I am seeking counsel with a debt problem that has plagued me for nearly 16 years. The situation is as follows: I signed for a student loan check in October 1987 and was called back into the service a week later because of events leading up to the first Gulf War. I never attended any classes at this school and gave them notice that I was withdrawing. Numerous attempts in the 1990s to retrieve the money ($4,000) have not been successful. Since 1998 the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) has offset my tax returns from the IRS for a total of $5,258.23. I wrote the CSAC recently and asked them how much was still owed on the loan. Their reply was $0.00. They later claimed they made a mistake in sending that statement. My problem now is that the IRS is still sending them my tax refunds and CSAC is having collection agencies harass me, sometimes two different agencies simultaneously for the same paid loan. I have been cooperative throughout but am having difficulty with CSAC and their contracted collection agencies. One agency stopped after I sent them the "paid off letter", but CSAC soon asked another agency to collect. My goal is twofold, firstly to stop the offset of my tax returns and secondly to terminate the contact by any and all of their contracted collection agents. Seeing as though I have a signed statement on CSAC letterhead stating I do not owe on the loan, my question is; how can I achieve my goal?
Contact these people: http://sfahelp.ed.gov/ombudsman/index.html They are a government-sponsored office set up to deal with such situations.
YOU SHOULD NEVER OF HAD TO PAY THESE STUDENT LOANS IN THE FIRST PLACE... you need to contact the ombudsman IMMEDIATELY and explain the situation in full, including the fact that you had to leave for military duty... Send letter to: U.S. Department of Education FSA Ombudsman 830 First Street, NE Fourth Floor Washington, DC 20202-5144 They will help, please write them. You will likely be required to fill out an un-paid refund form, but in the end you may get back all the money back that has been offset. My DH was in a similar situation and they ended up discharging the debt and sent a refund for offset taxes. PLEASE WRITE THEM TODAY.
To retrieve the money ($4,000) have not been successful. Since 1998 the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) has offset my tax returns from the IRS for a total of $5,258.23. I wrote the CSAC recently and asked them how much was still owed on the loan. Their reply was $0.00. They later claimed they made a mistake in sending that: =================== Why are you over paying your taxes each year just so they can take your refund? Doing this just makes no sense at all !!!!!! --------------------------------Don't you realize you would be ahead to owe the IRS a couple hundred when you file your tax returns rather than giving this out fit 2 or 3 hundred or what ever your tax refund is on a zero balance.?----------------- THE END ** *** ** LB 59 """""""""```~~~```'"""""""""
Re: Re: Student Loan Quandry I think LB is trying to tell you to adjust your w4 withholding so that instead of getting a refund from the IRS in April, you owe them a few hundred dollars. This way there is no money to be offset Here is a link to the IRS Withholding Calculator: http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96196,00.html Good Luck!
My DH was in a similar situation and they ended up discharging the debt and sent a refund for offset taxes. kit =========== Nobody should get a tax refund. This is a good reason thougt not the main reason . http://www.wtv-zone.com/cal555/atr/T0.html THE END ** *** ** LB 59 """""""""```~~~```'"""""""""
bump... Gnostic, have you written to the ombudsman?? Yours and DHs loan quandry is eerily similar down to the details, so I want to make certain that you get the info posted... email is on if you would like to discuss this further in private (I may have some additional info to help you along).
I wrote to the ombudsman on July 1, 2003 by certified mail but have not received the green card back. I'm still receiving harrassing letters from the collection agency. Any additional advice is appreciated.
You need to call the Ombudsman and keep calling, until you get a specialist assigned to your case. You need to search this board for a poster named "mozilla". E-mail "mozilla" and ask for advice re student loan litigation. The CA and the servicer need to be sued.
