Any new advice on removing paid collections?

[wja1969 10]

I've been reading the forum for at least an hour to ensure I didn't waste anyone's time. I did see a couple threads relating to this issue, but not enough specifics guidance. I have three credit card collections that I settled 6 months ago with the CA so I could buy a house. For years now both the OC and CA have been reporting TLs to all three CRAs against the same debt. As expected, the OC is reporting charge off and the CA is reporting collection account, paid. I hate this kind of double-dip reporting on the same debt, but I guess that's how it works...

 

So here's what I have:

Chase Credit Card = Charge-off

Chase Credit Card = Charge-off

Citibank Credit Card = Charge-off

 

Midland Credit Mgmt (Chase) = Paid Collection

Midland Credit Mgmt (Chase) = Paid Collection

Midland Credit Mgmt (Citibank) = Paid Collection

 

I know from research on this forum that sending DV letters at this point will do no good since no one is trying to collect from me any more. But I want to do SOMETHING. So is there a good cadence I can keep up and maybe get lucky? Written CRA dispute, followed by written CA dispute, followed by written goodwill request (hah!), followed by threatening letter from my lawyer (even though I don't have a real threat), followed by what???

 

The only good news is that the statute of limitations is up in a little over a year on all these debts (they are OLD). Still I'd love to see some improvement before mid-2016...

 

Thanks!!!

 

[TomnTex 389]

Best you can hope for is a goodwill letter to each of them requesting that they remove it. Don't hold your breath, but you can try. You should have requested that they remove the TL when you paid them. Those showing paid aren't hurting you too bad, just look bad.

[wja1969 10]

Thanks Tom, I would have negotiated PFD if I had been in a position of strength. However I was buying a house and while I didn't let the CA know that (they would have demanded full payment), I wasn't in a position to go back and forth for months with them trying to get a deletion. I ended up paying $.30 on the dollar. I could probably have gotten that number lower as well, but again, was not able to play hardball.

 

I noticed in the sticky note regarding this topic that some people said they had success sending letters and removing paid collections. For instance, C M CHASE said to write the higher-ups at the CAs. That's good advice, but what's missing is what is she SAYING in the letters that is resonating with those higher ups???

 

A paid collection is a known debt and according to additional research I read, there's currently no legal precedent (at least at the federal level) for getting OCs and CAs to stop negative reporting even though the debt is paid. As anyone can tell you, the ongoing penalty to your credit that sticks around years after you pay does seem overly punitive and effectively represents an ongoing collection effort (IMHO). Yet according to one post I read, the Supreme Court has not ruled either way in the matter of ongoing negative reporting after payment.

[Clydesmom 1,126]

You can certainly try good will letters but everything I have read is Midland does not do good will or pay for delete.  If they are paid they are not hurting you much anymore.  

[wja1969 10]

In my experience, goodwill letters are huge longshots. Especially since it is totally easy to deny someone in writing with a form letter. I've had better luck in person on the phone if I find a sympathetic party where it's harder to say no to someone's (virtual) face. That said, I can't imagine finding a sympathetic party at MCM with the bunch of hardasses working at that CA. I also couldn't find any Virginia case law yet relating to removal of paid collections. Sounds like California and Texas have better consumer rights laws than my state...