I paid off a student loan 20 years ago, about $12,000. I kept the cancelled check for 8 years and then destroyed it along with the other checks from that year(1989). In 2007, a debt collector called me and said I owed them $30,000 on this debt because I had not paid it. They have not contacted me in any way from 1989-2007. I told them I paid the debt in full in 1989 and they said do I have the cancelled check, I told them no. I then called my bank and they said they do not keep records of cancelled chek for more than 5 years(including microfilm). I had not heard from them till about a week ago saying that if I do not pay this deby in full they will put a lien on my house, attack my bank account and go after everything I own. I have been totally disabled since 2004 and live on my social security and my wife's retirement. Help!! Thank you so much in advance for responding.

I hope they are not mistaking you for someone else, I would ask them for a copy of the records so you can check to be sure it is your debt.