January 18, 2007
Bring On The Sheriff
I got this letter today from Nationwide Collections. It's in reference to an amount of $66.94 due to Columbia House. The only time I was ever a member of Columbia House was when I was in college. That was 7 years ago.
Not that I 100% believe that I owe this (and I will research it), but why am I JUST NOW getting something. I realize that a lot of stuff has changed on my credit report recently due to paying a bunch of stuff off and buying the house. I realize I have moved a whole bunch and they have probably not been able to keep up with my address. Fine.
If I truly in fact owe this, I have no problem paying it. It's $60. It's almost not worth the search.
However, what pisses me off. What will ensure I research it. And what makes me NOT want to pay it is the following statement in the letter:
You leave us no alternative but to consider commencing legal action. Check the appropriate line below and return this letter to me today:The sheriff should serve any legal Claim and Summons at:
A) my home .........................
B) elsewhere, give details ..........................
If you fail to reply, the Sheriff would normally serve any summons at your home.
It goes on to say how it'll ruin my credit and I will never be able to buy a home or a car if I don't pay this....so on and so forth.
What I'm laughing my ass off at is the idea of a sheriff coming to my home, because when I was 18, I supposedly did not pay them this $66.84.
I unfortunately just burned all my bills and records from 99-2004 so I have no proof of when the account was opened, closed, paid, etc. So, I'm sure I'll end up paying it.
Maybe I should let them send the sheriff. Maybe he'd be cute. Or then maybe something serious would happen and some life would be lost or some criminal would get away because I'm being served a summons because of $60.
Too freaking funny!
Posted by Sissy at January 18, 2007 04:23 PM | TrackBackThese guys make a nice living by digging up old, semi-spurious information on money that you may or may not actually owe, and frightening you into paying.
Send them a letter (certified, with return receipt) informing them that your records do not show the indebtedness, and that if they wish to pursue the matter, they should send you complete documentation within thirty days.
If they do send the documentation, and it looks real, it's up to you whether you pay or not. After a certain period of time passes in which they do not attempt to collect a debt, creditors lose the right to pursue the matter further. I don't remember the time period...but these guys went after me a few years ago for vehicle ad valorem taxes I supposedly owed to a town in Connecticut. I sent them a letter explaining that we had moved out of state and were not liable for the taxes - and never heard from them again.
Posted by: Elisson at January 18, 2007 05:07 PMI neglected to mention that this took place almost ten years after we had moved away from Connecticut (!) - durning which period we had heard not one word from the entity to which we (supposedly) owed the money. Foo.
Posted by: Elisson at January 18, 2007 05:11 PM
