Please help!!

Kathy,
Do the CA's have entries on your reports? If the OCs will work with you, deal directly with them. If they won't work with you and call the CA dogs off, send a validation letter to the CAs that require them to send you proof that you owe. That's a first step. Also, collection activity must stop if you send them a validation request, or if you don't want to deal with them at all, a letter stating so will make them quit by law. (Send all correspondance CRRR)

If you feel you need to pay the judgement, then do so. Any creditor will prefer this even though it may not impact your FICO. After paying it off, wait 3-6 months and send a dispute to the CRAs, and then maybe follow up with a validation letter. I did the same and had two judgements removed-never reappeared.

Hope that helps...

 

Kathy, I don't have any experience with Utility companies. Are the accounts charged off, past due, or what status? Were the CAs assigned by the Utility Companies to collect, or did they purchase the debt?

Unfortunately, there isn't much room for negotiating judgements. It's either pay and then dispute and validate, or wait several months (without paying) then dispute and validate until it drops off. A good time to dispute and validate would be around Christmas time when everyone goes on vacation (courthouse employees would be the ones to validate) But you might want to wait until then or the CRAs may find repeated disputes as frivolous.

 

Before I say anything, go here http://www.collectionindustry.com/index.cfm?id=4 and look them up to see if they are the same or not.

Also, look here http://www.nascio.org/stateSearch/displayCategory.cfm?Category=regulation to see if they are registered to collect in your state.

Also, regarding Validating debts go here: http://www.creditinfocenter.com/rebuild/debt_validation.shtml

 

Kathy, from what we've discussed, this is what I recommend, but you may want a second opinion.

If you are set on paying: Contact the OC with an offer to pay each bill and try to negotiate deletion from you reports. If you pay them directly, they won't have to pay the CAs their fees. Make sure you get a paid in full reciept. If they can't get the CAs to delete, you could do one of several things: send copies of the paid reciepts to each CRA and request deletion of the TL. If that doesn't work, validate with the CAs. When they go to the OCs for proof to validate, the OCs shouldn't give them anything because the accounts should be paid and closed. Irregardless, if the CAs are acting as agents of the OC, they should do what the OC asks, so work with them.

On the other hand, if the debts were bought as you think they were, you can still negotiate with the OC and do the above. Chances are they still won't be able to validate. Very rarely are suitable documents included in bought debt.

If there is any way you could feel comfortable without paying the debt but still go the validation route, you probably stand a comparable chance of getting what you want. As far as the judgement goes, I think I spoke to that above. That being said you should probably follow a wait and validate route as well.

I hope this answers your questions and is some help. I would be anxious to hear what some of the others would say...

 

One other thing, you may want to do a search on NCO on this board if you haven't done so already. I think I've read about some of their practices. You do have some leverage as well with the fact they may not be licensed in your state to collect. And remember to record any conversations, perhaps when you try to be the good person and pay your debts you may be able to catch them in FCRA and FDCPA violations that would result in deletions.

 

Glad I could be of some help. Good luck! and keep us posted...

 

Firs step see if the judgment can be vacated

Was the judgment properly served
Can it be vacated?