Debtconsolidationcare.com - the USA consumer forum

Forums
  • Latest topic

Single debt reported by two CA's

Date: Wed, 06/01/2005 - 20:52

Submitted by anonymous
on Wed, 06/01/2005 - 20:52

Posts: 202330 Credits: [Donate]

Total Replies: 6

Single debt reported by two CA's


I've decided to look through my own credit reports (Experian, 3-in-1) and found that I owed money to a hospital (Samaritan Hospital, Troy NY) I was once treated at, but never received a bill for - most likely due to the fact that it was a fraternity hazing event that left me injured and I moved out of the house ASAP. Since then I've paid the original creditor and the collection dropped off my Experian credit report completely but still showed up on both my Equifax and TransUnion as open and unpaid (with $482 and $483 amounts respectively. I called up the hospital to verify that it has been paid and was also sent a notice of 0 balance. After obtaining my Equifax credit report (the experian 3-in-1 credit reports did not furnish the names of the collection agency) it listed the collection agency as "Collections Bureau of the Hudson Valley" in Newburgh, NY. After speaking with both the hospital and the collection agency, the collection agency told me that the information that Samaritan Hospital was inconsistent and would not mark the account as 0 balance unless I sent them a copy of my bank statement showing the payment, which I did. A few weeks pass and the collection remains on my equifax report. I call up again, they apologize and send me a letter of zero balance paid on the day I call them to correct the issue, not when I paid the Hospital.

Today I get a credit watch email as I subscribed to it to track what is going on. The collection bureau of Hudson Valley marks it as a zero balance paid on the date I last contacted them, not when I paid the bill. For shits and giggles (pardon my english), I pull my Transunion credit report. I find I have the collection still there, under another collection agency called Overton, Russell and Doer in Clifton Park, NY.

I'm just really confused about this having collections for the same bill with two collection agencies. Other than contact the second collection agency, is there anything I can do? is turning over a collection to several agencies even legal?


Hi Angry_Dude,
Welcome to the debt consolidation care forums.

From the facts, you have provided us in your query, it quite clear that there is a communication gap between you, and the credit bureaus and collection agency.

Please send a written request along with your statement to the credit bureaus and the collection agency to correct the error. You should also ask them to correct the information from the date you cleared off all the dues and not from the date you last contacted. Still if there is no action taken against your letter then please lodge a complaint with the Consumer credit counseling Agency as well as with the FTC. They will definitely help you resolve the problem.

Keep us posted on the subsequent incidents and feel free to come back with your queries.

Regards,
Peter


lrhall41

Submitted by peter on Thu, 06/02/2005 - 02:39

( Posts: 285 | Credits: )


Hi Angry_Dude

Welcome to the forums. As per the fdcpa laws, the bill collectors are required to contact the right person with the legal amount of debt. Since the collectors try to locate the debtors after their debt is purchased from the creditors, it is sometimes possible that they get in touch with the wrong person due to inaccurate or insufficient information.

Contacting the wrong person or a collection agency trying to recover the debt from the debtor is not violation of the law, but continuing to harass a person without any valid reason is offense.

Quote:

is turning over a collection to several agencies even legal?


Since the creditor loses, misplaces or deletes your account or sometimes sells your debt so many times to the different collection agents, it becomes very difficult for the creditor and the collection agent to validate your debt. In such cases, the collectors sell the debt to other collection agents or debt buyers.

As per the FDCPA, the collectors are not questioned when your account was sold to whom although the law prohibits from your information getting shared with other collectors, you can expect that some other collection agency will contact you over the past debt. Thus, yow will be required to dispute the debt again.

Please let us know if you have any other query regarding this matter.

Please join the forums for regular updates in debt related matter and earn reward points through your posts.

http://www.debtconsolidationcare.com/

Regards
Roxette


lrhall41

Submitted by roxette on Thu, 06/02/2005 - 13:41

( Posts: 4009 | Credits: )


The second CA told me to file as a dispute with Transunion as their records showed paid in full on the date I paid the hospital.

But unlike most posts in this forum, I was NEVER contacted by any collection agency (not by phone or even in writing), just got the great news when applying for an automobile loan. If I had been contacted, I would have settled right away, but I originally had thought that my medical insurance had covered this, but apparently didn't. Other than this collection account, my credit history is spotless, not even missing a single payment since the beginning of my credit history.


lrhall41

Submitted by anonymous on Thu, 06/02/2005 - 17:48

( Posts: 202330 | Credits: )


Hi Angry_Dude

Welcome back. It is very nice to hear that you have a very clean credit report other than this entry.

As said by the CA, when their report showed your status as Paid in Full, in that case, it is possible that there is an error in the report of the Transunion.

Please send a letter to the Transunion and file a dispute. After verification, this entry will be erased from your report.

We hope to see your active participation in the forums regularly.

Regards
Roxette


lrhall41

Submitted by roxette on Thu, 06/02/2005 - 17:57

( Posts: 4009 | Credits: )


I paid your company in full for all outstanding medical debts and they still appear on my credit report.....these were taken care of in September of 2005. Please call me so we can take care of this matter asap. Thank you - 704-436-**** or 518-848-****
they were under my name and my son, Matthew Frisch. They were all paid at one time over the phone. Please let me know if you need any more info. My email is .. Thank you again.

email address removed as per forum rules. Phone number deleted for your personal safety - vikas


lrhall41

Submitted by anonymous on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 17:23

( Posts: 202330 | Credits: )


Hi Cara Bombard

This is not the company whom you have paid the money. It seems that you came up in this forum after putting a search with the name of the company in the search engine.

You need to post your query in the company's website or call at their customer care. What's the name of the company you are dealing with? Maybe we can help you with the address.


lrhall41

Submitted by ben on Mon, 01/09/2006 - 17:31

( Posts: 2034 | Credits: )