There is a statue of limitation on credit card debt. If you live in Ontario, its two years. I am not sure on utility bills.

We had little choice in both our bankruptcies as the lenders were unreasonable. Had to take one to court at one point and time and judge even told hubby they were unreasonable and just file against them. None of the bankruptcies were credit issues just fallen on hard times. Even so the credit bureau's are suppose to follow the rules and they don't so only way to fight them is to complain and log every detail in and ask them to provide proof of the creditors proof and you have to have proof to and keep disputing. I keep a journal of every incident and get statements from the creditors if there is a mistake and I send them along with the dispute filed. I started taping conversations now with the credit bureau's because honestly it is the strongest proof they keep violating their policies and that they don't do the investigations. These credit bureau's just do the minium they are suppose to do and that is all. I do agree with joe that dont file the consolidation it hurts you more. Even if you serve your sentence of bankruptcy or any other judgement the credit bureau's punish you anyway. Fighting them is like banging your head against the wall.

I agree if you can avoid bankruptcy do so. I avoided bankruptcy and took settlement route. If you’re going to take the settlement route don’t do debt consolidation, I find this to be costly and it makes your items on your credit file stay on there a lot longer. If you have the ability to raise money I would approach the creditors and try and do a one time lump sum payment. This method could save you thousands of dollars. Before you start to settle your debts make sure your debts in your credit file are showing R9 or the creditors will not take you serious. If you’re not working and have no assets or proof of a medical letter, I would start at a low percentage of 10%.

If you’re going to take the settlement route I mention I would ask the collection agency or creditor that you want to fill out the financial capacity forms so you could be considered for a low perimeter settlement offer. These forms are to tell the creditor your financial situation, and if your not working or etc like I mention up top this could help you get a low settlement. If they don’t have the forms type a letter stating your situation. If you’re not working due to a medical reason get a letter from your doctor or a notarized letter from a lawyer.

If you’re not happy with the settlement offer the collection agency gave you, don’t accept it and contact the creditor. If you’re going to send documents to the collection agency and they tell you they are going forward those to the creditor call the creditor to make sure they received them. The collection agencies do not want to settle debts for a low amount so it’s in their best interest to discourage you. The longer the debt is in a collection agency the better chance you have of getting a low settlement if you know what you’re doing. If your settlement is accepted make sure you get a letter faxed to you before you hand over the money. If you hand over the money without a letter, then your money will be applied as a payment and if this happens you will call them and they will tell you the person that was working your matter are no longer there.

One final note, if you’re not happy with the collection agency, you have the right to settle your matter with the creditor. People think once the debt is a collection agency that the creditor doesn’t want anything to do with you any more, this is not true unless your debt was sold.

hmmm... let me say it again...
By law... everything on your credit report must be accurate, complete and verifiable.

This is provincial and federal

Provincial as in Consumer Protection, and Federal as in the Privacy Commission...

You have a bit of clout if you write letters and complain to the regulators.
Then you complain loudly to the regulators. Once a complaint is filed with the regulators, the company must act or lose its license

My friend is officer in police department she said the most you can do is put a fraud alert that is about it . They do diddly squat to help in such a situation. It is always up to you to get your credit history right and dispute it. I keep disputing and those letters that you may include in your file is never posted for the lenders to see your side of the story like they are suppose to do when you dispute and you don't win. Monty they stil have a 1997 bill though paid as agreed and all still sitting on my credit history with current ones. Trans Union will not remove it and even it looks good the lenders don't care about something that old compared to our recent ones. Enquiries that aren't even suppose to be there when the creditor never asked or enquired that we found out recently. They are suppose to put accurrate and current information not outdated stuff and unpurged stuff that may ineretly hurt the consumer when lending. Yes I have to do more disputes and complaints again but I think this time with Trans Union we are going to sue them if they don't stop. I have had enough with Trans Union and continue to have problems with them.

If you have identity theft, and you've reported it to the police, you'll receive a claim number.. the credit bureaus take the police claim number seriously.

transunion will take off old items. they don't count for anything on your credit score though

Monty please include a pentition for people to sign and it might help to send signatures to governement. I have written to Mr Harper for changes in regulations against them. Bc allows which they upped 25,000 can be claimed in small courts now. I will have to do this if they persist with the first bankruptcy considering it is there policy and rules they don't even follow. I even wrote to Consumer Affairs data base collections as they are looking for new studies they can propose to the government. If the government is going after the credit cards and payday loans guys for their shady pratices why not these big 3 tyrants. I found ou through a bit of research these credit bureaus sell your information to companies and they don't do the investigations because it cost them money to do it so they don't bother. They hang up on consumers have them on line for hours and don't do anything to help the consumer it is all about profit and greed. I don't know how many times we have been hanged up on and incompetent untrained people who are suppose to deal with situation and the lack of answers never mind different stories we get on the issues. Unbelievable. I am tired of our government turning a blind eye to their pratices and it's the consumer who will suffer and the small business and everyone else attached in this worsening economy.

One they keep back dooring us for something already dealt on the bankruptcy as it was included. I have already in two years took the same companies off 5 times and low and behold when we are looking bang they are there again. I am waiting for credit reports from them to make sure it isn't there again. Two transunion is keeping files since 1981 and refuse to take them off none of them are good anyway they say they can keep it up to 20 years. I have sent letters to be included in my statement none are included whatsoever. We have stuff not purged for enquires made 3 years ago. A mortage we never took out but was cosigned by supposdely by at 740,000 and even then had to fight with the royal bank who said I took it out when I didn't and still it is there. Yes I had identity theft and still battling it. We finally have one bankruptcy going away next month at the beginning so they say. I can bet that I will have to fight for that one too.Even though we did the time both ways for this bankruptcy their computer system is corrupt and will take on our second bankruptcy and tack the first one on again for no reason and purpose that the system looks for bankrupticies and tacks your first one on for additional years. So the representive tells me so not optimistic that the first one is going to disappear like it is suppose to. We will see in Febuary. It is killing us for any type of loan the bankruptcy I understand but the other stuff is legit. Proof, writing you name it and no amount of what ever I do will take this stuff off. I am not optimistic I have pretty much did the steps and nothing works with these idoits. I keep fighting. We have fico score 700 and R1 revolving accounts for our car loan, credit cards and bills. Pay always on time and had to put big chunk of depoists down for each and every one of them. With all that work cannot get a loan for a house nor trade up our vechile for a different one. We did see our equifax report from a car dealership and he too was dumbfounded at what he saw. I could not believe the stuff reappeared again and it isn't right.

Right now like I said waiting for my free credit reports from all 3 waiting to send a request in with Trans Union though to make sure the first bankruptcy is truly gone first. I know the first two equifax and experdian it still will be there when I recieve it before Febuary but should automaticallybe purged at the date it was discharged as of Febuary 6, 2009. It is why I am waiting to get Trans Union after that date to make sure. Then gotta go through all of the mess between the 3 bureaus to make sure everyone on the same page. Then we are gonna try again to get a loan after every thing is straighted out I hope. If we are denied again I will know for sure why again since they will owe me another credit report if I am denied.

hey boredhousewife
actually i believe you can sue equifax and transunion in bc

what is the problem you're having again?

is it a legitimate error or problem on your credit report?... if you can prove that it should be removed.

Monty I have done everything and research beyond research. At least the United States got it right they are now watch dogs against these credit bureau. They are now slapping their hands for the credit bureau's pratices against the consumer and instilling laws against them with the FTC. Hah at least they are hitting them where it hurts in their pocket books. 2 million judgement for the people against equifax and trans union and 10 million dollar judgement against them for violating the laws set for them. Not gonna happen in canada because compared to our laws against them is pitiful compared to the laws we issue these tyrants. Canada should really adopt the same measures as the US against them to ensure protection of consumers right and they don't. I have read both and Canada should learn something from them because there is no one in Canada that watch dogs or police them not even our own government. I have already talked to the every resource that the government gives to the consumer and none of them help with that. They are all giant paper tiger trails is all they are worth. Monty if anything we need laws changed against them and people to pentition it to the government because it is not right for these tyrants to hold such power over the economy and the people and not be held accountable for their actions. If you got a pentition I will be the first to put my name to it. Still fighting them for two years to have something taken off that was broken under the rules and still not removed. Complain all you want to every resource and your government it will do you no good until the government realizes they need to step in and take the power back for the people.