Can you report someone to the credit agency for a personal debt?
- Thread starter sandmanwake
- Start date
Old roommate didn't pay rent, or rather he did, but the checks he wrote were bad. We took turns paying the rent--he paid one month, I paid the next. I payed with good checks during the months I was supposed to pay. He payed with bad checks, but the leasing office were runned by a bunch of idiots, so I didn't know that he was bouncing checks until I looked into renewing and they saw a balance owed. Lease was in both our names, so I either payed or I get my credit history tarnished for 7 years. Roommate was in the AF, so he's long since left and I've since left for another state also for a job. So I'm living in a different state and he's living in a different state from where this whole mess started. I'd like to take him to small claims, but really have no proof that he owes me anything. Can I make him come to my state for court or would I have to go to his?
I have his name and address of where he lives. Amount owed: $1693.44--this is for a few months rent and his share of utility he didn't pay before leaving.
By the way is there any way of looking up someone's number at an airforce base?
Just remembered I have a few emails from him promising to send me money to pay me back. He never did however. No specific amount mentioned though.
I have his name and address of where he lives. Amount owed: $1693.44--this is for a few months rent and his share of utility he didn't pay before leaving.
By the way is there any way of looking up someone's number at an airforce base?
Just remembered I have a few emails from him promising to send me money to pay me back. He never did however. No specific amount mentioned though.
Find out where he is, contact his Commanding Officer. They don't take to kindly to that kind of stuff.
i'd say forget about it since it's too small an amount for the trouble of chasing it and given the very slim chance of getting anything back
First don't worry about the credit. His names were on the checks and management will have to go after him for the money. Of course they don't have to renew your lease.
jamesbond007
Diamond Member
- Dec 21, 2000
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I'd also like to know about this...I have a friend who went into the USAF and owes me $888.51 on a laptop he never finished paying me for.
Originally posted by: jamesbond007
I'd also like to know about this...I have a friend who went into the USAF and owes me $888.51 on a laptop he never finished paying me for.
If you had a written agreement small claims is the answer. From there you will get a judgement and laws will vary on how you collect but approaching a CO with the judgement may light a fire under his ass to take care of it.
You have a much easier way to get your money and get him in some trouble. The military does not like having personal that do not pay their bills. I would call his commander or his first sergeant and talk to them. As long as you can show them proof of what happened they will make him pay it back. If needed they will have the amount owed taken directly out of his pay. Plus he will then have to go and talk to the First Sergeant and his commanding officer. They will more than likely force him to go to a budgeting course to teach him better handling of his money. I think this would be a much easier way to get the money back and teach him a lesson at the same time.
Having been in the military this is not the way it works. The only person that will get anywhere with his command is the management. The money is not owed to the OP.
The OP needs to tell the management it is their responsibility to collect on the checks. Which it is.
The whole tell the CO theory isn't going to work for him.
jamesbond007
Diamond Member
- Dec 21, 2000
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Not to steal your thread OP, but in my case, there was no written agreement...thing is, he lived in California, we met before, good friends, etc etc. We shook on it, called it a day, and let time go by. He was very prompt for the first half or so, then when he was interested in the Air Force, he just picked up things and said he would pay me back when he gets the chance. He keeps saying he cannot send me the money through PayPal (which is how he sent me previous funds) because of the secure connections not being allowed where he is, or whatever.
If he's in California, at least that is where I last talked with him, what can I do to find out his number in the USAF or mailing address? How would I contact his commander or management?
Oh, I also have the PayPal logs/history printed out of when he paid me for hard evidence. Also, I forgot to sign the transfer of warranty paper (was purchased by Best Buy). I'm sure I could get him in small claims, but I really don't want to hassle with that if I don't have to. I'd much rather make a few phone calls, get the fire under his arse lit, and be done with it.
If he's in California, at least that is where I last talked with him, what can I do to find out his number in the USAF or mailing address? How would I contact his commander or management?
Oh, I also have the PayPal logs/history printed out of when he paid me for hard evidence. Also, I forgot to sign the transfer of warranty paper (was purchased by Best Buy). I'm sure I could get him in small claims, but I really don't want to hassle with that if I don't have to. I'd much rather make a few phone calls, get the fire under his arse lit, and be done with it.
Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Not to steal your thread OP, but in my case, there was no written agreement...thing is, he lived in California, we met before, good friends, etc etc. We shook on it, called it a day, and let time go by. He was very prompt for the first half or so, then when he was interested in the Air Force, he just picked up things and said he would pay me back when he gets the chance. He keeps saying he cannot send me the money through PayPal (which is how he sent me previous funds) because of the secure connections not being allowed where he is, or whatever.
If he's in California, at least that is where I last talked with him, what can I do to find out his number in the USAF or mailing address? How would I contact his commander or management?
Oh, I also have the PayPal logs/history printed out of when he paid me for hard evidence. Also, I forgot to sign the transfer of warranty paper (was purchased by Best Buy). I'm sure I could get him in small claims, but I really don't want to hassle with that if I don't have to. I'd much rather make a few phone calls, get the fire under his arse lit, and be done with it.
I'm telling you calling his command won't do sh!t.
jamesbond007
Diamond Member
- Dec 21, 2000
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Dooo iiiiiiiiit!
QuitBanningMe, I've gotten the impression that he didn't want to deal with it, so he just paid the Management(leasing office, right?) off. Now he wants to know if he can get the money back from him.
See if you can get the leasing office to help you. They might have copies or other documentation of the bad checks.
The only chance you have is small claims where you will either have to prove the debt or he will have to admit to it. If you get a judgement for the money then you may have a chance with the CO.
I was once in a similar situation where when I joined the military and was having trouble paying the bills I had with the income reduction. My CO got a call from a creditor and although I did get called in and given a speech on responsibility they basically told them to fvck off.
ah....missed that part. Basically he is fvcked. He paid a debt that legally wasn't his since when the checks bounced the management should have went after the bad checks but instead got to the OP. This may differ among local laws but the offender has no obligation (legally) to pay the debt the OP took care of. The only debt he had was to management and the OP took care of that.
Sorry, but my name was on the lease also--at the time they only offered joint leases, so if one party didn't pay, everyone on the lease was responsible for it and everyone on the lease got their credit tarnished. I think this screwed over quite a few people because they eventually started to offer individual leases. Having gone through having to straighten out my credit because my dad opened a fraudulent account in my name, let me tell you it's no fun getting someone else's mess fixed on your credit report.
I called the leasing office and had them send over a payment record of the time I lived there. The record shows who paid for what month. As I mentioned earlier, I also have an email from my old roommate sent from his military email admitting to owing me money and promising to pay me back. No amount is mentioned though.
Any idea how I would find out who his CO is and how to contact him? He's at Buckley Air Force base in Colorado. Even if it comes to nothing, I'd still like to try it and see what happens.
I called the leasing office and had them send over a payment record of the time I lived there. The record shows who paid for what month. As I mentioned earlier, I also have an email from my old roommate sent from his military email admitting to owing me money and promising to pay me back. No amount is mentioned though.
Any idea how I would find out who his CO is and how to contact him? He's at Buckley Air Force base in Colorado. Even if it comes to nothing, I'd still like to try it and see what happens.
Send him a reply saying that its time to pay up and if some sort of arrangment isn't made you'll have to bring the issue up with his first shirt.
make sure to include the orginal text in the reply to remind him of his own admission.
Fingolfin269
Lifer
- Feb 28, 2003
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What do you mean the debt legally wasn't his? You've lived in an apartment with a roommate before, right? You do understand that most places do not charge a rent amount and divide it by the number of tenants living in a unit. They charge for the unit itself and couldn't care less which of the tenants wrote the bad check as they look at a group of people living in a unit as a singular entity as far as rent is concerned.
I'm actually quite surprised that the OP was not evicted quite a few months before the end of the lease. I understand why you needed to pay off the end balance even if some others seem to skim right over it. If you want to get any of your money back then you'll need to file a judgement against your roommate in small claims court.
StageLeft
No Lifer
- Sep 29, 2000
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It won't help now, but if your name is on the lease in the future (this to anybody) YOU should make sure that bills are being paid. Instead of a "you this month, me next", write all checks yourself and have your roomate pay you each month. this way you know that the rent is being paid. Dito for anything like utilities in your name.
Around 10 years ago I had a similar problem. I had a bad check given to me. I went to the Jag office and gave the guy's info. Within 2 months I had a money order in the mail. If a military person owes you money then google his posting and find the jag office on the base website. Email them. You may need to provide proof of the debt. I had a bounced check.
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