Families of SOs Community Group
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Im sorry to veer off course but I am in a financial crisis and need some guidance. I have called my attorney I used for my BK I had to file last year and since he got my $2000 he doesnt feel inclined to call me back now to answer my questions.
My son was 17 and got rear ended in a car accident last year. He went to chiropractor for 6 months. The bill was $4,500. My sons personal injury lawyer said he could not settle the case for more than $5500 and he agreed to not take his 33.3 percent because the case settled so low. So the claims adjuster is willing to pay the $5,500 and then we would have to take that $5500 and pay chiropractor and my poor son ends up with crap and he is still having back problems but has no health insurance. Today my sons car broke down and his twin sister is scheduled to have her wisdom teeth removed friday and I cant repair his car so he can go to work AND pay for my daughters dentistry.
My question is, my son is 18 as of 60 days ago. The chiropractor is calling him daily telling him he needs to come in and pay off his bill. My son was a minor when that debt was incurred. Is it his debt or is is really mine since I was legally responsible for him when he saw that doctor as a minor. I am trying to figure out if its my debt I want the claims adjuster to pay us off and then I can repair BOTH our cars and get my daughters teeth pulled and then I can make a payment arrangement to pay chiropractor monthly. But if the debt is legally my sons I don't want to ding his credit. I don't care about mine. I live on $1070 a month in disability and will never own anything or buy another home or car so I don't care about my credit being affected. I just need a fast solution to this present financial crisis.
My son was 17 and got rear ended in a car accident last year. He went to chiropractor for 6 months. The bill was $4,500. My sons personal injury lawyer said he could not settle the case for more than $5500 and he agreed to not take his 33.3 percent because the case settled so low. So the claims adjuster is willing to pay the $5,500 and then we would have to take that $5500 and pay chiropractor and my poor son ends up with crap and he is still having back problems but has no health insurance. Today my sons car broke down and his twin sister is scheduled to have her wisdom teeth removed friday and I cant repair his car so he can go to work AND pay for my daughters dentistry.
My question is, my son is 18 as of 60 days ago. The chiropractor is calling him daily telling him he needs to come in and pay off his bill. My son was a minor when that debt was incurred. Is it his debt or is is really mine since I was legally responsible for him when he saw that doctor as a minor. I am trying to figure out if its my debt I want the claims adjuster to pay us off and then I can repair BOTH our cars and get my daughters teeth pulled and then I can make a payment arrangement to pay chiropractor monthly. But if the debt is legally my sons I don't want to ding his credit. I don't care about mine. I live on $1070 a month in disability and will never own anything or buy another home or car so I don't care about my credit being affected. I just need a fast solution to this present financial crisis.
The only catch I can see happening is that his SS# is on the paperwork, most likely yours is not.
If the bill is under $100 they can not send it to outside collections, it will stay in house. If it is over $100 and they send it to a collection agency, they will most likely attach it to him. The only way this will hurt his credit is if they send it to a collection agency.
The good thing I guess is if they do go after you for it, it'll go around for a few years to different collection agencies until one finally decides to get a judgement (another couple years), and if you're in disability they'll have zero way of getting a dime from you. You have no wages to garnish and they can not legally freeze your bank account because that is government money.
I hope this isn't all super confusing. I haven't slept in 24 hours, had to go to ER last night...my fiance used to work for a collection agency and I have a couple coming after me, but I'm on disability as well...so they can have fun...lol.
You incurred that bill as his legal guardian. That means it really is your bill, they are probably calling your son cause he is another name on the bill. Now if he was treated there after he turned 18 then things will get mucky cause he was a minor and then he wasn't. so he then incurred those charges after the age of 18 himself and is also responsible for them too. Make sense?
So the first thing to do is call them, get them to send you an itemized bill for all that is owed so that you have a record of it. Now by law, if you send them ANYTHING a month such at $10/month, they can't harass you or anyone else and they can't send you any further down the collections process. So when you call them you ask them for the itemized bill, tell them to stop calling your son since he was a minor at the time and what they are doing is harassment of someone that isn't responsible for the bill. And remind them that they can only call you once a day to make collection attempts.
Hope that helps...