Hi! New here and have a couple questions about ex's CC and tax liens

[electra]

Hi Everyone,

I'm SO happy to have found this site and this community!  I've been hiding my head in the sand and avoiding confronting my debt and credit problems for so long because it just seemed a completely overwhelming and insurmountable problem.  Reading all of these posts here has really given me hope that I can pull myself together and get my financial house in order once again!  Now that I've finally run my credit reports and FICO score I actually feel strangely relieved, despite the fact that they are pretty bad.  Just getting my arms around the problem and starting to put a plan in place has lowered my stress level substantially.

Anyway, to my questions:

1) I am in the process of getting a divorce (filed but not finalized) and I see that one of my ex's Credit Cards (Discover) which shows charged off as bad debt is showing up on my report.  It lists me as "authorized user" but I never had a card and never used that card.  Can I dispute that as not mine?  Am I an authorized user simply because I was married to him?  The card was opened before we were married.  Also, the date of last activity was April 2006.  Does that mean it will drop off regardless in May of next year?

2) I have 3 paid CA State Tax Liens on there.  Is there any way to get these removed? I've seen posts which say it takes 7 years to drop and others which say 10.   I think it might be 7 if it's paid (mine are) or 10 if not?  Also, what is the date they are calculating the 7 or 10 years from?  There is the date filed and then also a status/date paid.  

In my case I have the following:

Lien 1) Date filed:  Sept 25, 2003   Status Date/Date Paid:  April 9, 2007

Lien 2) Date filed: Nov 28, 2005     Status Date/Date paid: May 2, 2007

Lien 3) Date filed: Aug 7, 2006       Status Date/Date paid: Dec 26, 2006

Thanks for any help!

[Datx]

I can't offer any help or suggestions regarding your tax liens. But on your first question, if you are indeed just an 'authorized' user on the Discover account, and not listed as a 'joint' user/applicant, then you can dispute it as not yours and it should come off.

[electra]

Thanks Datx!   Should I just say it's not mine in the explanation or should I say I believe it's my ex's?  I don't know for sure it's his but it seems likely.  He *still* hasn't given me his financial disclosure paperwork and I never had a card, have no records of it.  I do remember that he had one at some point a long time ago.

[Datx]

I would just mention that you were never aware of the account, and that is not your account. They'll verify it with Discover and it should be removed.

[novabama]

I was an auth user on my mom's charged off discover card--I called Discover directly, spoke with their disputes dept. Had to write a letter (and sign three times for their verification haha) and send a copy of my DL. It was pretty painless and was off my CR's in about a week or less. If you want you can dispute it with Disc and the CRAs if it's a time thing... then one way or the other should work pretty fast. GL!

[electra]

Thanks novabama!  That's really great to hear!  I think I'll try disputing with both then!  Would you have a phone number for their disputes department?

[novabama]

I think it's 800-347-4861... but they are notorious for transferring no matter which of their public numbers you call  

[electra]

Thanks!!  I called and they said they have no record of my SSN.  Not surprising given I never had a card with them!  Anyway, she said I would have to go through the CRA to file a wrong name dispute and it should come off no problem.  

[novabama]

weird! well good that should be simple enough then