From an email I just received and my answer to it.
I can certainly understand your feelings in this matter but there are other considerations that should be factored in.
If you hire a 3rd party debt collector you run the risk that they will screw it up, fail to collect or even find or attempt to find them and if they do they may be in for a peck of trouble and you as well. Rather than risk dealing with a debt collector I would recommend that you file suit for the damages in court doing your own legal work. The courts make it extremely easy for you to do that using standard forms. They won't show so you will get a default judgment and then hire an attorney to go after it for you. Your costs will be much less and you get the attorney to work on a fee contingency basis so that you risk no additional outlay of cash.. If you can happen to locate them and then turn them over to your attorney then so much the better.
But I would never recommend a regular debt collection agency to do anything at all. They are more likely to steal from you than the renters did.
James Love wrote:
> you have obviously spent some time thinking about this. Now - I am a 'normal' person with 'normal' credit score 'normal' debt and 'normal' income. (normal meaning I don't make 6 figures, never will, and pay too much in credit card interest each month)
>
> Having disclosed the truth about myself, I rented out my house because I needed to move quickly and buy a second house - no time for real estate shenanigans. My first renter was great - decided to try it again.
>
> Total dead beats- crack heads- etc. The year 2003 Bonnie and Clyde occupied my house for 4 months. After splitting in the middle of the night without notice - I ultimately lost about $2500 in back rent, utilities, clean up, etc. I was left with a stack of collection notices in the mailbox, drug paraphernalia, along with a few subpoenas. We are talking criminals here, not just people down and out financial bad times. (seriously one of her AKAs was bonnie and his middle name was clyde)
>
> I am considering using a collection agency to find the guy and get some fraction of the money. Bad idea? According to you it seems so, and I concur that these agencies are less than attractive, but I can't really afford to eat this if I don't have to.
>
> What should I do? Write it off? Look for the guy myself? You seem to have some answers. What do you think? I mean obviously I am at fault for not screening my renters more thouroghly, but people should have some obligation to pay their debts, although I agree the tactics used by collection agencies are low down.
I can certainly understand your feelings in this matter but there are other considerations that should be factored in.
If you hire a 3rd party debt collector you run the risk that they will screw it up, fail to collect or even find or attempt to find them and if they do they may be in for a peck of trouble and you as well. Rather than risk dealing with a debt collector I would recommend that you file suit for the damages in court doing your own legal work. The courts make it extremely easy for you to do that using standard forms. They won't show so you will get a default judgment and then hire an attorney to go after it for you. Your costs will be much less and you get the attorney to work on a fee contingency basis so that you risk no additional outlay of cash.. If you can happen to locate them and then turn them over to your attorney then so much the better.
But I would never recommend a regular debt collection agency to do anything at all. They are more likely to steal from you than the renters did.
James Love wrote:
> you have obviously spent some time thinking about this. Now - I am a 'normal' person with 'normal' credit score 'normal' debt and 'normal' income. (normal meaning I don't make 6 figures, never will, and pay too much in credit card interest each month)
>
> Having disclosed the truth about myself, I rented out my house because I needed to move quickly and buy a second house - no time for real estate shenanigans. My first renter was great - decided to try it again.
>
> Total dead beats- crack heads- etc. The year 2003 Bonnie and Clyde occupied my house for 4 months. After splitting in the middle of the night without notice - I ultimately lost about $2500 in back rent, utilities, clean up, etc. I was left with a stack of collection notices in the mailbox, drug paraphernalia, along with a few subpoenas. We are talking criminals here, not just people down and out financial bad times. (seriously one of her AKAs was bonnie and his middle name was clyde)
>
> I am considering using a collection agency to find the guy and get some fraction of the money. Bad idea? According to you it seems so, and I concur that these agencies are less than attractive, but I can't really afford to eat this if I don't have to.
>
> What should I do? Write it off? Look for the guy myself? You seem to have some answers. What do you think? I mean obviously I am at fault for not screening my renters more thouroghly, but people should have some obligation to pay their debts, although I agree the tactics used by collection agencies are low down.
posted by Creditwrench at 12:16 AM
