Q&A: Does Agreeing to Pay Collections Restart the SOL?

Hi Lee,

I have two negative reports on my credit report, they are both supposed to fall off in 2 years. I made the mistake of calling both collection agencies, and agreed to make payments in the next couple of months. I can certainly pay them, however, I am worried that paying the full debt may reactivate the 7 year negative credit history. 

Can agreeing to pay the debt restart 7 year negative history? These accounts are so old, I have no record of any paperwork, and no one can seem to tell me the exact date of first delinquency. 

Should I just pay the full debt, have them agree to report to credit bureaus as 'paid in full?' Will this help my score and to have it removed from my report when the 7 yrs is up?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

--Jenny


Jenny,

You're confusing the statute of limitations for lawsuits with the credit reporting period. The statute of limitations is the amount of time a collection agency has to sue you and the credit reporting period is the amount of time an item can remain on your credit report. These are two entirely different time periods.

Making a payment on a debt that's in collections does NOT restart the 7-year credit reporting period. The clock starts when the debt first becomes 180-days delinquent. Although you may not know when the date of first delinquency occurred, pulling your own credit reports should show you when the negative entries are scheduled to be removed from your credit report. If it were me, I'd pull my credit report right now and print it out. That way, if the collection agency (or any other debt collector that may purchase the debt in the future) decides to "re-age" the debt and reinsert it onto your credit report, you'll have rock solid evidence to provide to the credit bureaus proving that the debt in question is obsolete and should be removed.

Unfortunately, making a payment on your debt does have one very negative effect: It restarts the statute of limitations in most states (in some states you must agree in writing to make a payment before the SOL begins anew). Once the statute of limitations is back in force, the collection agency regains the right to sue you. You don't mention which state you're in (the SOL differs by state) but you did mention the debts are old. Thus, its likely the statute of limitations has already expired.

Agreeing to pay collections--and then following through with that promise--can be a very risky prospect if you're not paying the debt in full all at once. This is because, unless you have a written agreement with the collection agency that says otherwise, the company has the right to file a lawsuit against you as soon as the statute of limitations kicks back into gear--even if you haven't missed a single payment. As it stands, if the SOL has expired, the collection agency's hands are tied. They only get the money if you pay voluntarily.

So don't panic. It's easy to become intimidated by a debt collector and agree to pay a debt when you can't (or shouldn't), just to get off the phone. The good news is that agreeing to pay won't likely hurt you. If you weren't merely intimidated and you genuinely want to take care of your debt, make sure that you secure a solid agreement, in writing, with the collection agency that stipulates the company agrees not to sue you unless you miss a payment.

Wanting to take care of unpaid debts is admirable, but be warned: paying off collections does NOT improve your credit scores. Collection accounts have the same negative impact on your scores whether they're paid in full or you've never paid a dime.

In my opinion, paying this debt is pointless. It doesn't help your credit and the credit reporting period doesn't change. Whether you pay it or whether you don't, it will still remain on your credit report for another two years.

Best of Luck,

Lee

Can You Tell Debt Collectors That You're Dead?

Debtors have a myriad of ways to avoid paying collection agencies, but being dead has to be one of the most effective. Out of the myriad of ways debtors have to avoid having to pay debt collectors, being dead has to be one of the most effective. A debt collector could come knocking at the pearly gates, sure, but nobody would let him in.

He'd be directed to the other line...you know, the one peppered with lawyers, IRS agents and everyone who has ever worked at a DMV?

Yep. That line.

All kidding aside, if you're carrying a heavy debt load there are some definite benefits to being dead. Depending on your state of residence, death hinders the collection process considerably--making it an appealing excuse for frustrated debtors. Although the excitement is practically oozing out of your ears at the prospect of creating your own online tombstone, you should probably take the following into consideration before you break the news of your untimely demise to any debt collectors

Debt Collectors Probably Won't Believe You're Dead Without Proof

A seasoned debt collector has heard it all. Any excuse you can come up with, he or she has already fielded. The "death" defense isn't as brilliant or unique as it may seem in your head. But sometimes the story is true. After all, people die every day (40,000 if we're to believe Blue Oyster Cult). To weed out the fakers from the actual deceased, the collection agency will probably request a death certificate. And don't bet on them waiting a reasonable amount of time for the elusive death certificate to arrive. They'll likely just continue calling and asking for you--dead or undead. 

Note: Family members of actual deceased debtors are not required to send the collection agency a death certificate. Many just send a "my loved one passed away, do not contact us again" sort of letter which falls into the "Cease and Desist" category. So, theoretically, your failure to send the debt collector a death certificate isn't proof that you're actually still alive. 

Telling Collectors You're Dead May Constitute Fraud 

Nobody wakes up in the morning, stretches and then says, "Today I think I'll go commit some fraud so I can get me one of them swanky rooms at the County jail." Unfortunately, your seemingly innocent tactic for avoiding debt collectors could potentially land you in some serious legal trouble. 

Just to clarify, I'm not saying that telling a debt collector that you're dead is blatant fraud and will land you in jail. The chances of that are painfully slim. Debt collectors hear the "I'm dead" excuse more often that you think. Even if the collector, upon finding out that you are very much alive, calls the authorities and throws a Miss-Piggy-backstage calibur hissy fit, any evidence the collection agency has against you is circumstantial at best. But I have to make you aware that the possibility exists. It is possible that the debt collector can make a fraud claim and it is possible that the D.A. would move to prosecute. It is very unlikely, but it is possible. 

You're not truly tap-dancing with trouble unless you've created a forged death certificate to "prove" your alleged death to the collection agency. The irony here is that the consequences for the collection agency believing your story and writing you off as deceased are just as foul as the consequences you'd face in front of a judge. 

Bad Things Happen When the Credit Bureaus Think You're Dead

Once a creditor receives confirmation from your family members that you've died--usually via a death certificate--the creditor will notify the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus will then note that you are deceased. Once this occurs, you can't pull your credit and neither can lenders. All credit activity stops. I've never tried convincing the credit bureaus to bring one of my clients "back to life," but from what I've heard, reclaiming your credit when the credit bureaus think you're dead is a frustrating and nightmarish process. 

Stop Collection Calls Without Claiming to Be Dead 

No matter how simple the idea sounds in your mind, telling debt collectors that you're dead and convincing them of that fact takes some serious planning on your part. The end result? They start doggedly pursuing your next of kin (or in this case, they're doggedly pursuing you who have been, up to this point, pretending to be that next of kin). So the debt collectors are still calling and, since they've reported your death to the credit bureaus, your credit report is POOF! Gone. 

That's not the scenario you were hoping for, is it? Nope, didn't think so. If the collection calls are truly driving you insane, you can make them stop simply by sending the collection agency a cease and desist letter. (If the debt in question is still within the statute of limitations for debt collection lawsuits, make sure to only restrict debt collectors from calling you on the phone, not from contacting you in general. If you give a collector no way to contact you, its only option is to sue.) After receiving a Cease and Desist letter, federal law requires debt collectors to back off and let you rest...in peace. 

Related Posts:

The Partial Cease and Desist Letter

Collecting Debt From the Dead: Survivors' Rights Against Collectors

How to Stop Collection Calls at Work

Q&A: When the Yellowstone Supervolcano Erupts, Will My Collections Disappear?

Dear Lee,

I have two collections on my credit report and my credit isn't in good shape. I've been following the recent changes in the yellowstone supervolcano and was wondering, if it erupts what happens to my collections and the credit system as a whole? Will we all be equal then? Will credit scores and reports not exist anymore? I don't live in the midwest so I'd probably survive. I swear this is a serious question and I'm not trying to be funny. 

Thanks,
Luke


Luke,

Let's overlook the astronomical odds against Yellowstone's supervolcano erupting and say, just for the sake of argument, that it blows tomorrow. If that happens, hundreds of thousands of people are going to die almost instantaneously. A large section of the country will be covered in more than a foot of ash and then many more people are going to die from ash inhalation, toxic gases in the air, collapsing roofs, etc. Even the parts of the country that aren't directly affected by the blast will get a dusting of ash. The supervolcano erupting will be the most catastrophic event in our recorded history.

That being said, I can pretty much promise you that your credit scores aren't going to matter once

Afterward, your credit won't matter

Yellowstone goes up in smoke. No one's going to be checking your credit for anything. The extreme loss of real estate due to the volcano is pretty much guaranteed to annihilate the banks and the economy as a whole. Getting a credit card or a mortgage is going to be laughable. These industries will probably fold. Your primary worries will be getting access to food and clean water and protecting your home and goods from desperate refugees.

Don't get me wrong, your collections won't disappear and neither will your credit report. It's just that, when a supervolcano blows and destroys half the country, no one is going to care one way or the other that you let some bills lapse. Its also possible that all credit updates would stop--causing those collections to linger on your now-irrelevant credit report forever and ever amen.

If you made the (wise) decision to pack up your toys and move to another country in the aftermath of the eruption, you still won't have to worry about those pesky collections. Although the same credit bureaus we have in the U.S. also operate in other countries, there is no international credit reporting database. Let's say, for example, that you ran off to Canada or Mexico. You'd still be working with some of the same credit bureaus, but those credit bureaus wouldn't use your U.S. credit report as a foundation. You'd have to build a brand new credit history from scratch no matter where you go.

I have to be honest with you Luke, I read this question and laughed. I was curious, however, as to what "recent events" you were referring to at Yellowstone so I looked it up. And I have to admit, now I'm a little creeped out too. But trust me on this one, when and if the supervolcano goes up, those piddly collections that are dragging down your credit rating aren't going to matter one iota. You'll have much bigger problems to deal with. We all will.