Fighting the Un-Debt

Return of the Living Debt, Part 2

There's no need to cower in the corner if zombie debt has found your cell phone number and mailing address. You can fight back against zombie debt. You don't need a chainsaw, a flaming torch or a zombie-starvation plan and hiding out in your neighbor's basement just won't do. Instead, arm yourself with these tools of knowledge and detailed information, and you may be able to fight off that zombie debt for good.

Validating the Zombie Debt

Take control of the menacing situation by using your head against the zombie debt. It is within your rights to ask the collection agency behind the zombie debt resurrection to validate the debt with detailed information, according to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, FDCPA. Asking for verification can give you a slight reprieve from the zombie, if you request that verification via mail within 30 days of the collector's contact with you.

For example, you may realize that you do owe the debt but the amount is not familiar. Without acknowledging the debt, politely request the following:

• A copy of the information provided by the original creditor including the debtor's name (to verify it's your debt)
• The exact amount owed
• Proof that the collection agency contacting you is authorized to collect the zombie debt

Statute of Limitations

One weapon that protects you, like a magical force field against zombie debt, is the statute of limitations in your state. In order to be valid debt, the debt must meet the statute of limitation requirements in your state. The actual statute of limitations for credit card debt varies by state, although in most states it's between three and six years.

Familiarize yourself with the statue of limitations regarding debt in your state before talking to a zombie-debt collector about old debts.

When a debt is so old it's more dust than walking zombie, the debt may be harmless. Zombie debt collectors may heartlessly pursue you if they think you'll pay up, even if the statute of limitations on the debt has expired. While some zombie-debt collection activities are merely annoying, others could be threatening, or even illegal, like when the collector re-ages a debt on your consumer credit report.

Cease and Desist

Combat noisy and disruptive zombie-debt collectors with a cease and desist letter. Zombie-debt collectors can be relentless and can become abusive and combative. Even if you do owe the zombie debt, and it's been validated and it's within the statute of limitations, you have the legal right to request the collectors back off. Send a certified letter to keep the zombie-debt collectors at bay while you take action on fighting or paying the debt.

Pam Gaulin

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