Am I responsible for debts created before I reached age 18?
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Am I responsible for debts created before I reached age 18?
Before I turned 18, I had run into medical problems and sought medical help and the bills all came to me. I was unable to pay and the bills all went into collections. Some of the collections turned into garnishments. In addition to those, my mom opened a bank account with me when I was around 14. She was like a co-signer on the account I think. I had written bad checks on the account when I was 17. The checks went into collections and I am now being garnished for those as well. I did credit counseling and they disbursed payments to some of the debts, but isn’t my mom responsible not me?
Asked on September 12, 2011 under Bankruptcy Law, Washington
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
In all states in this country a minor and his or her parents (legal guardians) can enter into agreements, receive benefits or incur services where they are legally responsible for the payment of such. This seems to be the situation for you.
In short, it appears that you are responsible for debts incurred as a minor since there has been a judgment or judgments against you by creditors where levies upon some of your bank accounts have resulted to satisfy in full or in part your obligations owed.
If you wrote bad checks as a minor from your own checking account, then you are responsible for the results which ended up being a judgment against you that has been or will be paid.
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