Can a collection agency list my account as paid, if I never had any dealings with them? I paid the Original Creditor (apartment complex). Any suggestions on how I should address this issue. I have a fax forwarded to me by the original creditor stating to the collection agency, "Please clear a record for (Jane Doe), she in fact paid in full with the office the amount that she owed. If you need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me." In response, the collection agency replied to the original creditor, "It should reflect on her credit report within 30 days that this is "paid out." This doesn't sound like a deletion nor does it sounds like the collection agency is acting in accordance with the original creditor. I can't see how they can report this as paid out when I never paid the collection agency a dime.
Was the payment to the apartment complex reasonably timely, or was there a mix-up in where they sent any final bill, or in any security deposit and damage repair itemization required by state law? Did the apartment complex claim it would pull the account back from the CA, or remove the TL, on your payment of the account?
No, it was not timely. Yet, it was when I became aware of the collection. 02/15/05. I applied for a new apartment complex and was told that I had an outstanding debt with a previous apartment. This is the debt. I contacted the apartment and paid it. Verbally, the property management told me it was be taken care with the CA. 06/21/06. I pulled my Credit report and discovered the Collection Agency was still reporting the debt - unpaid. 06/21/06. I CMRR'ed the DV to the CA. 06/30/06. I Disputed with the CRA's. (There investigation has been reported to me.) 07/03/06. The CA sent me a copy of my lease and a bill stating I still owed. 07/03/06. I made a request to the OC to have this listing removed. The property manager used the word cleared in her email to the CA. 07/05/06 The CA's first response to the OC was to asked for the date of payment. Next CA reported to the OC that my account would be updated as paid out within 30 days. I don't think the property manager understands that removal, cleared and paid out are not the same. I have again forwarded a request to the OC to instruct the CA to remove - not to mark paid. I haven't heard back yet. Will I have any foundation to dispute with the CRAs that I didn't have any direct relationship with the CA. I didn't paid them anything. Do I have any other options. I realize that the CA is attempting to punish me for settling the debt with the original credit, not the CA.
Did the apartment complex meet its own legal obligations to bill you timely? Did you provide them a forwarding address that they could use to notify you of repairs required after move-out, so they could bill you or return your deposit, and did they use it?
"I realize that the CA is attempting to punish me for settling the debt with the original credit, not the CA." Even if you paid the OC, their contract with the CA would determine whether they owed the CA a fee. Some CAs believe God appointed them to judge consumers. But business is about keeping customers happy, not judging them. You were a customer of the OC. The OC is a customer of the CA. If the CA wants more business, they want to keep the OC happy. You want the OC to have reason to keep you happy, either based on human nature, or based on the effect an unhappy customer will have on future business, if not yours, then others.
