TEXAS……Some interesting reading for us Texan’s 

   Ok, Folks. Texas has given you complainers plenty of time to get used to the election results. After listening to all the whiners after the election, some folks from Real Texas have decided that we might just take matters into our own hands. 

   First a little history lesson. It’s our independent nature to point out the people who enjoy the Texas Lifestyle have the right to secede and form our own country once again whenever the people of Texas choose to do so. Some other states also have this right. The difference is, Texas has actually pulled that trigger before. 

   Yes, Texas was an Independent Republic before it became a state and can secede. Nothing inherently prohibits that from taking place. 

   Let’s get this straight. John McCain, a real American hero, carried Texas by over a million votes. Texans can still smell the fires of the Twin Towers . We would also honor President Bush. George Bush simply did what any Real Texan would do and that is to go try his best to annihilate anyone who was responsible for attacking us. We don’t fault him for that. We applaud that sort of behavior. 

It’s Texas politics, Texas style.   We’re ready to secede. 

Don’t get me wrong. We’re like y’all – We just don’t want to be like y’all. 

#1: Barak Obama becomes President of the United States (all the other 49 states). 

#2: Ross Perot becomes the next President of the Republic of Texas and invites John McCain to be an honorary Texan. We honor our heroes in Texas and honor their service. McCain is welcome here and he can be Secretary of the Texas Navy. Native Texan George Foreman will be Secretary of Defense. 

After that is all said and done, we wish Mr. Obama well. We really do. 

We expect one of Perot’s first acts as President of the Republic will be to tear down the border wall and erect a 10′ wall around Austin to keep the “Austin Weird” folks in and away from the rest of us. If they will just pipe their Texas music out over the wall, it will keep the rest of us happy. ( Just kidding my Austin relatives on that one.) However, Willie will be Secretary of Agriculture and music. Wonder what he will grow?

So what does Texas have to do to survive as a Republic? 

   Here’s a few things to be aware of. Texas is the 11th largest economy on the planet. We are bigger than Spain and right behind Great Britain . We are also bigger than Russia . We are an economic force to be reckoned with. We have a constitutional amendment to balance our budget..and we do it. We also have a multi-billion dollar budget surplus this year. We are so big, we have our own power grid. Yes, that’s true. 

What else? 

NASA is in Houston . (we will control the space industry). We refine over 85% of the gasoline in the United States . Defense Industry? We have over 65% of it. The term “Don’t mess with Texas ,” will take on a whole new meaning. Oil – we can supply all the oil the Republic of Texas will need for the next 300 years. Obama states? Sorry about that. 

As David Werst said, “We’re like y’all, we just don’t want to be like y’all.” You can buy oil (pronounced like y’all) from us instead of terrorist countries that hate you. We will love you for paying so much to us instead of Saudi Arabia , Venezuela , Kuwait and others. 

You don’t want to ‘drill baby drill’ or put up with those nasty oil wells? Well, we do and we know how to do it without polluting the land, air, and sea. BTW-We have our own ports and shipping lanes. We’re also not “waiting on our FEMA check” to rebuild Galveston . We are doing it right now as we speak. 

Natural Gas – Again we have all we need and again, it’s just too bad about you blue Obama states who don’t want drilling. We’ve been driving around with 
those big tanks in the backs of our pickups for years now. We’ll switch over to compressed natural gas. Obama will figure a way to keep y’all warm..according to your need. Or, you could use ocean waves, or make friends with Hugo Chavez or what’s his name in Iran . 

Computer Industry - we currently lead the nation in producing computer chips and communications: Small places like Texas Instruments, Dell, EDS, Raytheon, Motorola, Intel, Austin Technology Centers Etc , Etc. The list goes on and on. 

Health Centers – We have the largest research centers for cancer research, the best burn centers and the top trauma units in the world, and other large health 
centers. We have enough colleges to keep us going: UT, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas State University , Rice, SMU, TCU, University of Houston , Baylor, UNT, Texas Women’s University, etc. Ivy grows better in the south anyway. We have a ready supply of workers (just open the border when we need some more). 

But, we won’t have an illegal immigration problem. Former Texas Governor candidate Kinky Friedman solved that. He proposed we pay 5 Mexican Generals a million a year to control illegal immigration-folks coming from Mexico to Texas illegally. For every 
illegal that slips through, we deduct $10,000. Wonder how many will get across the border into Texas ? We won’t need a Border Patrol. 

We like tourism. Come stay a while. Enjoy a Cowboys game or go to Six Flags over Texas ..then go home. We don’t need any more Californians coming here and messing things up. Or, they could live in Austin where we can keep an eye on ‘em. 

We have control of the paper industry, plastics, insurance, etc. In case of a foreign invasion, we have the Texas National Guard and the Texas Air National Guard. We don’t have an army but since everybody down here is heavily armed and has at least six rifles and a pile of ammo, we can raise an army in 6 hours if we need it. That’s the Texas way. When the tower sniper started shooting in Austin a few years back, citizens piled out of their cars and pickups and started returning fire within 2 minutes. 

Our citizens are licensed to carry handguns on their person. We have a saying down here: “If you mess with the bull, you’re gonna get the horn.” And an even more remarkable finding from the past.. Average murder per 100,000 residents in counties won by Bush: 0.1 of one percent. Average murder per 100,000 residents in counties won by Gore: 13.2. In Texas , even some of our school teachers carry guns. We won’t surrender our kids to nuts and terrorists without a fight. Don’t even think about messing with us. If you want the sticker, click on it. 

If the situation really gets bad, we can always call the Texas DPS and ask them to send over a couple of Texas Rangers. We are totally self sufficient in beef, poultry, hogs and vegetable produce and everybody down here knows how to cook them so that they taste good. Don’t need any food. 

Arts? Bob Wills is still the king, but we also like different types of music, Country..and..Western. We even have our own beer. Lone Star, The National Beer of Texas . This just names a few of the items that will keep the Republic of Texas in good shape. There isn’t a thing out there that we need and don’t have. 

Now to the rest of the United States under President Obama: Since you won’t have the refineries to get gas for your cars, we’ll sell you gas too. We’ll call the gas company Texasco or something like that. Happy to do it. You won’t have any TV as the space center in Houston will cut off your communications or ask you to pay for the signal. It will be Texas Direct TV. Hank Jr. will move here and be in charge of programming. 

Did you know we don’t even have an income tax? 

We have all we need here in God’s country and like I’ve already said, if we don’t have it, we don’t need it. We will have cheap, plentiful energy. The new Texas Secretary of Energy, T. Boone Pickens will be putting up thousands of wind generators all over the West Texas plains and since everybody else thinks Texas is full of hot air, we might as well take advantage of it. 

Good luck. Y’all are gonna need it. 

Signed, The People of Real Texas

   Holy Cow! As if the the current credit crisis wasn’t enough to keep you up at night worrying about your financial future, Experian just announced a MAJOR blow to the American public and it is not a good thing at all!

   Starting February 14, 2009 Experian has announced that they will no longer all you to purchase your FICO Credit Scores. As most all of my students and loyal readers of this blog know, having the ability to purchase all three of your credit scores is absolutely critical to you knowing where you stand with regards to approval of a loan and at what rate.  Now Experian wants to take away that access to info so that you will only know what your scores is when the lender actually pulls your credit for the application. 

   Does this sound at all like a conspiracy to you??? Well, if I don’t know what my scores are before I generate an inquiry, how do I know if I will be approved? Also, how will I know what rate I qualify for? I will have to take the word of the lending institution as to what my credit score was.

   In 9 days we will no longer be able to see the same information that lenders see. While you can, you should go purchase all three of your FICO credit scores to see where you stand as of today.

Here is the link…

http://www.MyFico.Com/12

   Unless something major happens, this will be the last time you have the right to purchase all three of your FICO scores and arm yourself with the knowledge of YOUR credit reports. For some reason, Experian doesn’t think that you should have that right.

   Matter of fact,  our FICO scores were hidden from us once before. Back in 2003 we were empowered to see this information. We have enjoyed the ability and freedom to know our real credit scores for almost 6 years. Unfortunately that freedom is about to end.

   This means that you won’t know your middle score (the one that almost all mortgage lenders look at when they pull your credit scores to determine approval and at what interest rate) and will be in the dark as to if you qualify and for how much. We all will be flying blind with most major credit purchases, especially mortgage approval for purchase, refinance, etc.

THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS FOR ANY OF US!

  I am recommending that all of my students and readers call Experian’s media relations department directly at 714.830.5300 and share your thoughts and commentary with them. Leave a message if you don’t get a live person on the phone.

  Here is the official news release from Fair Isaac (FICO)

“Fair Isaac has long been committed to empowering consumers with information. Besides helping consumers understand and manage their credit profiles, we believe that consumers are entitled to know their FICO scores from all three major credit bureaus, since these are the scores lenders use to make credit decisions.

“We were recently notified that, effective February 14th, Experian will no longer allow consumers to view their FICO scores based upon Experian data. FICO scores from Equifax and Trans Union will continue to be available on MyFico.com”

So my friends, once again we must be vigilant in protecting our rights to know our credit scores and make sure that those housing that information are accurate and up to date!

   Okay, now that the holiday season is behind us…it’s time to get started on cleaning up bad credit that you may have accumulated during 2008. Let’s face it, this was one of the worst years on record for personal financial chaos.

   When I speak at real estate investing seminars across the country, one of the common questions that comes up is whether or not to hire a lawyer ( not some legal sounding dispute letter writing company) to challenge bad credit items. Here is my take on the subject:

   When repairing your credit score there are legal credit repair services and options to make this happen. There are rules that the credit card companies and banks have to follow when placing items on your credit report. There are also rules about having negative marks removed as well. There are companies that can help you have these negative marks removed from your report and get back your credit score.

These companies and organizations are well versed in the area of credit repair and credit scores. Their only job is to help people remove negative marks and fix the errors that credit bureaus regularly make on consumer credit reports. Unfortunately, these negative marks lower your credit scores greatly and can be extremely difficult to remove and receive assistance from the credit bureaus.

Common mistakes that are found on many credit reports include:

• Incorrect names or names that you have never gone by

• Misspelling your name or parts of your name

• Wrong addresses or address or states that you have never lived in

• Wrong job and employment information

• Mixing family information, accounts added because of the same last name, but that are not yours.

• Incorrect account numbers

• Credit limits that are too high or too low

• Payment history showing missed payments when there have been none

• Accounts that are not yours

• Bank and credit card names that are incorrect

• Showing accounts that are open that have been closed by the consumer

• Accounts showing closed by credit granter when they were closed by the consumer

• Duplicate accounts, the same account showing up multiple times on the same report

• Missing accounts that are in good standing that are not showing

• Incorrect balances of accounts

• Accounts that should have fallen off the credit report already

• Collection accounts that have been paid or are not yours

   These are just a few of the errors that are made all the time on consumer credit reports. Almost anything that the credit bureaus and credit card companies can make a mistake with, they will. You have to check your report at least once a year to make sure that it is right and error free. All these different mistakes can add up and drastically lower your credit score.

   Even when some errors could be in your favor, they should still be fixed and shown to report accurate information. It is all a part of your credit report and all information should only pertain to you and reflect accurately your credit history. That is when a professional legal credit repair service is very useful.

   They will help you write and create the letters to send to have these errors fixed. For example, when you appeal an item on your credit report you can request that you be sent proof that the account is yours. If the credit card company or bank can not do this, then the account must be removed immediately. They are only given a certain amount of time to do this and if they fail to do so, then the credit bureau must remove or correct the information.

   Also, accounts can only stay on your credit for so long, after that they must be removed. These items and many more will be taken care of by a legal credit repair service. If you are looking for fast credit repair, then using a legal credit repair service will make that happen. They can help you recover your credit score and get you on the path to financial recovery.

Bottom Line?

Give Yourself The Gift You Deserve To Have The Highest Credit Scores Possible! After All, You Deserve It. Your Financial Future Deserves It!

If You Want In-Depth Tips, Techniques, and Information About Cleaning Up Your Bad Credit, Explore My Site. http://www.crushingthecreditbureaus.com

   At last there is some good news coming from the Fed. The Federal Reserve is expected to finalize rules—as early as next week—that would prohibit banks from jacking up interest rates on existing credit card balances, except under limited circumstances.

   If the rule goes through, credit card issuing banks can no longer use the universal default clause and raise your interest rate. Just think – no more late payments that lead to interest rate penalties. If the proposed rules are finalized, issuers will have to give customers more time to pay their bills and eliminate other practices seen as unfair or deceptive. Issuers will also have to make big changes to the way they disclose your account terms.

   The fine print that’s often easy to miss—such as changes to your APR or late payment—will have to be highlighted in boxes in your statements. And if a bank does change your interest rate, you will be able to opt out of the changes and pay off your balances under the old rate.

   The banking industry has argued that the proposed rules will restrict their ability to manage risk and will ultimately force issuers to be stingier with credit and cut back on promotional offers. Consumers will likely see higher rates on new credit cards and potentially more cards with annual fees, as well as fewer perks, according to experts. All the more reason to improve your bad credit because the banks will only be extending high credit limits to those with the best credit scores!.

   One thing to watch out for in the final rules: the scope of the exceptions. Currently, the proposed rules say that issuers can’t raise your rate unless you’re more than 30 days late. (The other exceptions: when you have a variable-rate card or a promotional rate that’s set to expire.) The banking industry argues that those exceptions should be broadened to include other trigger events, such as being late twice in a year.

   The Fed is going to act in a way that will fundamentally rewrite a consumer’s relationship with his or her card company and dramatically increase the protections afforded consumers and how their card product works.

Score one for the consumer!

All I can say is “It’s About Time!

   We have all seen the advertisements – You know the ones that promise “Instant Credit Repair Overnight…Guaranteed!” or “Fix Your Credit Before The Sun Sets”

   Many of these same advertisers want you to purchase their books, dispute letters, or gimmicky software programs, but in the end they are just like the supermarket tabloids and instant diet plans; they provide a pinch of truth with a dollop of wishful thinking. Can credit repair be instant and guaranteed?

   The simple answer is no.

   There are no instant fixes when it comes to fixing credit. Even if you were to pay off all of your current debts today, it could take at least a month for that action to be reflected on your credit reports. Yes, there are some things you can do to increase your scores quickly, the problem is the credit bureaus. They do not move fast when it comes to updating your credit report.

   Rapid re-scoring can help if you are in the middle of a real estate transaction, but even then, the fastest I have ever seen a credit bureau update their records is 5-10 days.

   There are some techniques I have used in the past with the VIP departments at the various bureaus to get scores updated rapidly when a unique situation presented itself. However, I wouldn’t recommend taking advantage of those relationships too often.

   A little insight into the credit reporting process will help you understand why 24-hour credit repair is not possible. Your credit report is compiled by three, independent companies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian). These credit bureaus write up your report based on information they receive about you from companies that gave you credit in the past. This includes your payment history, the length of your credit history, the types of credit you have, and the amounts you still owe.

   This all takes time. Assuming that you can, indeed, pay off the balance on all your credit cards today, it takes time for that action to be acknowledged by the credit card companies. For the sake of argument, let’s even say that you paid them with an electronic funds transfer, so they do not have to wait for your checks to clear. It will still take time for them to report this good news to the three credit bureaus.

   But do you notice that when you make a purchase with a credit card or debit card, the system automatically scans your available balance and will either approve or reject the transaction in real time. Hmmmmm, it seems as though every other retailer or merchant can fund a transaction in real time, but the credit card companies and credit bureaus need to “wait” for those funds to clear???!!!

   The credit bureaus then take time to incorporate the new data from your lenders, and compile a new credit report that reflects your current no-debt situation. But, and this is a big but, your credit rating is not just based on your financial situation as of today. Credit bureaus tend to weigh the financial events of the last 12 or 18 months when they generate your credit rating. The exact length they consider when scoring you depends on your specific history.

   But still, you have to wait for many months, or maybe even a year or more, before your bad credit reports have passed into credit-bureau history. So, it is virtually impossible for your credit score to rise within a day after you have bought a book offering a miracle 24-hour cure. How long do you have to wait until you can see some significant improvement in your credit score? Experts say that 3 to 12 months is reasonable amount of time.

   But who wants to be reasonable??? Three to twelve weeks sound more like the results my students and clients have achieved!

   There are proven techniques that you can apply to your credit problems that will help speed the healing. But there is no miracle cure. Some diligent work on your part, and some good communication with your lenders, move the process along. And just for the record, let’s be clear: Paying off the balance on all your credit cards at once is NOT a good technique.

   The credit bureaus will rate you more highly if you actually carry a reasonable amount of debt. That is how the credit card companies make money…you must learn to play the scoring game or else they will penalize you for not “working the system” and giving them a chance to make some money.

Talk soon,

Mark Garcia

P.S. If you haven’t downloaded your copy of my online eBook “Crushing The Credit Bureaus”, then you need to do that immediately. You can download it to your computer and be reading it within a few minutes.

It’s here: www.CrushingTheCreditBureaus/eBook 

   The cost of having a poor credit rating is growing higher each and every day. It literally pays to improve your credit score. You’ll get better interest rates on loans, lower premiums on insurance, and maybe even a better job. But, is it possible to repair your credit for free In this article we will answer that question, but also ask some more questions for you to answer.

>NOTE: If you’d like to learn how to repair your credit… boost your credit scores… and qualify for any loan you want FAST… then go and check THIS out now:

www.CrushingTheCreditBureaus.com/ebook

   You see the ads for credit repair services everyday on TV and in newspapers. You may even get calls from telemarketers offering “instant credit repair – 100% guaranteed.” The Federal Trade Commission, the government agency responsible for looking out for consumers, says in plain English;

   “Do yourself a favor and save some money. Don’t believe these statements.” The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) goes so far as to say that everything a credit repair company can do to improve your credit rating, you can do for yourself, for free. Is that true Maybe.

   If you have the right information on how to work with your creditors, debt collection companies, and the credit reporting agencies, and you if have the time to spend, then you can make headway in repairing your credit. For free.

   The vital “IF” in that statement is related to the “right information.”  Reputable credit restoration companies have extensive experience in dealing with creditors, the credit bureaus, and collection agencies.

   It’s all they do, every day. If you want to be as successful, you’ll need access to the information and proven techniques the reputable credit repair companies employ. Improving your credit report is not as easy as sending a couple of form letters and waiting for your score to magically rise.

   You’ll be waiting for a long, long time. The FTC says that only time, a conscious effort, and a personal debt repayment plan will improve your credit report. Yes, but that is also too simplistic. There is an unpredictable aspect to credit repair. You’ll have to be prepared to respond in different ways to individual creditors and credit bureaus in order for your efforts to be successful.

   How much of the credit restoration process you can do yourself, and for free, is based on your availability to the right information and techniques, and your skills and experience. How polished are your written and verbal communication skills How much legal experience do you have Can you get your point across on the phone, without letting your temper flare up?

   Let’s hope your math skills are adequate. All these factors will come into play if you decide to take on your creditors yourself. In the end, it comes down to how much can you do yourself based on your current skills and experience, and how much would you benefit by hiring someone to handle the more technical aspects of repairing your credit.

   So, the answer to the question, “Is free credit repair possible” is a definite “maybe.” Your first action should be to arm yourself with the vital information you’ll need. There are a variety of public sources of this information, including the Federal Trade Commission.

Get access to some incredibly powerful credit increasing score info: http://www.CrushingTheCreditBureaus.com/ebook

Talk soon, Mark Garcia

P.S. If you haven’t downloaded your copy of my online eBook “Crushing The Credit Bureaus”, then you need to do that immediately. You can download it to your computer and be reading it within a few minutes.

It’s here: www.CrushingTheCreditBureaus/eBook

When You Send A “Debt Validation Letter” To A Collection Agency And You Are Lucky Enough To Live In The Lone Star State, The CA Has 30 Days To Validate Or They MUST Remove The Item…

Dear Friend,

     Not only must the Collection Agency stop reporting the negative item to the credit bureuas, they potentially face a stiff fines and penalties! How great is that? I am going to break this post down into two sections for ease of reading.

     There are many templates of validation letters out there on the Internet. I have taken the best parts of them and added my own based upon what I know has helped my students and I with 100% removal of Collection Agency accounts from credit reports.

     I use the same template, just change the account details to fit your particular situation.  Remember, these codes and regulations apply to residents of Texas only. If you wish to find out more about credit repair, simply go to www.CrushingTheCreditBureaus.com 

     By law a collection agency  must cease collecting and contact the Original Creditor (OC) to get validating documents and send those document to you. Now there is a lot of debate about what constitutes proper validation – but in court (where it matters) they MUST show these things:

1. Signed agreement or contract: They need this to prove you entered into a legal obligation with the OC and to justify any extra fees they are tacking on such as collection fees and/or interest. They can not just simply decide to charge you interest or fees.

2. Statements for the life of the account: These are to show what monies were paid into the card and what charges were made. This is also to determine exactly what you owe and how much you have already paid into the account (not to mention it sets the dates for SOL.)

3. Documentation from the OC (or the last debt collector): Do they now legally own the account. They must have a bill of sale, a transfer, whatever they use to transfer ownership of the account.

4. Licensing and/or bonding: If your state requires them to have these things, make sure they have them! If you can’t find them when you are researching, then ask them for it!

Using my sample letter as a reference, I will detail the parts of the letter.

Opening:

You just want to list all the important information here, the certified letter #, the account number, anything else you included if you sent more (such as the fact I sent a letter to both a CA and a CA collecting on behalf of the CA.)

Opening (before the mention of the finance code):

Basically you just want to open with the basics of your research. You found the debt on your report, you got a call, etc. You also want to mention if you could find no bond and/or licensing info (if required).

Body of the Letter (after the finance code, before the written inspection):

Here you want to list in detail any inaccurate information you have uncovered and ask for it to be corrected or removed. You also want to add a partial cease & desist paragraph that basically tells this CA that they are no longer allowed to contact you by phone at all, that if they wish to converse with you it will be through the mail service. Now the finance code part is only for Texas, though other states may have similar laws, you would need to research it or stay specifically to the FDCPA and FCRA.

Written Inspection:

This is also just for Texas, it is the requirement to be able to later sue the company. I try to write it out in very precise, numbered paragraphs that spells out what the problem is, what I want done about it and the consequences if these things are not done. In the case of debts, it is to properly validate and to correct the credit report inaccuracies.

For those of you not in Texas, or just wanting to use the federal laws, just make a statement that you will not tolerate any violations of your rights and that includes not validating an account they have listed on the credit reports until they have provided validation.

Be warned, if you want the CAs to comply, you will likely have to drag them to court to do so, but remember you can recoup all costs of court! Keep copies of EVERYTHING! Including the letter you write!

Here’s The Letter I Have Used In The Past:

NCO Medivac POB 41448 Philadelphia PA 19101

Re: Accounts listed with credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Transunion, and Experian)

Account Numbers: ###### ######

Certified Mail # #### #### #### #### ####

Included: Letter to West Asset Management

Dear NCO Medivac:

     You are reporting the above listed accounts on the various credit reporting agencies, namely, Equifax, Transunion and Experian. Please be aware that these accounts are under my maiden name of Jacqueline Smythe.

     I have also checked with my Secretary of State for the required $10,000 surety bond that is mandatory in order to pursue collections within the state of Texas. However, I could not find a listing for this particular office. If you do not have such surety bond, then you must cease all collection activities and remove these accounts from my credit report immediately.

     If you do carry the required bond, I will need to know the name of the surety company as well as the bond number.

Also, as per the Texas Finance Code § 392.202.

     I am disputing the accuracy of these items. According to the above referenced Texas statue you must cease any and all collection activity and respond to this letter in 30 days with proper validation, or you must delete these items from any and all credit reporting agencies you reported this inaccurate information to and permanently cease all collection attempts.

     Please be advised that I am requesting Proper Validation, not verification. I already know you allege I owe these debts. I need proper documentation from the original creditor such as billing statements and anything with my signature.

     I also need documentation that you are legally able to collect these debts on behalf of the original creditor or that you have bought the accounts. I am also entitled to a breakdown of monies owed and proof that any and all charges and interest fees are legal in the state of Texas.

     These accounts are also listed incorrectly in respect to the various credit reporting agencies. For example, with Experian you are reporting the accounts as type: Installment and Terms: 1 months. With Transunion you are reporting them as Factoring Company Account, and with Equifax you are reporting these accounts as an open loan. On all of these accounts the correct account type is Collection Agency/Attorney or simply Collection. As you know, reporting accounts like this is extremely damaging to my credit health as they are being reported incorrectly. I am sure this was done in error, so am giving you the chance to correct this oversight.

     I am advising you now that it is inconvenient to receive any telephone calls from your office. Should you need to correspond with me, it will be in writing via United States Postal Service at the above listed address.

     I am also sending you a copy of the letter I am sending to your collector, West Asset Management who claims to be collecting on your behalf on this account: 3667140. I do not know which account this is as the number and the amount demanded ($343.00) does not match any that you have listed on my credit report.

     I am giving you notice now, according to Texas Business and Commerce Code, Chapter 17, that if you don’t provide me with proper validation that this act causes me and will continue to cause me mental anguish and detrimentally affect the health of my credit as well as you unlawfully attempting to collect an alleged debt without the required surety bond.

     By this code I can and will take you to court and seek damages under Texas code that can be not more then $500 for each violation and under the above code can be trebled, as well as all reasonable costs incurred with taking this action. I have included a copy of the code for your review.

Business & Commerce Code § 17.505. NOTICE;

INSPECTION.  (a)                                                                                                                      

This is a written notice to cure the violations listed below.  You have 60 days before I will file suit.

1.   Immediately discontinue all collection activity and remove the above referenced accounts from my Experian, Transunion and Equifax credit reports as you carry no surety bond, or if you do in fact carry such bond, then provide me with the surety company and bond number.

2.   Provide me with validating documentation: documents from the original creditor such as billing statements and anything with my signature.  Also provide documentation that gives you the legal right to collect upon these accounts, such as proof that you collect for the original creditor or proof of the purchase of these accounts.  Also any and all documentation that accounts for all the monies said owed and that such monies are legal in the state of Texas.

3.  Correct the incorrect reporting of the above referenced accounts such as described above.  (Type as Factoring, Installment and open loan.  The correct type is Collection Agency/Attorney or just Collection).

4.  Discontinue all collection activities that includes but is not limited to reporting any information (other then correcting the mistakes listed above) to the Credit Reporting Agencies of Experian, Transunion and Equifax, continued attempts to collect the alleged amounts owed, verifying any information to the above named three credit reporting agencies.

5.   If the above cannot be met within the 30 day time frame as governed by Texas law, you will then remove the accounts from Experian, Transunion and Equifax and discontinue all collection activity.  Further, this account will not be sold as this account will be considered disputed and un-validated and selling it would be in violation.

Each of these violations carries penalties of not more then $500.00 each and is subject to trebling of amount as allowed under the codes § 17.50. RELIEF FOR CONSUMERS (Business & Commerce Code) and § 392.404. REMEDIES UNDER OTHER LAW (Finance Code).

I hope we can resolve this matter quickly and to my satisfaction, otherwise I will take immediate and swift action as is my right.

Sincerely,

Your Name

You can read the entire page on my website by clicking here

or just copy the link below and paste into your browser window

www.crushingthecreditbureaus.com/Texas-Only-CA-Removal.html

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post tomorrow