All Forum Posts by: Larry Bowers

TLDR: Creditor made zero true effort to contact me to settle a debt I couldn't have reasonably known about. I want the information off my credit report. Need advice on fighting it. 

Hey BP, I need advice on how to remove past due information off my credit report based on what I'll call "lack of reasonable effort & diligence on part of creditor". That creditor is Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE).

I expect the answer is ''just file a dispute", but need to know what to put in that letter to make it most effective, and any other relevant advice. Like what to say or not say when I call the collection agency.

It has to do with rental property that has a "automatic change" to the owner when a tenant moves out and closes their account. During a tenant turnover, the bill went back into my name, and a bill was created. This was back in January 2021. Fine, happy to pay it, but I have to know about it. It's worth mentioning the house is managed by a property management company and is over 1000 miles away. 

BGE has my phone number and email address, but the bills were being sent in paper form to the rental house. Well, BGE never made contact with me by phone or email, even though they claim they did. The tenants in the house probably got the bills in the mail and just ignored them. I'd do the same if it were me, and the tenants don't know me, they just deal with the property management company.

After 8 months of "trying to contact me" hahahaha, BGE sent the bill to a collection agency. The collection agency never called, texted, or emailed me about the debt either; it seems they've had the account for a month or so. But they did report it to Equifax. I just found on out now when I applied for financing and got my scores in the mail. Now my credit score fell to 665 at Equifax where my other bureau scores are over 800. I haven't called them yet, just learned about this today and putting together a strategy.

Obviously, I am irritated that I never got a fair shake to settle the debt. Seems the dirty little trick and lazy method of debt collection is to report the credit bureau straightaway...I mean why not handle more accounts and collect on more accounts instead of wasting time picking up the phone, emailing, or otherwise tracking me down?

If I word it in the dispute letter that no effort was made to contact me by BGE or the collection agency, seems like that's the same as appearing in court and telling the judge that I didn't do the crime. Sure, that's what they all say. Based on other credit history, I have some credibility in that I'd probably pay it, beyond that, I have nothing. 

I figure just make a deal with the collection agency that if I pay they removed it from report. Is this how it goes? 

Any advice, magic bullets? Thanks!

I want to close out this thread with my findings and recommendations from septic & sewer contractors and the local sewer company. One bid to connect to the sewer is $14,700 all in. But the guy giving me the bid says it is very unlikely I will have problems if I get the tank cleaned out regularly. There is a slight risk that a tank so old could be damaged and the lid or cleanouts would need replacing or repairing. He said he's never bid and did a sewer connection job for a house of this level before. It's probably just me worrying too much. 

The biggest concern for this dwelling going forward would be tenants and foreign objects being flushed or using the correct type of laundry detergent. 

Many might see the septic tank as an advantage avoiding a separate sewer bill that runs ~$40 - $50/month.

I am really surprised there isn't some type of subsidy or program to help out homeowners that meet certain criteria in this predicament. Maybe the local sewer district could give a cut rate sewer service for a number of years. After the $14,700 job, thereafter starts the sewer bill.  

Hi Brian, can an old LLC be used to enable the checkbook control? Does it have to be in the custodian's state or does it not matter? What are typical set-up fees?

Dennis, tell me if I missing something here, but when rejecting one NEVER has to say the reasons why. And therefore by saying nothing, that would nullify any Fair Housing problems. If that's right, seems to me the FH laws don't have a lot of teeth. 

So how is it people get into trouble with FH then? The applicant files a claim saying X landlord won't rent to me because I am from Y country, he just rejected my application and was silient on why? And then FH wants to see that applicant's file and ask what my criteria were and the real reason I was rejected? 

Re: "inspect your system before getting excited about it as it may be fine"
I've been told by different, unconnected parties about the sewer and passing inspection. Much the same as the chance for snow in the forecast this week. NO WAY it will pass. It has to do with its age, from the 1950s, before baffle walls and multiple lid systems were in place, and then of course the wear and tear on the structure in that time. In any case, I will post my full story to this thread when I get through with all this, hopefully it will help others in this situation. 

I am keeping calm and proceeding with getting bids to at least know if the cost will be $10K, or up to $40K. I should know something by the middle of next week. That's a wide range and could look at it as a capex with a 2 to 3 year payback with what the rents have been on it. It's soothing to think about it from that perspective. 

Just like an old car that is driven "til the wheels fall off" this is the strategy I am considering if I keep it as a rental. I had a '95 Honda Civic that had over 300K miles on it...it just wouldn't die...and finally sold it for not much less than I paid for it. Maybe this tank is the same. The tenants would have to move out for sure when the tank dies though, hopefully not in winter. 

Re: "keg of beer", while I don't know the condition of the leach field, I do feel like I am teetering on the edge. 

Got a couple of guys coming out on Monday, so we'll see. I see you mention when to do a job like this. I understand not doing it in the winter with frozen ground or snow in the way. Why not dig in summer? 

Interesting thread. Matt, looks like clients not knowing anything about insurance is typical around the country. Most probably don't know what they are looking at.

Just a comment too, reading this thread. This whole insurance thing...I dunno...if a grown man/woman from CL or elsewhere takes a job and due to his own negligence (maybe on drugs, maybe not, who knows) gets hurts on my driveway, roof, or whatever, then wants to sue me because he doesn't have insurance, that just doesn't seem right that the owner would be liable. If I were the contractor, even if I had it as a remedy to sue the owner, I wouldn't feel right about it. 

@Jason Bott@Michael Norris

Why wouldn't a liability release for bodily injury work for guys hired off of CL?

If one goes skydiving, they have liability releases to avoid lawsuits, or is this comparing apples and oranges? 

Thanks. Seems a landlord would have be rather foolish to get caught up in a Fair Housing complaint then if he just keeps quiet about the real reasons for rejecting. 

I’ve seen a few posts in this forum that recommend handling lease paperwork for a prospective tenant at their current residence as a way to see how they will treat your place, like how clean they will keep it. Great idea. 

But if everything else checks out for credit, criminal background, evictions, etc, but their place is filthy, how can you legally deny them if they meet the other criteria?  A defense of "I saw your place and don't want you to rent my place" is good enough?  

Mark, can't believe nobody has replied to your thread yet, I appreciate you trying to give back to the community with your post. My septic tank does not have an as-built, but the house was constructed in 1952 so it's probably as old as the house. The house is in Missouri, it's a 900 s.f. 2/1. Considering the age and size of the property, what can you surmise about the tank as far as likely size, what material it is made of, if there are baffle walls installed, etc? No septic issues to date and I read that they only last 30 years or so, so maybe they don't make them like they used to? 

Also, when a system "fails" that does not necessarily mean backing up into the house, correct? I am dealing with the situation here in this post: Missouri septic tank issue on $40K house. 

Maybe you give your .02? Thanks!