Sunday, January 22, 2006
Well aparently I didn't have enough on my plate.
Friday, I was stunned to receive a letter from a collection agency. Aparently, my former landlord (from last year) is "demanding payment" of my debt. A debt equivalent to more than **9 month's rent**. NINE month's rent?? Granted, I broke the lease, but I attempted 3x by phone and 2x by mail to arrange a payment plan for their ridiculous extortion of an extra *2 month's rent* (after holding onto my 30 day notice for 2 weeks, they informed me that they couldn't accept it if I didn't pay the 2 month's rent at the same time, but if I'd pay it in the next 24 hours, they'd gracefully accept my 30 day notice), and the only thing I got from them was a postage-due copy of my lease along with a snarky letter denying responsibility for all of my complaints about the property and demanding that I pay the utility bills for the apartment *after* I moved out.
A friend turned me on to a great site to learn more about credit reports, colleciton agencies, and repairing credit, etc.: http://www.creditboards.com/mambo/ and there I've learned a thing or two about how to get started dealing with this headache. A year ago, I was willing to begin making payments on what I owed, despite the egregiousness of it, but now I'm pissed. PISSED.
Rusty and I recently were denied credit for a new car, so I used my freebie access to the credit report to see if the collection was listed yet. Sure enough, there it was, along with a JUDGEMENT for the same amount, dated in February of last year. Now the letter that I still have from them (addressed to my new address) is postmarked January 31, 2005. The had to have already filed this suit against me, and intentionally did not contact me so that they would get the default win in court. I have to check the state laws, but it's also possible that I only have one year to have the judgement vacated, which is probably why they waited to sell the account to a collection agency til now. I'm thinking they thought the agency wouldn't get around to contacting me so quickly, and I wouldn't have time to file a motion to dismiss. Bastards.
Friday, I was stunned to receive a letter from a collection agency. Aparently, my former landlord (from last year) is "demanding payment" of my debt. A debt equivalent to more than **9 month's rent**. NINE month's rent?? Granted, I broke the lease, but I attempted 3x by phone and 2x by mail to arrange a payment plan for their ridiculous extortion of an extra *2 month's rent* (after holding onto my 30 day notice for 2 weeks, they informed me that they couldn't accept it if I didn't pay the 2 month's rent at the same time, but if I'd pay it in the next 24 hours, they'd gracefully accept my 30 day notice), and the only thing I got from them was a postage-due copy of my lease along with a snarky letter denying responsibility for all of my complaints about the property and demanding that I pay the utility bills for the apartment *after* I moved out.
A friend turned me on to a great site to learn more about credit reports, colleciton agencies, and repairing credit, etc.: http://www.creditboards.com/mambo/ and there I've learned a thing or two about how to get started dealing with this headache. A year ago, I was willing to begin making payments on what I owed, despite the egregiousness of it, but now I'm pissed. PISSED.
Rusty and I recently were denied credit for a new car, so I used my freebie access to the credit report to see if the collection was listed yet. Sure enough, there it was, along with a JUDGEMENT for the same amount, dated in February of last year. Now the letter that I still have from them (addressed to my new address) is postmarked January 31, 2005. The had to have already filed this suit against me, and intentionally did not contact me so that they would get the default win in court. I have to check the state laws, but it's also possible that I only have one year to have the judgement vacated, which is probably why they waited to sell the account to a collection agency til now. I'm thinking they thought the agency wouldn't get around to contacting me so quickly, and I wouldn't have time to file a motion to dismiss. Bastards.
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