4 accounts in collections, best way to resolve this?

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site but I have been lurking for quite a while and need some advice on what the best course of action would be to take care of 4 accounts I currently have in collections.

NATIONAL CREDIT SYSTEMS - Collection account. $3,694 past due as of Aug 2013. (Apartment Complex)

ARRON AGENCY - Collection account. $56 past due as of Jan 2013. (NV Energy Company)

CREDIT CONTROL CORP - Collection account. $191 past due as of Oct 2012. (Cox Communications)
JR BROTHERS FINANCE INC - Collection account. $860 past due as of Jul 2011. (Orthodontist Treatment)

I lost my job in 2012 and had to move out of state.  The apartment complex I was living at would not let me out of the lease with out paying the early termination fees - I couldn't afford it so I just moved out knowing I would be sent to collections.  The Cox Communications and NV Energy bills were honestly overlooked and sent to collection.  As for the Orthodontic Treatment, I moved out of state and continued my treatment at another firm.  The original Orthodontist billed me the full amount of my remaining balance to complete treatment even though I was no longer living there.

I don't know where to start with correcting these issues.  I can pay the $56 and $121 bills today but I can't afford to pay remaining 2 unless it were on some type of payment program.

I have ordered and am using paper copies of my 3 credit reports and have begun disputing incorrect address information.

I appreciate any advice you can give! 

[DaveSignal]

The ones you can pay now, call and ask for them to delete if you pay in full.  The other ones, you should see if you can negotiate a payment plan and possibly settlement balance and ask if they will delete once paid.  The first step is talking to the CAs and finding out what they are willing to do.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice, DaveSignal.

I am pretty nervous about calling to working out a PFD with the utility companies...  The Orthodontic collection is scheduled to fall off my Experian report on 8/16, should I still bother with it?

[RobertEG]

Excluson of a collection from your credit report is a partial shield against others becoming aware of the unpaid debt by a simple pull of your credit report, and seeing a reported collection on the debt with no indication of paid.  Once excluded, the debt still exists, they can continue legitimate collection activities, and discloure would still be requred should a prospective creditor ask for disclosure of any unpaid, delinquent debt.

So, yes, there are still concerns after credit report exclusion of their reported collection.

[Anonymous]

Understood, thanks for the response RobertEG.

What would you recommend for a starting point with negotiating this collections down?  $3,694 for the apartment complex, and $860 for the Orthodontist? I just don't have $4,300 right now to spend.

Thanks again for all the help

[Anonymous]

I spoke with Cox and NV Energy today and paid the accounts in full.  Now that they are paid off can the CA for these two companies come back to me requesting I pay the original balances to them stil?  Did the CA not own the entire account since I was able to pay the OC directly?  

[Whitneyy]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I spoke with Cox and NV Energy today and paid the accounts in full.  Now that they are paid off can the CA for these two companies come back to me requesting I pay the original balances to them stil?  Did the CA not own the entire account since I was able to pay the OC directly?  

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No, but you can ask for the OC to recall the debts from the collection agencies that way they have no choice BUT to delete. 

[Anonymous]

How do you suggest I go about doing so?  Do you have a letter format you would recommend?  Thanks again for all the responses!