What is needed in order to legally report a debt to collections?

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What is needed in order to legally report a debt to collections?

A carpet cleaning company came out but did not give me a estimate. My roommate signed for the services because I was not home. They sent notice of the “debt” to my credit. Is that legal?

Asked on April 18, 2011 under Bankruptcy Law, Nevada

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 12 years ago | Contributor

Your roommate can obligate himself to (or herself) to pay for the services, but he or she can't obligate you; that is, another person cannnot sign on your bahalf to make you responsible to pay. The cleaning company should be seeking the money from your roommate, and they should correct the credit report. While talking to the cleaning service to do this, you should also contact the credit rating/reporting agencies yourself and let them know that you did not sign the agreement or incur the debt and that this was reported in error. If necessary, you can bring a legal action against the carpet cleaners to force them to correct this mistake (and possible seek compensation, if you've suffered economic losses as a result).


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