I received a call from the same number. I ignored it, and 6 weeks later received a judgment (that was never sent to my CURRENT address. And now , I am paying back a $1100 for a $200 payday loan. If you get a call, call it back; if you pay document it!!! they are a collection agency with a lawyer that will sue you!! don't give them the satisfaction!!!!!!!!!!!!!
here is my research on the whole issue ...
Going to court can be intimidating, but you may not need to. A lawsuit is complaint filed with a civil court (there are civil courts with rules that govern disputes between parties, and criminal courts for handling crimes). If you do nothing and the company that bought your debt takes your case to trial, they will win a default judgment. Therefore, a lawsuit is not the same as a judgment. Call the company that bought the debt and try to determine if they are threatening to sue you, or if they have already obtained a judgment. If they are still in the threatening stage, then try to negotiate with them to settle the debt. If, however, the summons and complaint is an order from a judge for you to appear in his or her court, then DO IT. If the process is at all unclear to you I strongly urge you to contact an attorney in your area and spend an hour discussing your rights and obligations for this debt in your state. An attorney's time is not cheap, but may end up saving you a lot of money in the long run. Regarding your question about your credit report, the answer is yes, a judgment can appear on your credit report, and the results of which are very damaging to your FICO score.
Posted by Mark Cappel on 06/22/2009 09:43