Collection: student medical bill my parents didn't pay

[Lillie4]

When I was in college, I came home one summer to have my wisdom teeth removed. The bill was sent to my parents house, who would pay the bill. I never lived at home again and I have never personally seen this medical bill. The bill was always addressed to me, but my dad assumed this was because I was the patient, not that I was responsible for the bill.

Problem is, my dad assumed responsibility for a bill this bill, never thinking that if he didn't pay it, I would have to deal with a collection agency, and bad credit because of it. I never even knew he didn't pay the bill, since he was thinking it was his problem, his debt, his credit that would suffer, and didn't inform me that the bill was never paid.

The problem is not paying for this debt, he will continue to pay it. But now it has been turned over to the collection agency, and since it was in my name and I was 19, it's my credit report. I have not thought twice about that surgery in 4 years, now it's on my credit report, and I never had a chance to correct the problem. Is there any way to get it into my dad's name? He would glady take it on his report, since he thought it would end up there anyway. Or am I just SOL?

Thanks for any advice.

[kevin3344]

You could dispute it as ?not yours? and see if it comes off. It?s a long shot but worth a try. However, since it?s been 4 years, this is affecting your credit less and less as time goes by. If you haven?t already, you can establish new accounts and that will cause this one item to mean less and less to your credit score. Of course, if you already have accounts that you?re paying on monthly then you are well on your way.

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Erica_Lopez

Edited September 9, 2011 by kevin3344

[Lillie4]

Thanks for the advice.

I did dispute it when it appeared on two of my CRs, it was deleted from one, but not Equifax. I'm just concerned b/c I'm still in school, so I'm trying to stay out of debt and not open more accts. But I just got married and we will want to buy a house soon after I'm done with school (one more year) and a new car, etc. I'll be ready for some big purchases soon and don't want this account to hurt me.

any other advice for helping my credit? I heard becoming an authorized user on my husbands accts could help. Is that true?

Thanks for making me feel better about my "bad credit!"

[kevin3344]

Most mortgage companies won't care about charge offs more than 2 years old so you should be ok there. Even if they did, you have a good explanation and it's getting paid off, so don't even loose any sleep over that one. I had many charge offs - some in the thousand dollar range - and still got a mortgage. That's the least of your worries.

Yes, you can become an authorized user on your husbands cc, that will help out alot. Of course, keep the utilization low if you (he) can, since that factors into your fico score. Remember to check your fico scores often and you should be ok.

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BUY GLASS BONG

Edited September 9, 2011 by kevin3344