Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in Pennsylvania
Responsible for debts of minor children?
I recently received a collections notice addressed to my son who is 15 years old. Apparently he opened some type of credit account at an internet bank and now they are billing him for around $270. I'm wondering if I am legally responsible for this bill, and if he should have been able to open an account, given the fact that he is a minor. I don't want him to have bad credit because he may need to get a student loan in a couple of years when he goes to college, but he doesn't have a job and can't repay this loan right now.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Responsible for debts of minor children?
A minor is not legally competent to enter into a contract. At first blush, his defense is that he cannot be liable and the debt is not legally enforceable. Accordingly, you are not liable for the debt, either.
If he is already delinquent in the debt, to the extent his credit report would be effected, it already has been. You can pay it and have the creditor mark the report as "paid - settled". Otherwise, he can simply add a remark to his report regarding the circumstances and that he disputes the debt. Indeed, he can write to the reporting bureaus and dispute the debt.
I trust this has been helpful, but feel free to call or e-mail with any questions.
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