Disputed and unverified collections showing up years later? What steps can I take?

[Anonymous]

I have two old collections for two medical bills - both under $100.  These were paid years ago to the original medical provider.  They went to collections, I claimed they were paid and they were put on my reports.  I disputed them and they couldn't verify and so the CRA deleted the records.  Now, a couple years later they are rereporting again as unpaid.

I have two questions - First, when is the date of last activity considered to be on a medical collection?  Is it the date the account went to collections or the date of service?  The medical services were provided more than 10 years ago.

Second, the medical center has been out of business since 2005.  There is no forward information and no way to get any billing records, etc.  There is basically no way to prove to anyone that I paid these bills - and also no way to prove these bills were not paid.  There is no original creditor around at all anymore.

Equifax deleted the accounts for me earlier this month when they saw that these were disputed once before and not verified.  Four days later, the collection company rereported them again.

According to the collection records on my report, the date assigned was 9/2002.  As mentioned, I the date of service was back in 1999 or early 2000 at the latest.

I don't have a problem paying my bills, but I have a problem paying my bills TWICE.  What, if anything should I do here?  I'm wanting to buy a house in 6 months.  Honestly, I'm wondering if this is even worth my time and if I should just let this go.  I'm NOT paying these, as I already have.  But is it really worth the headache to deal with these creeps?

Message Edited by mxnuy1 on 10-01-2008 09:32 AM

[Tons_of_Debt]

Yes, it's worth the headache, especially if the CA is re-aging them, which it sounds like they are doing. Do you have any receipts from the medical center showing you paid it? Can you go back in bank records and get statements which show canceled checks, etc.?

[Anonymous]

No, I can't recreate these payments.  I moved across country and when I did, I purged all my records from that far back.  Had I known these collections would be put back on years later, I would have kept everything.  I'm 99% sure that when these were paid they were paid with money orders.  

As mentioned, there is NO original creditor around anymore.  All of the doctors split up and each took their client files with them.  Mine was just a couple office visits with no primary doctor assigned.  My records are just gone with no one to even contact.

[Anonymous]

You mention it sounds like the CA is reaging.  So does that mean that the date of service in the medical center is the date of last activity?  If so, I can easily show I was 2000 miles away at the time.