Judgements and third party collections

[mommydanford]

I am just getting started and am trying to get all the information I can about how to have satisfied judgements and paid collection accounts with third party collectors removed from my credit report. I also have a judgement that was filed against me in the state of Georgia 6 years ago (I now live in Alabama) and I need to know if the SOL applies to this as well, if so what do I need to do to get this removed (it hasn't been paid, it was filed by my ex-landlord). Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[ShortBus]

- It can be very difficult to impossible (depending on the creditor) have paid collections or judgments removed. That's why it's critical to negotiate a "pay for delete" (PFD) prior to sending them any money. However, what you can do is dispute them every few months with the CRAs and hope that the CA/OC doesn't bother to validate. There is also one CRA (EQ?) who's policy it is to delete satisfied judgments. So when you dispute with them, send a copy of the paperwork showing that it was paid. Someone else here can probably confirm which CRA this is; if not, do a bit of searching.

- The SOL is the timespan from when you first went delinquent on an account until they sue you. Once that timespan is elapsed, you have an affirmative defense against a suit which almost guarantees that you'd win it. The SOL has absolutely nothing to do with how long an item is listed on your CR. Since your landlord already sued you and got a judgment, SOL doesn't apply in your situation.

An unsatisfied judgment can haunt you for quite a while. (The SOL to collect on a judgment in some states is something like 20 years and can be renewed). Even after it ages off your CR (7 years), the bank may still discover it when you try to buy a house. I'd really recommend that you find some way to get the judgment vacated. The "vacating judgments" link at the top of the page is a great place to start.

[Ahntara]

"...one CRA (EQ?) who's policy it is to delete satisfied judgments..."

Please post this written policy or provide a link.

No CRA has a policy to delete valid Public Records. The FCRA allows them to appear. See 1681c, subsection 605(a)©.

There may be consumers who achieve getting their PR's shielded from view. This is a random occurrence, a crapshoot for most and cannot be called a policy.