A collection agency has hired a law firm to sue me for a debt they claim I owe them. :mad:
I have until near the end of November to file my answers to their motion but I’m really not going to wait that long. I’ve posted on some credit sites that help people act as pro se counsel but I have not had any replies.
I’ve also contacted to NJ Lawyers who are supposed to handle consumer credit issues and haven’t heard back from either. I don’t really know if I would hire a lawer because the amount I’m being sued for is less than 700 dollars.
I know this alleged debt has been bounced around from a few agencies.
I already tried contacting the credit card company that I supposedly did not pay because I thought this might have been an account settled for less than full balance but they have no records of this account.
I’ve checked my credit reports that I have on hand and as far back as April of this year the account was not there either under the name of the original credit card issuer or a collection firm but on my most recent report from November it’s there only other the collection agency that is suing me.
I’m just venting right now (and a little panicking)
How can you not know what the debt is about? Don’t the people suing you have to elaborate on what specifically the debt is about and how it was incurred?
Astro, yes they do have to elaborate on it. They sent me copies of statements which supposedly came from the original credit issuer but I’m not 100% sure they are legit because when I called the original credit issuer they said they had no records anymore.
I will bring it up in my answers to their motion.
Hopefully they will drop the case when they see I’m going to put of a fight.
How old is this alleged debt? There is a statute of limitations in every state for collecting credit card debt. New Jersey’s Statute of Limitations is 6 years. Here are some previous posts I’ve made on how to respond to collection efforts. Some or all of them may have some information that could be useful to you. Good luck!
The age of the alleged debt is a good question. The paperwork they sent me show I was current as of the 1/5/06 statement but then I was way past due with the 8/4/2006 statement.
They (law firm) sent me nothing between those statement dates but it would be within the SOL if this is really a valid debt.