Pacific Gas and Electric PFD/Goodwill

[Anonymous]

Last Feb I applied for a mortgage and was denied due a $16 balance on my closed PG&E account - the "move-out bill I never received". I then did this :

Feb 2007. 1 derog account (PG&E) on report, 120+ late marked as a "collection account" DOFD mid 2006. FICO 667.
Apr 2007. Disputed the account. PG&E verified, reseting DOLA on EX TU. FICO 621
May,June,July 2007. 4 PFDs to PGE which were denied.
Nov 2007 FICO 644
Dec 2007 PG and E sold the $16 debt to a collection agency (who have never contacted me). FICO 611.
With age I am now at 630.

What should I do now ?
-DV then PFD CA. This will remove the collection if the PFD works but the DV will ping PG&E. I'm worried PG&E will reset the DOLA on the original derog.
- PIF the OC then DV CA and Goodwill OC. PIF OC/DV CA will completely remove the collection. However, the OC will update DOLA which will ding me unless Goodwill then works. Seeing as PG&E have been completely uncooperative PFDing $16 I suspect they will be equally uncooperative with Goodwill. Has anyone had any joy Goodwilling PG&E ?
- Continue to PFD the OC : Has anyone had any luck PDFing PG&E ?
- Just wait. PG&E are (surprisingly) not re-ageing me on a monthly basis, but the collection could be resold meaning I will see no FICO increase for 7 years from DOFD.

Does anyone have any other ideas ? I am desperate to remove this $16 since it is stopping me from buying a house !

Message Edited by henryshes2 on 03-09-2008 11:54 AM

Message Edited by henryshes2 on 03-09-2008 11:57 AM

Message Edited by henryshes2 on 03-09-2008 01:10 PM

[Anonymous]

Feb 2007. 1 derog account (PG&E) on report, 120+ late marked as a "collection account" DOFD mid 2006. FICO 667.
Apr 2007. Disputed the account. PG&E verified, reseting DOLA on EX TU. FICO 621

when you say that they re-aged...how......what was DOFD from before dispute (remember that when they verify  the only date that should change is the REPORT date)

when did you closed the account?

Since it has been 11 months I would dispute this account again ( ONLY the OC)  do not dispute the CA.    IF id comes back verified....then send the OC letter CMRRR  (just ask for someone to post OC letter)

DV  the CA  CMRRR.................always keep in mind that if within SOL  you might have to pay full amount owed.

Wait for both the dispute with OC (30-45 days)    The CA must answer with proper inf. within 30 days.

It is illegal to change any date Except report date.  KEEP all hard copies of your CR forever!!!!

The DOFD should be the first month that you didn't pay and it can not be changed or it is a violation!!

ALSO   TU and EX  drop date goes by DOFD........EQ goes by DOLA........this should be the last payment that you made (notice I said should be)

Message Edited by HappyDays on 03-09-2008 01:17 PM

[Anonymous]

The OC letter is in this thread  note that it asks for an INVESTIGATION.

[Anonymous]

HappyDays you are quite right.
Sorry - I now think that I misusing the phrase "re-age" in the OP. The OC did not change the drop-off date (for any CRA) when I disputed, but I received a FICO score ding because the "last reported" date was updated.
The drop off date of the original deliquency is EX:Apr 2013 TU:Jun 2013 with DOFD reported by EQ as Jul 2006.

Now I understand that the OC only updated the "reporting date" not DOLA/DOFD, let me re-phrase my options :
- DV then PFD CA. This will remove the collection if the PFD works but the DV will ping PG&E. I'm worried PG&E will reset the reporting date on the original derog dinging me again.
- PIF the OC then DV CA and Goodwill OC. PIF OC/DV CA will completely remove the collection. However, the OC will update the reporting date which will ding me unless Goodwill then works. Seeing as PG&E have been completely uncooperative PFDing $16 I suspect they will be equally uncooperative with Goodwill. Has anyone had any joy Goodwilling PG&E ?
- Continue to PFD the OC : Has anyone had any luck PFDing PG&E ?
- Just wait. PG&E are (surprisingly) not updating the reporting date on a monthly basis, but the collection could be resold meaning I will see no FICO increase for 7 years from DOFD.
- Send "request Investigation" letter to OC. Can the OC update the "reporting date" and ding me once again ?

Given this, what would be your advice ?

Message Edited by henryshes2 on 03-09-2008 02:04 PM

[Anonymous]

Dispute with the CRA for the OC line and wait for it to verify then send the OC the letter in the above thread.  When you are ready to send the OC letter also DV the CA (do NOT dispute this TL  with CRA).

You send the OC letter to your 'local' office (not where you sent payments) and try to send to the CEO or his assistant CMRRR

CMRRR for the DV also.

My bet is the OC wil remove because an investigation costs much more than $16... I would personally play hardball with the CA - no delete, then no money (a paid collection does not help your score) - and this is all over $16 so you are NOT being unreasonable to not want to pay with your credit score for the next however many years.  If the CA validates then send a PFD to their CEO.  The chance of getting sued over $16 is almost nil.

[Anonymous]

that is easy to do!

Dec 2007 PG and E sold the $16 debt to a collection agency (who have never contacted me). FICO 611.

If this is true then the OC can not accept payment.(legally)  that doesn't mean that they won't.

With a dispute of the OC.....it can come back as updated REPORT date but should read.....Bal: $0  sold/transferred        this is hard to get rid of.  They might also just delete    they can do either.

With the CA   it is your word against theirs about being notified.

OMG all this over $16   the OC is nuts.  I am not a lawyer BUT I think if you mailed a check to the OC and on the back of it   write    (where they sign)  for deposit only     They must deposit it into their account only.  They really should mail it back to you BUT  who knows.

If they deposit it   they would then have to notify the CA and they would have to pay them......this is not your busness  BUT   IF the CA starts to report paid    I would then DV  then    telling them that you do not remember paying them and reporting must be 100% accurate.....for proof of payment please send me copy of the payment showing CA as payee. If you can not please delete.

IF you pay the CA  they can keep reporting for the full 7 years as  paid.

Send the CA a DV    make them show if they were assigned or if they own the account.

I hope LADY can help you more     im at a loss!!!!

I just read new answer by LADY......do what she says!!!!!!!!!!  thank you lady  

Message Edited by HappyDays on 03-09-2008 02:22 PM

[Anonymous]

Thanks HappyDays and Lady_Scarlet :-)

I'm going to send one more PFD to the OC, then I'll follow your advice Lady_Scarlet with the OC INVESTIGATION letter. I might add a PFD request into your letter : carrot and stick. This is definitely my best bet to remove both OC and collection tradelines.

If the OC will not move after this, then I think I'll have to give up on them, leave them alone and DV then start PFDing the CA. The OC delinquency tradeline is now nearly 2 years since DOFD and it is the collection that is really hurting me. In this case, it might be easier for me to PFD the collection agency rather than the OC.

HappyDays, yes, this OC is seemingly nuts. I've tried to focus on the solution to my problem in this thread, but as you can imagine I (with typical British understatement) am miffed to say the least ...

[Anonymous]

IMO  i would first dispute with the CRAs (OC)  remember they must verify before you send the OC letter..........If the letter is sent before the dispute they do NOT have to answer.

I would not send a PFD again until the dispute is closed AND after the 30 day is past OR the OC answers the OC letter.   Timing can make a differance!!!

[Anonymous]

I disputed the OC tradeline with the CRAs back in April last year and the OC verified the $16 debt. Should I dispute again now that they have sold (/assigned it's unclear which given that both OC and CA are reporting an amount due) the $16 to a credit agency ?

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

It has been 11 months since you last disputed  I could be wrong but I think the law changed .....it use to be that an OC didn't have to answer a letter BUT now  they MUST only after a dispute that is verified.  So I would start over & dispute the OC