TexasCHLforum.com

recaffeination wrote:

SewTexas wrote:you know what....it's not really...most people have been called by a bill collector at some point in their life, and while most haven't been cursed at like that....it's not hard to believe they did it.

Am I strange for paying my bills? I didn't think it would be so rare on a forum that seems so conservative on other issues.

My wife and I have excellent credit and have always paid our debts.

We have been harassed by debt collectors for the past 10 years because of:

1. One of my sisters who ran up $50,000 in debt on my (now deceased) mother's credit cards. This is after my mother gave her $100,000 from the sale of her primary residence. Mom wound up destitute on medicaid. My wife and I helped her through bankruptcy and managed her affairs up to her death.

2. My other sister defaulted on her house.

3. My brother's ex-wife defaulted on loans.

4. By brother's ex wife's daughter defaulted on loans.

5. My sister in item 1's first ex-husband's (she has 3) second ex-wife defaulted on loans.

6. My niece (daughterr of my sister in item 1) defaulted on loans.

You see, debt collectors go after anyone in the chain for recovery. Debt collectors actually use bounty hunters to track down sources when the hunters are not busy tracking bail jumpers. One of the debt collectors told me this when I had finally convinced him that we were not responsible for the debt he was trying to collect. My wife and I actually had noticed the bounty hunters shadowing us. I had seen one digging in my trash. I informed said collector that if he persisted his hunters would wind up being the hunted, especially if I caught them tracking Mrs. Anygun again. I promised him. Also, armed with this knowledge, every time I get a debt collector calling me I have a way of discussing how they really do not want to continue pursuing me because it will end up very very bad if they persist in their known ways.

Yes, debt collectors unfortunately are mostly scum suckers of the worst kind. They are nearly as bad as the infected pustule in the white house.

Anygunanywhere

anygunanywhere wrote:You see, debt collectors go after anyone in the chain for recovery.

In what state were you living that people were responsible for their siblings' debts?

smoothoperator wrote:

anygunanywhere wrote:You see, debt collectors go after anyone in the chain for recovery.

In what state were you living that people were responsible for their siblings' debts?

None of them, but the debt collectors are after the money, not "the money, but only if it comes from the person who's legally responsible for the debt".

I guess I assumed "chain of recovery" was something like chain of command or chain of custody. My bad.

I should clarify... None that I know of. See my sig

Dave, were you listed on any of their loans or cards? 'cause ours never called any of our family. of course once they found out our circumstances the phone operator often would chat with us for the prescribed time then say, "please file soon and get this over with" and hang up

smoothoperator wrote:

anygunanywhere wrote:You see, debt collectors go after anyone in the chain for recovery.

In what state were you living that people were responsible for their siblings' debts?

Texas.

I was not responsible for anyone else's debts.

Once we discovered what my mother was going through we sought legal assistance and I obtained power of attorney over what was left of her assets.

As I stated, the debt collectors try to obtain payment from anyone associated with the debtor. I think we were subjected to an unusually aggressive bunch given the amount that my sister made off with.

It is all over now. Once I convinced all of the collection agencies we were not responsible for any claims they eventually left us alone.

You can pick your friends but not your family.

Anygunanywhere

Had an incident once. Shortly after my wife and I got married she was having some medical problems. We had to go to Harris Hospital in Fort Worth for some tests, and while we had insurance we owed the hospital the copay for about $80. We had some other bills piling up so I figured I'd send them $40, and the would send a bill for the remainder next month. Nope, they sent a collection agency instead.

This guy calls, berating me over my $40 I owe the hospital. He goes on and on about how I should pay my bills, not be delinquent, etc., until I finally just say, "look dude, I owe them $40, you get what, 10%? Your phone call costs more than the $0.40 you are getting for this, chill out. I planned on paying the remainder of the bill, what's your problem?"

He got really defensive at that point, told me that I said I was paying the bill so send it to a his address. I said, "Nope, I will send it to the same address as the first payment. Don't call me again." and hung up.

Never heard back and always made arrangements with the hospitals for payment after that. Lesson learned.