Will collection agencies contact the company leasing my apt. to me?

[hnhlvr]

Dh and I defaulted on our credit cards and have been getting collection calls for a few months now. We also lost our home and it's going into foreclosure.

We filled out a leasing application two weeks before defaulting on everything when our credit was still good.

Will the collectors, in most likelihood, be calling the leasing agency bugging them for info about dh and me or will they not see the application info that was filled out when we applied for our apt?

[BROKENN]

I have never heard of a landlord (agency) being contacted on a rental

[NowImDownInIt]

I've never had a CA call any of my landlords.

[justbroke]

I wouldn't put it past them... however, I've never heard of this tactic. You may have just given them a new way to pursue you.

[treehugger1]

I wouldn't think the collection agencies would even have your new address. Although, if the rental company did a hard pull of your credit, then they will show up on the credit report. You can always get a PO box and have all mail directed there.

You can stay on top of potential issues involving calls to landlords, relatives, colleagues, etc by responding to every letter you get from a collection agency. If a collection agency calls you, don't offer any information except a mailing address where they can send you written information. They then have 5 days to send you written info regarding any "alleged" debt they hold. This is not the case with original creditors. In most states original creditors have the right to continue their in-house collections.

Once you receive the letter (dunning letter) then you can send them a return receipt registered letter disputing the debt and asking for validation of debt. You can also request the CA to cease and desist telephone communication with you. I usually tell them they can contact me using US postal service with my address clearly stated in the letter.

So far, I have never had a collection agency violate the cease and desist letter. Whether a cease and desist speeds up the lawsuit process is not clear.

The request for debt validation must be sent within 30 days of receipt of teh dunning letter. I am of the opinion that it is always a good idea to request validation from any true collection agency.

[magyar123]

Landlords, complex managers are bound by privacy laws NOT to reveal any information about tenants to anyone EXCEPT to law enforcement.

[hnhlvr]

Landlords, complex managers are bound by privacy laws NOT to reveal any information about tenants to anyone EXCEPT to law enforcement.

My concern is that the rental agency won't renew my lease if they know I've defaulted on my credit cards and that DH walked from the mortgage.

[treehugger1]

One would hope that if you make your monthly payments on time, when it comes to renewing the lease, everything will be fine. Once you have made 6-12 months of payments and shown your ability to pay the lease, why would they want to get rid of you?

[BigJohn]

I don't think most apartment complexes pull credit reports for renewals.

[justbroke]

I don't think most apartment complexes pull credit reports for renewals.

Shhhhh... don't give them any hints. The credit card companies already do that "account review" (some monthly). We don't need other creditors doing that.

With the way the economy is, any company providing a service on credit, appreciates a customer who pays on time, all the time!

[treehugger1]

I will address another item in your original post. While I don't have any large lawsuits or large judgments ongoing or even beginning as of yet, I want to think that collection efforts become more aggressive once someone holds a judgment against you. While I have no personal experience with large judgments (yet,) I've heard that there can be a significant difference between pre-judgment collections and post-judgment collections. In addition, if your credit has already tanked, then any collection agency looking at your credit score might not think you are worth spending a great deal of resources on. It's so hard to address your original query. Collections seems to be dependent upon indivudal circumstances.

[WoodSprite]

I have never heard of a landlord (agency) being contacted on a rental

Alas, I have to report that they did contact my landlady, who gave them a right jolly old runaround and wouldn't even admit she knew who I was, bless her. But as Treehugger points out, it was probably my own fault for having no telephone or voicemail identifying me and no way for them to find me. They went hunting because I made it too difficult for them to contact me. If I'd-a known then what I know now...

And I lived in a house. That was easy - all they had to do was find the owner of the address I listed. It would be a lot more work to track down a leasing agency, and I doubt they'll bother if they can find you some other way - by phone.

[GoingDown]

I don't think most apartment complexes pull credit reports for renewals.

That's true. Since you are already paying your rent on time every month, hopefully, then there is no reason to pay for another credit check on you.

They only pull your credit BEFORE renting to you to see if you are likely to end up being evicted for non-payment of rent.

I personally don't rent anything that requires a credit check. I don't want debt collectors to see anything on my credit report which would reveal any info to them. And there are tons of desperate landlords, at least in Phoenix, who will rent to anyone with cash. I pull out enough cash for first and last month's rent and a security deposit, and they rent to me on the spot. They just want the money.