I am a reformed lurker...and I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who has contributed here for helping me. You all have inspired me more that you'll ever know. I paid someone $1100 a few years back to 'repair' my credit...and he ended up doing nothing. If I had only found you all sooner.
My story is typical. Credit sucked..I stumbled upon this board and was instantly inspired. I took a few steps to clean up my credit by writing a few PFD's & GWs (THANKS TO YOU ALL) and was on a upward trend UNTIL today. (sidebar - I even got approved for 2 credit cards and a cell phone which hasn't happened in several years)
I lived in Pittsburgh back in the 90s. In 1999, I received a job offer in NYC and had to relocate. I had a leasing agreement with a rental community and of course, had to break my lease. I provided the company with a copy of my new employment contract and they made an arrangement with me to pay a penalty and to forfeit my lease opposed to paying the entire amount that was left on my lease. The amount that I had to pay was about $2000. They were even nice enough to allow me to make payments on the balance. I completely paid off the balance in about 8-9 months.
FAST FORWARD TO 2007 (that's SEVEN YEARS LATER!)
Earlier this year, I started receving letters from this rental community saying that I owed them $5400!! I had moved around the country a lot since then and I almost blew a blood vessel trying to remember the particulars of this situation. Of course, I sent them certified letters telling them that I never owed them $5400...that I paid a small penalty for breaking my lease and the debt was satisfied. A few quiet months went by and then suddenly they started sending more letters. They basically said, PAY NOW or we're gonna report you to the credit Gods. I still adamantly denied that I owed them anything. I called an attorney and he kinda chuckled at their attempt to extort money out of me. He claimed that it was too late for them to collect on this alleged debt anyway. I wrote them another letter telling them about the SOL - they wrote back and said, "Well, it aint too late to report it!"
And whattya know . . .I got the dreaded alert today about my score plummetting 40 points. They reported me and I am furious. 
BUT WAIT....THERE'S MORE . . .
A few weeks ago, I was able to find one measely receipt which states that in 3/01, I had a remaining balance of $1700. I haven't located any additional reciepts as of yet..but I will continue to look. (My God - we're talking SEVEN YEARS AGO!!!) In my recent exchange of correspondence with them, they claim that I owed 5866.00 in March. This one receipt may be the smoking gun....I really don't know.
I guess the obvious thing to do would be to hire an attorney...but until then, I would really appreciate feedback, opinions, and suggested course of action from the Fico Fam.
I'm so mad that I could spit. I worked so hard to clean up this mess . . .and now THIS.
