Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Illinois

A couple of months ago, someone from the newspaper company came to raise money for a charity. We wrote him a check to the charity and next thing we knew, we were getting a newspaper delivered in front of our 3rd floor apartment, which stopped a couple weeks in.

Now, a few months later, I had a bill in my mailbox for papers that I have been receiving up to this point for $75. However, the papers stopped being delivered a couple weeks in, and we never asked, signed for, or knew that we would be reciving any papers at all from the charity we donated to. My boyfriend did point out that there has been a newspaper being delivered to the first floor that no one had even receiving, but it had no name on it nor did I even think it was mine.

Am I legally obligated to pay this money?


Asked on 11/26/12, 3:23 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Stephen Messutta

Actually it sounds more like some charity that may have tried to raise money by giving out "teaser" subscriptions, but let's assume what you say is correct. You should have a record of the "donation" and the terms and conditions of the "subscription". If you did not receive that you need to get a copy. If you have a copy you need to read it. That's most likely where your obligations would be spelled out, and if you had the right to stop delivery whether you have any proof. You may need to take a trip to the paper's business office to straighten this out and if they won't you can tell them they can assume you will never ever subscribe to their paper ever again..... For $75 you'd spend at least as much for an attorney even to write a letter on your behalf.....but don't let it go unpaid because they can report this to the credit agencies....and you don't want to get a bad credit report over a $75 bill.

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Answered on 11/29/12, 12:32 pm


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