Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in North Carolina

You have messed this up by trying to do this without the benefit of legal advice. You do not indicate how long the default has existed or whether the statute of limitations has expired. By calling and admitting the debt you may have revived the debt.

Negative information can only stay in your credit file for 7 years. Unless you were trying to buy a house or something I don't know why you "had" to get this resolved. Correct information will not generally be removed from your credit report anyway except in rare circumstances, although the debt will be marked as paid or settled if less than the full amount is paid.

Yes, you still owe the debt. What makes you think that you would not? There is such a thing as a defense to a debt called a tender. However, a tender offer must be made in writing, for the full amount of the debt and it must be made to whoever owns the debt now. This may be a junk debt buyer, not the original credit card company if the debt has been sold. The credit card company may have been truthful when they said that the account was cleared and closed.

Since you have now admitted the debt, wait for the next call. Do not pay a dime until you get an agreement in writing as to what, if anything the creditor will settle for, the current balance now, both the original credit card number and the creditor's reference number if this is a debt collector or junk debt buyer, how the debt will be re-paid. It can be in a lump sum, a down payment or in a combination with a down payment and the balance over a term. keep the payments affordable and try to make the remaining payments in 6 to 12 months.