PLEASE someone help me! I was just turned down for a loan due to a poor credit report. I have an account with a collection agency. They contacted me last Sept, out of the blue, and told me they worked for the government, and apparently more than 12 years ago.. they say I was given an overpayment child care bursary when I went to school. When they contacted me I thought it was a joke, or possibly a scam of some sort. I said, they would need to send me proof of such a thing. We are talking $2,000.00 I was not ready to pay for something that I don't understand. I was in school... I did have kids... I did pay babysitters. I have no records from 12 years ago, so I asked that they send me something that would make sense of all this. I have received nothing except a few letters saying how much I owe... today, the day I got turned down for my loan... I received a letter in the mail, with a questionnaire asking everything , how much money I make, how much is my rent, what do I spend on hydro, groceries etc. So they can figure out a payment plan! As far as Im concerned, I don't owe them anything, they have shown me nothing, and isn't there a S.O.L. (statute of limitations law even if this was true? )
Any help would be appreciated, I am going to call tomorrow with guns loaded!
I need to have this mark taken of my bureau immediately!
Thanks in advance!

They can not collection after 12 years of no contact, there is a statute of limitations, and if you get an attorney, you can nail them with a lawsuit for deceptive collection practices that violate the fair credit and debt collection act, they cannot falsify information like saying they work for the government, that's very illegal.

DO NOT CALL THEM, if you do you will make things worst, as long as they can get to you they will harass you anyway they can until you give them some money
You don't need to file in court in order to solve this unless you want to...

- If they are listing the account in the credit bureaus dispute those listing as "outdated, too old to report"

- Send them a debt validation request and cease and desist telephone communications letter, certified receip requested

- After you send the letter don't communicate directly in any manner with the collection agency, don't answer any call or mail, keep records on your caller ID and recordings on your answer machine.

- Go online to the Better Business Bureau and file a complaint against the Agency, you can deal with them using the BBB as intermediary

- At the same time go online to the Attorney general of their state and file another complaint.

Unless they are really a government agency they'll be gone in no time.

Carl.-

If this is a debt, to the government, I'd be willing to bet that there is no statute on it.

If the poster was overpaid some type of government benefit, I don't think there is a time limit on the government getting that back.

The statutes that apply to normal consumer debt are much different than any that apply to
An over payment from the government.

In addition, if it is a government debt, good luck with the BBB and the County Attorney.

Well, since the CA is not sending any proof or further information it is worth a try.

Carl.-

If it were the government you would have known about it because they would send official letters, like the IRS sends about tax issues.