whitneyrene

So any advice on how this congressman stuff works? We haven't tried anything like that, mostly because hubby isn't exactly a war hero or anything and I can't imagine them wanting to help much due to the brig situation, etc. Also, I have no idea what kind of attorney to try to contact! The worst part is that hubby just got laid off (after spending 7 months last year laid off!!). I honestly don't see us being able to pay off $24-34K anytime in the next million years, especially since I have about $70,000 in student loan debt. I do believe that DFAS debt is taken off when you declare bankruptcy, this might be a last ditch solution for him but I'd really like to work on getting it taken care of first.

Oh I'll think of a way to make him pay, that's for sure!! It's really beginning to look like bad news - apparently even though he couldn't have possibly accessed this money, he is still liable. So, we either pay or they take his tax returns for the next billion years. Because from what I've heard there is no SOL on this...anyone know any different? What's weird is even though we got a letter from a collection agency (for $34K and change!), hubby's credit report still says the debt belongs to DFAS. DFAS SUCKS!!!

So credit report still says it's DFAS' debt. Here it is: Account Name: DFAS-CL DEFENSE FINANCE & AC Account Number: 44580XXXX Acct Type: Government Overpayment Installment Acct Status: Closed Monthly Payment: Date Open: 11/1/2005 Balance: $24,819.00 $24,819.00 Terms: 1 Month High Balance: $23,755.00 Limit: Past Due: $24,819.00 Payment Status: Seriously past due date / assigned to attorney, collection agency, or credit grantor's internal collection department At least 120 days or more than four payments past due Comments: COLLECTION ACCOUNT GOVERNMENT DEBT

Sorry for the long delay in getting back on here - I just graduated from college so I was incredibly busy that last few months!!! Thanks for all the informative & helpful responses. To answer a couple questions - I guess the account wasn't closed during the time he was in the brig. From what we have been able to find out from the bank people, someone was making withdrawls while he was in the brig. I am not sure if they did so via teller or using a ATM card or what. So obviously an old roommate or friend or something made some $ and completely got away with it. Of course, hubby couldn't exactly be making withdrawls from a cell!! This whole thing is just making me sick. I was recently the victim of identity theft but I caught it before it did too much damage and I have gotten most of it fixed. I am so stressed thinking about trying to prove an identity theft from 5-7 years ago!!! Plus we have absolutely no records or anything from back then. I just don't know what to do. I am so scared for him to talk to DFAS because I'm afraid it will "reopen" this and they'll renew it or whatever and show the activity date as the day he calls. Oh, he also recently received a notice from a debt collector asking for the 24K plus interest & fees, totalling $34000. Unfortunately, our home flooded and many of my files, including this one, were ruined, so I am not sure of the name of the company. But since it was from a collector and not DFAS, does that mean they sold the debt and it's no longer a government debt? I am SOOOO confused. Any help would be so greatly appreciated. My husband is a wonderful man who was young & stupid and made bad decisions and is still paying for them. We are on a limited income since I do not have a job yet, and especially now that I have to begin paying back student loans. So we can't afford to hire an attorney or anything to help us. I wouldn't even know what kind of attorney to hire!! AAAHHHH thank you all so much.

Thanks for all the answers. Sorry I have taken so long to respond - I gave up the house buying dream for a while since I was finishing up my last semester of college and didn't have time to deal with all this. Anyway, now I'm graduated and back :-) Unfortunately, he has none of his records or paperwork or anything like that. We have since gotten a notice from a collection agency (not sure of the name - my files were ruined due to a flood in our entire downstairs!!) Anyway, the collection didn't look or sound like a government collections. We called DFAS and they really couldn't give us any information - they just told us how much my husband owed and we haven't pressed the issue because honestly we are scared to open this can of worms. Since it is in collections would that mean that it is no longer technically a government debt? Credit report about 6 months ago listed the date of last activity as 2005 - will it really never go away?? I would try to set up a payment plan if he really owed the money but that's not the case. To caliblonde6 - did you ever figure anything out? I am desperate for help. I have improved my credit from a low 600 to around 700 and my income is ok but not enough to buy a house I'd want alone :-( One more question - even if we couldn't get an FHA loan could he still qualify for any other kind of home loan? He has pretty junky credit - around 543 right now but I am working on some medical bills that for some reason weren't paid by insurance. Thanks!!!

Posted this in military as well, but wan't sure where it went. So feel free to move, delete, etc! I recently got married and am trying to repair both mine and my hubby's credit so we can buy a house soon. On pulling his credit report, I saw the DFAS says my hubby owes them $24,000 from 2005, supposedly from an overpayment he received while in the Navy. However, he was an salamander and actually got sentenced to a year in the brig for smuggling marijuana across the border. Genius, I know. Anyway, he has definitely turned his life around and isn't smuggling drugs these days but I need some help with this DFAS thing. He was in the brig when the overpayment occured and never received the money. They say it was direct deposited, but his bank account was closed at the time. So basically the money is lost in the space, and dealing with DFAS is impossible. So does anyone know the SOL on something like this? He was living in California while in the navy, then moved to Oklahoma & Texas. I just didn't know what type of debt this would be considered, and what we should do about it. Will it fall off his credit report in 7 years (2012) like regular debts. I could just really use some help since I"m new. Thanks so much in advance!!!

I recently got married and am trying to repair both mine and my hubby's credit so we can buy a house soon. On pulling his credit report, I saw the DFAS says my hubby owes them $24,000 from 2005, supposedly from an overpayment he received while in the Navy. However, he was an salamander and actually got sentenced to a year in the brig for smuggling marijuana across the border. Genius, I know. Anyway, he has definitely turned his life around and isn't smuggling drugs these days but I need some help with this DFAS thing. He was in the brig when the overpayment occured and never received the money. They say it was direct deposited, but his bank account was closed at the time. So basically the money is lost in the space, and dealing with DFAS is impossible. So does anyone know the SOL on something like this? He was living in California while in the navy, then moved to Oklahoma & Texas. I just didn't know what type of debt this would be considered, and what we should do about it. Will it fall off his credit report in 7 years (2012) like regular debts. I could just really use some help since I"m new. Thanks so much in advance!!! Whitney