I had this alarm company…and I moved out of the house I lived in that had the system in it..I stoppped payin
May 23, 2010 by
Filed under american alarm company
paying on it becuase I no longer lived there. On the contract it says I would have to pay the legal fees for them if they took me to court blah blah……So they basically are harassing me everyday telling me they are going to take me to court for the balance of 1100. Can they really take it to a civil court or how come they just dont go after my credit?
Yes. You signed a contract with specific terms.
You are liable for the balance remaining on your contract.
Simple as that. And you are not being harassing you. You are being reminded of your default on the contract.
And yes, they can take you to court, and yes your credit rating will be negatively affected.
If you moved out of the house where the system was located you should have informed that security system company of that fact. Because you didn’t you still owe the money. Didn’t you tell the people who moved in that there was a monthly charge on that security system? Did you instruct them in any way on how to use the security system? If you instructed them and they are using the system then when the security comes after you to pay then you must pay them, and then turn around and ask for the funds from the people who bought the house (or who are using the system)…if they don’t pay you then you can sue them for your money.
See, this all could have been solved if you thought ahead to ask the security company to disconnect that service when you left, and told the buyers of the home to change the name on the account (the same as people do for their electricity) and get it reactivated if they still wanted the security service.
I’m not sure what you mean why don’t they go after your credit? Maybe you don’t understand the credit system. If you don’t pay in a few months they will take you to court. If you don’t pay they will get a judgment against you and add interest (the judge will allow interest until that amount is paid), and the judgement can be filed in any county you live in or move to. That judgment allows them to put a lien on anything you own (including a car or a house or a boat or equipment) and that could make you sell a house if your name is on it, or when you do sell any item they choose then the money you get from the sale part of it would go to pay the lien.
So did you think you would get away from paying that bill. The answer is no, you won’t get away from paying that bill. So pay it before the interest gets so high you can’t..
Yes…you signed a contract with them and you are responsible for the remaining payments. Alarm companies can be REALLY difficult to negotiate with…I used to work for one. But here are a few hints that may help you settle for less with them, or get out of this contract all together. Most Alarm companies have or want to have their biz rated by the BBB. So contact your local BBB and file a complaint with them regarding the contract. You can do this online. Explain the situation to them and they will investigate the matter. They will probably pressure the Alarm company to drop the collection case in order to maintain a high rating…if they have one…and it may get dropped there. AND/OR file a complaint with your State Attorney general. You can usually also do this online…I think if you apply enough pressure to them and let them know you are no longer there…they might let you out of the contract. GOOD LUCK!
Everyday, hmmm…..
It occurs to me that there might be some collection law violation here. Now I know that some things have changed over twenty years, but there were limitations of how often a customer could be contacted. A message left on an answering machine or with a third party to call back was considered a contact and no further attempt to do so by phone could happen for another week after that. In addition, private info such as that you even have a debt couldn’t be discussed with third parties without your permission.
Check out your state’s collection laws and that contract you signed. What notice did you give them. People have alarms on their rental property all over and when they move, don’t keep the service on a place they don’t live or somebody else is living in now. I think you might agree that’s sort of like buying a prostitute a piece of tail. For instance, a rental lease can be broken if your life, liberty and property are put in jeopardy by you living there. If they couldn’t fulfill their end of the bargain the agreement can be terminated. Get to work on writing letters or contacting an attorney as if the collector steps out of line and is harassing you, they too could be sued. but get the show on the road here before they garnishee wages which in some circles is grounds for termination.