I'm Getting Fraudulent Tuition Collection Bills

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kitesurfer

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So, my situation is a bit complicated, but I will summarize the best I can.

In the summer of 2007, I attended graduate school in VA. Unfortunately, I dropped out during the first session. I started receiving tuition bills in July, then collection letters a few months later. In November of 2007, I received a letter from the collection company that was working for my school. They said that if I sent my school a check for $5,000 within 10 days, that they would waive the remaining $1,750 and my tuition balance would be paid in full. That same day, I mailed the check out to my school---along with the letter from the collection agency describing the tuition reduction. A week later, the check was cashed. I called the school in December of 2007. They told me I was "paid in full" and that I owed them nothing. I then called the collection agency. They told me I was "paid in full" and that I owed nothing.

Over fourteen months went by and I didn't hear a word or see a letter from my school or the debt collection. Then, in March of 2009, I started receiving bills from the school for $1750. I called them and said this had been waived in 2007 and that the letter I sent to them had explained it. The person on the other end of the line said there was no such letter in my file. Well--after 14 months of no contact, I sadly did not keep my copy of the tuition reduction letter. Big mistake. I just ignored the bills until October of 2009. In mid-October, 2009, I called the collection agency and asked if they could just reprint the tuition reduction letter that they sent almost 2 years earlier. Their response "well, we have you down as being paid in full, so we cannot legally go into your account and reprint bills or letters regarding balances. You have a zero balance." So, it was 2009---almost two years after I was told by both groups that I was paid in full---and the collection agency had not even been contacted by my school. Since then, the collection agency called the school and has started sending me bills again---which are completely fraudulent. I have called and written and emailed the collection agency and they have told me that they will not reprint the tuition reduction letter, although in 2009 they admitted that they mailed it to me in 2007...

I have written certified letter after certified letter after certified letter to both ODU AND the collection company and they all go unanswered. Noone has explained why the tuition reduction letter is missing from my file. Noone has explained why I had no contact for over 14 months. Noone can explain why I had been told I was paid in full by both parties. By the way, I DO have an email from the collection agency stating that I was paid in full--not sure if that helps.

Oh--my school has already started adding "collection fees" to his mysterious new bill. $300+ in new fees, so now my balance is over $2,000 for an account that was "closed and paid in full" in 2007.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO???
 
Refer the school to the collection agency. Try to get them talking to each other because as long as you are in the middle nothing will get done.
 
Yeah---I told the collection agency that the school lost the tuition reduction letter I mailed to them in 2007, but the collection agency refuses to reprint it and send it to the school. I told the school to contact the collection agency to request a second copy of the tuition reduction letter that they lost. They refuse to contact the collection agency. If I felt like I genuinely owed the money, I would pay it, but the $5,000 I sent originally covers my actual tuition. What was waived was late fees and extremely steep collection agency fees (that they themselves waived). I was told I was paid in full by both parties.

I don't know. I guess my options are 1) write a cease and desist letter and get sued, 2) bring the companies to small claims court and hope that circumstantial evidence (certified letters, emails, phone records, etc) is enough to have them stop harassing me or 3) pay them AGAIN. Although, I really don't want to pay someone when I know they are being unethical. This type of fraud seems to be a direct breech of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, as they are misrepresenting the amount that I owe (which, in fact, is nothing)...
 
Do nothing unless you are served papers and ordered to court. Don't pay a dime unless a judge orders you to.
Stop making phone calls. Any communication with anyone regarding this should be in writing. Do not accept their calls. Make them communicate in writing. Save everything.

They aren't likely to go to court because somewhere along the line they will realize they goofed, and you can too easily prove your case if you go into court and subpoena documents.

Do nothing. Go on with your life.
 
So, my situation is a bit complicated, but I will summarize the best I can.

In the summer of 2007, I attended graduate school in VA. Unfortunately, I dropped out during the first session. I started receiving tuition bills in July, then collection letters a few months later. In November of 2007, I received a letter from the collection company that was working for my school. They said that if I sent my school a check for $5,000 within 10 days, that they would waive the remaining $1,750 and my tuition balance would be paid in full. That same day, I mailed the check out to my school---along with the letter from the collection agency describing the tuition reduction. A week later, the check was cashed. I called the school in December of 2007. They told me I was "paid in full" and that I owed them nothing. I then called the collection agency. They told me I was "paid in full" and that I owed nothing.

Over fourteen months went by and I didn't hear a word or see a letter from my school or the debt collection. Then, in March of 2009, I started receiving bills from the school for $1750. I called them and said this had been waived in 2007 and that the letter I sent to them had explained it. The person on the other end of the line said there was no such letter in my file. Well--after 14 months of no contact, I sadly did not keep my copy of the tuition reduction letter. Big mistake. I just ignored the bills until October of 2009. In mid-October, 2009, I called the collection agency and asked if they could just reprint the tuition reduction letter that they sent almost 2 years earlier. Their response "well, we have you down as being paid in full, so we cannot legally go into your account and reprint bills or letters regarding balances. You have a zero balance." So, it was 2009---almost two years after I was told by both groups that I was paid in full---and the collection agency had not even been contacted by my school. Since then, the collection agency called the school and has started sending me bills again---which are completely fraudulent. I have called and written and emailed the collection agency and they have told me that they will not reprint the tuition reduction letter, although in 2009 they admitted that they mailed it to me in 2007...

I have written certified letter after certified letter after certified letter to both ODU AND the collection company and they all go unanswered. Noone has explained why the tuition reduction letter is missing from my file. Noone has explained why I had no contact for over 14 months. Noone can explain why I had been told I was paid in full by both parties. By the way, I DO have an email from the collection agency stating that I was paid in full--not sure if that helps.

Oh--my school has already started adding "collection fees" to his mysterious new bill. $300+ in new fees, so now my balance is over $2,000 for an account that was "closed and paid in full" in 2007.

IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO???


Funny how thhey never misplace your past due account isint it?
 
It has always been my impression that once a company or business has turned a bill or debt over to a collection agency then they no longer "own" that debt. They basically sign it over to someone else to collect it for them. Wouldn't this school be "double dipping"? They've sold your debt to the collection agency, which collected, according to you, $5000 and called it even. Now, they are trying to collect even more from you. :no: Perhaps someone who knows some law from your area could shed some light on this? Look in your state's revised code if possible. Also, you are smart in keeping your receipts for unaccepted certified mail. Get a copy of your credit report, it should have your balance of that debt as "current" and "paid". It will probably be a negative mark but still be current and paid because of the collection agency should have that updated. If not, have them update it ASAP. Yes, the e-mail from the collection agency is enough to show you are paid in full so keep it! If you should have to go to court (hopefully not) that should be plenty enough.
 
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