Debt question: if a debt is not on your credit report, is it valid?

[ceile]

A friend is questioning a city utility's claim that her husband owes a debt from 2004. It is not on his credit report. The city will not issue power in her name (she has been in good standing with them for several years) because he is on the lease and they say he owes them money....

[zipplewrath]

1. CAN be valid

Your credit report is meaningless in this situation. All that matters is whether they hold a valid debt.

[ceile]

7. Then I guess that would begin to bring up limitation issues.

TX is 7 years for most debts...execpting student loans.

[zipplewrath]

9. sorta

That may make them "uncollectable", but it might not prevent an entity from refusing you further service. The hook here may more be connected to public utility law than to debt law.

[ceile]

10. hadn't thought of it that way.

I'll see if our state utility has anything on this...

[RKP5637]

2. Nothing has ever shown up on my credit report about city utilities, do they even track

them? Maybe there is a debt, but the city never reported it to a credit agency?

[ceile]

5. Yes, they track.

But I can't speak to whether they report. I have one on my report from two years ago when my ex left the country and stuck me with his bill (it was in my name however). I never rec'd anything from them or a collection agency- just ran my yearly report and there it was.

[bowens43]

3. it certainly could be valid

whether or not it's on a credit report is irrelevant.

[Raven]

4. Yes, it is valid if the service was

received the service and payed for. The fact that the debt does not appear on a credit report means nothing.

[AtomicKitten]

6. check your state's statute of limitations on debt here --

--> http://www.creditinfocenter.com/rebuild/statuteLimitations.shtml

Good luck.

[ceile]

8. Thank you.

I'll pass this on. I also printed out the city's utiltity regulations. Nowhere does it say she can be denied service because of another tenant's debt. They're moving this weekend- I feel bad for her...

[libtodeath]

11. It has not

been sent to the credit bureaus.
The same is true for most local auto part,hardware accounts,they never get reported.