Rebuilding Your Credit

[BooBee]

I have an old dentist bill that showed up for collections ($50) on my report. I haven't seen a dentist is AGES! I suspect the collection is from 2000 or 2001 (just don't remember).  I suspect this should have come off by now but I've only just started looking at my credit report and noticed it.

Being that it's such a small amount I just want to clear it up rather than hoping it "falls off".  I called the CA and asked for a PFD verbally. They said they can't delete the report even if I paid in full but would update the record.  I said, "well then you'll have to wait for payment until I can get around to sending some kind of payment; maybe in two parts."  That was my frustration talking but God knows I just want to pay and clear this up.

I'd like to offer a PFD by mail now but I'm worried that I may have reset the SOL just by speaking to them.  They tried saying that I offered to pay on a recording but I said, "that's not what I said" just to be sure my words were not twisted.

Did I reset the SOL by speaking to the CA?  I just want to pay what I owe and do the right thing.  Otherwise I will DV these guys because I'm just about certain (99% sure) that this is too old to collect.

[ilovepizza]

7 years should be WAY out of SOL. Paying it could lower your credit score. What you need to do is find the date of the original bill date back from 2001. If more than 7 years you can dispute for removal with CRAs. The sad thing is if you pay the CA and they report it updated it will not help but hurt your scores. FICO goes by date of last activity not payment. So by paying it this could result in a big score drop. It might be nearly ready to fall off, so in this case validate the date of original default with the dentist and do not pay it now. If you feel that you owe the money I'd wait until it falls off your reports and then you can pay it so the CA can not update the Collectin, however the law would not require you to pay it beyond sol and it would be in good faith only if you felt obligated to pay an old debt. I do not believe if you pay it that any money will actually go to the dentist after this amount of time.

[ilovepizza]

What you say is important not what they told you that you said. Not a mistake. Agreeing to pay a debt does not claim that it is legit either.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 05-19-2008 02:22 PM

[BooBee]

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ilovepizza wrote:
What you say is important not what they told you that you said. Not a mistake. Agreeing to pay a debt does not claim that it is legit either.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 05-19-2008 02:22 PM

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I was so flustered I did say that I went to the dentist and I did pay something at the time of that appointment when I went because I always end up having to pay (I just may have been under charged which is why I got billed for the small amount).  I'm just worried the conversation took longer than it needed (2 mins).

Even if in their eyes I have confirmed the debt via phone does it still

reset SOL?  Or does a payment actually reset SOL?  I've read so much on the board about SOL but I'm still unclear as to how (or IF) a phone conversation can reset SOL.

I'm upset I even TRIED to do the right thing. Ugh! (

[sidewinder]

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BooBee wrote:

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ilovepizza wrote:
What you say is important not what they told you that you said. Not a mistake. Agreeing to pay a debt does not claim that it is legit either.

Message Edited by ilovepizza on 05-19-2008 02:22 PM

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I was so flustered I did say that I went to the dentist and I did pay something at the time of that appointment when I went because I always end up having to pay (I just may have been under charged which is why I got billed for the small amount).  I'm just worried the conversation took longer than it needed (2 mins).

Even if in their eyes I have confirmed the debt via phone does it still

reset SOL?  Or does a payment actually reset SOL?  I've read so much on the board about SOL but I'm still unclear as to how (or IF) a phone conversation can reset SOL.

I'm upset I even TRIED to do the right thing. Ugh! (

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An agreement to pay will reset SOL in SOME states.

Personally, over $50 I wouldn't worry too much about SOL.

Call the dentist and ask what the date of service was. That will be the same as your DOFD. It should fall 7-7.5 years from that date.