Midland Credit calling a paid off collection "120 days past due"

[Dolan621]

Hey, new guy here. Trying to get myself squared away and I was reviewing my Equifax report, I noticed that a collection through Midland Credit Management  that I paid off 3 years ago was listed as "120 Days past due". How can something that has been paid be past due? Can this be fixed? Also, I'm dealing with Midland on another matter and they also have that collection listed as "120 days past due". I didn't think CAs could list a collection as "- Days past due". Am I wrong? DO I have any recourse with these accounts?

Thanks for the info in advance!

[MarineVietVet]

Hi Dolan621,

I'm going to move this to the Rebuilding Your Credit board. I think you will get a better response there.

MarineVietvet, myFICO moderator

[RobertEG]

Debt collectors dont report "120-day lates."  You dont have reportable monthly delinquencies with a debt collector.  Reporting codes available to debt collectors under a collection account do not even include provisions for such reporting.

What you are probably seeing in your CR is a formatting consolidation of information from the OC and Collection portions of your credit file.  The 120-day late came from the creditor segment of your credit file.  If you dispute with the debt collector, you will most probably find out that they did not report it, and thus are not the relevant party for a dispute.

If you want to find out who reported this information, then you can submit a request to the CRA under FCRA 809(a)(1), asking them to disclose the party who reported this information.  That is the party to whom any dispute must be addressed.

[LIGHTNIN]

welcome to the forums,

I would suggest sending a GW letter to Midland, asking if they would remove this collection from your CR.

Here's a link to a GW letter http://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/GW-Example-Letters/m-p/4521/highlight/true#M12...

Hope this helps. Good Luck to You..

[Dolan621]

Thanks for the advice....yeah, when I checked my EQ report, it says plain as day "120 days past due". Guess I'll be calling and writing to Midland to get this cleared up.

Thanks againQ!

[RobertEG]

Just remember that your credit report is a third-party document created based upon your credit file.  Credit reports often format and report information in a way that implies items listed under a heading, such as a Collection,  were reported by that party, when they were in fact reported by another.

To reduce the formatting and inaccuracies that prevail in normal commercial credit reports, I would suggest that before you make assumptions as to improper reporting, you first order a copy of your free annual credit report from annualcreditreport.com.  While not free of such formatting problems, reports I have received from that FTC sanctioned site are normally much closer to the facts in my credit file than the commercial credit reports I get elsewhere. 

[Dolan621]

Thanks again!