topic Re: Midland management collection help? in Rebuilding Your Credit

Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 20:30:13 GMT

I recently found out there is a collection under my name with them for $2500. Apparently it was opened by my ex and now I'm taking responsibility. The account recently been in their company for month or so ? Apparently the account is over yesterday and half deliquent and recently went to Midland . I'm assuming they brought over the debt . I attempted to call and negotiable attempting to settle for 1100-1300. Midland will not help settle for that amount saying its too low. I told them how I got the money as a loan from family and wasn't able to pay that full amount and also I recently lost my job . I told them I can't do a payment plan since I can guarantee that I will have income coming in or any money to pay monthly since I'm unemployed . I kept asking them if they can please settle around 1100-1300 because it is all I have in my bank. The customer service guy said he talked to his supervisor and they will drop from 2500 to 1900 by it has to be pay today . I told the customer rep. There is no way I can pay that when I strictly said I got 1125 in my account and can maybe ask family for additional 200 to make it 1325. Cusotmer rep said they can't settle that low and it will have to go to the lawyer and court and if judge rule against me I have to pay for additional fees. I told him well that is the only option I have since you guys won't settle that amount and I don't have anyone or anyway to get the fund for 1900 when I barely got 1125 in my account to settle . I'm currently unemployed and don't have any property under my name and if the court rule a judgement on me there is really nothing I can use to pay the balance (which I told the midland rep). Even after hearing that he still doesn't offer me a lower settlement to my number of 1100-1300. I told him thank you and I will want to settle if he decides to then please call me or I have to return the loan amount I got to my family member. The customer rep told me to return the money to them because the amount is too low to settle.

So after hearing my story I was wondering anyone have any good experience or advice with Midland.
Do I keep calling back and stick to my settle between 1100-1300 for an original balance of 2500?
I really don't have any other extra money or income to pay that 1900 they lower it to so what can I do to help me settle an amount to that number of 1100-1300? Any advice will help.
Worst case if I can't settle I won't be able to pay them and I'm in Texas so I think they can't garnish my back in Texas (unsure about this ) , but then again I won't have any money (income ) for the court to freeze and take away from me.

Please help how to settle this soon with them. Thanks for any advice in advance .

Re: Midland management collection help?

simplegirl — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 20:48:55 GMT

If it’s within Statue of limitations they won’t go very low with settlement offers. In Texas which is where I live they can’t sue you after 4 years and no wage garnishment(I think) but hopefully someone that knows more can help you. I have a collection with midland currently and they say they will settle 776 for 465 but haven’t spoken told them as far as payment.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:27:36 GMT

Hi OP. Don't give up with MM. I had a $1400 collection with them and they settled for $400 and removed their tradeline from my credit. I live in MI and was still within the time period that they could sue. When they refused my initial settlement offer, I would wait every 3 months, then send another letter. During this time, their settlement offers i received in the mail would get lower and lower with each letter I received. Once it reached 60%, I called them. I told them how I was unable to pay 60%, but, that I wanted to do the responsible thing and get this resolved. I did not validate the debt with any of my words. When they asked me anything specific that would validate the debt, I simply stated i did not remember. After speaking with the representative and explaining I did not agree with this debt, and that that balance was dramatically inflated, I offered $400 to just make it go away. The rep spoke to a manager and accepted the offer. I paid that agreed upon amount of a store bought debit card. Within 30 days it was removed from all 3 credit agencies. Also, try offering them a settlement closer to the end of the month. They are more willing to take lower settlements at the time.

Re: Midland management collection help?

CGeorge — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:31:31 GMT

"tonyd0213" - please, just remember this.

Any payment that you make to them, no matter how small or how large - starts the date of the debt all over, from the date that they receive the payment.

You are well within the bounds of the statue of limitations - just be careful in starting the debt date all over again...

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:39:04 GMT

Thanks for the input. The customer rep trying to get me to do monthly payment plan and I keep telling I'm unemployed and no way I'm going to keep up with the payment. Maybe he trying to make me pay to restart status of limiation. I'm going to call them. Again later this week and hopefully it be someone diff and stick to the offer I can settle. I just don't understand why don't they take that offer when I explained my unemployment situation they rather sue and get a judgement to garnish or freeze my bank (which is Texas isn't allow from what I heard ) . I even told them a judgement wouldn't help the situation since I won't have income coming in for them to take and right now I got a family loan for 1100-1300 but the customer rep just refused to settle and he said his manager /supervisor can't do it. I'm assuming it's whoever is on duty for supervisor or manager will make the decision to accept or not.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:48:42 GMT

I would give it a week or two before calling back. If you call back right away it will show them you are eager to settle, and they will not budge from their amount. If you have other items on your credit to work on, focus on those. Then come back to MM. Do not agree to any monthly payments. Just hold out for a lower offer that you can afford. Their offer will eventually go down. If you wait, you could end up only paying less than $1100. But, if u cannot wait, then you will probably end up paying a lot more.

Re: Midland management collection help?

CGeorge — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:49:17 GMT

And never, ever accept an offer from them, unless it is in writing...As a matter of fact, I would communicate only with them via physical snail mail - with everything on your end being sent Return Receipt Requested - where they have to sign for it....

If you are unemployed and cannot pay off the entire settled amount, if it were me, I would pay them nothing - and take my chances of being sued (judgement), or not.

But you never want the date of the loan to start over. I know this from grave experience.

Re: Midland management collection help?

simplegirl — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 02:51:48 GMT

From what I read since I live in Texas they cannot garnish wages.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:04:36 GMT

Thanks but the customer rep kept telling me the account will go to a attorney by end of this month and this is the best settlement they can offer for 1900 according to his supervisor /manager . They said once we give to attorney you will get more fees and will be responsible for it if there is a judgement against you . I told him I really want to settle but for 1100-1300 but he just won't fold at all and told me to return my loan money to my family member and call back if I want to do monthly payment but warned me before I hang up that I have to figure out before it goes to attorney by end of this month . If it does go to an attorney, would I get a better deal or it just something Midland scare you so you settle fast with whatever offer they give you . Normally I would be scare and accept any offer that is lower than original balance but right now I don't have the income to accept the settlement they are giving . Key word the guy mentioned is "this account MIGHT be hand over to attonery by end of the month if you don't love it " so maybe they won't hand it over and offer me a settlement I'm capable of doing .

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:05:18 GMT

@CGeorge almost 100% of the time, they will not put it in writing. That was my concern when I decided to call them after snail mail. I put a recording app on my phone. That way of they agreed to settlement then tried to renege, I had proof. Glad I didn't have to use it. I paid the agreed upon amount and that collection was history.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:08:51 GMT

Toni? Once they accepted your settlement offer on the phone ..did you pay them right away over the phone or you wait for their confirmation letter then head off to make a payment ? Did you let them know they are being recorded ?

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:10:35 GMT

They always say that regardless if they plan to follow through with suing. That's a tactic that gets most to pay their settlement amount. It they sue you, go to court and request all types of validation documents, that they most likely don't have. Have you confirmed with them that this is your debt or did you say it was your BF using your name that you did not authorize? Either way, if you don't have $1900, you cannot accept their offer.

Re: Midland management collection help?

CGeorge — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:12:06 GMT

Midland has so many collections.....I just depended upon the "luck of the draw". Yes, I think that I had two actual judgements against me where they turned it over to an attorney, and then - I took care of them within the 30-day time limit for responding. But then I dealt with the attorney's office. That forced me take action. I settled, with the attorney - well before the stated court date. And I also lucked out on more than one high-dollar debt that I just walked away from (those that never sued me or brought a judgement against me) - the statute of limitations ran out - and, yes, I do still get the occasional collection from Midland, but they acknowledge at the bottom of the letter, in fine print, that the statute of limitations has expired, and that even if I pay the loan, that they will not report it to the bureaus, as paid or unpaid. Those judgements have since fallen off of my credit reports, totally. Some of it is, in fact, just a roll of the dice. You do the best you can with what you have at the time......Slowly, life will get better...

Re: Midland management collection help?

CGeorge — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:15:33 GMT

Absolutely - I agree with Toni1 - and he/she said it in fewer words - so true! If you don't have the money to pay the settlement amount in full (and this guarantted in writing) - them pay them nothing! And, yes, that have to supply PROOF that the debt is yours - make them furnish proof! If you WRITE to them - requesting proof - they must respond within 30 days. As I said earlier, do everything in writing.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:16:26 GMT

No I did not pay them right away over the phone. I did not trust them to give them my debit or bank information. They gave me like 3-4 days to mKe the payment or the agreement was void. I went to CVS and got a prepaid debit card and used that to pay them. I paid them within 3 days of the agreement.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:22:00 GMT

I thought about doing a valadaition of the debt proof but I don't want any account to be single out since I'm asking them to show me proof. I'm worry they might not agree to settle for the low amount I'm requesting if u request proof of debt. Plus the customer rep said they been maklimg me few letters already which I have not receive...asssuming someone in my house threw it away since they might think its fake mail. Can you still request for proof via letter even tho they told me debt letter have been sent to me on multiple occasions ? I just don't want the account to be single out and they might focus more on my account if I ask for proof.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:22:24 GMT

Hi Op,

Are you in the middle of a rebuild? How's your credit looking? If you weren't doing too well I would hold off on paying them and taking care of the rest of my debt. From my POV it seems like with being unemployeed you are what we call "Judgement proof".

The collector that says it's going to court at the end of the month if you don't pay is definitely lying. If they want to sue you they will but you will be served and then still have time to settle before a court date is actually made.

Re: Midland management collection help?

CGeorge — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:26:22 GMT

ohmyhales advice is absolutely correct.

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:32:13 GMT

My score was 700 2-3 years ago but I never really monitor my score. Then my score slowly dropping which I didn't care to watch til recently for one account which is a capital one . It was charged off because the last payment was returned by my bank bc of an error but capital one said there was a new minmium payment due in order for the account not be charged off even though I made the correct minmum payment again successfully. Due to the returned payment I was short extra few dollars to satisfy the new minmium payment ..but it wasn't meant so my account was charged off. I settled from 8k balance to 4k because the capital one rep understand mY struggle. My score was around 640-680 for the last year then I saw Midland funding hit and my score dropped to 590-620. They have posted on my credit report twice in last month or two. I finally trying to solve this debt with Midland but they just won't accept what I'm capable of paying . I even told them someone opened under my name but they don't care .

Re: Midland management collection help?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2019 03:46:23 GMT

They are trying to play hard ball with you. Before I settled, I requested debt validation. When I did not receive any validation documents, I sent another letter stating this is my 2nd request for validation and if they did provide it I demanded that they remove their tradeline. I also stated that i would settle for a small amount to resolve the debt. I put a statement that my willingness to resolve the debt was in no way to be accepted as an acknowledgment of responsibility. I simply stated that "if an attempt to resolve this matter expeditiously, I offer a settlement of $300." Of course that was low, but, I figured why not see if they would accept. I absolutely refused to pay what they wanted. By the time I actually called them, they knew I was disputing the debt and I think that is what helped me in them accepting my $400 offer. If I were you, I would continue to reiterate that you did not open this card and that it was fraudulently opened and used without my permission. I absolutely would not give them one penny until they accept your offer - an offer that you can comfortably pay. They probably bought this debt for pennies on a dollar. They will no doubt reduce their settlement in time. Do not let them back you into a corner and agree to something you are not comfortable with.