Q: I helped friend get an apt., she got evicted, i was not aware till collections are after me, signature forged on lease
A:
I don't understand how you "helped" your friend get an apartment if the signature was forged on the lease. Either you agreed to be responsible or you did not. If you did not agree to be responsible and your signature was forged, then you need to fill out a police report. Once you get a copy of the police report, then you need to write to the debt collectors and provide them with a copy of the police report and indicate that you are not responsible as your signature was forged and you did not sign anything agreeing to be responsible for the debt.
However, there seems to be more going on here than meets the eye and you do not provide all of the facts. I don't understand what kind of "help" you could have provided except for to co-sign and if you did co-sign then why would the friend need to forge your name? Did the lease expire and the tenant and landlord renewed for another year? In that case, I am not certain that you necessarily had to sign the lease again but I don't know as I have not seen the documents. Did any co-signing guaranty (if it was signed) expire after 1 year?)
You really need to show the documents to an attorney before you do anything. Only in the case of a true identity theft would you file an identity theft police report and dispute the debt on this basis.
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