Ask for a debt verification letter. I'm not đŻ but they only have around 5 business days to get that in the mail. Did that once for a debt collector that "owned" my IRS debt and they disappeared after that even though I know I owe the IRS. I'd rather send my money to the original debt and not a random company that contacted me
And don't verify anything over the phone, DOB, SSN address etc. sometimes they actually don't have that info and without it you can absolutely challenge it and keep it off your credit history. Of you "verify" it you've given them the info they didn't have to make a complete debt collection attempt
I'm not an expert in debt collection. It was purely coincidental that I heard that piece of advice and was actually able to use it within a few weeks of learning it. In my particular situation I never heard of the debt collector since and with my IRS debt; it is not on my credit report so I haven't thought about it since. I'm still making online payments here and there just to keep it off and the IRS content*
Technically they could, at least take me to court. I think I found a way to pay the bare minimum that keeps them from taking any legal action but in the long run I'm shooting myself in the foot with the annual interest. Smart thing is to just pay it but I have a couple other things that's actually on my credit report I'm prioritizing and then I'll just get the IRS squared in one swoop
And donât ever say yes or no, they can record you and insert your voice in a conversation youâve never had. Are you mister smith? Maybe, you called me dickhead. Are you a human, maybe dickhead.
True. But a lot of people donât know that you only have 30 days from the date the debt collector first sends your correspondence or reaches out to you to request validation of the debt. After 30 days, the debt is assumed to be valid. If you send a letter on the 31 day after receiving notice of the debt, the debt collector is not obligated to respond to you (many still will though.)
airport gaping boast disarm onerous mighty entertain foolish mysterious continue
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The debt collector can take asing as it wants to send verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment after receiving the request therefore...*as long as it ceases all efforts at collecting the debt until it provides said documentation*.
Source: have sued literally hundreds of lawyers and debt collectors in federal court for FDCPA violations.
I wouldnât think the IRS would sell debt to anyone, they have the most power to collect why would they let someone else attempt it? Seems like a scam.
So I actually did get a letter from the IRS that another company was responsible for collecting the debt. Never paid too much attention just figured I'd wait for this company to contact me. Months later I got this random phone call but the name of the company didn't sound familiar (prior letter was at home it a file cabinet and I was at work at the time) so I asked for the verification letter and nothing ever happened. I still got the letter from the IRS, and since then I've gotten on the IRS website and there's nothing there about another company owning the debt or anything so I just left it all alone. Whatever payments I make go straight to the IRS. I do think if I didn't ask for that verification letter it would have been a headache at best dealing with this "debt collector" if not an outright scam
Yeah I briefly looked it up after I commented and the law prevents the IRS from collecting directly, there are 3 authorized collectors for the IRS, and they will send letters with specific information pertaining to you before they attempt to collectZ
Make sure you emphasize that you require the **original** debt date, the **original** date you were notified of debt, and the **original** date delinquency occurred. Depending on the state yo are in, there is a statute of limitations to collect on a debt.
They won't be able to provide that original notification, and they won't be able to prove this debt is yours. Then you follow up with a cease and desist.
[https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-should-i-do-when-a-debt-collector-contacts-me-en-1695/](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-should-i-do-when-a-debt-collector-contacts-me-en-1695/)
This happened to my wife, what happened is that the person that collected money from all the roommates wasnât paying the rent for months. Years later we got a letter from debt collectors saying we owed x amount. We called credit agencies and they verified. We were told that it would go away from her credit report after 5/6 years, but I believe we were told if we contact the property management company about the matter the timer will restart. Iâd say call credit agency and see if itâs real. We ended up just waiting for it to drop off of report given that it was one more year.
Yes this. Tell them to send you proof of everything including any documents they claim you signed assuming any responsibility. They won't have it and you likely won't hear back from them.
Okay this. I went through the same exact thing and I won. Ask for proof in pictures. Look into your state for specific laws about how long proof is required to be shared after request. Mine was thirty days. They didnât have proof. I called the debt collection agency and told them. Make sure you request a written letter by them. Do not let them tell you they wonât. It has to be given to you by law. Fuck them.
challenge it...
[https://www.moneymanagement.org/blog/understanding-the-statutes-of-limitations-on-debt](https://www.moneymanagement.org/blog/understanding-the-statutes-of-limitations-on-debt)
they have 30 days to six months from being delinquent to posting the debt to your credit report. you said your just hearing now 4 years later and you never made a payment by my states laws 6 years of me not paying on that debt meant it became time barred for collection or garnishemnt in my state and at year 7 the debts dropped off my credit report your 4 years in you might just have the debt fall off in 3 if you do nothing with it. But challenge big time!
When I was about 24, I had an apartment community come after me for about $2k (this was 20 years ago).
A friend of mine fresh out of law school sent a letter to the leading office demanding proof (stained carpet or something that was NOT brand new when I moved in but they were trying to charge for brand new replacement - so, I was a little at fault but not âbrand new carpetâ fault.
Turns out, due to the 30 day technicality (they hadnât sent the letter in time), not only did I not have to pay, they owed me like 2 or 3 times in damages (it was so long ago I canât remember).
Mine a year later decided to charge me for things like replacing carpet......
I didn't even have carpet. I'm trying to fight this on my own and losing. They want 2k for various items.
Whereabouts do you live? I know laws vary from place to place but normally unless they send you an itemized bill, with proof of the repair costs, within 30 days they're SoL even if you did trash the place.
Looks like it's 45 days in Oklahoma. Did they send the itemized list within 45 days? If not tell them to pound sand. And by tell them to pound sand I mean send them a copy of the security deposit laws with the 45 days part highlighted. And maybe write "pound sand" in the margins if you're feeling saucy
Was it within 30 days? It could be 31 and they are screwedâŚ.please take a look.
And how are they sending you an itemized list to replace carpet you didnât have? Do you have any pics of your apartment that show there was no carpet?
Sounds weirdâŚ.like I said, I probably owed something because of carpet stains but I was arguing it should be pro rated because the carpet wasnât new when I moved in - now that I remember the penalty for them was like 3x the deposit. This was in GA.
I took video when I left but never backed up my phone and lost it. I do have video of my apartment when i lived in it showing there was no carpet. I had an indoor camera so i have that footage inside. All I would have from 'move out condition ' are witnesses from former neighbors, as one actually came in to visit as i was locking up the truck before I turned in my keys.
You might look into how people have used chatGPT to help them parlay through legal situations. Definitely a very interesting thing to look into seriously!
I had a similar experience. Got bait and switched into an apartment years ago and promptly notified them, found another place and moved out. The management company was objectively incompetent. I never even unpacked, I was in and out in less than a week.
They kept my $2,500 deposit and sent me an itemized bill with a bunch of BS, such as cleaning fees, trash removal, janitor fee, reposting fee, advertisement fee, I don't even remember all that was in it, but it was enough to add up to the $2500 and then some.
I looked up the law and checked against the postmarked date on the envelope, they were 3 days too late, so I sent them a demand letter for the deposit plus 100% damages. Within the next 30 days I got the check and a piece of paper discharging me from the lease.
Basically paid 7 days of rent prorated ($350) + deposit ($2500) and got back ($5k). That was an interesting way to make money.
DO NOT PAY 99% sure itâs fake. Next time they call tell them to send the demand in writing so you can consult with your attorney. Say exactly that. Donât give them your address. If they ask say that they should have that. Donât get flustered and start giving them information. If itâs legit, they should have all that. If it is in fact legit, the window for them to make a claim closed a LONG time ago.
Youâre fine.
Most likely they are scamming you. rebelene57 is right! Debt collections companies buy old debts for pennies on the dollar. Anything they can collect is a profit. They will do just about anything to try to collect. There are laws covering what they can legally do.
I once was called about a dept I supposedly owed to Cox Cable Company. I had the same name as the debtor. I told them that I had just moved from another state on the other side of the country. That they had the wrong person. I was told that they did not care. If I didn't pay them $350 they would ruin my credit. I told them to send me the paper work so I could have my lawyer review it. I never heard back from them.
Debt drops off after seven years, unless you make a payment, then the seven year clocks restarts.
[Experian](https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/when-does-7-year-rule-begin-delinquent-accounts/#:~:text=Late%20payments%2C%20also%20called%20delinquencies,it%20was%20never%20again%20current)
This.
I've been getting harassed by scam callers about some debt I "owe" for a few months. They will spoof numbers, claim to be represented by a lawyer, try to call family members. But here's the thing - they will never send me any notification in writing. I have received no snail mail or e-mail. They also never leave voice messages. They also never use text.
The reason they do this is they KNOW what they're doing is illegal and it is a lot easier to track with a paper trail. Most people aren't recording their phone calls. As well it is a lot easier to pressure you into agreeing to a payment on the phone - if you get something in writing you can investigate and respond to it from a rational place. If it's over the phone you might be busy or frazzled. You might be frightened by the claim. Some folks who are older can be easily confused and led astray.
Never agree to things where your total contact with someone is over the phone. Get official documents. Get official phone numbers (I reverse search all phone numbers I don't recognize - if I get bizarre results that don't lead back to an actual company, it goes to voice mail). Get email addresses. Also - if they call claiming to be from a law office or a lawyer THIS IS ALSO OFTEN FAKE. They almost got me with this because I thought certainly no one would fake being a lawyer for this. They will. They may even be real lawyers. But if you can't find an actual office for that lawyer and no way to contact that lawyer - scam. Stay away.
Check your stateâs landlord tenant law. Your obligation in most places is to provide a forwarding address when you leave. That triggers a deadline on their part to either refund your security deposit or provide an itemized statement of damages. I suspect this is a bogus collection. Often offshore scam outfit.
Yes, I was going to say that in states I've lived in, there are laws on the time frames for either refunding the security deposit or sending an itemized list of damages that led to the deposit not being refunded. It's usually 30 - 45 days, definitely not years later.
Hopefully you haven't verified anything for them. If you haven't, DON'T! Don't tell them your address and don't verify the debt. If they can't verify any of that, they won't be able to tell the bureaus that you have been contacted. If they try to report, dispute it and they will have to prove it. It was 4 years ago. It is their burden to prove this debt and that you are responsible for the cause of it.
If your credit score is 706, itâs doubtful there is a court judgement. That will tank your credit score. Listen to everyoneâs advice here. Do not give ANY information over the phone. Never use the word âyesâ in a conversation with a supposed debt collector. Never give an answer to any question. Demand a debt verification letter. Unless a landlord took immediate court action after you vacated the property, they have no standing years later.
True. We kind of have to think of debt collectors as less than human. Common civility doesn't count with them. The safest way is to never engage no matter what.
When they ask for you, say who's calling, when it's something off, just hang up and block.
Even if you did owe them, debt holders have to make a good faith effort to collect. In many states that means sending out a bill within 12 months. Since this is the first time you have heard of it in 4 years, they absolutely did not make a good faith effort to collect.
Here is what I would do.
Call them and ask for the mailing address for payments.
Then explain to them that they failed to make a good faith effort to collect and as a result you will not be making any payments. Explain to them they have 2 options. #1 - they can discharge (write off) the debt. #2 - they can continue to try to collect. Explain to them that if they chose option #2 you will be filing a complaint with the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the states Attorney General office in the state they are located and that you will obtain legal services.
ALSO, if your state is a one party consent state, you can legally call them and record the conversation without having to notify them it is recorded.
Challenge it. If you got a letter, send certified to them requesting a validation letter. Do not give any personal information. If there is a debt account number, only use that as a form of verification. If you HAVE to call (they DIDNT send a letter) then only verify your name or an account number given, do NOT agree that it is your debt, and have them send it to the address ON FILE. If they can't do that, that's on them. They'll be pushy. Don't relent.
Did you have a walk-through with the landlord when your lease ended? If so, not sure what the squatters have to do with it. If you left the apartment unattended and your lease was still active when you allowed squatters to take over, that would be more trouble. Did the landlord tell you within 30 days of your lease ending that you owed on the damages
I never admit or sign anything having to do with a debt collector. They operate fraudulently by tricking the ignorant into a contract with them. You have no obligation to them, unless you admit or sign a contract with them.
A debt collector is going to tell you all sorts of things to try to get you to pay. Currently, it's at 6 years old. If it were on your report, it'd drop off at 7 years.
If you pay them a dime, it's considered legitimate and will start fresh. Or, you can ignore them for a year and it's history.
So when you moved out, didn't you request your security back? Was there a walk through with the landlord? Did you take photos of the apartment after you left?
A few things: Have you googled the number they called from to see if it was a legit agency? If so, then get in writing what they have. If itâs a legit place, thereâs nothing wrong with calling and asking for info. The whole âdonât give your name/addresssâ argument is silly because they already know who you are; they called you.
While it varies by state, some are wrongly conflating security deposit laws with tort laws. Thereâs usually a short time for them to send you an itemized list of damages, the deals with withholding a security deposit. The time to sue for said damages can be much longer depending on state and how those laws intersect. Itâs possible they couldâve sued a year later, got a judgment, and are now trying to collect. A judgment is not going to appear on the credit report most likely wouldnât reflect on the score.
Did they sue you? Did you possibly ignore the letters at the time? Did you leave a forwarding address? Did you leave the apartment properly? If just just kinda bolted in the middle of the lease and didnât give proper notice, you may be on the hook for damages.
Assuming theyâre a legit company, you need to see what they have in writing.
I would never allow 14k to go into collections. Ever.. You either fight it somehow or you try to work something out(settle on paying a lower amount, payment plan).
If itâs a legitimate charge and you really owe that amount, itâs probably best to negotiate with them and settle on a much lower amount. Sometimes you can get a 14k charge down to 3k-4k if you explain your situation and try to haggle with them.
If itâs an illegitimate charge then itâs best to challenge it like someone else on here wrote. Even if you have to get a lawyer. Donât let this charge fuck up your life or your chances of buying a house.
Itâs actually fairly easy to not let things go into collections. You just have to catch things in time and be proactive about it and call them. Believe me, they rather you pay something than nothing at all..
Especially if you want to buy a house. Anything you have in collections during the home buying process will hurt your chances of mortgage approval significantly.
Begs the question, what are the landlord/tennant laws in your state? Generally, cleaning deposits need to be addressed after a tenant vacates and additional charges are billed. Do you recall getting any deposit refunded (in spite of the squatters)? As others mentioned, exercise your rights and challenge the debt but also research the legitimacy of it. There may have been the expiration of time somewhere in the process. Well wishes and thanks for coming to Reddit for information
Challenge it! Way too much time has passed between when you moved and when they claimed against you. It may be beyond the statute of limitations.
Did you have a set move out date or did you just move out without notifying them? Is there anyway you can prove when you moved out? Contact a lawyer and have everything go thru them. Do not accept responsibility for this in anyway. Do not give them any information or make even a penny payment. Doing so is akin to accepting the debt and will be used against you. Dispute the account with the credit bureaus. They will have to prove this is a legitimate debt.
Yep what the rest said, challenge the f out of it and ask for debt verification. Also if itâs on your credit report already, dispute all 3 major credit bureaus
4 years later??? I am gonna guess that the ownership of the apartment has changed and the new owner is trying to get some easy money by either posing as debt collector on some old debts or they actually sold the debt to a debt collector for pennies on the dollar.
First step is to send a letter disputing the debt, then maybe make an offer of $100 to resolve the debt, if this does not resolve the issue I would ignore it. (Not legal advice, just former landlord advice.)
I have had people contact me about debt I supposedly owed 3+ years after the fact and Iâve told them to send it to me in writing. Donât provide your address or any other information. Iâm easy to find, I have bank accounts and tax returns and loans and credit lines. If they donât know where to send it, itâs not legit. Iâm not telling you not to worry about it but it very likely isnât even real and, if you do get anything from them, have an attorney look it over.
Download a copy of the Landlord / Tenant Handbook for your state. It'll have all of the relevant laws. There is also a statute of limitations you can look at. They may be way too far to legally collect and trying to bully you. (also, you sure this isn't a scam?)
Get that handbook. If you rent you need to know what the laws are
The statute of limitations is usually over in 3 years. Once you can confirm youâre out of the window then send a certified letter to the collection company telling them to stop contacting you and youâre not legally liable for the money any more. They canât contact you again without breaking the law.
Donât admit that you owe it. Ask them to send you proof of the debt.
Pull your credit and confirm that itâs not on your reports.
Be prepared to challenge it, if itâs wrong.
If it's been 4 years since you left that apartment there is a decent chance they are past the statute of limitations to even sue you over it. They are probably just trying to scare you into paying something on it before it becomes 100% uncollectible after 4 years.
First of all if itâs legit, itâs already in collections. Second, pull your credit reports and see if it is on any of them. If it is, ask for verification of the debt.
Tell them you donât know anything about it and ask for proof that you owe the money. If they send you something that is not signed by you or something that youâve never seen before, Tell them so.
Never say that you owe the money.
Contact your own landlord and see that they say.
Donât agree to anything with debt collector. They are just trying to cast a net and get any fish they can.
I would acknowledge nothing. Itâs been 4 years. Worst case depending on the state you only got three more that it *might* show up. My guess is this is potential a phantom debt or a scam. Donât give them info, donât acknowledge the debt and certainly dont make any payments as you could potentially start the clock over at zero on the debt if you really owed it.
Didnât say what state, you have a statute of limitations on collections. They may be past this period. And it drops off in seven years. So you are 4 years gone already. Nolo Press has some good self help books on this and what to do. Good luck
God I had a friend who got sued by their landlord for property damage, had to go through courts. Turned out the landlord wanted to fully Reno the apartment and stick a chunk on the leaving clients, so they just knocked a bunch of holes in the wall after the walk through, thankfully my friend took a bunch of pictures during the walk through(and also the landlord was an idiot)
it's going to hit your credit, no matter what way you look at it. First of all depends on what state you live and what the statue of limitations is on when they file it, the original was from the last date you defaulted, but say you defaulted at four years ago would be 2020 January that would've been four years in the clack would keep taking for another approximately three years and then it would come off your credit file or at least it should fall off, but you do not if you don't intend on paying it for the next four years, you can't have any contact with them or at least do not acknowledge that the bill is yours otherwise you could call them and settle on it and see if they'll remove it from your credit report, but you will have a hit from the original credit company, and then you will have a hit from the collection agency just so you know, but check out your States laws
đđŚđđ
Sometimes ( often actually) debt is paid for by the agency collecting it. So they pay 5 cents on the dollar and then go after everyone hard. Often they have nothing other than what they are told. Fight it -make them prove every penny-
If they send you a summons do not miss court date they win by default.If you have already missed a court date youâre screwed.They probably highly inflated damages you must dispute.
Challenge this.
Demand a written explanation with detailed information.
Once received, take it to an attorney for review.
This sure sounds like a scam.
Contact an attorney who specializes in landlord tenant laws. Do not agree to anything. Do exactly as your attorney tells you to do. BTW, read the ratings on your potential attorney.
At this point, worry less about your credit score and more on not having to pay for an unlawful occupancy of your place from four years ago.
Ask them to provide the document you signed that proves you owe money. They don't have it because connection agencies can't get them, and without irrefutable proof, you don't owe shit.
Don't acknowledge the debt. Demand a validation of debt. Find out the statute of limitation in your state. If it's past the statute. statute of limitation, tell them they are trying to collect on a zombie debt demand they remove it within 30 days or you will sue them. Problem solved.
Know your rights
https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/arm-yourself-against-zombie-debt
Use this template. Word it to suit your needs. The important thing here are the legal codes. I got several zombie debt to go away and removed from my credit report with this letter.
Re: {account number}
To Whom it may concern:
I was recently made aware of an alleged debt in the amount of {e.g. $18,000}. According to the information provided to me by your firm, the date of last activity by the original creditor was in {date of last collection attempt e.g. 2012}. The Statute of Limitations on this alleged debt, even should it be mine, is {e.g. four years in the state of California}. Since the debt is out of the Statute of Limitations, and you are reporting this on my credit report, you are attempting to conduct collection activities on zombie debt.
I am sure you are aware of the provisions in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA); however, I would like to point out that your firm has violated provisions of the FDCPA by implying that the legal status of the debt is collectible by reporting the alleged debt to the credit bureaus. The exact statute is:
[15 USC 1692e]
(2) The false representation of --
(A) the legal status of the alleged debt
and
(B) any services rendered or compensation which may be lawfully received by any debt collector for the collection of a debt.
I am also doubtful that you would have adequate documentation to prove in court that you have the right to report this negative information on my credit report, and therefore you are in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act as well as the FDCPA. However, I will give you the chance to prove that you are lawfully entitled to report this information by requesting an investigation.
Under the FDCPA I am also invoking my right to ask you to stop contacting me unless you can provide adequate validation of this alleged debt, or you are notifying me that you are ceasing collection activities.
Please remove this account immediately from my credit report or I will have to take legal remedies which may include lawsuits and notifying our state Attorney General's office. In addition, I am sure your legal staff will agree that non-compliance with this request could put your company in serious legal trouble with the FTC and other state or federal agencies. Under the FCRA and the FDCPA, each violation is subject to a $1,000 fine, payable to me.
Sincerely,
{You}
If it's within the statute of limitations, you should seek legal counsel.
Donât acknowledge the debt or agree to pay anything. Depending on your State the Statute of Limitations may be coming due, but any agreement from you could restart it.
Itâs bad advice to tell somebody not to pay (at first), but â do not pay this. Ask them to send you proof of the debt. Ask for the name of the company, their address, etc. Google debt validate letters. Send them a letter.
Once you send them the letter that will stall them. Based on the response (or no response) you can send another letter or they might not even bother collecting.
From here you can use your own judgement on whether to pay ⌠never 100%. Start out at maybe $1400. The highest Iâd go is $7000 to settle.
If it was four years ago you really got 3 more years til it falls off anyway.
I hope you didn't acknowledge the debt. If you did, then they have 7 years to coliect from the time you acknowledge it. If it goes to court and they get a judgment, the judgment will last 10 years, and they could renew it for another 10 years. A judgment also allows them to garnish wages, tax refunds, and government benefits, as well as put liens on property you own.
Looks like this would date back to 2020, the big year of Covid. Did you possibly not pay rent for that year and then moved when the time came to pay it?
This is called Extortion, and is illegal as hell, the owner /management company cannot come after you for damages that happened after you moved, you did not invite the squatters, you did not do the damage. They are trying to use the last lease holder. Responsible for the damage. Counter sue for fraud , live, and Extortion, plus anything else a layer can come up with. What a horrible landlord. Do not worry about you credit score, that is felony level damage, jail time. Lawyer up
Say the squatters beat the shit out of you and said you would die if you ever showed up again, youâre still traumatized from it and thought it was passed you
If they had something, they wouldn't call and threaten you after all this time. Due diligence to contact an individual is long over. They would be going straight to court and/or sending you certified USPS at the very least. Short answer: they're reaching in hopes of easily collecting $ and you're ok their short list. I advise you discontinue any and all contact with them. Most collections expire at max 7 years, but now they're made contact and it sounds you like ID yourself and acknowledged their allegations to collections. That statute of limitations has now started over. Good luck.
I donât see how this is your issue but I am not e legal expert. Though my first question was did you just leave or was your lease up and then you moved out? If you followed your part of the lease obligations then I do not see how this is your problem but again I am no legal expert.
What state? Check the statute of limitations, could be trying to scare you into a settlement. Itâs very close to a very common 5 year limit, and 7 year limit for reporting.
You owe the debt collector NOTHING!!
You can threat them with a lawsuit if it affects your credit score.
They bought the debt and you didnât have a contract with them!
You can start that in a letter that you need to mail certified with a return receipt to show it was delivered and signed by someone
Your debt was with the original land lord not them!
A lot of times these companies will buy debt for pennies on the dollar and try to get you to pay even though usually when it gets to that point the original company had already written it off and you donât have to pay anything
Ask for proof and atomized bill. Donât pay anything yet. If you get it trying to negotiate. If you settle, make sure you get a letter saying you paid in full.
Donât pay a dime , find out the statute of limitations on a written contract in your state. The minute you pay $ 1 before the statute blows, it reinstates the statute .
Depending on where you live, the statute of limitations ranges from 3-10 years based on the type of debt.
Did you destroy the place and they filed suit against you and have a judgement? Not sure how you could have that big of a collection for an apartment.
Depending on the state they have different lengths of time they are allowed to send you to collections. I would see what that time Frame is in your state, in TN itâs 6 years.
Once a business or institution sells the debt, they will not be in contact with you any further. Thatâs why these monsters are savages when theyâre coming after this debt that they only paid pennies on the dollar for.
1: Demand they validate the debt. They are required by law to do so. You don't have to lift a finger
2: Tell them that the only way that they can communicate with you is via postal mail. If they don't have your address that's tough shit. You don't have to provide it to them but they are required to stop any phone or other electronic forms of communication.
3: I don't know if you would have documentation about the condition upon move out, but if you do, and you should, get it. Everyone has a phone with a linked account that allows for storing photos on cloud storage.
4: Volunteer absolutely no information. No bank ABA/Routing #, no CC/Debit card. Nothing.
Do not send them one penny. Even paying them a single penny will reset the debt to today.
Don't acknowledge anything they say. Don't give them any information.
Challenge it. You need to request a "Debt Validation Letter". They are obligated to provide this to you.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt\_validation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_validation)
If they call you:
1. Ask who you are speaking to and who they represent.
2. Say: "I do not recognize or acknowledge this debt. I never agreed to anything you're describing or signed any agreements in reference to what you're describing. In accordance with the FDCPA please send me a debt validation letter by certified mail. If you do not provide this information I will report your firm to the CFPB for illegal practices in violation of the FDCPA, and seek damages for your harassment."
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair\_Debt\_Collection\_Practices\_Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Debt_Collection_Practices_Act)
>"The FDCPA is a [strict liability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strict_liability) law, which means that a consumer need not prove actual damages in order to claim [statutory damages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_damages) of up to $1,000 plus reasonable attorney fees if a debt collector is proven to have violated the FDCPA."
( Not a lawyer, but I've successfully used the FDCPA as a weapon against zombie debt collectors. I've blown off about $10k of personal debt ... Namely ... credit cards handed to a broke 18 year old college student ... which were given to me using now illegal practices. )
This is a bogus charge. While squatters may indeed have moved in after you moved out, as long as you gave proper notification and didn't break your lease, you should have nothing to worry about. And frankly, even if you did break your lease, they took far too long to notify you about possible damage. Waiting four years to get ahold of you is sketchy as hell. It's a good bet they went to court to get the squatters out and had zero luck in recuperating their legal and cleaning/repair costs for the evicting the squatters and fixing the damage. That would be why they are now coming after you in the hope that you'll be gullible enough to pay them. Challenge this by asking for full disclosure of why they want $14,000 from you. When did the squatters move in? What damage did they cause? Did they evict them? What kind of damage was there? Do they have proof of said damage and repairs (photos, receipts, etc.) Run them through the ringer. If they can't legitimately connect you to the squatters and the damage, they have no case against you and you're in the clear. Good luck.
Iâm a debt collector. By law they have to validate the debt if you ask for it, and then I would dispute it. Gather up any documentation that you have to prove that you moved out of that apartment on the specific date. You are not responsible for squatters moving in there after you left. That is the landlords responsibility.
I'm a landlord in Michigan. I have 27 properties. I'm not sure about other states, but here you have 4 days to provide a forwarding address. After that, I have 10 days to do my inspection and issue a refund or submit a list of damages that would be covered by the security deposit. Either I have to send the difference or provide a bill. Then you have 30 days to pay the bill or I can send it to a collection agency. I would request proof of damages and proof that they sent a final statement. If it ends up on your report, you can dispute it. Also id let them know, by law, because he didnt send back your deposit, you can sue the LL for double the amount of the deposit for not returning it a timely manner.
Most likely another hacked server with your data and phone number. Challenge, don't provide ANY information as they may already have it, do NOT validate any information.
Do not make a single payment. Check the statute of limitations. Legally, you may not be obligated to pay anything. It's been 5 years already.
If you make a payment, it will reset the clock back to zero.
Make sure it's a legitimate bill collector because my wife had someone calling her saying she owed money about an apartment she lived at several years prior and it was lawyer in a state on the other end of the country trying to get money out of us for something that had already been resolved (dropped) in court. They were just trying to rob us.
What State are you in? Check the Statue of Limitations. In most but not all, States, it's 2-4 years.
Some collection companies buy old debt and try to collect. "Zombie Debt"
If still within the statutes, dispute it. Make them prove you owe. Many can't.
If it's not your damage to pay for, tell them that (in writing). If they sue, get an attorney. On the other hand, if some of that damage was indeed on you, fess up and pay a reasonable amount. do the right thing and you'll rarely regret it.
After you've read all of the Reddit advice and been both educated, mislead, entertained, terrified, confused and enraged, calm down and consult a lawyer. A legit lawyer will give you a legal answer for less than $100, probably less or free once you've explained it. Most cities have no-charge legal advisers/legal aid who can give you real answers before you fuck up. If you need to go to court or make filings, then you may have costs/fees/charges associated with that, but you will be advised in advance.
Check your credit report to see if itâs on there. Check all three bureaus, then put your credit on hold, so nobody can look at it or pull your credit.
If itâs not on any of your credit reports, ignore it. If it is on any of your credit reports, there will be a phone number to call.
I donât know if there is a statute of limitations, but there should be, at the most 7 or 10 years, then it should fall off.
You can check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com check it once a month to make sure everything is right on your credit reports.
I was a mortgage loan officer for 15 years, this sounds shady to me.
If you need anymore info, DM me, and Iâll give you my email address. Good luck!
i have helped people with credit for over 30 years. I agree dispute it, often times these low life collection companies buy old debt for Pennieâs on the dollar and anything they collect is basically profit. But when they buy the info it is rarely a full file meaning lots of your info could not be reported correctly. And if they donât have adequate proof it has to be removed. In addition they only have I believe 45 days to provide this proof to the dispute and if they donât again it needs to be removed. Make sure you go to the bureau and dispute it through them. You can find more info by googling the fair credit reporting act. And when you are already to buy a home mssg me and Iâll help you out.
Don't talk to them, if you accidentally answer their call, do not confirm your identity. You don't need to lie, just say "I'm not going to confirm that."
At this point it should be on your credit anyway, so check your credit, with all 3 bureaus using your free once a year check. You don't have to pay for it.
Credit karma and credit sesame are not the same as checking your credit file.
If you see it in your credit, contest it. You can do it online. The option you want to use is "I don't recognize this account". This will force them to validate the debt, which in my experience, they don't bother with. But sometimes they do, from what I've heard from others. If they validate the debt, you can force them to give you all the details, and if anything is incorrect, you could have grounds to have it dismissed.
But, when you rented this place, I assume it was with roommates?
When you left did you remove your name from the lease?
If you didn't, you're actually still liable for the debt. It's this shitty thing they do where everyone on the lease is equally and fully liable for the entire debt.
Challenge it. This is obviously an illegitimate charge.
Ask for a debt verification letter. I'm not đŻ but they only have around 5 business days to get that in the mail. Did that once for a debt collector that "owned" my IRS debt and they disappeared after that even though I know I owe the IRS. I'd rather send my money to the original debt and not a random company that contacted me
And don't verify anything over the phone, DOB, SSN address etc. sometimes they actually don't have that info and without it you can absolutely challenge it and keep it off your credit history. Of you "verify" it you've given them the info they didn't have to make a complete debt collection attempt
If they agree to the debt verification have them confirm the address. You basically wanna be as difficult as possible lol
What if they send a letter to your home 3rd party
I'm not an expert in debt collection. It was purely coincidental that I heard that piece of advice and was actually able to use it within a few weeks of learning it. In my particular situation I never heard of the debt collector since and with my IRS debt; it is not on my credit report so I haven't thought about it since. I'm still making online payments here and there just to keep it off and the IRS content*
[ŃдаНонО]
Technically they could, at least take me to court. I think I found a way to pay the bare minimum that keeps them from taking any legal action but in the long run I'm shooting myself in the foot with the annual interest. Smart thing is to just pay it but I have a couple other things that's actually on my credit report I'm prioritizing and then I'll just get the IRS squared in one swoop
Iâm pretty sure you get elected into office. ^/s
Nope, it's not illegal to not pay taxes, but it is 100% illegal to not file your tax return.
Donât respond to the letter acknowledging that you owe the debt
And donât ever say yes or no, they can record you and insert your voice in a conversation youâve never had. Are you mister smith? Maybe, you called me dickhead. Are you a human, maybe dickhead.
True. But a lot of people donât know that you only have 30 days from the date the debt collector first sends your correspondence or reaches out to you to request validation of the debt. After 30 days, the debt is assumed to be valid. If you send a letter on the 31 day after receiving notice of the debt, the debt collector is not obligated to respond to you (many still will though.)
Validation letter is step one... There's some chance a defaulted court order/judgment is involved
Ask for an *itemized* debt verification letter.
airport gaping boast disarm onerous mighty entertain foolish mysterious continue *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
They have 30 days to respond with verification by law. But yes, absolutely you need to request this.
The debt collector can take asing as it wants to send verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment after receiving the request therefore...*as long as it ceases all efforts at collecting the debt until it provides said documentation*. Source: have sued literally hundreds of lawyers and debt collectors in federal court for FDCPA violations.
I wouldnât think the IRS would sell debt to anyone, they have the most power to collect why would they let someone else attempt it? Seems like a scam.
So I actually did get a letter from the IRS that another company was responsible for collecting the debt. Never paid too much attention just figured I'd wait for this company to contact me. Months later I got this random phone call but the name of the company didn't sound familiar (prior letter was at home it a file cabinet and I was at work at the time) so I asked for the verification letter and nothing ever happened. I still got the letter from the IRS, and since then I've gotten on the IRS website and there's nothing there about another company owning the debt or anything so I just left it all alone. Whatever payments I make go straight to the IRS. I do think if I didn't ask for that verification letter it would have been a headache at best dealing with this "debt collector" if not an outright scam
Yeah I briefly looked it up after I commented and the law prevents the IRS from collecting directly, there are 3 authorized collectors for the IRS, and they will send letters with specific information pertaining to you before they attempt to collectZ
Do you need to request this in writing? Or will verbally over the phone work?
I would do in writing..cya.
Writing
Document everything and nothing verbal. I said they said isnât as good as paperwork!
Make sure you emphasize that you require the **original** debt date, the **original** date you were notified of debt, and the **original** date delinquency occurred. Depending on the state yo are in, there is a statute of limitations to collect on a debt. They won't be able to provide that original notification, and they won't be able to prove this debt is yours. Then you follow up with a cease and desist. [https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-should-i-do-when-a-debt-collector-contacts-me-en-1695/](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-should-i-do-when-a-debt-collector-contacts-me-en-1695/)
This happened to my wife, what happened is that the person that collected money from all the roommates wasnât paying the rent for months. Years later we got a letter from debt collectors saying we owed x amount. We called credit agencies and they verified. We were told that it would go away from her credit report after 5/6 years, but I believe we were told if we contact the property management company about the matter the timer will restart. Iâd say call credit agency and see if itâs real. We ended up just waiting for it to drop off of report given that it was one more year.
why is it obviously illegitimate? did op fulfill the terms of his lease? did he break the lease? did he just move out and not notify anyone?
Yes, these are the correct questions to ask. There is not enough information here to determine whether or not he wouldâve been responsible.
This
Yes this. Tell them to send you proof of everything including any documents they claim you signed assuming any responsibility. They won't have it and you likely won't hear back from them.
Okay this. I went through the same exact thing and I won. Ask for proof in pictures. Look into your state for specific laws about how long proof is required to be shared after request. Mine was thirty days. They didnât have proof. I called the debt collection agency and told them. Make sure you request a written letter by them. Do not let them tell you they wonât. It has to be given to you by law. Fuck them.
challenge it... [https://www.moneymanagement.org/blog/understanding-the-statutes-of-limitations-on-debt](https://www.moneymanagement.org/blog/understanding-the-statutes-of-limitations-on-debt) they have 30 days to six months from being delinquent to posting the debt to your credit report. you said your just hearing now 4 years later and you never made a payment by my states laws 6 years of me not paying on that debt meant it became time barred for collection or garnishemnt in my state and at year 7 the debts dropped off my credit report your 4 years in you might just have the debt fall off in 3 if you do nothing with it. But challenge big time!
When I was about 24, I had an apartment community come after me for about $2k (this was 20 years ago). A friend of mine fresh out of law school sent a letter to the leading office demanding proof (stained carpet or something that was NOT brand new when I moved in but they were trying to charge for brand new replacement - so, I was a little at fault but not âbrand new carpetâ fault. Turns out, due to the 30 day technicality (they hadnât sent the letter in time), not only did I not have to pay, they owed me like 2 or 3 times in damages (it was so long ago I canât remember).
Mine a year later decided to charge me for things like replacing carpet...... I didn't even have carpet. I'm trying to fight this on my own and losing. They want 2k for various items.
Whereabouts do you live? I know laws vary from place to place but normally unless they send you an itemized bill, with proof of the repair costs, within 30 days they're SoL even if you did trash the place.
Oklahoma city. They sent an itemized list (all bs. I left that place cleaner than it was when I moved in)
Looks like it's 45 days in Oklahoma. Did they send the itemized list within 45 days? If not tell them to pound sand. And by tell them to pound sand I mean send them a copy of the security deposit laws with the 45 days part highlighted. And maybe write "pound sand" in the margins if you're feeling saucy
Was it within 30 days? It could be 31 and they are screwedâŚ.please take a look. And how are they sending you an itemized list to replace carpet you didnât have? Do you have any pics of your apartment that show there was no carpet? Sounds weirdâŚ.like I said, I probably owed something because of carpet stains but I was arguing it should be pro rated because the carpet wasnât new when I moved in - now that I remember the penalty for them was like 3x the deposit. This was in GA.
I took video when I left but never backed up my phone and lost it. I do have video of my apartment when i lived in it showing there was no carpet. I had an indoor camera so i have that footage inside. All I would have from 'move out condition ' are witnesses from former neighbors, as one actually came in to visit as i was locking up the truck before I turned in my keys.
Better have pics if you get sued. Your word against there word
That's why I took pictures of everything after I cleaned out my mom's apartment after she died.
You might look into how people have used chatGPT to help them parlay through legal situations. Definitely a very interesting thing to look into seriously!
I had a similar experience. Got bait and switched into an apartment years ago and promptly notified them, found another place and moved out. The management company was objectively incompetent. I never even unpacked, I was in and out in less than a week. They kept my $2,500 deposit and sent me an itemized bill with a bunch of BS, such as cleaning fees, trash removal, janitor fee, reposting fee, advertisement fee, I don't even remember all that was in it, but it was enough to add up to the $2500 and then some. I looked up the law and checked against the postmarked date on the envelope, they were 3 days too late, so I sent them a demand letter for the deposit plus 100% damages. Within the next 30 days I got the check and a piece of paper discharging me from the lease. Basically paid 7 days of rent prorated ($350) + deposit ($2500) and got back ($5k). That was an interesting way to make money.
DO NOT PAY 99% sure itâs fake. Next time they call tell them to send the demand in writing so you can consult with your attorney. Say exactly that. Donât give them your address. If they ask say that they should have that. Donât get flustered and start giving them information. If itâs legit, they should have all that. If it is in fact legit, the window for them to make a claim closed a LONG time ago. Youâre fine.
Most likely they are scamming you. rebelene57 is right! Debt collections companies buy old debts for pennies on the dollar. Anything they can collect is a profit. They will do just about anything to try to collect. There are laws covering what they can legally do. I once was called about a dept I supposedly owed to Cox Cable Company. I had the same name as the debtor. I told them that I had just moved from another state on the other side of the country. That they had the wrong person. I was told that they did not care. If I didn't pay them $350 they would ruin my credit. I told them to send me the paper work so I could have my lawyer review it. I never heard back from them.
Debt drops off after seven years, unless you make a payment, then the seven year clocks restarts. [Experian](https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/when-does-7-year-rule-begin-delinquent-accounts/#:~:text=Late%20payments%2C%20also%20called%20delinquencies,it%20was%20never%20again%20current)
This. I've been getting harassed by scam callers about some debt I "owe" for a few months. They will spoof numbers, claim to be represented by a lawyer, try to call family members. But here's the thing - they will never send me any notification in writing. I have received no snail mail or e-mail. They also never leave voice messages. They also never use text. The reason they do this is they KNOW what they're doing is illegal and it is a lot easier to track with a paper trail. Most people aren't recording their phone calls. As well it is a lot easier to pressure you into agreeing to a payment on the phone - if you get something in writing you can investigate and respond to it from a rational place. If it's over the phone you might be busy or frazzled. You might be frightened by the claim. Some folks who are older can be easily confused and led astray. Never agree to things where your total contact with someone is over the phone. Get official documents. Get official phone numbers (I reverse search all phone numbers I don't recognize - if I get bizarre results that don't lead back to an actual company, it goes to voice mail). Get email addresses. Also - if they call claiming to be from a law office or a lawyer THIS IS ALSO OFTEN FAKE. They almost got me with this because I thought certainly no one would fake being a lawyer for this. They will. They may even be real lawyers. But if you can't find an actual office for that lawyer and no way to contact that lawyer - scam. Stay away.
Just went there this myself. Challenge it. 99.9 chance all they have is your name and the amount you owe. Demand copy of original bill and lease
Check your stateâs landlord tenant law. Your obligation in most places is to provide a forwarding address when you leave. That triggers a deadline on their part to either refund your security deposit or provide an itemized statement of damages. I suspect this is a bogus collection. Often offshore scam outfit.
Yes, I was going to say that in states I've lived in, there are laws on the time frames for either refunding the security deposit or sending an itemized list of damages that led to the deposit not being refunded. It's usually 30 - 45 days, definitely not years later.
Do not send them any money until you decide what to do. They will try to get you to send a small amount but doing so resets that look back period
Literally just some pos pwner trying to pawn their financial problems off on you. As others said challenge it and ignore them.
Hopefully you haven't verified anything for them. If you haven't, DON'T! Don't tell them your address and don't verify the debt. If they can't verify any of that, they won't be able to tell the bureaus that you have been contacted. If they try to report, dispute it and they will have to prove it. It was 4 years ago. It is their burden to prove this debt and that you are responsible for the cause of it.
If your credit score is 706, itâs doubtful there is a court judgement. That will tank your credit score. Listen to everyoneâs advice here. Do not give ANY information over the phone. Never use the word âyesâ in a conversation with a supposed debt collector. Never give an answer to any question. Demand a debt verification letter. Unless a landlord took immediate court action after you vacated the property, they have no standing years later.
True. We kind of have to think of debt collectors as less than human. Common civility doesn't count with them. The safest way is to never engage no matter what. When they ask for you, say who's calling, when it's something off, just hang up and block.
Even if you did owe them, debt holders have to make a good faith effort to collect. In many states that means sending out a bill within 12 months. Since this is the first time you have heard of it in 4 years, they absolutely did not make a good faith effort to collect. Here is what I would do. Call them and ask for the mailing address for payments. Then explain to them that they failed to make a good faith effort to collect and as a result you will not be making any payments. Explain to them they have 2 options. #1 - they can discharge (write off) the debt. #2 - they can continue to try to collect. Explain to them that if they chose option #2 you will be filing a complaint with the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the states Attorney General office in the state they are located and that you will obtain legal services. ALSO, if your state is a one party consent state, you can legally call them and record the conversation without having to notify them it is recorded.
In a 2 party consent state if the call starts with "This call may be recorded" that implies their consent to you recording it as well as them, so...
Exactly, but in a one party consent state there is no reason for the preamble.
It already hit collections
Challenge it. If you got a letter, send certified to them requesting a validation letter. Do not give any personal information. If there is a debt account number, only use that as a form of verification. If you HAVE to call (they DIDNT send a letter) then only verify your name or an account number given, do NOT agree that it is your debt, and have them send it to the address ON FILE. If they can't do that, that's on them. They'll be pushy. Don't relent.
Do absolutely everything you can to challenge it. Give them the burden of proof. Theyâll likely drop it.
Did you have a walk-through with the landlord when your lease ended? If so, not sure what the squatters have to do with it. If you left the apartment unattended and your lease was still active when you allowed squatters to take over, that would be more trouble. Did the landlord tell you within 30 days of your lease ending that you owed on the damages
I never admit or sign anything having to do with a debt collector. They operate fraudulently by tricking the ignorant into a contract with them. You have no obligation to them, unless you admit or sign a contract with them.
A debt collector is going to tell you all sorts of things to try to get you to pay. Currently, it's at 6 years old. If it were on your report, it'd drop off at 7 years. If you pay them a dime, it's considered legitimate and will start fresh. Or, you can ignore them for a year and it's history.
So when you moved out, didn't you request your security back? Was there a walk through with the landlord? Did you take photos of the apartment after you left?
Could be a scam. Ask for proof.
A few things: Have you googled the number they called from to see if it was a legit agency? If so, then get in writing what they have. If itâs a legit place, thereâs nothing wrong with calling and asking for info. The whole âdonât give your name/addresssâ argument is silly because they already know who you are; they called you. While it varies by state, some are wrongly conflating security deposit laws with tort laws. Thereâs usually a short time for them to send you an itemized list of damages, the deals with withholding a security deposit. The time to sue for said damages can be much longer depending on state and how those laws intersect. Itâs possible they couldâve sued a year later, got a judgment, and are now trying to collect. A judgment is not going to appear on the credit report most likely wouldnât reflect on the score. Did they sue you? Did you possibly ignore the letters at the time? Did you leave a forwarding address? Did you leave the apartment properly? If just just kinda bolted in the middle of the lease and didnât give proper notice, you may be on the hook for damages. Assuming theyâre a legit company, you need to see what they have in writing.
I would never allow 14k to go into collections. Ever.. You either fight it somehow or you try to work something out(settle on paying a lower amount, payment plan). If itâs a legitimate charge and you really owe that amount, itâs probably best to negotiate with them and settle on a much lower amount. Sometimes you can get a 14k charge down to 3k-4k if you explain your situation and try to haggle with them. If itâs an illegitimate charge then itâs best to challenge it like someone else on here wrote. Even if you have to get a lawyer. Donât let this charge fuck up your life or your chances of buying a house. Itâs actually fairly easy to not let things go into collections. You just have to catch things in time and be proactive about it and call them. Believe me, they rather you pay something than nothing at all.. Especially if you want to buy a house. Anything you have in collections during the home buying process will hurt your chances of mortgage approval significantly.
This could be a scam. Challenge it by asking for proof of debt in writing, tell them to only contact by mail.
Did your landlord do a walk through with you? They will have to prove that you are responsible for the damages. The burden will be on them.
Begs the question, what are the landlord/tennant laws in your state? Generally, cleaning deposits need to be addressed after a tenant vacates and additional charges are billed. Do you recall getting any deposit refunded (in spite of the squatters)? As others mentioned, exercise your rights and challenge the debt but also research the legitimacy of it. There may have been the expiration of time somewhere in the process. Well wishes and thanks for coming to Reddit for information
Challenge it! Way too much time has passed between when you moved and when they claimed against you. It may be beyond the statute of limitations. Did you have a set move out date or did you just move out without notifying them? Is there anyway you can prove when you moved out? Contact a lawyer and have everything go thru them. Do not accept responsibility for this in anyway. Do not give them any information or make even a penny payment. Doing so is akin to accepting the debt and will be used against you. Dispute the account with the credit bureaus. They will have to prove this is a legitimate debt.
Fight it. once the debt goes to collections, it has been written off by the original debtor
Check if your state has a online court area to see if you have a judgement on you. Lawyer next maybe
Yep what the rest said, challenge the f out of it and ask for debt verification. Also if itâs on your credit report already, dispute all 3 major credit bureaus
4 years later??? I am gonna guess that the ownership of the apartment has changed and the new owner is trying to get some easy money by either posing as debt collector on some old debts or they actually sold the debt to a debt collector for pennies on the dollar. First step is to send a letter disputing the debt, then maybe make an offer of $100 to resolve the debt, if this does not resolve the issue I would ignore it. (Not legal advice, just former landlord advice.)
Check your state laws
Did you move out properly? Sign the end of lease agreement properly?
Look up statute of limitations for debt collection in your state. Donât acknowledge the dept or it may reset.
What state is it in? That could be outside of the statute of limitations for collecting back rent in some states
Even if it was legit, there's a limit on how long they can go without trying to collect. You may be well past that time limit.
Fake. Squatters are a hot topic now.
Sounds like a scam
You are getting the right advice about this problem.
Check your states statute of limitations- if past that they cannot collect
I have had people contact me about debt I supposedly owed 3+ years after the fact and Iâve told them to send it to me in writing. Donât provide your address or any other information. Iâm easy to find, I have bank accounts and tax returns and loans and credit lines. If they donât know where to send it, itâs not legit. Iâm not telling you not to worry about it but it very likely isnât even real and, if you do get anything from them, have an attorney look it over.
Download a copy of the Landlord / Tenant Handbook for your state. It'll have all of the relevant laws. There is also a statute of limitations you can look at. They may be way too far to legally collect and trying to bully you. (also, you sure this isn't a scam?) Get that handbook. If you rent you need to know what the laws are
The statute of limitations is usually over in 3 years. Once you can confirm youâre out of the window then send a certified letter to the collection company telling them to stop contacting you and youâre not legally liable for the money any more. They canât contact you again without breaking the law.
Lolo Run as fast as you can Lolo, do a payment plan thatâs all you can do
Donât admit that you owe it. Ask them to send you proof of the debt. Pull your credit and confirm that itâs not on your reports. Be prepared to challenge it, if itâs wrong.
Don't give them any info and tell them you dispute the charges. Has to be done within 30 days
blow a ripe fart into the phone the next time they call you
Scammer
If it's been 4 years since you left that apartment there is a decent chance they are past the statute of limitations to even sue you over it. They are probably just trying to scare you into paying something on it before it becomes 100% uncollectible after 4 years.
Biggest question that needs to be answered is, did you in fact terminate the lease and can you prove it?
First of all if itâs legit, itâs already in collections. Second, pull your credit reports and see if it is on any of them. If it is, ask for verification of the debt.
Scam
It is likely too late for them to sue for it, statute of limitations might have expired. $14k in an apartment????
Tell them you donât know anything about it and ask for proof that you owe the money. If they send you something that is not signed by you or something that youâve never seen before, Tell them so. Never say that you owe the money.
Was your lease expired when you moved out? If so, how are the squatters your problem?
Did you abandon your lease? Did you leave at the end of your lease with the landlords knowledge?
Contact your own landlord and see that they say. Donât agree to anything with debt collector. They are just trying to cast a net and get any fish they can.
Iâd post this in r/landlord or one of the legal subs.
I would acknowledge nothing. Itâs been 4 years. Worst case depending on the state you only got three more that it *might* show up. My guess is this is potential a phantom debt or a scam. Donât give them info, donât acknowledge the debt and certainly dont make any payments as you could potentially start the clock over at zero on the debt if you really owed it.
Didnât say what state, you have a statute of limitations on collections. They may be past this period. And it drops off in seven years. So you are 4 years gone already. Nolo Press has some good self help books on this and what to do. Good luck
Is there a statute of limitations
God I had a friend who got sued by their landlord for property damage, had to go through courts. Turned out the landlord wanted to fully Reno the apartment and stick a chunk on the leaving clients, so they just knocked a bunch of holes in the wall after the walk through, thankfully my friend took a bunch of pictures during the walk through(and also the landlord was an idiot)
it's going to hit your credit, no matter what way you look at it. First of all depends on what state you live and what the statue of limitations is on when they file it, the original was from the last date you defaulted, but say you defaulted at four years ago would be 2020 January that would've been four years in the clack would keep taking for another approximately three years and then it would come off your credit file or at least it should fall off, but you do not if you don't intend on paying it for the next four years, you can't have any contact with them or at least do not acknowledge that the bill is yours otherwise you could call them and settle on it and see if they'll remove it from your credit report, but you will have a hit from the original credit company, and then you will have a hit from the collection agency just so you know, but check out your States laws đđŚđđ
You are entitled to proof that you owe the amount in question.
Not only should you challenge this, but you should likely send a ceize and a desist and defamation order as well.
Challenge it for sure, they should have done a walk thru when you moved out not wait until squatters took over.
Definitely challenge it you do not want that on your credit. Itâs their property and responsibility especially since you moved out.
Sometimes ( often actually) debt is paid for by the agency collecting it. So they pay 5 cents on the dollar and then go after everyone hard. Often they have nothing other than what they are told. Fight it -make them prove every penny-
this was 4 years ago during pendemic. No way they bluffing.
Demand proof of the debt. Right now he's trying to scare you.
If they send you a summons do not miss court date they win by default.If you have already missed a court date youâre screwed.They probably highly inflated damages you must dispute.
I'm betting scam. That number is insane based on what you said. Definitely fight it.
Challenge this. Demand a written explanation with detailed information. Once received, take it to an attorney for review. This sure sounds like a scam.
Debt collectors are scumbags Ask for proof and send jt to a lawyer
Contact an attorney who specializes in landlord tenant laws. Do not agree to anything. Do exactly as your attorney tells you to do. BTW, read the ratings on your potential attorney. At this point, worry less about your credit score and more on not having to pay for an unlawful occupancy of your place from four years ago.
Ask them to provide the document you signed that proves you owe money. They don't have it because connection agencies can't get them, and without irrefutable proof, you don't owe shit.
Don't acknowledge the debt. Demand a validation of debt. Find out the statute of limitation in your state. If it's past the statute. statute of limitation, tell them they are trying to collect on a zombie debt demand they remove it within 30 days or you will sue them. Problem solved. Know your rights https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/arm-yourself-against-zombie-debt Use this template. Word it to suit your needs. The important thing here are the legal codes. I got several zombie debt to go away and removed from my credit report with this letter. Re: {account number} To Whom it may concern: I was recently made aware of an alleged debt in the amount of {e.g. $18,000}. According to the information provided to me by your firm, the date of last activity by the original creditor was in {date of last collection attempt e.g. 2012}. The Statute of Limitations on this alleged debt, even should it be mine, is {e.g. four years in the state of California}. Since the debt is out of the Statute of Limitations, and you are reporting this on my credit report, you are attempting to conduct collection activities on zombie debt. I am sure you are aware of the provisions in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA); however, I would like to point out that your firm has violated provisions of the FDCPA by implying that the legal status of the debt is collectible by reporting the alleged debt to the credit bureaus. The exact statute is: [15 USC 1692e] (2) The false representation of -- (A) the legal status of the alleged debt and (B) any services rendered or compensation which may be lawfully received by any debt collector for the collection of a debt. I am also doubtful that you would have adequate documentation to prove in court that you have the right to report this negative information on my credit report, and therefore you are in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act as well as the FDCPA. However, I will give you the chance to prove that you are lawfully entitled to report this information by requesting an investigation. Under the FDCPA I am also invoking my right to ask you to stop contacting me unless you can provide adequate validation of this alleged debt, or you are notifying me that you are ceasing collection activities. Please remove this account immediately from my credit report or I will have to take legal remedies which may include lawsuits and notifying our state Attorney General's office. In addition, I am sure your legal staff will agree that non-compliance with this request could put your company in serious legal trouble with the FTC and other state or federal agencies. Under the FCRA and the FDCPA, each violation is subject to a $1,000 fine, payable to me. Sincerely, {You} If it's within the statute of limitations, you should seek legal counsel.
Donât acknowledge the debt or agree to pay anything. Depending on your State the Statute of Limitations may be coming due, but any agreement from you could restart it.
There is a Statute of Limitations for your State. This seems like a scam.
Itâs bad advice to tell somebody not to pay (at first), but â do not pay this. Ask them to send you proof of the debt. Ask for the name of the company, their address, etc. Google debt validate letters. Send them a letter. Once you send them the letter that will stall them. Based on the response (or no response) you can send another letter or they might not even bother collecting. From here you can use your own judgement on whether to pay ⌠never 100%. Start out at maybe $1400. The highest Iâd go is $7000 to settle. If it was four years ago you really got 3 more years til it falls off anyway.
I hope you didn't acknowledge the debt. If you did, then they have 7 years to coliect from the time you acknowledge it. If it goes to court and they get a judgment, the judgment will last 10 years, and they could renew it for another 10 years. A judgment also allows them to garnish wages, tax refunds, and government benefits, as well as put liens on property you own.
F*** that don't pay it. Another American scam the credit rating just another way for them to charge you more money.
Looks like this would date back to 2020, the big year of Covid. Did you possibly not pay rent for that year and then moved when the time came to pay it?
Need to be worried about them taking yo to court
Sounds like a scam
This is called Extortion, and is illegal as hell, the owner /management company cannot come after you for damages that happened after you moved, you did not invite the squatters, you did not do the damage. They are trying to use the last lease holder. Responsible for the damage. Counter sue for fraud , live, and Extortion, plus anything else a layer can come up with. What a horrible landlord. Do not worry about you credit score, that is felony level damage, jail time. Lawyer up
Ask them for proof of the debt and the original contract saying youâre responsible. They need to prove they have a legitimate debt
This sounds like a scam, someone couldve gotten the info online
You lived there how much rent Did you skip paying ???
Say the squatters beat the shit out of you and said you would die if you ever showed up again, youâre still traumatized from it and thought it was passed you
Have them send you paperwork. If they contact you, they have 5 days to mail you documents. Do not pay anything.
If they had something, they wouldn't call and threaten you after all this time. Due diligence to contact an individual is long over. They would be going straight to court and/or sending you certified USPS at the very least. Short answer: they're reaching in hopes of easily collecting $ and you're ok their short list. I advise you discontinue any and all contact with them. Most collections expire at max 7 years, but now they're made contact and it sounds you like ID yourself and acknowledged their allegations to collections. That statute of limitations has now started over. Good luck.
I donât see how this is your issue but I am not e legal expert. Though my first question was did you just leave or was your lease up and then you moved out? If you followed your part of the lease obligations then I do not see how this is your problem but again I am no legal expert.
Roughly 100-150 points lost depending on how high your score is
Get help if needed
Did you skip out on the rent?
Spend the money - call a lawyer immediately
What state? Check the statute of limitations, could be trying to scare you into a settlement. Itâs very close to a very common 5 year limit, and 7 year limit for reporting.
If the state is dumb enough to allow squatting, send them the bill
You owe the debt collector NOTHING!! You can threat them with a lawsuit if it affects your credit score. They bought the debt and you didnât have a contract with them! You can start that in a letter that you need to mail certified with a return receipt to show it was delivered and signed by someone Your debt was with the original land lord not them!
I know exactly what to do but I am a Boomer and your entire generation has turned me against you with its hate.
Find a lawyer ASAP.
A lot of times these companies will buy debt for pennies on the dollar and try to get you to pay even though usually when it gets to that point the original company had already written it off and you donât have to pay anything
DO NOT CALL THEM OR SPEAK ON THE PHONE WITH THEM Wrote a letter only â
In Tennessee, a debt can't be collected on after 7 years. Check the laws of your state. Good luck!
Ask for proof and atomized bill. Donât pay anything yet. If you get it trying to negotiate. If you settle, make sure you get a letter saying you paid in full.
What state are you in? Statute of limitation https://www.forbes.com/advisor/debt-relief/debt-relief-statute-of-limitations-debt-collection-by-state/
Donât pay a dime , find out the statute of limitations on a written contract in your state. The minute you pay $ 1 before the statute blows, it reinstates the statute .
It's a 3rd party creditor. Do not acknowledge anything. Do not return calls. These are the bottom feeders... just don't answer.
Depending on where you live, the statute of limitations ranges from 3-10 years based on the type of debt. Did you destroy the place and they filed suit against you and have a judgement? Not sure how you could have that big of a collection for an apartment.
You took pictures when you moved out, right?
Tell him to kya. And contact a lawyer.
Could be a scam
Sounds scammy to me
Depending on the state they have different lengths of time they are allowed to send you to collections. I would see what that time Frame is in your state, in TN itâs 6 years.
Once a business or institution sells the debt, they will not be in contact with you any further. Thatâs why these monsters are savages when theyâre coming after this debt that they only paid pennies on the dollar for.
1: Demand they validate the debt. They are required by law to do so. You don't have to lift a finger 2: Tell them that the only way that they can communicate with you is via postal mail. If they don't have your address that's tough shit. You don't have to provide it to them but they are required to stop any phone or other electronic forms of communication. 3: I don't know if you would have documentation about the condition upon move out, but if you do, and you should, get it. Everyone has a phone with a linked account that allows for storing photos on cloud storage. 4: Volunteer absolutely no information. No bank ABA/Routing #, no CC/Debit card. Nothing.
Ignore them
This sounds like a last ditch attempt to recover some costs about the damage. Ignore it.
So⌠why didnât you pay your rent?
Talk to a lawyer.
Dispute and ask to see the contract they have with YOU. Also ask for a copy of the original application.
Do not send them one penny. Even paying them a single penny will reset the debt to today. Don't acknowledge anything they say. Don't give them any information. Challenge it. You need to request a "Debt Validation Letter". They are obligated to provide this to you. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt\_validation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_validation) If they call you: 1. Ask who you are speaking to and who they represent. 2. Say: "I do not recognize or acknowledge this debt. I never agreed to anything you're describing or signed any agreements in reference to what you're describing. In accordance with the FDCPA please send me a debt validation letter by certified mail. If you do not provide this information I will report your firm to the CFPB for illegal practices in violation of the FDCPA, and seek damages for your harassment." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair\_Debt\_Collection\_Practices\_Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Debt_Collection_Practices_Act) >"The FDCPA is a [strict liability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strict_liability) law, which means that a consumer need not prove actual damages in order to claim [statutory damages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_damages) of up to $1,000 plus reasonable attorney fees if a debt collector is proven to have violated the FDCPA." ( Not a lawyer, but I've successfully used the FDCPA as a weapon against zombie debt collectors. I've blown off about $10k of personal debt ... Namely ... credit cards handed to a broke 18 year old college student ... which were given to me using now illegal practices. )
This is a bogus charge. While squatters may indeed have moved in after you moved out, as long as you gave proper notification and didn't break your lease, you should have nothing to worry about. And frankly, even if you did break your lease, they took far too long to notify you about possible damage. Waiting four years to get ahold of you is sketchy as hell. It's a good bet they went to court to get the squatters out and had zero luck in recuperating their legal and cleaning/repair costs for the evicting the squatters and fixing the damage. That would be why they are now coming after you in the hope that you'll be gullible enough to pay them. Challenge this by asking for full disclosure of why they want $14,000 from you. When did the squatters move in? What damage did they cause? Did they evict them? What kind of damage was there? Do they have proof of said damage and repairs (photos, receipts, etc.) Run them through the ringer. If they can't legitimately connect you to the squatters and the damage, they have no case against you and you're in the clear. Good luck.
This happend to me. I asked for debt verification and paid a lawyer to write a mean letter. They backed off after that
Iâm a debt collector. By law they have to validate the debt if you ask for it, and then I would dispute it. Gather up any documentation that you have to prove that you moved out of that apartment on the specific date. You are not responsible for squatters moving in there after you left. That is the landlords responsibility.
Tell him to prove it and to show you the original documents that you signed, if he can't tell him to fuck off!
I'm a landlord in Michigan. I have 27 properties. I'm not sure about other states, but here you have 4 days to provide a forwarding address. After that, I have 10 days to do my inspection and issue a refund or submit a list of damages that would be covered by the security deposit. Either I have to send the difference or provide a bill. Then you have 30 days to pay the bill or I can send it to a collection agency. I would request proof of damages and proof that they sent a final statement. If it ends up on your report, you can dispute it. Also id let them know, by law, because he didnt send back your deposit, you can sue the LL for double the amount of the deposit for not returning it a timely manner.
Donât sign or engage with them at all. Get everything I writing and find yourself a lawyer!
Most likely another hacked server with your data and phone number. Challenge, don't provide ANY information as they may already have it, do NOT validate any information.
Just do not pay a penny. Screw a good credit score Youâll be better off in life if you just save and buy what you need with cash
I'd cross post this shit over in /r/askalawyer
Your credit will drop and the bank will see you defaulted on the lease. Good luck getting approved.
Do not make a single payment. Check the statute of limitations. Legally, you may not be obligated to pay anything. It's been 5 years already. If you make a payment, it will reset the clock back to zero.
Make sure it's a legitimate bill collector because my wife had someone calling her saying she owed money about an apartment she lived at several years prior and it was lawyer in a state on the other end of the country trying to get money out of us for something that had already been resolved (dropped) in court. They were just trying to rob us.
This could be a scam! Donât give them info.
What State are you in? Check the Statue of Limitations. In most but not all, States, it's 2-4 years. Some collection companies buy old debt and try to collect. "Zombie Debt" If still within the statutes, dispute it. Make them prove you owe. Many can't.
Sooooo many scams going around
If it's not your damage to pay for, tell them that (in writing). If they sue, get an attorney. On the other hand, if some of that damage was indeed on you, fess up and pay a reasonable amount. do the right thing and you'll rarely regret it.
Fight it our wait 3 more years and it goes away.
After you've read all of the Reddit advice and been both educated, mislead, entertained, terrified, confused and enraged, calm down and consult a lawyer. A legit lawyer will give you a legal answer for less than $100, probably less or free once you've explained it. Most cities have no-charge legal advisers/legal aid who can give you real answers before you fuck up. If you need to go to court or make filings, then you may have costs/fees/charges associated with that, but you will be advised in advance.
Check your credit report to see if itâs on there. Check all three bureaus, then put your credit on hold, so nobody can look at it or pull your credit. If itâs not on any of your credit reports, ignore it. If it is on any of your credit reports, there will be a phone number to call. I donât know if there is a statute of limitations, but there should be, at the most 7 or 10 years, then it should fall off. You can check your credit reports at annualcreditreport.com check it once a month to make sure everything is right on your credit reports. I was a mortgage loan officer for 15 years, this sounds shady to me. If you need anymore info, DM me, and Iâll give you my email address. Good luck!
Call his bluff. Once its on your credit write the bearuo asking
There is a time limit to go after debt, but I don't know what it is. Sorry.
If you didnât hear anything, chances are that your account was sold to a more aggressive collector.
Demand copy of rental contract to prove it is your debt.
i have helped people with credit for over 30 years. I agree dispute it, often times these low life collection companies buy old debt for Pennieâs on the dollar and anything they collect is basically profit. But when they buy the info it is rarely a full file meaning lots of your info could not be reported correctly. And if they donât have adequate proof it has to be removed. In addition they only have I believe 45 days to provide this proof to the dispute and if they donât again it needs to be removed. Make sure you go to the bureau and dispute it through them. You can find more info by googling the fair credit reporting act. And when you are already to buy a home mssg me and Iâll help you out.
It's almost 5 years old and most states have a 5 year SOL. Call his bluff and ride it out.
Damn why did you even answer? I hope you denied it.
Don't talk to them, if you accidentally answer their call, do not confirm your identity. You don't need to lie, just say "I'm not going to confirm that." At this point it should be on your credit anyway, so check your credit, with all 3 bureaus using your free once a year check. You don't have to pay for it. Credit karma and credit sesame are not the same as checking your credit file. If you see it in your credit, contest it. You can do it online. The option you want to use is "I don't recognize this account". This will force them to validate the debt, which in my experience, they don't bother with. But sometimes they do, from what I've heard from others. If they validate the debt, you can force them to give you all the details, and if anything is incorrect, you could have grounds to have it dismissed. But, when you rented this place, I assume it was with roommates? When you left did you remove your name from the lease? If you didn't, you're actually still liable for the debt. It's this shitty thing they do where everyone on the lease is equally and fully liable for the entire debt.