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ScorpianKitty · Jun 15, 2007, 11:40 PM

Hello everyone, I'm trying to clean up my credit! Like most of us in the world who are not lucky enough to have pefect or even close to perfect credit, so my question is- my debt for my chase credit card was sold to collect america who turned it over the law offices of Robert J. Colclough so I was wondering if anyone knows whether he is pretty legit or not, I would prefer to take it up with the original creditor but we all know how that goes on my credit report it shows at about $1,476 I believe but with him he has managed to jack it up an extra hundred dollars. He is sending out some paper work stating that ill do 200 down and 100 a month..? Does that sound right? I mean does anyone have any suggestions?

Fr_Chuck · Jun 15, 2007, 11:45 PM

Check with the state Bar Association, they will list if he is a real attorney in your state or not or in the state where he claims to be.

Also it will give his real address in case they are merely using his name.

But of course as soon as an "attorney" is used there are attorney fees added. But if this is a old debt he can also cut off about 1/2 of the debt.

If you owe about 1400, and it is way behind, they should take about 600 to 800 as payment if full.

Wondergirl · Jun 15, 2007, 11:49 PM

Call your public library reference desk. They have access to all legit lawyer's names, addresses, and backgrounds.

chaplain john · Jun 16, 2007, 12:00 AM

Kitty

All I can really tell you is from my own experience a few years ago.

I'd suggest that you find out if your state has a consumer credit counseling agency of some sort.

I went through a credit counselor (that I first checked out to make sure they were legit) and they helped me to work out a budget and repayment plan. Then they made arrangements with my creditors to discount some of the interest and over-limit fees and acted as my agent in distribution of my payments. With their help I was debt free in just under two years but then I only had about thirty five hundred dollars debt.

I hope this helps some and I wish you luck in getting things cleared up.

ScorpianKitty · Jun 16, 2007, 12:21 AM

FR_ chuck: OK , so can I just go to the state bar website and look him up or what?
And once I get the info from him in the mail should I just try to re negotiate and say that the debt is very old so I want to do 6-800 in full, but I don't want to do in full really, I actually do want to make payments.

Wondergirl:thank you very much

chaplain john:well who did you go through because I've heard that agencies are on your record showing in a form that you don't know how to manage your money... I only have that 1400 that I mentioned and the two charge offs that I want off my record. What do you think?

chaplain john · Jun 16, 2007, 12:39 AM

[chaplain john:well who did you go through because I've heard that agencies are on your record showing in a form that you don't know how to manage your money... I only have that 1400 that I mentioned and the two charge offs that I want off my record. What do you think?[/quote]

I live in California and the one I used was California Consumer Credit Counselors. They also courses on credit and how to handle it.

Fr_Chuck · Jun 16, 2007, 12:48 AM

well at least in TN we can go to the state bar site and see if someone is currently part of the bar.

But I would find out who owns the debt, if the credit card company still owns the debt, you can try and settle with them.

The "attorney" collection companies normally try to scare you into paying more because they have an attorney, If they wanted to sue, they would have just done it. But don't do anything without it being in writing.
Also don't ever pay by check over the phone, and don't even pay with written check. Pay by money order or cashiers check. If they get your account and routing numbers they can come back and clean you out.

But a several year old debt, that is in default has little real value, it is possile the credit card company has long ago viewed it as a bad debt.

So I have seen some settle for as little as 25 percent but the most common settlement is about 40 percent, with 50 being fairly common also

ScorpianKitty · Jun 16, 2007, 12:59 AM

Chaplain: OK, wow! Ill look into that ccc that you speak of . At first I was going to go through take charge america but yours definitely sounds better than them.. and it seems as though you and I share the same amount,well not you so much any longer but you get where I'm driving at. So, the people you went through they cleared up your credit report and everything in under two years?

Father: the debt is no longer with chase, it went from them to collect america and now into the hands of this robert guy. I have no problem paying off exactly what is owed, I just don't want to be cheated or scammed.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING SO HELPFUL BOTH OF YOU!

Fr_Chuck · Jun 16, 2007, 01:05 AM

Ok, does not really matter who is trying to collect, what matters is who owns it, and if the credit card company still owns the debt.
You can tell a collection company not to ever call you again, and often the owner of the debts merely moves it to a new company who can then contact you.

In many places you have a dozen people who call and pretend to be this attorney, they use his or her name to scare people, and then attorney letters are written. But back when I owed 100's of thousand and was broke, I ignored the collection people all the time and went back to the real debtor who agreed because if they collected from me direct, they did not have to pay the collection company percentage.
Now if the collection company actually bought the debt, they would have paid maybe 3 to 10 cents on the dollar, so if they get 40 percent they have made a high profit.

ScorpianKitty · Jun 16, 2007, 01:11 AM

Father: oh, so then what your saying I should do is call the original creditor and see if they still own it ? And go from there, correct? OK ill do that.

Chaplain: I typed in California Consumer Credit Counselors on a search and a bunch of names came up... is there a specific name for the company you went through or is it just that? I'm very interested in getting set up with them. Please let me know

chaplain john · Jun 17, 2007, 12:51 AM

[. Chaplain: I typed in California Consumer Credit Counselors on a search and a bunch of names came up... is there a specific name for the company you went through or is it just that? I'm very interested in getting set up with them. Please let me know[/quote]

I went through the office in Sacramento.

ScorpianKitty · Jun 17, 2007, 10:08 PM

OK so its just California consumer credit counselors in sacramento.. so if I call 411 that's who I ask for? Not trying to be a pain I just want the correct info so I can get in with the company soon =)