can they do this?

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

i got a letter in the mail from a collection agency for an outstanding electric bill from 1991 from when me and some buddies were living down in lancaster county. so i called them, when she told me what it was all about, after i stopped laughing, i fucked with with her a little and then told her to to lick my balls , i wasn't paying her shit.

is there a statute of limitations or anything on this kind of stuff? i mean it was like 18 years ago. the bill was for 465.00 but she said they'd settle for half that amount. yeah, sure, right-on

BDR · Post by **BDR** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

What are they gonna do? Shut off the power at your former apartment in Lancaster? Oh no ...

r:>)

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

mjb wrote:i got a letter in the mail from a collection agency for an outstanding electric bill from 1991 from when me and some buddies were living down in lancaster county. so i called them, when she told me what it was all about, after i stopped laughing, i fucked with with her a little and then told her to to lick my balls , i wasn't paying her shit.

is there a statute of limitations or anything on this kind of stuff? i mean it was like 18 years ago. the bill was for 465.00 but she said they'd settle for half that amount. yeah, sure, right-on

Actually, they can collect.

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

mjb wrote:i got a letter in the mail from a collection agency for an outstanding electric bill from 1991 from when me and some buddies were living down in lancaster county. so i called them, when she told me what it was all about, after i stopped laughing, i fucked with with her a little and then told her to to lick my balls , i wasn't paying her shit.

is there a statute of limitations or anything on this kind of stuff? i mean it was like 18 years ago. the bill was for 465.00 but she said they'd settle for half that amount. yeah, sure, right-on

Companies actually buy old defaulted credit. They prolly paid like 45 cents for your "Account", so anything they get is bank.

You did the right thing.

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

there has to be a statute of limitations on that shit. don't collections stay on your credit report for like 7 years and then default, right? i dunno, i could be wrong... but it would be the first time

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

mjb wrote:is there a statute of limitations or anything on this kind of stuff?

I don't think so. I tried to get electric on a while ago and couldn't because I owed almost $1000 from a situation like yours...anyway, they turned it over to a collection agency. Basically they're fucked. But so is my credit.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

I think they have to be able to provide evidence that it is indeed your bill such as a history of transactions with validation that you recognized it as your bill by making payments, etc. Ask them for the evidence that it indeed belonged to you.

onegunguitar · Post by **onegunguitar** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

http://www.bcsalliance.com/y_debt_sol.html

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

onegunguitar wrote:http://www.bcsalliance.com/y_debt_sol.html

Thanks. That's exactly what I was talking about. If you pay them one cent it will bring that debt current. Tell'em to FUCK OFF!!! They can't do shit!

slackin@dabass · Post by **slackin@dabass** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

thanks to that handy dandy link, we have learned that the statute of limitations in pennsylvania is 4 years. there you go. tell them to get bent.

f.sciarrillo · Post by **f.sciarrillo** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

I always thought that the statute in Pa was six years, seems that tells other wise.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

becareful of what you read online. Some say 6 and some say 7.

The main thing is to never own up to the account. Never indicate that it was your debt. Once you do that, it starts the time all over again. Just tell them that the statues of limitations has expired and they are not to call you about this account again.

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Monday Mar 02, 2009

sweet, thanks peoples

i mean 18 years

come on, wtf. cut your losses.

Blue Reality · Post by **Blue Reality** » Tuesday Mar 03, 2009

Their main threat is that they'll ding your credit report. They will post a notice of default/collection and that stuff, even for a small debt, brings your rating down. If you don't care about that there is little they can do. If you rely on your credit report for a business or life event like purchasing a home or atou, they can make life tough. Right now if you go looking for credit, banks who are lending are trying to avoid problem loans, or they can charge higher rates for people who show some risk. It's all in the perspective of the individual how difficult the mark on the credit report can be.

Danette · Post by **Danette** » Tuesday Mar 03, 2009

I had a very similar experience.. old electric bill from aroun '02 that turned into bad debt that was bought by a collections agency, and offered to settle for about half of the original debt if I paid before a certain date. Request that they provide proof in writing that the debt is yours. They have to do this within x amount of time. They will probably call you and harrass the hell out of you, leaving messages n such if you dont pick up. They will probably threaten to take you to court. I told them sure - lets go for it. The day of the hearing their lawyer was a no show despite the fact they called me many times in the days prior to this reminding me of the upcoming court date. I reschedule. The next thing I know the hearing had been cancelled, the case had been dropped. After that I dont know. I am still trying to get a straight answer if it is still able to be on my credit report and if/ when its coming off.

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Tuesday Mar 03, 2009

Danette wrote:I had a very similar experience.. old electric bill from aroun '02 that turned into bad debt that was bought by a collections agency, and offered to settle for about half of the original debt if I paid before a certain date. Request that they provide proof in writing that the debt is yours. They have to do this within x amount of time. They will probably call you and harrass the hell out of you, leaving messages n such if you dont pick up. They will probably threaten to take you to court. I told them sure - lets go for it. The day of the hearing their lawyer was a no show despite the fact they called me many times in the days prior to this reminding me of the upcoming court date. I reschedule. The next thing I know the hearing had been cancelled, the case had been dropped. After that I dont know. I am still trying to get a straight answer if it is still able to be on my credit report and if/ when its coming off.

this is so rediculous from 18 years ago

like i said, i told her to well....you heard me

i aint sweating it. i wouldn't even waste my time.i'll just give her my lawyers # next time. if there is a next time. once i started yelling obcentities at her she hung up, probobly grabbed her lunchbox and quit that job.

I have a question · Post by **I have a question** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

I don't understand why you are getting mad at them. Isn't it YOUR debt? Seems like you are just trying to get out of paying them back on a technicality. I guess if you can work the system & let someone else pay your way, why not. Everyone else does it.

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

I have a question wrote:I don't understand why you are getting mad at them. Isn't it YOUR debt? Seems like you are just trying to get out of paying them back on a technicality. I guess if you can work the system & let someone else pay your way, why not. Everyone else does it.

actually you fuckin ashole there were 5 of is that lived in the house and the bill was in my name. so technically only 20% of the bill is mine you fuckin douche.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

And actually...this isn't his debt to the company making the call. The original debt was sold to a collections company (they often hide behind law firm type names). The original company has long ago written this debt off and could care less. The collection company gets paid and keeps the money. This is how they make their money.

But in order for them to enforce the debt, it has to be within the statue of limitations based on when the owner of the debt took claim to it being theirs. Therefore, if you ever admit that the debt was yours, the time starts over again. The proof that the debt is yours in really in their hands. They have to provide statements showing that you were creating the debt and making payments on the debt.

As far as your credit report goes, any debt with no activity on within 7 years can come off of your history. You need to contact the credit reporting agencies to find out how to do that.

Now, I'm not preaching that you should walk away from your bills. But there truly are some times when the bills were honest errors and very old and long forgotten. With the economy the way it is now, its hard to make ends meet with current bills....how can you go back and clear up something this old.

PanzerFaust · Post by **PanzerFaust** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

The site ONEGUN gave was a good start... I actually have a similiar site I refer to often....

BUT!! Your biggest weapon against these A-holes is keeping an eye on your credit report....

The Govt passed a law a few years ago that all 3 of the main CR agencies must provide you with 1 free report per year .... (not to be confused with any of the "free" credit report services who charge)

The only bad part is you get your report but they are not required to provide you with your FICA score... the number you often see... like over 720 is "A" credit.

But if you go to the offical govt web site once a year and punch up your accounts it'll have a button next to any bad reports for you to dispute the debt.... Just click on all the bad reports and dispute to put it on them to verify the debt... 9 times outta 10 they debt goes away.... My name is Smith so there are always errors on my report...

I first did this when I bought my house in 2001... I got my score up to a 720 for an A rating and qualified for a %5.0 30 year fixed mortgage...

I log in and redo it every Jan and in Feb I got a letter from my auto insurance telling me my rate had gone down $200.00 a year based on my new credit score so it is definetly worth it....

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

PanzerFaust wrote:The site ONEGUN gave was a good start... I actually have a similiar site I refer to often....

BUT!! Your biggest weapon against these A-holes is keeping an eye on your credit report....

The Govt passed a law a few years ago that all 3 of the main CR agencies must provide you with 1 free report per year .... (not to be confused with any of the "free" credit report services who charge)

The only bad part is you get your report but they are not required to provide you with your FICA score... the number you often see... like over 720 is "A" credit.

But if you go to the offical govt web site once a year and punch up your accounts it'll have a button next to any bad reports for you to dispute the debt.... Just click on all the bad reports and dispute to put it on them to verify the debt... 9 times outta 10 they debt goes away.... My name is Smith so there are always errors on my report...

I first did this when I bought my house in 2001... I got my score up to a 720 for an A rating and qualified for a %5.0 30 year fixed mortgage...

I log in and redo it every Jan and in Feb I got a letter from my auto insurance telling me my rate had gone down $200.00 a year based on my new credit score so it is definetly worth it....

https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

thanks for the info

PanzerFaust · Post by **PanzerFaust** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

mjb wrote:
PanzerFaust wrote:https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp
thanks for the info

Yea seriously that site rocks... I do it like clock work once a year and there's always screwed up shit on there...

Had me owing student loans in Texas, payments on a motorcycle in FLA... I swear every Smith in the country gets shit put on my report so I try to stay on top of it.... Hell it saved me $200.00 on car insurance this year alone for the 5 minutes it takes to do it and I'm sure there's a bunch of other behind the scenes "Big Brother" type shit that people hold against you for your credit score...

JakeWilliams · Post by **JakeWilliams** » Wednesday Mar 04, 2009

Lisa wrote:I think they have to be able to provide evidence that it is indeed your bill such as a history of transactions with validation that you recognized it as your bill by making payments, etc. Ask them for the evidence that it indeed belonged to you.

By default, Insurance Companies deny almost all claims the first time they are sent in as a method of "fraud prevention".

As a general rule, I'd use the same logic. Tell all "credit agencies" to lick your balls the first time they call.

*IF* they call back... Then you can ask them for evidence that will prove it is actually your unpaid bill.

But if they keep calling and won't go away, I don't know what I'd do... Either way, good luck!

ROCKPAGE

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