"Lost" my dispute (request for EE)...but CA removed collection anyway?

[doredeb]

A little history before I ask my questions: about two years ago I had a CA put an old medical collection on my three reports.  Didn't know what it was so I disputed immediately.  TU removed it within 3 hours, but EX and EQ simply listed it as "updated" and it remained on my reports.  Later discovered it was an ER visit from 2012; I did visit the facility but never saw a doctor. After a 3-hour wait in the waiting room, I left.  Never gave insurance info (it would have been covered); all they had was my driver license which was scanned at check-in.  In hindsight, they must have generated a bill for SOMEthing (have no idea what) and sent a bill to an old address in their system.  My license had my correct address, but I guess they never bothered to check. I never had the chance to dispute a bill because I never knew one existed. 

Fast forward 5 years when I finally found out about it via a CA putting it on my credit reports (without ever notifying me - their first action was to report it to the CRA's). I contacted the hospital and they have no record; I was told any old, unpaid balance would have been sent to a particular collection agency; I tried calling them but they are no longer in business.  No one can tell me anything about this "debt."  I let it go, because it's due to fall off my reports in the Spring, and it really wasn't affecting my score.

A few weeks ago I attempted to have it removed from EX and EQ by requesting early exclusion.  Both CRA's opened another dispute (I should've done my homework!), and both came back as "updated" again.  I called EX and asked what kind of information they received from the CA to warrant the decision, since I still hadn't been given any concrete answer as to what the debt was.  I was lucky enough to speak with a very nice individual who said it had met the standards, but that they were going to delete it early as a courtesy (due to come off in April, but they will delete it in February).  EQ still listed it on my report as due to come off in April.

Here's where my questions come in.  I noticed this morning that the collection is GONE from both EX and EQ!  What the....?  Since it's been deleted from both CRA's, that means the CA must have removed it, correct?  Believe me, I'm not complaining - but why would the CA voluntarily remove it?  Could they possibly have deleted it, but then plan to put it back on with a newer date, hoping that if my score takes a hit, I'd be motivated to pay them?  I realize if they put it back on it still has to fall off in April...but I can't figure out why they removed it off the reports in the first place.  Any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Who owns the debt, the hospital or the CA? If it is the CA I would use the HIIPA method to get it removed permanently.

EDIT: If the CA is no longer in business they probably realized it couldn’t be verified and deleted it.

[Anonymous]

Who owns the debt, the hospital or the CA? If it is the CA I would use the HIIPA method to get it removed permanently.

[doredeb]

The hospital gave me the name of the CA they would have sent it to in 2012 (now out of business), but the CA who reported it to the CRAs is different. Obviously a junk debt buyer; the “debt” was over 5 years old when they reported for the first time. They’ve been reporting it for two years, and now that it’s nearing the time it will drop off my reports, they’ve deleted it.

[RobertEG]

If deletion is done by a CRA as a result of a dispute, they are required to send you a Notice of Results of Reinvestigation no later than 5 business days after concluding their reinvestigation providing that result, along with a copy of your revised credit report showing that they (i.e., the CRA) have made the deletion.

If you did not receive an written notice from the CRA that they did the deletion, then you are correct in assuming that the CRA did not do the deletion as a result of your dispute, but rather that the debt collector decided,for some reason, to voluntarily report deletion of their collection to the CRA.  

The debt collector, or any subsequent debt collector, is only restricted in reinsertion of a collection if the deletion occured as a result of a finding and deletion by the CRA, and even then, the deletion is not absolute. Reinsertion can still be made if the debt collector provides a certification of accuracy as an accompaniment to a reported reinsertion.

It is difficult to say why a debt collector would voluntarily delete their reported collection, but a common reason is that their collection authority has been terminated, either by the owner if their collection authority is only assigned, or by sale of the debt to another if they are the owner of the debt. 

In either case, standard CRA policy as reflected in their common credit reporting manual instructs debt collectors to delete their reported collection if their collection authority is terminated with the debt remaining unpaid.

Any new debt collector is then free to report their collection without restriction.

[doredeb]

Thank you.  

Wow...would a JDB really buy a “debt” that is so old it’s 1.) outside the SOL and 2.) has only a couple months left that can legally be reported to the CRAs?  Plus, it’s a small account.

On the other hand...if another JDB has bought it, maybe now I can get some kind of look at what it really is.  To this day, no one has been able to show me anything.