@Anonymous wrote:
@StartingOver10 wrote:
@jason0618 wrote:
Ok, clarification time.
When I say I owe it, I mean it's something I've been billed for, but don't agree with. I paid the dr my copay at the time, and my insurance company paid their portion as well. Nobody can determine what this $600 accounts for.
I've tried settling, they won't settle. Since I don't feel it's a valid debt, that's why I've not paid it. Like I said, it's the only collection on my reports, so I'm not some deadbeat trying to avoid responsibility. I'm just not going to pay some debt collector just because they say I owe.
That being said, I don't need a judgment on my credit. I'm in the process of buying a house, and I'm sure that's where this came from, since I've not heard s peep from these guys in a couple of years. My question is whether or not I should just pay the $600 to settle or go to court and demand answers and validation.
^^^This is important info to know. Yes, they were waiting for you to apply for a mortgage to pop up and sue you. The collectors can purchase lists of people applying for mortgages and scrub the list against their database. It is such a common tactic that some people have a mortgage lender pull many months before needing the mortgage to bring these types of CAs out of the woodwork so they do have time to negotiate it without jepordizing their purchase of a home.
The CAs know that you can't afford to get a judgment when you are in the mortgage process. It will stop the mortgage in its tracks. They now have your attention - regardless if the debt is valid or not. Since they are well aware you are applying for a mortgage - any negotiating power you had is now out the window
IMO, if it were me and my new home, I would pay it in exchange for vacating the judgment. The amount is why I wouldn't bother to fight it. If it were $$$$, then naturally my answer would be different.
It is up to you, but being in the middle of obtaining a mortgage puts a whole different light on the subject.
^i agree with this 100%. right or wrong, what's $600 when you're buying a house? i'd call it a cost of doing business, pay it, and move on - maybe you can fight to get it back afterwards, but if you miss out on the house over this, you'll regret it. It's also going to delay the mortgage process, which is long enough.
No, its more like a form of legalized extortion. The only thing missing is two guys with baseball bats.
