Restor A Previous Version Of Legal Virginia Fair Debt Collections Forms For Free

Within 30 days of receiving the written notice of debt, send a written dispute to the debt collection agency. You can use this sample dispute letter (PDF) as a model. Once you dispute the debt, the debt collector must stop all debt collection activities until it sends you verification of the debt.

Write the collector a letter explaining your circumstances and why you would like the debt removed, such as if you're about to apply for a mortgage. There's no guarantee your request will be accepted, but there's no harm in asking. A record of on-time payments since the debt was paid will help your case.

In Virginia, there is a statute of limitations, also known as the length of time debt collectors have to recover the unpaid debt. In a written contract, debt collectors generally have a five-year period to try and collect or take legal action. However, a three-year period applies for oral contracts.

If you don't think you owe the debt Once you receive the validation information or notice from the debt collector during or after your initial communication with them, you have 30 days to dispute all or part of the debt, if you don't believe that you owe it.

Until the debt is either paid or forgiven, you still owe the money. This is true even if it's a credit card debt that is sold to a collection agency and even if you think it's unfair.

Challenging the debt: You have a right to dispute the debt. If you challenge the debt within 30 days of first contact, the collector cannot ask for payment until the dispute is settled. After 30 days you can still challenge the debt, but the collector can seek payment while the dispute is being investigated.