Medical Collection - Pay OC or CA

[Anonymous]

I have a medical collection account that I would like to PFD.  Do I need to pay the OC or contact the CA?  The CA is West Asset Mgmt.

I contacted them via phone; and they told me to pay the account in full and send them a letter via fax requesting the removal. 

I know that I should get something in writing first stating that they will remove, right?

Should I go ahead and pay the CA?

Should I pay the OC?

This is a pretty recent account. 

Thank you in advance for your responses.

[RobertEG]

Who owns the debt?

If the OC still owns the debt, then either the OC or CA can accept payment.

Accpetance of payment by one party wont require, even with a PFD agreement, deltion of any reporting done by the other party.

If the CA now owns the debt, and is not just acting as a collection agent of the OC, then you can only pay the CA.

Payment without a prior wriiten acceptance of CR deletion wont later requrie CR deletion.  You need acceptance of your PFD offer in advance of payment.

[LIGHTNIN]

The fact the CA is recent is hurting your CS huge. Contact the OC to see who owns the debt.

If the OC still owns the debt, ask if they accept payment and call back the CA.

If the CA owns the debt, send a PFD letter.Good Luck to you. 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for your comments.

I'm not exactly sure who owns the debt. 

I just sent an email to the OC advising them that I would like to pay the account in full and if they would be willing to pull the account

back from CA.

[RobertEG]

There is really no such thing, regarding credit reporting,  as "pulling or calling  back the account from the CA,"  that mandates any deletion of the CA or of any of their prior credit reporting.

All the OC can "pull back" is thieir prior authorization for the debt collector to continue future credit reporting, on the basis of OC termination of collection authoirity.

That is the future, not the past.

The OC cannot "pull back" any prior, accurate reporting done by a debt collector.  The OC did not post it, and thus has no standing to requrie its deletion.

A myth.

[Anonymous]

So I'm a little confused.

If I pay the OC in full ( that is if they still own the debt), then what happens to the CA on the report?

What would they be reporting or collecting if the debt has been paid?

I was able to pull up my account via the hospital's online bill pay.  So I can pay directly to them but

what do I do with the CA?

[Anonymous]

paying a collection only removes the threat of being sued.  you CR will be the same whether the collection is paid or not.  however, even if you have decent FICO scores, if you have an unpaid collection, you can and probably will be denied credit due to the outstanding collection.

it is in your best interest FICOwise to negotiate for deletion.

i agree with robert that 'recalling' collections from a CA does not bind them to delete or stop reporting a tradeline, but there is an outside chance that the OC you're dealing with will do it, so it's worth asking.  there is a chance however, that if you pay the OC, the CA will just report the tradeline as 'paid collection' which you don't want, and if they do that you have no leverage to negotiate for deletion.  the money has been paid, and they have no incentive to delete.  

your best bet may be to negotiate a PFD with the CA, but i would at least talk to the OC and see what they're willing to do.

eta:  once the collection has been PIF or settled, collection activity must cease, but the tradeline may still be listed on your CR for 7.5 years past DOFD.  the only way to prevent this from being listed is to negotiate for PFD before paying.. or you can PIF, then GW them.  PFD is preferable since you have an agreement up front, rather than depening on the CA's good will later on.