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?

3 comments

3 Comments

charles72015d ago

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.

olivia_lopez9815d ago

Five months to fix their mistake is insane.

logan_wood15d ago

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.