Apartment Damages
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I have been falsely accused of damages at an apartment I previously lived at. We were charged around $1000 for the damages and it was sent right to the collection agency. I have tried everything to get the charge removed from disputing the charge to trying to contact the apartment company. Nothing has worked.
What is my best option? Can they get a judgement against us for damages that we did not cause? Would it be wise to pay for damages we did not cause and hurt our credit score?
You have a few options available to fix your credit
Hello Courtney. Tracy here…
There are two different issues here that need attention: The (false?) damages, and the credit issue.
Unfortunately, anyone can accuse you with pretty much anything. The question is – can they prove it? Can you prove that the damage was NOT your fault?
Naturally, I can’t answer this question because I’m not familiar with the fact. Even if I had all the information – I’m not a lawyer. ONLY a lawyer can answer this question.
To get a judgment, the collection agency needs to file a lawsuit. Will they? Probably yes. This is what they do for a living… Can they win and get a judgment against you? I have no idea…
This brings me to the credit issue. Disputing the collection account will get you nowhere. Until proven otherwise – the account is valid and no credit bureau will remove it.
As you already know, a collection account is very bad for your credit. A judgment is even worse. Falsely accused or not – this account will drag your credit down.
You have two courses of action:
- To take the collection agency to court, prove that you owe nothing and have the account removed
- Try to negotiate a Pay For Delete Agreement with that collection agency.
Just paying the bill won’t improve your credit a bit. Paid or not – the collection account remains on your credit report for 7.5 years!
Taking the collection agency to court in an attempt to prove you don’t owe them may cost you even more than the debt itself because of legal fees.
My advice?
- Take legal advice regarding your chances of winning a lawsuit
- Try to negotiate a PFD agreement.
I know that you’re probably feeling pissed off, but you need to try and put your feeling aside and try to find the best solution for the problem. Don’t be right – Be smart.
Please see also how-to-pay-off-debt.html for tips on how to deal with collection agencies.
All the best
Tracy
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