Older CA Accounts Question

[Anonymous]

First, thanks to all of the regulars here for all your help.  Appreciated.

In regards to a CA account that is within 12 months of falling off due to reporting laws, is there any benefit to paying these?  I'd like to see my report cleaned up.  I've DVed several and gotten replys back.  I am pondering a PFD.  Should I offer less since the account is old?  Does the reporting factor in when making a request for a delete?

[RobertEG]

Their are benefits.

First, the moral obligation.

Second, credit report exclusion does not make the debt go away.  Unpaid, delinquent debt lives until discharged.

Additionally, credit report exclusion is not absolute. 

While credit report exclusion may shield others from learning of the unpaid debt by a simply pull of your CR, they may discover it by other means, such as affiliate sharing of information, simply asking in any app process if you have any old, unpaid delinquent debt, or by requesting a complete credit report, including the normally excluded information, if you are apping for credit or insurance in an amount of $150K or more (FCRA 605(b)).

Third, they can continue to pester you and/or pull your credit report.  You can block future communications by sending a cease communication letter under FDCPA 805(c), but cannot block continued inquires for your CR to one who is legitimately collecting on the debt.