Posted on 03/01/2010 6:55:31 AM PST by cajuncow
(AP) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Utah woman who lost title to her house over an unpaid $68 dental bill has been given a reprieve.
The Utah Court of Appeals ruled Capri Ramos is entitled to another opportunity to void the sale of her house at a county auction for $1,550.
The collection agency North American Recovery sued Ramos in 1995 over the dental bill.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
You are right that large databases of old ‘unpaid’ debt are bought and sold all the time for small pennies on the dollar. IMO, the agencies are — by established practice, if not a deliberate pattern of management — lax in maintaining the fidelity of those records. Why is that? Because only the honest pay up.
That is, the honest persons who are a poor record keepers will make the super-old debtor list profitable. How? By paying again an again, on old debts, which a ‘sloppy’ agency never marked paid-off. If you ever get in trouble on a debt with an agency, keep the canceled check and ‘PAID IN FULL’ payment receipt, forever.
“Maybe the bill had already been paid but improperly recorded”
We have one of those too: Early 2008 hubby had back surgery. You couldn’t see the doctor unless you paid FIRST!
12 months later we get a bill for the last visit before surgery. Thought it was handled. Then in January 2010, we get a bill with a slip attached “This statement has been audited for accuracy”. We laughed at that one.
I'm sure it is illegal. But it shouldn't be. Or at the very least, someone should have to provide proof of ability to pay, either via insurance or a credit card.
Let's face it, dental care is rarely life critical treatment. So denying treatment is not like turning someone away from an emergency room.
Dentists take a hit when the economy is bad, because people can defer regular check-ups.
Or, better yet: "We must have cash up front, because you have an outstanding bill at another business."
Usually when a house is seized for unpaid debts or unpaid property taxes, it is sold only to satisfy that debt with interest and court costs included. The highest bidder gets the property and a lot of times it is picked up for well below what the property is worth.
Response: Don't forget the possibility of "sewer service" on the part of the collection agencies process server.
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