Just found out that one c/a owns 3 of my derogs. They are all new 00, 01, 01 and TX has 4 years SOL. I sent a validate letter CRRR picked up 12/20/01 and they never sent any proof-absolutely nothing. I did call the SOS and this company is not bonded they lost their bond in Feb and so far have not gotten another. These 3 accts are medical and total 1500$ together. The lady at the SOS office said a c/a can get a bond at any time. I am online disputing (as of today) w/ Experian. I am also planning to send an estoppel letter Monday (they will get in 2-3 days tops). I need reconfirming that I did not overstep any boundaries. I plan to call the SOS monday and get a letter stating this company is not bonded. I did put I wanted a response in 7 days or I will be taking them to court for violations. Any advice?
34 hits and no opinions??? Maybe I should wait and see if they are deleted before I send them anymore letters?
Has the ca ever contacted you, and if so, when? You might think about sending them a demand letter to remove all entries from your report now as they are not bonded, and therefore, not a validly licensed ca. And since reporting to the cra would be considered collection activity, that would be illegal since they are not bonded. Lets see if anyone else agrees with me.
You both sound reasonable to me. Sure, the CA could get a bond anytime. On the other hand, I can get a driver's license anytime. But if I choose to drive a car here in Tennessee and get pulled over, that excuse ("Gosh, officer, I don't have a license right now, but I can go downtown and apply for one anytime") just wouldn't carry much weight. The bottom line is that the CA failed to renew their bond, so they are breaking the law by continuing any collection activity at all if indeed your state is one of those which requires that CAs be bonded. (For that matter, does your state require a collection license as well, and did the CA let that lapse too? It's worth finding out.) I like LKH's comment about putting together a really strong demand letter and being aggressive with that. Moreover, if the alleged debt is substantial, then you might consider getting a lawyer's assistance as well. Doc
LAT, They broke the law! Updating your CR's while not bonded is an attempt to collect a debt. Get the letter from sos and send a copy with the strong letter. Specifically quote the Texas Finance Code stating they attempted collection activity while not bonded. Also remember the original creditor is breaking the law also if they continiue to use a non-bonded CA after you have notified them of such. Remember I had a non-bonded CA who ignored validation and updated my CR. It took sending them a letter stating their violations, providng sos letter, and stating my intent to sue to get deletions. They are not bonded that's the bottom line. They are operating illegally and committing a criminal act by attempting to collect a debt. Make sure you tell them that and state you will report them to the AG, SOS, and OCCC. Also something I didn't have to try but might work is this. Send sos letter to CRA's. Maybe they will delete knowing that the collector is operating illegally. Think about it. The CRA is assisting a criminal.
