In Chpt. 13, found someone I owe on credit report

[chpxiii]

Ok. I was looking at my credit report, and I found on there someone I owe money to. This was after my filing so they're not listed in the bankruptcy. I know they can't contact me because I am in Chpt. 13, and they haven't called. It's not a huge amount of money for me to pay and I have no problems paying what I owe. (I had always intended to do that even before bankruptcy.)

I plan on paying off my chpt. 13 by September. I will have whiddled it down enough by then that my savings will cover to pay it off. I know that I will need to immediately start rebuilding credit and that during the last few months of paying on chpt. 13 I should start taking care of my credit report and working to get it cleaned up.

So the couple of items I have, I have no problem in paying.

My questions:

1. Even though they cannot contact me now, is it ok to contact them?
2. Will it restart the clock on when it can show on my credit report?
3. What are the steps to take to start clearing up my credit report being so close to finishing chpt. 13 payments?
4. Is it a good idea to do this now or wait until after discharge?
5. At what point should I start cleaning up my credit report?

Thank you for such a valuable resource as this forum.

[CindyLou]

depending on what it is it may be better not to pay it. What type of debt is it and what state do you live in? What was the date the debt became past due?

[FilingOnMyOwn]

Don't contact them just yet. First line of defense would be to dispute as 'not yours' on your credit reports, and hopefully it falls off. If that doesn't work, then dispute them as included in bankruptcy/account paid in full.

[JollyGG]

When you contact the company you can offer a "pay for deletions" agreements. In other words you will pay what you owe and they will delete it from your credit report.

[chpxiii]

Ok, to answer some questions:

I am in Dallas, TX.

These items are on the Experion report:

Southwest Credit Systems.
Original creditor: AT&T. I think it was a cell phone I had a few years ago. It says $248 - past due as of Nov. 2006. I have not had AT&T for YEARS.

It says, "Date Opened: 11/2006." I did not open anything on that date.

Then it says this: Your statement: Account information disputed by consumer (meets requirement of fair credit reporting act.)

I don't remember disputing anything in the last few years. I've just been paying my bankruptcy. It was only this year that I started getting credit reports again. So that last "your statement" has me concerned. Who put that on there?

TXU Energy
status is account charged off, $313 past due as of nov 2005.

Actually, that sounds about right...

These don't show in my Transunion report. I haven't gotten my other report yet, and I've sent it off over a month ago.

Ok, for Transunion:
Collecton Co. Of America
This was for some medical services I received in 2006 that has since been placed in collections.

This is not showing in my Experian report.
--------------------------------

Okay, so like I said, right now those are the 3 that are of concern. I can pay each of those off.

My questions:

The "Collection Co. of America" - I realize that is a collection agency. I know the original company that came from. Question: Can I just call the company I owe and deal directly with them? I hate dealing with collection agencies. I don't trust they won't try and get more money or sell my debt even after I have paid them off.

"Southwest Credit Systems" - Same situation as with "Collection Co of America." I'd really rather deal with AT&T. But what pisses me off about that one is that it says the account was opened 11/2006, when I opened no such account.

"TXU Energy" - This is reported directly from them. Does that mean that I can simply call them directly and make a payment and have this removed from my credit report?

To be honest, all of these are well after I filed in June 2003, so really, they are not included in my bankruptcy. All of these are due to "fall off" by either 2012 or 2013.

Also, how difficult is it to get the status of these accounts changed once paid off? It seems like you have to go through MONTHS just to get the CRAs to make any changes to your credit report, but yet, if it is a creditor, they do things almost immediately.

I would really like to take care of these three issues first and foremost. After reviewing my credit reports again I noticed there are a few others that I'll tackle next. I haven't even gotten my Equifax report yet. Which is annoying because I filled out the paperwork and mailed it in about 2 months ago.

[chpxiii]

When you contact the company you can offer a "pay for deletions" agreements. In other words you will pay what you owe and they will delete it from your credit report.

Seriously? I did not know that. Does this really work? How long does that take?

[floorman]

Ok, to answer some questions:

TXU Energy
status is account charged off, $313 past due as of nov 2005.

Actually, that sounds about right...

"TXU Energy" - This is reported directly from them. Does that mean that I can simply call them directly and make a payment and have this removed from my credit report?

I've had a charge-off from TXU for 6 years now and they refuse to allow "Pay for Delete" and respond to every dispute I've filed with the CRA's. If you want to pay them be certain you have a written agreement with them before you send money; otherwise, you may wind up with this on your credit report for another 7 years due to re-aging.

[CindyLou]

Once a debt is sold the collection company you cannot deal with the original creditor; you have to deal with the collection agency. They now own this debt.

[chpxiii]

So essentially what I need to do is contact the companies who owns these debts and then get it in writing that if I pay they will show "paid in full" in my credit reports?

If that is the case, and I get it in writing, once I pay the companies (either TXU or the collection agency) do I then need to call them and get a receipt for payment?

Once I get a receipt for payment, do I then send a copy of that to the credit reporting agencies?

Thank you so much for your replies.

[JollyGG]

So essentially what I need to do is contact the companies who owns these debts and then get it in writing that if I pay they will show "paid in full" in my credit reports?

If that is the case, and I get it in writing, once I pay the companies (either TXU or the collection agency) do I then need to call them and get a receipt for payment?

Once I get a receipt for payment, do I then send a copy of that to the credit reporting agencies?

Thank you so much for your replies.

You don't want "paid in full". You don't want them to report it at all to the credit reporting agancies. Legally they do not have to report anything. You want it deleted from your report entirely.

[chpxiii]

You don't want "paid in full". You don't want them to report it at all to the credit reporting agancies. Legally they do not have to report anything. You want it deleted from your report entirely.

Ok, so how do get them to delete it from my report entirely? It *is* money that I do owe and am willing to pay.

So then, is the "deal" that I make with them that when I pay what I owe, they will DELETE the actual listing from my reports? Of course, I need to get that agreement in writing.

I just want to make sure that when I call, I know what to say for my benefit. Again, I don't mind paying what I owe. And since you said I want this to actually be deleted from my report, I tell them to put in writing that when I pay them they will delete it from the report?

Who do I get to delete these accounts from my report? The collection agency? Or the credit reporting agency?

I didn't realize the distinction of "paid in full" and delete. Thank you. I want to ensure I say the correct thing for my benefit when I call.

[JollyGG]

Here is a sample letter from another site I occassionally visit.

http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8016

Good luck.

[chpxiii]

Awesome! Thank you so much!

I have to log in to see that sample letter, I will certainly be doing so. I've briefly read some of the FAQs. I'll be logging in and reading as much as I can. Again, thank you for an awesome resource. I have so many questions about my credit reports that I'm sure I'll find answers there.