Public Record w/no info on CR

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have a Public Record showing up on all 3 of my reports with no info except a case number (which is different on each report), a reporting date, and an amount.

I think this is probably from collection for which I beleived I was going to be sued.  I was served a summons and when I showed up at the courthouse there was a lawyer for the CA waiting outside and she offered me a deal.  I didn't know much back then and took the deal not realizing that the debt was well past the statute of limitations.  I payed on it for a year or so and then lost my job and didn't pay the CA for over a year.  I figured it would go back to collections but now it shows as a Public Record.

At the time I stopped making payments I moved to a different state and then moved out of the country, where I remain.  I never had any contact and heard nothing from the collection agency after I stopped making payments and this Public Record showed up in Feb. of this year.

Is there anything I can do?  Contact the CA, dispute the Public Record with the 3 reporting agencies, or maybe contact the court and dispute it based on the fact that it was past the statute of limitations?  I think it's strange that there's no info on my credit reports besides case number(s) and an amount.

My credit was just going past 700 when this hit and it's killing me now.  Any help would be much appreciated!!

[Anonymous]

Contact the courts...

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply.  When I contact the court, what "angle" should I take?  Should I go with the fact that when I made the deal the original debt was past the statute of limitations or that since then I haven't heard anything from the collector?

[Anonymous]

Personally, I would start by contacting the courts and finding out more information.

Do you know what county/state it was filed in? Some states have court records online.

I would get as much information as possible regarding the debt.

The bad thing is, you possibly reset SOL when you made payments for a year. This would allow them to sue you after you stopped making payments and be within SOL. If you left the state and/or country, you could have even tolled SOL, meaning SOL has stopped running down until you return.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply, I did a search online and found the actual court document.  It is indeed a judgment on the deal I made with the collection agency.  Further research tells me that I did re-set the statute of limitations when I made the deal so the judgement is legit.  Too bad I didn't do research on the statute of limitations before I started making payments or this all would be gone a couple of months from now.

So is there anything I can do on a legit judgement?  Should I pay it off, and if I do will that make a difference?  Is there any way to get it off my report once it's paid?  Can these be disputed?

Sorry for all the questions but I'm moving back to the States in less than a year and by then I should have no negatives on my report (all of the old things that have been dragging me down are scheduled to fall off my reports late this year) except this very new judgement.  Looks bad!!

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

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pacifico40 wrote:

Thanks for the reply, I did a search online and found the actual court document.  It is indeed a judgment on the deal I made with the collection agency.  Further research tells me that I did re-set the statute of limitations when I made the deal so the judgement is legit.  Too bad I didn't do research on the statute of limitations before I started making payments or this all would be gone a couple of months from now.

So is there anything I can do on a legit judgement?  Should I pay it off, and if I do will that make a difference?  Is there any way to get it off my report once it's paid?  Can these be disputed?

Sorry for all the questions but I'm moving back to the States in less than a year and by then I should have no negatives on my report (all of the old things that have been dragging me down are scheduled to fall off my reports late this year) except this very new judgement.  Looks bad!!

Thanks.

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Civil and small claim judgments: Remain seven years from the date the judgment is filed.

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=generalcredit&thread.id=2689

Was the judgment entered when you went to court and made the deal or did they go back later after you stopped paying and get a judgment?

If it is your debt, you should pay it.

I am unsure if paid vs unpaid public records make a difference in score. I know paid/unpaid collections do not.

However, during a manual review, it will look better paid and if going for a mortgage, some lenders will require them to be paid.

[Anonymous]

Pay it...them contact the CA...and ask them to vacate it...or give you a "Release of Judgment"...GOOD LUCK!!!