Closed Accounts.... GW letter only option?

[SmithEvo]

So I'm reading and learning, but I have a question...


Little bit of history on me. I'm currently 24. Made some credit mistakes when I was 18-19, and it's haunted me ever since. I haven't had any late payments or bad accounts in a few years now and the only current credit I have is a vehicle loan. My current scores average about 630.

However, I have multiple late payments, closed accounts, and two judgements on my reports. Everything is paid (Which I'm learning was a mistake I made), so they are listed Closed/Paid, but with the negative information still there.

Onto my question. Will I gain anything from validation requests? Does the debt still need to be validated because it's paid, or is my only option a slew of GW letters to the CA?

[Game Plan]

You have nothing to worry about if you don't owe them money. I would dispute things hoping they don't bother to verify an account with a zero balance. I really don't see any down side to disputing.

[Suffering from a Tax Lien]

I did dispute a few things that were valid and correct and they got deleted. The whole process is pretty sloppy. I've seen other advice that says not to dispute things that are valid, or you can get tagged as filing frivolous disputes. I don't know, it worked for me, but that doesn't mean it's the right advice...

[Lian]

I am not quite sure what you mean by filing a "validation request."

If you are referring to a debt validation request sent to a debt collector under FDCPA 809(b), since the debt is now paid,their response would be accurate and short. "We validate the current amount of the debt as $0."

If you are referring to validation of the accuracy of information reported to your credit report, then you must must file a dispute under either FCRA 611(a) or 623(a)(8). In any dispute, you must identify the inaccuracy. Otherwise, your dispute can be dismissed without any investigation as being "frivolous or irrelevant."

In my opinion, if you don't have grounds for asserting inaccuracy in credit reporting, you don't have grounds for a dispute.

[Suffering from a Tax Lien]

Originally Posted by Lian

In my opinion, if you dont have grounds for asserting inaccuracy in credit reporting, you dont have grounds for a dispute.

Sure, but it can still work.

I disputed some items that were absolutely correct, and about 50% of them were removed. That may not be a recommended approach but it worked for me.