Once deceased, do you still have a Credit Report?

[ferdilverdil]

After my father's death I ran my mother's CRs with no problem. I also tried to run his report since some of his accounts which were then deliquent, were effecting her account as she was an AU. I was not able to run his reports. Is that because after your death, there is no more CR for you?

I'm trying to find out because a tax lien was recently placed on property we just found that my father owned out of state. According to the CIC, tax liens stay on your CR for 7 years after they are paid. If we pay the lien off to stop foreclosure, will this bring attention to any CAs? Are they still able to run his CR?

Can the force the sale of the property if they find it? Or can they just put a lien on it? I was told by an area realtor it would be better to wait and sell the property in a few years then to try to do it now. Once sold, if it went for what the realtor said other pieces in the area usually list for, we could pay off the debt. But if we can't wait, and sell it just for enough to cover the debt, then it wouldn't be worth paying off the lien.

[ferdilverdil]

If information is reported to the CRAs for a deceased person, what info is sent? Is it the same info as a living person?

[willingtocope]

I think you really need a lawyer to sort this out. I just don't think we have the answers for you...but, here's some things I do know.

Like judgements and other court related items, deaths are reported to credit bureaus in a round about way. There are companies that troll court house records, and obiturary notices in the paper, and then forward the info to the CRAs. So, while its by no means automatic, there's a good chance the CRAs have heard of your father's passing and have closed his records. The records are still there, but you might need a court order to get them. And, no OC, CA, or JDB is going to be able to get them either.

Any property your father owned should be included in his estate. If he didn't have a will, ownership would normally pass to your mother (I think), but there's probably some paperwork that needs to be filed. As to whether your father's creditors can force the sale of the property...you need to talk with a lawyer.

[ferdilverdil]

I just read somewhere that a spouse can get a copy of decedant's CR by requesting it in writing , I assume along with a copy of a death cert.

So if a spouse can pull it, wouldn't CAs OCs JDBs be able to as well?

[willingtocope]

Each of the CRA's have details on their web sites relating to "death of a spouse". Experian, for example, says that your mother should notify all her and your father's creditors of his death to prevent anyone assuming his identity to commit fraud.

I've been following all your other posts, and while I can understand your trying to get answers...I still think you need to talk this all over with a lawyer. Did he leave a will? Has it been probated?

[ferdilverdil]

The house my parents owned was transfered into my mothers name shortly before his death. Other then that there was nothing, except some CC debt.

No will, no probate, no assets, except this land in AZ, which was almost forgotten about.

I guess you're right about the lawyer, was trying to avoid it, but may be necessary.

[willingtocope]

I'm not a lawyer, and I'm really not absolutely sure I know what I'm talking about here, but (its never stopped me before)...

Its my understanding that without a will, your father's "estate" takes over his assets and obligations when he died. Its up to the courts to decide how all that gets handled. It still needs to go through the probate process to sort all that out. Since you're in NY, you might try PM'ing Recovering Attorney to see if he will point you in the right direction...