verify it as correct, then it will stay on your report. If this charge is completely bogus, then you'll probably have to sue themt o get them to remove it. If it's just over stated, then you might want to try and negotiate a deal that includes removal from the credit report.
Yes, it is effecting your credit score if the account is under "collections accounts", and significantly effecting it, depending upon the stated age of the account. Legally, you must FIRST dispute with the credit reporting agencies, this fact is buried in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Yes, it does not seem like common sense, and is the exact opposite of what the average person would do, but the law is the law. So, dispute with all of the credit reporting agencies which have it on your credit reports, and await results. If it is a "cleaning charge", you may want to bite the bullet and just pay it, as long as they will put in writing that they will remove it from your credit reports.
