Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Maryland
Credit Question
I signed a lease with someone in 1993. In 1995, I moved out and the other party agreed to pay the rent. The other party did not pay rent for 2 months and then they filed bankrupt. I then was liable for the rent due. I paid the total amount of the rent in 1998. The rental property recently reported this debt on my credit report saying that I still owe the money and I dont'. I still have copies of the collection letters and receipts. Do I have basis for a legal claim against the rental property?
3 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Credit Question
Due to the dated nature of the claim, I agree with the comments of the other two attorneys responding to your question. However, I ask a question as to whether the lease was assummed or sublet to the new occupant. The answer to this question will provide you a basis to contest the matter with the credit reporting agency.
If you require assistance with this matter, please feel free to fax the lease to me at (410) 799-9002 or leave a message.
DISCLAIMER: Legal advice is not provided in this response; when confronted with a legal issue, it is recommended that the services of an attorney be sought.
Re: Credit Question
If the rental property filed the derogatory comment with the credit reporting agency after you had already paid up in full, then you may have a claim. You should file a notic eof dispute with the CRA, which should have given you instructions for doing this with your credit report.
Re: Credit Question
Your credit reporting company should have provided you with information about how to contest the information that was reported. If you send a formal objection to the credit reporting agency, then they must verify the accuracy of the information with the company that reported the credit information. If it cannot be verified in a relatively short period of time, then they must remove the derogatory credit information until the reporting company has verified the information. If the reporting company reported the negative item after having already been paid, you may have a claim.
Lawrence R. Holzman, Esquire
Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A.
6404 Ivy Lane, Suite 400
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 220-2200
fax (301) 220-1214
Disclaimer: Please note that the posting of this response is not intended to constitute legal advice. You should contact an attorney to obtain information applicable to your situation. This posting is not confidential or privileged and does not create an attorney/client relationship.
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