Warning: My old apartment complex sent a $1200 collections bill to the wrong address
I moved out of my place in Phoenix last year and thought everything was settled. Turns out they sent a final utility bill to my old unit, not me, and it went to collections. I only found out when a lender pulled my report for a home loan pre-approval. It took me almost five months of calls and letters to get it cleared off my credit. Has anyone else had to fix a collections account they never even knew about?
My credit union flagged a similar $900 collections from an old landlord. I sent a certified letter with my forwarding address proof to the collections agency. They removed it in about six weeks after verifying the error.
Certified mail with proof of residency is the key. My brother had a medical bill sent to collections by mistake because they used an old address. He mailed them a copy of his driver's license and a utility bill, and it was cleared in under 30 days.