New charge off post on credit report

[Slab]

I have an electric bill that has not been paid on since 7-2006. The electric co. posted a CO on my credit file on 7-2010 when I disputed the bill. I disputed again on 11-2011 and now they have posted CO for 11-2011 and 12-2011. On my FICO report this new posting of CO makes it seem like this is 2 new missed payments. It appears they are trying to make the unpaid bill from 7-2006 look like a current missed payment. Does anyone know what I can do? Thank you in advance.

[llecs]

When an account is CO'd they are supposed to add the lates we all know, the 30,60,90,etc., but when CO'd, they can continue to add lates every single month up to the point they sell the debt or it's paid. Once either condition happens, the lates stop and it must report $0.

Sounds like they don't update regularly (which is a good thing). However events like a dispute would cause them to update the TL with added lates, which is likely what happened here. In some situations, it can impact your FICO.

If I had that, and I didn't disagree with the debt, I'd send a PFD. If I took issue to the account, then I'd write the OC for more info.

[RobertEG]

It looks like that all they did was to do an updated reporting that included the prior reporting of the CO.

A CO is a one-time event.  After initially reporting, as with most other items of information, creditors usually will include a new reporting that includes not only any new or updated information, but also a repetition of all information previously reported.  One long string of data.

"Updated" reporting of a prior item is usually just a repetition of the same information, indicating its status has not changed.  Date of reporting is not necessarily an update of the date of initial occurance of an item.

It is clearly a single CO, and its relevant date is not the date reported or re-reported, but rather the DOFD on the OC account.

[Slab]

Thanks for your answers.