Should I contact to pay the debt firm that is suing me directly? (collector, credit report)

[Creamer1]

Ok. Let me try to outline the bullet points:

• Had a Citi card
• Defaulted sometime in 2014
• It was a credit card not store card
• I believe it to be within SOL.
• Amount $1000
• Now a debt collector's attorneys are suing me
• Not Citi's lawyers. Not the Original Creditor. Midland
• I have about two weeks left to file an answer
• I am having difficulty finding a debt attorney to take my case
• Reason is.. the cheapest cost half the amount I allegedly owe.
• Midland paid anywhere from $10 to $100 to get this account.
• I WANT TO AVOID A JUDGEMENT.
• I DO NOT BELIEVE THEIR WORD IS GOOD.
• All this considered..
• Should I offer them $200? $50?
• SHOULD I MAKE THEM PROVE THEY OWN IT? (they claim "Assignee" but buying defaulted debt they are not Holder In Due Course...)
• Am thinking I will LOSE if i go to Court.. not sure the "Prove it or shut up" defense holds.. its Civil..

... Should I try to work out a deal with them, does the lawsuit go away and I never hear about this again if I do?

Or does a different firm come after me a month later, as if Midland never had the right to get it in the first place....

[rjm1cc]

I would offer a settlement amount and that they have their attorney send you a letter that they will not file adverse info with the credit agencies and if they have they will remove it.

[skeddy]

Here's an idea,

PAY WHAT YOU OWE

How would you feel about someone stealing $1000 from you?

Regardless your credit is screwed

[MSchemist80]

I guess you could go to court and claim to not know about the debt and make them prove it. If they have the paperwork then you will loose as you have no defense. Many of them file suit and hope the defendant doesn't show up so they win by default.

I agree though try to settle for less than $1000. Even if they get a judgement they will have to go to a lot of effort to collect.

[luv4horses]

They probably bought the debt for less than you owe. So ask for a settlement. Pay it.

[Creamer1]

Originally Posted by skeddy

Here's an idea,

PAY WHAT YOU OWE

How would you feel about someone stealing $1000 from you?

Regardless your credit is screwed

No, YOU'RE screwed! Most unhelpful post here.

[Creamer1]

Originally Posted by MSchemist80

I guess you could go to court and claim to not know about the debt and make them prove it. If they have the paperwork then you will loose as you have no defense. Many of them file suit and hope the defendant doesn't show up so they win by default.

I agree though try to settle for less than $1000. Even if they get a judgement they will have to go to a lot of effort to collect.

Pretty much. I just called them. They are lying about having obtained a judgement already, as I had 30 days to respond and reissue an answer.

Now I might just ignore them, since they lied.

They also tried to act like coming down to $930 would be helping me out. I told them: "Since you feel you got a judgement, you're not getting anything."

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by Creamer1

Pretty much. I just called them. They are lying about having obtained a judgement already, as I had 30 days to respond and reissue an answer.

Now I might just ignore them, since they lied.

They also tried to act like coming down to $930 would be helping me out. I told them: "Since you feel you got a judgement, you're not getting anything."

Not too sure how a judgement would work but it would be on the public record. If you checked something like creditkarma you might see the judgement. Probably take a month or two to make it to the credit reports.

[Creamer1]

Originally Posted by rjm1cc

Not too sure how a judgement would work but it would be on the public record. If you checked something like creditkarma you might see the judgement. Probably take a month or two to make it to the credit reports.

Well, they certainly aren't going to come after me for the small amount of money there is no way I can pay and told them I wouod

[Creamer1]

have to borrow from family to pay. Also, they changed how they report judgements in that they basically don't.

They are hooked into Experian "trigger" program they are a joke. We all know they are rude, but. They lied.. I held my ground on the phone.. that's what I get for trying to settle for half..