You�re Dead? That Won�t Stop the Debt Collector

[catleg]

Here's an article about debt collection targeting the dead. It's from the NY Times in March, but I searched and didn't see it posted here before.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04dead.html?fta=y

[jacko]

Unbelievable.. I would tell them to go pound salt.

We the people need to stop being gullible and learn our rights to be empowered.

Maybe there will be shareholder collection firm calling the CEO's and senior execs who screwed up and got bailed out with Tarp money.

[jacko]

HOA's are evil. I have a Conciliation date at the end of Sept for unpaid association fees which have accumulated to $2800 with late fees. They did not care I'm unemployed and was the main reason I let the condo go into foreclosure. Requested that they waive the late fees and not get the lawyer involved to give me time to get caught up. They wouldn't do it. Well, they are going to eat the lawyer fees like they did with another unit owner.

But that is just it, most people don't know their rights, and most can talked into believing that something really bad will happen if you don't pay your debts.

But on that same note I was watching Penn & Tellers Bull Sh*t last week and it was about homeowner associations. One older couple had an ARM and it went up more than they could afford, so they didn't water the lawn and it turned brown. The HOA sent them a notice, then proceeded with legal action against the old man. The judge ordered him to replace the lawn by a certain date. He had no money and could not do it. He turned himself into the Sheriff on that date to serve a 48 hour jail term if he didn't replace the lawn.

While he was sitting in jail it made the news, that afternoon a bunch of volunteers showed up, a grass company, a landscape company etc. By the evening he had a new lawn and was released. The poor guy started to cry over it.

But the point was the HOA didn't care he had no money, it was in the CCR's for him to have a green lawn and if he didn't comply he got jail time. So, yes you can go to jail for having a brown lawn.

This only goes to show how disconnected society is from everything, money, bills, debt, collections. Ya, it is no wonder debt collectors are going after the family of dead people, the relatives are talked into believing they are responsible. Its sad how collectors will take every last penny from someone who is not even responsible for the debt.

[Pizza]

I think the term "Zombie Debt" has taken on a whole new form...

[BigJohn]

They prey on the sick, disabled and dead.

I would love to see one of these character's resume. Has to be great reading.

[newbie2]

I received a call from a collection agency just a few weeks ago about my late mother-in-laws alleged debt. I told them she had passed away in 2006. They insisted that I *had* to provide a certified copy of her death certificate. I laughed. I asked "Do you have a pencil and a piece of paper?" Good..then write this down..and I gave her the name of the county in which she passed away and told them to order the death certificate. I wasn't going to do it for her and pay for it. We'll see if they call again.

[BigJohn]

I received a call from a collection agency just a few weeks ago about my late mother-in-laws alleged debt. I told them she had passed away in 2006. They insisted that I *had* to provide a certified copy of her death certificate. I laughed. I asked "Do you have a pencil and a piece of paper?" Good..then write this down..and I gave her the name of the county in which she passed away and told them to order the death certificate. I wasn't going to do it for her and pay for it. We'll see if they call again.

Almost everytime I have had work done on my teeth, the dentist later, generally 6 months to a year later, claim they are owed money. I have asked for all the records so I can audit them and found out I never owed money and in some cases, they owed me money.

The college I graduated from wanted more money. About 10 years or more had passed. I asked for all the records and audited the records. It turned out they owed me money.

[catleg]

I know what Big John is saying here.
In the eyes of the creditor, the debt never really gets extinguished until you as a debtor prove to them that it was either paid or bankrupted.
It would not surprise me in the least if collection agencies or creditors did not maintain any payment records at all and simply passed around these alleged debts for the next guy to have a crack at them. (they probably only keep payment records so they know who the suckers are).
It also would not surprise me if there was massive accounting and/or tax fraud occurring amongst creditors as they account or do not account for what they paid for the account, interest accrued, payments made, etc.)

[BigJohn]

I know what Big John is saying here.
In the eyes of the creditor, the debt never really gets extinguished until you as a debtor prove to them that it was either paid or bankrupted.
It would not surprise me in the least if collection agencies or creditors did not maintain any payment records at all and simply passed around these alleged debts for the next guy to have a crack at them. (they probably only keep payment records so they know who the suckers are).
It also would not surprise me if there was massive accounting and/or tax fraud occurring amongst creditors as they account or do not account for what they paid for the account, interest accrued, payments made, etc.)

I check the interest and generally find that was calculated wrong.

Do you remember MCI? They were notorious for calculating just about everything wrong. According to them, it was always the computer's fault. I told them no it wasn't the computers fault, it probably was the fault of the person who told the programmer to program it that way.

[southernbelle]

Man it's a sad state of affairs when creditors are targeting the dead to make a few bucks.