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This is a fine example of why anyone with financial obligations needs the essential documents.
Since you do not have a POA, does anyone have a medical power of atty? Who is making medical decisions? Who has an authorization to disclose medical information? Is there an advance directive for a natural death in place? I'd guess if none of these are in place, there is no will or trust set up? Just a reminder to all of you, the time to set these up is now, not when you are in a coma in a hospital.
I think your best bet is to call the credit card companies. I'd bet there is more than one card floating around? What about utilities? Rent? Should you cancel the TV, Phone, Internet? Is there any life insurance that will come due? Other payments? How are you getting their mail?
All of those bills are direct pay. They only have one credit card and they don't have direct pay set up. They mail in a check every month. Why? I have no idea.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryleeII
Can you just make a one-time payment of $75? You have the information you need from the bill. You don't need to be joint on the account, or have power of attorney, to pay someone else's account. Just send it in.
Once my mother had slipped a car payment, and kept getting dunning notices, to the point they were threatening repossession of her car. I happened to be there one day and intercepted a call. Apparently she didn't realize she was in arrears one payment. She was making regular payments but they were applied to the late payment, and she was never caught up. I just paid it for her right then to set her account straight. It was $120, and I put it on a credit card of mine. I wasn't held responsible for subsequent payments. I also set up a notification in case her account ever went into arrears again they would notify me. I don't know if that can be done with a non-relative, but you can check into it.
We can't afford to pay it. You can't pay a credit card with a credit card. If it was another bill I'd slap it on my credit card.
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We can't afford to pay it. You can't pay a credit card with a credit card. If it was another bill I'd slap it on my credit card.
I get so few paper bills these days, myself, but I bet you can do that. There should be a place on the bill to write in an account and information to pay it.
It is very nice that you are concerned enough to work on this.
I clearly stated that 1. We don't have their bank account information (and have no way to get it) and 2. It'll be several more weeks before they're awake to do anything.
I appreciate your replies but both replies suggested doing stuff that's impossible to do given the circumstances.
What I meant was that they may have set up an alternative way to pay with the CC company. The cc company MAY HAVE the bank account info already.
We have the bill that came in the mail. The card is likely in their wallet which the hospital has.
Since you have the bill, there should be an address on the bill, either at the top of the form or shown somewhere in all the fine print at the end where you can contact the company.
Write a letter to that address explaining that the cardholder is in the hospital and is unable to access his/her bank account and no one else has access to the bank account. Ask to have interest/penalties for nonpayment suspended for whatever reasonable time period seems necessary. The worst they can do is say no, and you will at least have a record that you tried to act in good faith so that when the family member is well enough to deal with his/her own affairs, there will be evidence to dispute whatever happened to the account in the interim.
If you cannot find a suitable address on the bill, look up the credit card company online. Find the page with the list of all the executives. Find the person with a title that indicates he/she is responsible for customer relations. Address your letter to that person. Heck, send a copy to the CEO.
If you are not going to be making the payments yourself and the relative in the hospital cannot make the payments, then letting the company know what is going on is the best you will be able to do under the circumstances. Again, the worst that can happen is that the company says no to whatever you request.
Really, given that the minimum payment is so low, the easiest thing to do would be for the family to make the $75 monthly payment until the relative is able to do so.
in any event, an $800 credit card bill is probably the least of your relative's worries at present.
I hope your relative's recovery is speedy and uneventful. In the end, that's going to be what is most important.
Let us know if you call the credit card company and if they will even talk to you since it's not your account. Maybe they can make a note on her account, but they may not even be able to access it.
When my mom was hospitalized, she was very angry that my sister had called and spoke to one of her creditors. She didn't want anyone messing with her finances and was fully capable of calling them herself when she got home.
Let us know if you call the credit card company and if they will even talk to you since it's not your account. Maybe they can make a note on her account, but they may not even be able to access it.<>
Unless you have the card you probably can't get past the automated system. You'll need the whole card number, not just the last 4 digits.
At any given moment, thousands of credit card holders are in the very same situation. This is not a new or unusual problem. Card issuers have routine considerations in place for such circumstances. Call them and they will tell you what they are.
Are you at this relatives house? I take it yes because you have his or her mail?
If you have access to their house you could look for old bank statements, or try to find a check book. Even people who don't write a lot of checks may have an old book or box with the last of their checks in it.
But technically even if you found that info -- you're not authorized to make the payment out of their funds.
Now you likely COULD do it, and 1) no one would be the wiser, and 2) when this relative is well enough s/he likely won't be upset. But I'm not concerned enough to warn you of saying don't get involved. You're trying to help a relative you care about.
I'm sending good thoughts to you about you're relative. If they truly won't even be awake enough to scribble a name on a check or call in and to a one-time phone payment. They're condition must be pretty "challenging."
Most people who have "great credit" have any regular payments set up to be automated. I know on my credit cards, I have it set to make the minimum payment on the due date by default. I also go in once or twice a month and pay the balance manually in full. But by having the minimum on auto, I can never miss a payment and thus never mess up my credit.
So it is entirely possible that there is no problem here.
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