creditor mailed me about old Debt

[3piecechickendinner]

Today I rcvd a letter in the mail from MIchigan Legal Specialists P.C about a judgement that was rendered against me in 2008 from West Michigan Debt Collections, INC about MBNA.  The current amount owed is 6K!  I have no idea what this about, maybe a card i had in college that i havent paid since 1999.  I have been checking my credit faithfully since 2007 and I have not seen anything on there even close to this amount.  Also the case no they provided me with does not exist.  I looked it up on the Michigan Courts online site and could not find anything with my name or the bogus case number they sent.  Please help

[rckstrscott]

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@3piecechickendinner wrote:

Today I rcvd a letter in the mail from MIchigan Legal Specialists P.C about a judgement that was rendered against me in 2008 from West Michigan Debt Collections, INC about MBNA.  The current amount owed is 6K!  I have no idea what this about, maybe a card i had in college that i havent paid since 1999.  I have been checking my credit faithfully since 2007 and I have not seen anything on there even close to this amount.  Also the case no they provided me with does not exist.  I looked it up on the Michigan Courts online site and could not find anything with my name or the bogus case number they sent.  Please help

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Send a DV letter; force them to validate the information. If this is the first contact, you have 30 days to request validation. Do so immediately.

If there IS a judgment against you, the 1999 date is now irrelevant.

-scott

[3piecechickendinner]

But what if I never rcvd any information that a judgement was going on?  Dont I have to be served with legal papers or something?

[rckstrscott]

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@3piecechickendinner wrote:

But what if I never rcvd any information that a judgement was going on?  Dont I have to be served with legal papers or something?

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Not always.. depending on jurisiction they might not have to serve actual papers... 

If the judgment was rendered, you might be able to have it vacated but you really need to find out whats going on before your next course of action..

-scott

[3piecechickendinner]

This just seems very odd that someone can take me to court without notifying me...I never rcvd anything in the mail from them either, also just wondering why it doesnt show on my credit report either...Im sending them the DV letter ASAP and I left a vm with them telling them to call me back...Im not going to admit to anything or agree to make a payment with them

[rckstrscott]

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@3piecechickendinner wrote:

This just seems very odd that someone can take me to court without notifying me...I never rcvd anything in the mail from them either, also just wondering why it doesnt show on my credit report either...Im sending them the DV letter ASAP and I left a vm with them telling them to call me back...Im not going to admit to anything or agree to make a payment with them

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It isn't odd. It happens all the time. If you've moved, they might have served at old address. Posted something in the local paper.  This forum is chalk full with people who have past judgments they had no idea they had.

Bottom line is, don't worry about the oddity, or how/why this could have happened. You need to find out as much as you can in order to take the right course of action. If you are sure there is nothing in the public record for you; then you need to DV them to get more information so you can further research. 

Until you know everything, you won't really know how to proceed. Just the fact you 'might have a card from 1999' means that it could possibly be yours, and legit, so you need to treat it with urgency because if you drag your feet, the colleciton account could appear at anytime, then its even more a pain in the butt.

If they cannot validate, this will place a cease bar on collecting, and they will not be able to put it on your credit report or contact you until the verify.

-scott

[3piecechickendinner]

Thanks Scott, After my meeting I am going to the post office to send them the DV in certified mail

[rckstrscott]

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@3piecechickendinner wrote:

Thanks Scott, After my meeting I am going to the post office to send them the DV in certified mail

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Rock! keep us posted on the response, and hopefully we can point you in the right direction!

-scott

[3piecechickendinner]

I spoke with them and they said that my last deliquent date was Jan 2002 and that they sued me in May 2008 for the balance.  Said that they pasted and mailed notices to my addresses and that i never responded to them. That they had the right to add another 10 years to the date and that the new statue of limitations is 2028.  She said that the note at the bottom of the letter saying that i have 30 days to dispute this claim doesnt pertain to me! 

I just sent them my DV and I will see what they send me

[guiness56]

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@3piecechickendinner wrote:

I spoke with them and they said that my last deliquent date was Jan 2002 and that they sued me in May 2008 for the balance.  Said that they pasted and mailed notices to my addresses and that i never responded to them. That they had the right to add another 10 years to the date and that the new statue of limitations is 2028.  She said that the note at the bottom of the letter saying that i have 30 days to dispute this claim doesnt pertain to me! 

I just sent them my DV and I will see what they send me

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Who did you talk to?  The CA?

What is the SOL in your state?

THEY can't just add another 10 years, they would need to renew the judgment. 

Obviously the blurb does pertain to you if they are trying to collect a debt.

If there is a judgment, could it be from another state?