Single mom needs legal help (East Tennessee)
Reply to: comm-670383200@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-05-06, 4:05PM EDT
I cannot believe I am posting this on Craigslist for the world to see, but I have no options left to me.
9 years ago, I let a man i met on the internet move in with me, from California, here to TN I. was , and am a single parent, with two kids. He and I went and got a loan for travel expenses, and over the course of a year or so, added a bit here and there. The original loan is 9 years old, from 1999. Every time we added , say $600.00 for Christmas expenses, I noticed on my credit report, they would 'up' the date of the loan another few years, even though the original loan was in 1999. The loan was in my name only, as this guy didn't have any credit at all.
Well he moved out 2 1/2 years ago, bought him a nice house, and left me with all the bills behind, and this bill. For a short time it left me realing with the lack of a second income. I work from home, with my own website I created, and have had for 10 years. I paid on this bill for a while, then I missed some payments, and then it went to collections in 2007. The collections people called every day. They were the worst. One guy asked me what I did for a living, and never having any experience with these kind of people i told him I work from home, so I could be at home to homeschool my children. He says to me..."ms. ***, you know what you need to do ? Stick your damn kids in public school, so you can go out and get a real job and pay this bill.' During another phone call , my daughter, around age 14 at the time, answered the phone while I was in the shower, and they called her a lier when she told them I was in the shower. Another time, I tried to offer them $20 a month on this bill and they flat out refused it, and told me they were going to take my house from me.
I stopped anwering the phone, and they stopped sending me any kind of bill in paper.
This past summer I got a letter from a 'lawyer', who is local, saying they were going to take me to court, that they represented this collections agency. I was scared to death, remembering what they had said about taking my house from me. I sent the lawyer a long letter, explaining my situation , and they sent me a letter back, saying that the collections agency had agreed to accept my payment offer of $20 a month, but that they still wanted this to go to court, so the judge could set a ruling.
I asked their lawyer's secretary on the phone how much court costs and things would cost me , and she said not to worry about it, it would only be $150.00. I sent them two registered letters, and called and spoke with this same woman 3 times, and asked them for a copy of my original bill, because they were trying to sue me for $3,900.00, and I never charged that much. I wanted to see what I was paying. The secretary says to me on the phone, this is reasonable, but nothing ever shows up . I told her I was going to ask the judge for this, and she says 'Ms. ****, you dont' even need to show up at court, we'll take care of things, and if you do show up and ask the judge, he will set a trial date and we will call in WITNESSES.' Ok so they were really surprised when I showed up.
So my court date rolls around...yesterday. I go to court prepared. I have everything in a folder. Proof of my income. I GROSSED only $20,000.00 last year. I know that's not much, but I made it honestly, I do not get foodstamps or ANY other government aid, and I pay my own bills, sometimes barely, but I do. I had all my bills to show what I'm paying out, copies of all the registered letters I had sent the lawyer, etc. Well I got about 2 minutes in front of the judge. He went down a list...and when it came to me, I stood and went up there. Their lawyer wasn't even there, but a very young man was there representing him. The judge asked him how much I owe, and he said $6,500.00. I was in shock, but I pulled out a letter from them and I said, 'No that's not right, see right here you mailed this to me, and it says $3,900.00.' And the judge looks at me with a smile on his face and says 'Ms. *****, if you look below that in the fine print, it also says you have to pay lawyer and court costs'. But $3,000.00 more ? And the judge asks me if I contest the amount of the bill, and I asked the judge could I please see a copy of my original bill. The judge says to me he doubts they have that there in the courtoom right now I would have to get a lawyer and supena ( sp ?) this from them.
I was devistated. I AM devistated. I dont' know what I'm going to do. I have an appointment with a bankrupcy lawyer on Friday. I come from a poor family, and I was just making it by in life. I planted my own dang garden for vegetables this year because things are so expensive at the grocery store, I make every little trip count because of gas prices. Dear God what am I going to do ?
People say to me, hire you a lawyer . With what ? Seriously I can't lay my hands on $500.00 right now. I think I am ruined. When the July date rolls around, I'm sure the lawyer fees will have piled up even more. And I offered to pay this and they accepted, so why take it on to court ? The TN statute of limitations is 6 years, and this original bill is 9 years old. I mentioned this to the judge, but he did not want to see any paperwork. In fact I said , your honor I have these papers, and he said ' I don't want to see them'.
I called legal aid, and they said I make too much money to get help, because I also get a little child support.
Ok so I've laid my life open like a book...does anyone have any ideas for me, or know of a lawyer who can help me pro bono ( I think that's what it's called ). Please please help me.
- Location: East Tennessee
- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 670383200