Goodwill Ltr to Apartment Complex

[Anonymous]

So, I have a collection on my report, which was from an old apartment complex I lived at....I owed $135 due to a horrible roommate that left me with more past due utilities and rent payments than I care to re-live...However, I struggled to pay for all of this for the past two years and I'm still working as we can see.

I piad the debt, but not until it went to the collection agency...I'm in the process of sending a goodwill letter to the Apartment complex right now, but just wondering if anyone else has done this?

Should I try to contact the apartment complex, the company that owns the apartments, or the collection agency?

Sorry, I'm new to these boards, so if this is a re-post, I apologize!!

[Anonymous]

I have only had success with this sending the letter to places I have a current account open and they do it to keep me as a happy customer. They might not do it because they wont get anymore business from you. It is worth a try though as well.

Have you disputed it yet? Have you asked the collection agency to remove the item?

[Anonymous]

No, I was thinking I'd try with the apartment complex first, and then the collection agency...and then I guess just back and forth until one of us gets tired and backs down....

[Anonymous]

Three things I would do concurrently if I was you:
1) Talk to the apartment complex and try to get them to ask the CA to remove it, in my experience if the OC asks them to remove it, they will
2) Give the CA your best sob story, tell them you need to get it removed to improve your score in preperation for a mortgage or similar
3) Dispute it with the credit bureaus, if it has been collected already, a lot of collection agencies wont respond to the disputes and will drop off

Good luck, I am going through the same process as you, I have had 4 collection accounts removed so far.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help...I'm a little discouraged today as I've been on the phone all morning with Duke Energy and they won't remove...I'll be sending letters out later today, but I was hoping I 'd get my easy answers like I did for my others ones....

Thanks for all the help everyone!

[Anonymous]

If all else fails try to talk to the PERSON who owns the apartments. He might be the chief stockholder in the company that owns them. As a real estate owner he or she will understand why your credit is important to you and will probably not penalize you for your roomate's actions. (at least not now that he's been paid). One phone call from him to the staff and its gone.