Too late to settle an old account?

hmnmmm..don\'t hit that panic button and don\'t get taken advantage of!!!!

'Guest'.....i was in a situation, similiar to the one you have. i would suggest to look on your Credit Report and see who is 'reporting' the debt. THEN see if the SOL is expired, or SOON to expire. ALSO..you will see, on your CR when the 'drop off' date is. In most states, if you start paying on an old debt, BEFORE the SOL, the debt 'restarts'. If the debt is CLOSE to the SOL< I would just leave it alone. But, of course, it's your decision what you want to do.

Can anyone give me a format for a "DV letter"?

First things first here, OK? You're missing our point.

If you just want to settle, you could try 50%. They'll likely look at it as you running scared, and go for the throat, though.

Have they validated the debt?

This is key. If you sent a DV letter and they responded with a lawsuit, that's a violation of fdcpa. Read: counterclaim. If you didn't send the letter for whatever reason, answer the summons, and request validation during discovery. If they can't produce it, file a motion to dismiss.

Do not panic if they have responded your DV letter with a law suit, it is basically a tactic used by the CAs to scare consumers and force them to pay.

All you have to do is maintain all the paperworks that suggest that prove that the CA is in the violation of fdcpa.

Nelly

Did they send you Validation or just tell you about the account? I would send Bowman & Heintz a DV request by certified return receipt Mail. You always want proof in writing before you proceed with anything. Also have you checked your credit report to see if it is being reported?

i know this thread is 3 years old, but I'm going through the exact same thing, so I HOPE I can get a good answer here.

I just happen to check my county courthouse records, and Bowman filed suit a few weeks ago, with a court date coming up in June. But I haven't been served yet. They are collecting for Midland, so how can I handle this?

I want to settle this, as the debt isn't that much, for 25%, so do I contact Bowman to make payment, or Midland directly?

I just want to get rid of it, I know if I go to court, they will not be able to prove that I owe this, but won't they just sell it off to the next JDB, and I'll have to go through all this court stuff again and again?

I'd rather settle, and demand they won't sell/xfer the balance to another JDB, than for the debt to keep getting passed down and possibly end up in court every year.

Thanks for you help!

Start with a VD letter to Bowman & Heintz, if they are the ones that last contacted you.