This will get me riled up.
More than seven years ago, I had some fines due to being a Bad Girl. I paid and paid and paid, over $5000 on the fines part: a Sheriff's Work Alternative Program Fee (paying for the privelege or working for the Sheriff instead of doing time-available for small offenses), booking, Fine 1, Fine 2, a ticket. I paid for years, chipping away. Then, I paid it off. Paid what the balance was on my last bill. Three or four years later, tossed some of the detailed payment records, like an idiot.
Got a credit report recently. It shows $4 unpaid on a fine. I call and say "huh"? I find out that I supposedly have $4 unpaid-I ask how come I never got any more bills or notices? The County states that the last credit recovery place had address X on file. I respond, "Address X? I hadn't lived there in years-the last 3 years I made payments and received bills, I was at address Y!" The County says, "Yup, that sounds like what we hear about that credit recovery place. That's why we fired them and hired a new place."
The new place won't take it off until the County says it's okay. The County said I had to prove I paid it. I have my excel spreadsheet, but trying to match it against there records is so goofy-when I paid on fine 1, they posted against fine 2, etc. etc.
I said, look, I will pay the blankety blank $4. But please remove it from my credit report. Obviously, if I worked to pay thousands over years, I would not have left $4. And you just admitted they had bad records, so they may not have mailed me an "oops, you thought you paid us off but there's $4 left" letter.
I've gotten "That's too bad, bum deal but I can't help" from both the County and the New Place. I know I have to fight fight fight, but I was so incredibly demoralized I can't yet.
I paid other thousands off to be honorable, and my credit it not so hot. My friend left a larger bill (to me-around $2k I think) unpaid many years ago, and it's over 7 years, he just got his report, he is squeaky clean. My report is worse. If I had left some of my bills unpaid they would have been over 7 years and droppped off too (not the fines). I struggled to pay my honest debt and am not rewarded.
I know it's not true, and I'm glad i paid my fines and other debt, but this $4 on my report actually brings tears to my eyes.
My (modified) minimum wage challenge