Not sure what to do with this one...

[LearningToFly]

Never had anything like this happen before so need some guidance.

 

I moved late last year and forgot to make a final payment to a utility. A couple of months ago, I remembered I had an outstanding balance and made the payment with the utility online.

 

Flash forward to today: Fox Collection (who I have a couple of med collections with) has put a collection on my EX for the utility bill.

 

Since I had already paid the utility, is there something other than standard DV I should do?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[gooddfella]

I dont think you can DV if it's already been paid. I'd say dispute it with the CRA first and see if it goes away. If it doesn't, call the collection company and try to get a supervisor to delete it(worth a try). Being in real estate I see a lot people get screwed by their previous apartment or utility company over ridiculously small amounts.

Edited June 13, 2013 by gooddfella

[Sandscrit]

Send proof of payment and ask for validation of debt. If they don't remove the negative tradeline send a ITS letter and then file a lawsuit if they don't remove it.

[LearningToFly]

Thanks - my first instinct was to send a DV with proof of payment to the CA, but it makes me nervous to send anything to a CA. I wondered if I would be better off sending proof of payment to the OC asking them to have the CA delete & stand down.

[Clydesmom]

Dispute it with EX as paid to OC. It should come right off and you don't have to involve the CA. If it doesn't I find an Intent To Sue letter for violating the FDCPA an trying to collect on a debt that you don't owe gets them to sit up and take notice real quick. Do NOT fall for the "but you didn't pay us so you still owe it" garbage either. You are only required to pay a debt once and just because they have their records wrong doesn't mean they can put it on your credit.

[LearningToFly]

Okay, I contacted the utility to whom I made payment and this is their response:

 

Thank you for using NES online services.

"We have received your payment of 159.80, on your account it is still reflecting a charge of $15.00 for the return check you had on 03-13-13. Please pay that charge to complete your account to a zero balance. The Collection agency will report your account as paid once you pay the 15.00 charge but could remain on your credit report up to seven years."

 

The 'returned check' they are referencing was actually a payment made with a miskeyed routing number.

 

So since they are stating this will stay on my report (even though I paid them thus negating the relationship with the collection agency) what should my next step be?

[eatcookies]

Do you have proof of the miskeyed routing number?

[iWhat]

Easy tell them you never received the bill. go to the BBB site and file a claim against the, the will let you pay it and remove it from your credit report. I had the same thing

[LearningToFly]

eatcookies, I'm checking on the routing number (I think it was a 'returned check' email and when I checked the account I had in their system the routing # was miskeyed). I since paid just by credit card.

 

iWhat, I already paid the fee. Now I'm just trying to get them to remove the collection from Fox. Not sure how they can even say the reporting is accurate when I paid before the balance stated in their system online before the collection even happened.

 

I'll go to the BBB and post my results for others. Thanks.