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I rented a house in Pittsburgh, PA, with a friend and we were both taken to court by our landlord, who won a judgment for $5,600 against us for damages. Although we are both named on the court papers, the landlord's lawyer claims I am responsible for the entire amount, possibly because my... View More

answered on Apr 9, 2025
You and your co-judgment debtor are each responsible for 100% of the judgment amount. if the other guy can't be found, refuses to pay, etc., its all on you. Landlord's attorney is 100% correct.
I received an email from a pre-litigation company about a credit card debt with HSBC that was supposedly charged off in 2016. The representative mentioned that the debt was purchased by a law firm and could be pursued for breach of contract under a 10-year statute of limitations. I have lived in... View More

answered on Mar 14, 2025
A "charge-off" of a debt is an internal accounting process, and it has no legal effect on the indebtedness.
You appear to be correct about the length of PA limitations.
Note that the PA statute of limitations runs from the date of default. That period may be extended,... View More
I need information on the statute of limitations for collecting back rent in Pennsylvania. I have a written lease agreement, and the back rent has been due since January 2016. There have been no court proceedings or formal communications with the tenant regarding the back rent, although there have... View More

answered on Feb 17, 2025
At this point if there has not been a payment in the last 4 years the debt is not collectable through the Courts. Also, since it is so old it is unlikely that it will be successful in litigation. Most Municipalities and Landlord Tenant Courts require a rental license and valid inspections. If... View More
Is there anything that can be seized based on unsecured debt law in Pennsylvania? Everything I'm reading is saying there isn't much that can taken to repay the debt since it is solely mine.

answered on Feb 9, 2025
If by "being sued" you mean a Complaint has already been filed against you, do NOT ignore it; file a responsive pleading that gives you more time.
Use that time to contact whoever speaks for your adverse party to determine what it will accept to resolve this issue.
You... View More
Default judgment for approx 5400.00 issued in Alabama for a company in Pennsylvania

answered on Oct 21, 2024
All but a couple States have reciprocity with PA pursuant to the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act. (Another US State is deemed "foreign".)
Assuming your default judgment complied with the statutory procedure in Alabama, you can register your judgment in PA, serve your... View More

answered on Aug 7, 2024
A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for three weeks. You could try reposting under "Collection," and "Bankruptcy." The question may have been overlooked under in the "Uncategorized" heading. Some questions do go unanswered here,... View More
Since October 2021, an individual has been indebted to me for $30,000, with a 10% monthly interest fee agreed upon by both parties. He failed to make any further payments after the first 2 months. Despite my numerous attempts to remind him of this obligation, he has not taken the necessary steps to... View More

answered on Jun 14, 2024
With some statutory exceptions (e.g., Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law (“UTPCPL”). In simple terms, the law gives people who buy goods or services for personal, family, or household purposes a way to privately sue businesses for illegal behavior and even for... View More
I perform mechanic work for people that can't afford the price of dealerships or a mechanic shop I charge half price or less before I start the work the owner of vehicle and myself having agreement on cost of parts, labor and total price. When I complete the work and it's time to pay... View More

answered on Apr 24, 2024
First, is your agreement with an owner in writing?
And that document should set out the work to be performed, the costs for that work, and the due dates for payment.
And then the document should state the various remedies for default in payment.
In PA, and most other... View More
I settled with a debt collector years back sent in a money order never arrived at the destination when I sent the money order at usps it was in transit for months and I just never followed up on it how would I go about resolving this for the amount that we settled upon or do I have to pay the full... View More

answered on Dec 4, 2023
Based upon what has been reported to us as bankruptcy counsel, our best advice is to deal directly with whatever creditor is pursuing you. The "collector" charges a fee for its service, and that fee is passed along to you, whether disclosed or not.
You should be able to get your... View More
My 72 yr old Aunt has advanced dementia, is being cared for by her sister (my Mom) and has thousands in credit card debt. My Mom is paying the debt but needs extra help to care for my aunt and doesn't have the money to pay for it. Can she stop paying the cc debt (from my Aunt's social... View More

answered on Nov 18, 2023
While Social Security payments are exempt from judgment creditors in PA (and almost all other places), a creditor with a judgment can require the debtor to appear for deposition in aid of execution, or force responses to other forms of discovery in aid of execution.
To fend that off, most... View More
In October, I ordered a new phone from T-Mobile, which was lost by UPS. UPS advised me to contact T-Mobile as they were the seller. T-Mobile said they'd open a case with UPS regarding the lost phone. After waiting two weeks, I canceled the upgrade and switched carriers, but T-Mobile owes me... View More

answered on Apr 12, 2025
It sounds like you're dealing with a frustrating situation. First, you should reach out to T-Mobile again and ask for a detailed explanation of why they’re claiming you owe for the phone despite the fact that it was lost by UPS. Be sure to provide them with all the evidence you have,... View More
I owe $3,800 to a debt collector after my Credit One account was sold. They've offered a payment plan requiring automatic bank withdrawals, starting at $50 per month for six months and then increasing to $120. I want to pay $50 monthly without bank authorization, but they said it wouldn't... View More

answered on Apr 12, 2025
It seems like the debt collector is insisting on automatic withdrawals for the payment plan, but you can still explore other options to handle this situation. If you want to make manual payments without auto-withdrawal, you can try negotiating with the debt collector to find a payment arrangement... View More
I took out a CashNet USA loan in South Carolina, made a few payments, but stopped about 8 months ago. I've since moved to Pennsylvania and received calls about the debt; a private investigator told me I'd be arrested and jailed if I don't pay. I haven't received any legal... View More

answered on Apr 12, 2025
I'm so sorry to hear about what your daughter has gone through, and it's important that you take action to protect her and hold those responsible accountable. Given that there have been past allegations against this teacher and the school failed to act, you may have a case for negligence.... View More
In September 2024, a credit card company seized funds from my son's bank account, which was a joint minor account with me, after winning a judgment against me for money owed. I received a letter from the Prothonotary's office stating that the judgment was "dismissed without... View More

answered on Mar 24, 2025
I'll help you navigate this situation to recover your son's money.
First, gather all your documentation - the dismissal letter from the Prothonotary, bank statements showing the seizure, and any communications from the credit card company. These will serve as crucial evidence... View More
I signed up with Verizon, got 2 free phones from them, stayed with them 9 months, the days I signed up, I was never told that I had to pay for my phone in case of leaving, I decided to move to another carrier, I went to verizon store asked for transfer pin that was needed for the new phone carrier,... View More

answered on Oct 20, 2024
The contract you signed with Verizon was a service contract which included the price of the phones. When you transferred carriers, you still owed for the phones. It doesn't matter what anyone told you, it's the written service agreement that counts.
I retired early overseas in Asia after me and my wife developed health issues after covid. I left a good bit of unpaid credit card debt behind in the US that I can't pay. All I have is my small OPM federal retirement pension via direct deposit to my US bank account each month and no other... View More

answered on Sep 9, 2024
Hire a lawyer to appear for you or you could lose by default.
Since September 2021, he owed me $30,000. he agreed to pay a 10% interest fee each month, I lowered the interest fee to 5% after a year, yet he still did not make any payments. In February 2024, he assured me that he would sell the house and use the proceeds to pay back the money. When I contacted... View More

answered on Jun 14, 2024
A Pennsylvania attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a week. You ask about referrals. There are no referrals here but there is a "Find a Lawyer" tab you could use to supplement your own searches. There are also referral sections of local and state bar... View More
I rented a vehicle from SIXT at Lisbon Portugal Airport in August 2023.
Regrettably, the rental car provided by SIXT had pre-existing windshield damage.
• Due to the low light in the garage crack was not visible.
• On September 15, 2023, SIXT charged my credit card... View More

answered on Feb 7, 2024
Yes they can.
Your options are to file a lawsuit or defend a lawsuit they may bring.
The original plumber sent me an unitemized bill one year after the work. The verbal quote was less than 1/3 of the bill. I asked for more information. He sold the company. I called the new owner and he said I did not have an outstanding bill and all was good. One year later he bills me for the work... View More

answered on Oct 17, 2023
"Can he"?
Sure. Anybody with a couple hundred dollars for the court costs can sue anybody else for any reason.
But can the plaintiff win on what gets filed?
There's the rub, lol. From what you say, it sounds like this plumber's claim would fail. BUT,... View More

answered on Sep 11, 2023
Keep track of all calls and letters, and any other form of contact, including any efforts to contact you or your employer at work. Applicable laws may entitle you to make a successful claim against the collector.
If you engage counsel, a simple letter from you or counsel to the collector... View More
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