What can I do?

[Dave M]

I've got a question for you guys....

Our personal taxes here in my locality are $10.00 per person per year. Last year I paid my wife's and my personal taxes in July (they were due by Dec. 13). Today in the mail I received a letter from a debt collection agency saying that I was referred to them for not paying these sai taxes for last year. They now want $27.00 from both myself and my wife. The fact that it was referred to a debt collection agency no doubt is now on my credit file.

I have copies of the cancelled checks that I paid last year for the taxes in question, proving that I paid them. If I can prove to the debt collection agency or our b!tch of a tax collector that I paid these taxes can they remove that collection from my credit file as if it never happened (their mistake) or will it simply be on my report as me resolving the delinquent account (but making it look like I was actually delinquent).

Obviously, I don't want their to be a referral to a collection agency on my credit, especially when I'm not actually delinquent on anything. So, does anybody know, if I can prove it was there mistake, whether they can remove all trae that it ever went to collections? If not, what are my options? I could end up getting turned down for credit or paying thousands of unneccesary dollars in interest because our tax collector can't keep track of who paid her.

[sneitzel]

You can dispute any piece of information that appears on your credit report.

If you haven't done so in the past year, get your free copies of your credit report from all 3 agencies and see if this incident appears on them.

If it does, after you have cleared up the problem with the tax collector it should be removed from all 3 reports. If it isn't after a reasonable period of time you can dispute it. When you do that the credit agency will contact the submitter and ask them to verify the information. At that point they should be able to correct the error.

But don't assume they will. Follow up and make sure it gets done. It's your credit report and the only person who's going to look out for you is you.

Scott

PS
Be sure to check your wife's report as well.

[Dave M]

I'm planning on disputing the debt with the collection agency. I have 30 days to do so. Hopefully providing them with documentation will make them remove all traces of said collection. I'm sure they have to have procedures to deal with a debt that is a mistake. After I resolve it with them, I'll be sure to follow up with my credit report.

[Bug Lover]

I'm not entirely sure if they will make it look like it was never there, but I agree that they should. If they don't, you have the right to make comments on your credit report that will show when it is pulled, so you could make a notation to the effect that the debt was cleared by proof of payment before the due date.

I don't know how lenders can ever trust credit reporting agencies. There are all kinds of things that can get on there, which makes the consumer spend time correcting it. I currently have on my report that I have a credit card with a store that no longer exists and it negatively affects my credit. Now I have to send a letter to the agencies telling them it's invalid because the store isn't open any more.

Good luck!

[Joe 1320]

Dave,

www.budhibbs.com

All you ever want to know about debt collectors and the federal laws regarding debt and collectors. The bottom line...... NEVER deal with a debt collector.






REMEMBER: Debt Collectors have NO power and NO authority and should NEVER be trusted. They will lie and cheat you to get at your money. If it’s NOT in writing, it’s NOT a deal.

BEWARE: Paying a debt collector will NOT get an account removed from your credit. They do NOT have that ability.