how to find out "public record"

[Anonymous]

Hi all.  My credit rating was ~720, and now it's ~630, and the culprit seems to be a "public record".  I've gotten both the Equifax reports, and the TransUnion reports, and they have conflicting information, although they have the same amount.

The Equifax report says "Legal item filed on Nov 01, 2007".  It has a "case number", a "status date" and an "amount".  It has no other information.

The TransUnion report says "Paid tax lien".  It has a "case number", "status date", "date reported" and "amount".  It has no other information.

Years ago, there was a tax lien on an account, but not in an amount that matches this, and not in the same month reported.  The money was taken, and all was well.  I have since rectified all past tax debts and owe nothing (as far as I know).

So...the question here is...how do I go about finding out what the heck this is?  The amount in question is sizable, but it's worth it to me to pay whoever it is just to get the scar off my credit.  But, I don't even know who the record is from.

What do I do in a situation like this?

[lessismore2014]

I would check with your local courthouse. Maybe they have a website for public records. My county does and I have access to my divorce decree, a tax lien, etc... Whatever is under your name will show up. You can at least get a copy of it and see the actual document, that is if your county has a website.

[MarineVietVet]

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@mnegron1969 wrote:
I would check with your local courthouse. Maybe they have a website for public records. My county does and I have access to my divorce decree, a tax lien, etc... Whatever is under your name will show up. You can at least get a copy of it and see the actual document, that is if your county has a website.

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If not available online you can go and look at it in person.

[CanOnlyGetBetter]

I'm going through this myself, actually as of today.  Tax liens are generally against property.  You can try calling the county recorder's office.  If you give them the case/document number, they can tell you exactly who the lien is against.

[Anonymous]

The thing is, I have no way of knowing what county this is in, because the record, on both credit reports, has no name.  I haven't lived in the USA since 2006, and I don't own any property in the USA. 

I used to live in NYC and had a dispute with a landlord, so I had a lawyer friend contact the relevant NYC courts, and after several attempts, he was able to find no record of any action against me. I thought this was related to a dispute I had with a landlord in New York, but the landlord claims he has no information about any record pertaining to me, and the housing court has no record with my name on it.

I'm really annoyed, because my credit rating was always around 700, but I never cared.  Now I am pondering purchasing some property, and all of a sudden I have a phantom record on my credit report that's apparently from no one, and it torpedoed my rating.

[RobertEG]

To sidestep all of the obstacles of obsurity being thrown in your face, one thing is certain.

Someone posted a public record to your CR.  To do that, they had to report what that record was.

You dont have to jump through hoops to find out the full information that was posted.

Just file the following letter with the CRA, along with a check payable to them in the amount of $10.50:

"This is a written request under FCRA 609(a)(1) for "all information in the consumer's file at the time of the request..."  as it pertains to a public record in my credit file, reported to me in my credit report only as:

     (identify the public record, as specifically as you can)

"I request full account numbers and amount of any debt included in the posted public record.

"This request includes, under the provisions of FCRA 609(a)(2), that you provide me the source of the reported information, including the name of  the person or business that reported this information, and their address and telephone number.  FCRA 609 (a)(3)(B)(i)-(ii).

"I understand that requests for disclosure of information under FCRA 609 require payment to you, the Credit Reporting Agency, of the fee set forth in FCRA 612(f), which is currently $10.50.  Attached is my check in that amount to cover the fee for this request."

Message Edited by RobertEG on 01-21-2010 07:43 PM