Termyn8or
Posts: 18681
Joined: 11/12/2005 Status: offline
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I have a situation brewing and I don't know exactly which way to go. This is not for the faint of heart. Back around May this year, a bill got lost. This was before the olman died and it was found much later in a magazine holder next to his desk. The payment did not get sent, but nonetheless, the interest got cranked up. Upon calling them they said "In six months we can review and lower the interest". OK. Fine, especially after we found the bill, after finding a chicken thawed for days under the table and so forth. We really were planning on getting him some help, to live assisted, and this all out of our own pockets, no institutionalization at all, one of his prime directives. People to drive him around and help with kitchen and house duties, that is until he rolled over and died. At any rate, we found the bill, which basically means we were in the wrong. They cranked it from 3.9% to 17.9% in one fell swoop. I called them, explained the situation and was told that the reason does not matter, the terms of the loan are this and we can't change them. Oh really ? So I was polite and hung up, oh well. But in six months they would be willing to renegotiate, and within that time they got paid, but then last month a check got in the mail. That's why I try to never lie when using a lame excuse, because by Murphy's Law it will then happen for real and soon. And it did. This time a check really did get lost in the mail, and I am going to call the payment in, or my sister is, because we don't need a triple bill. Add to that the fact that we are trying right now to get a deficit release from the court do we can dispose of and use the property as we wish. My lawyer says agressive creditors are a bad thing to have. Seems like a simple matter, either she gives me the money and I call it in, or I give her the money and she calls it in. But the thing is that this happened, and at a critical time. Of couirse I will schmooze it over best I can, but any one black mark on my credit is a bad thing right now. Especially right now. Now I never claimed to be totally honest when it comes to these matters, in fact in the end I would like to come out ahead, I admit it. But how to handle this current situation is beyond my pervue. How are they viewing this ? They got the call, I told them they never sent a bill. I was wrong, someone lost it. Now they really did lose the check, but how is this seen ? By them is all they know is that they did not get the check. Is there anything I can say or do short of alloowing direct debit to help fix this ? I am very reluctant to do that, but if it makes the difference I will. I also do not want to go to any counsdeling services or any of that. Their money was right here, we can afford this. But why the heck would they believe us now ? You have to think about the other person's point of view. They have no way of knowing. Perhaps I should overpay. They want $500 right now, have closed the account and notified me that the limit will spiral down with the extant balance. This is not so good. I fully intend to go through customer service to pay by phone, which might take some time, but it may be worth it. They want $500, should I pay them $750 or so ? Would it be worth it ? I just need a bit of perspective here other than my own. I have never had to really deal with this situation. Most people who go late on payments don't have the money, this is not the case here. But right now was the worst time for shit like this to happen. Any ideas ? First and foremost I never want them to think I am broke or even badly bent, although I am just a bit right now. With a combination of other credit and cash I could probably pay them off, should I ? I would rather not. I like having a nice boodle of cash for purchaes of vehicles, guns and so forth. As such I do maintain some balances, and those incurred when I went to FL, three times. I signed that I would pay and I will, but this situation has just gotten out of hand. First of all I am writing too amny checks a month, that will be addressed sooner rather than later. What's more we are mking a calendar, so in the future we know if there is an absent bill. Which reminds me I have not gotten my electric bill yet, now do I have to wait for the power to go out ? Opinions and BS are cool, but something from someone in the credit industry would be cooler. This is Ohio, and of course there is the state of the economy, so what is my best move ? T Edited to add the original question. It is about $50 to cancel a check, but fifteent to pay by phone. Now using the same account and the original check number, it wouod void the check for all transactions right then and there. So if it goes through, we pay !15 to pay by phone, thus saving the $35 dollars. Does this work, or are we subject to an overdraft charge if someone uses that check. If it indeed got lost, there is good reason to believe it was found. It is made out to the bank itself and cannot be used except for over the phone. In that case, if we beat them to the punch, would that not void that check number, the one a thief would use because he would figure that since it never got ther, that it is open. This is something I would like to know alot quicker than the answer to the whole problem, because that is due and payable right now. T
< Message edited by Termyn8or -- 9/17/2009 9:49:04 PM >
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