Re: Debt and Collections; question......

Lipstickdiva · ‎03-10-2010

@Laura14 wrote:
@SahmIam wrote:
@Laura14 Yes, the call was recorded. Yes, the amount is in the thousands (around $9000 or so I believe she said).

You know what kills me? This was due to medical issues her deceased husband was going through. They paid what they could, lost their home, walked from debts that wouldn't work out a payment plan and then he died and....geez.
@SahmIam Who, whoa, whoa. This is her dead husband's medical bills? Gimme the phone number now!!

She is not responsible for her husband's debts. Period. His estate is and I'm sure that was settled years ago. Too late!! If they want to go re-open probate, good luck.

And $9000 is nothing. Remember, the collection agency doesn't get that. They are supposedly collecting on behalf of the hospital so their portion of $9000 is nothing.

I want these people hung for scaring this woman like now.

Here's another article from the state of Oklahoma about just this issue. I'm sure her state has something similar. I honestly would call the AG office in your state and report them.

http://oklaw.org/resource/zombie-debt-collection-old-debts

N/M.

OP. This is way too complicated and a shopping channel message board isn't the place to do this. I am a paralegal for a law firm and I honestly think you need to contact an attorney. Many offer a free consultation. They may even be able to answer questions over the phone and tell you this is bogus or not.

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

@Lipstickdiva Sometimes hearing what other people went through gives you a better idea and grasp than talking to a "professional" even if it's free. Been there, done that.

In the end, we'll do what we can to help her have peace of mind and then..... wait. The links provided offer some excellent infor and honestly, I'd rather talk it out via a chatroom than talk to a lawyer at this early stage.

SaRina · ‎04-17-2015

nm

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

Excellent advice, SaRina. I think because so many of were raised to be polite up front, that we fall into the polite mode and AFTERWARDS go "why didn't I say this or that". It takes a long time and conscious effort to not be all smiles and obliging when confronted with something we feel uncomfortable about. Not EVERYONE, of course.... but many.

SaRina · ‎04-17-2015

@SahmIam wrote:
Excellent advice, SaRina. I think because so many of were raised to be polite up front, that we fall into the polite mode and AFTERWARDS go "why didn't I say this or that". It takes a long time and conscious effort to not be all smiles and obliging when confronted with something we feel uncomfortable about. Not EVERYONE, of course.... but many.

Oh, sorry. I thought it sounded too preachy, so I deleted.

conlt · ‎03-16-2010

After 7 years your bad debt may get sold at a discount to private collections. If you respond to them, pay some etc. that can re-set the clock on the debt. I had a debt that I did not know I had until a private company got a hold of it. It was from a hospital. I called the hospital and they said they had written it off. I was very sorry, about it but I was not aware I had it. I had been making payments to the hospital but somehow it went into collections.

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

I have gotten letters worded pretty much the same. Threatening lawsuits and even a legal looking mail supposedly from some court. Never responded because I know what they are trying to pull off.

Now I am talking a few years, not just recently. If I missed a legal court appearance I would have had a warrant put out for my arrest, and I ain't hard to find.

What I love are the calls I get telling me similar nonsense. First "one liners" are my game, as is putting someone that is on the "offense" to "defensive"? When that happens, game over.

hckynut(john)

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

@SahmIam wrote:
@Laura14 No, it's her debt. She used her credit card to pay for food, medical supplies, to pay OTHER bills when her husband was too sick to work.

Not that it matters because it's a debt in the eyes of the law. Last payment was 2006.

If the last payment was that many years ago - she doesn't have to make any more payments.

The original debtor wrote it off years ago and somehow the debt ended up with a collection agency.

My mother died penniless and in debt with medical bills - my aunt paid the medical bills (they had the same doctors). Many years after my mother passed, a collection agency called me at home on a Sunday night and told me she owed Sears $3,000.

I explained to the women (who said she was with a law firm) that was my mother, her estate had been settled years before and she died broke. The lawyer who had handled her estate had called the people she owed and it was all written off at the time of her death.

The woman tried to tell me that to "honor my mother" I should pay the bill anyway...and did I want my mother's credit rating to be ruined????

She was obviously pulling anything she could out of her hat.

These collectors are unscrupulous.

There was a book written a few years ago about the collection business in my city -

"Bad Paper: Chasing Debt from Wall Street to the Underworld" by Jake Halpern. It was a VERY interesting read - and HBO optioned it into a series.