Back in February, I started getting calls from a law firm representing Midland Credit. By June, they had filed against me. I showed up to court, defended myself, and won—the judge ruled in my favor for $0 owed. It wasn’t just dismissed; it was a clear win for me. So now I’m wondering…will this debt disappear from my credit, or do I need to contact the credit bureaus to remove it? Or does it stay on there anyway? Any advice is welcome!
I’ve had a similar experience. Midland filed against me, but I don’t even recognize the debt. It’s not on my credit report, and the dates they show are past the legal limit. When I checked with the court, they said it’s odd and has been sitting there for months. The clerk even mentioned that some signatures looked copied and pasted on my paperwork. They sent a garnishment letter to a bank in another city where I don’t even have an account, and they also sent one to a workplace I’ve never been employed at. Both contacted me saying they suspected fraud. I tried reaching out to the lawyer, but I keep getting their voicemail. The court clerk thinks they’re fishing for something.
Lawyer here (not yours though). Just because you won doesn’t mean the debt vanishes from your credit report. If you missed payments before Midland bought the debt, those still show up. It helps to have a formal judgment in your favor. If it says something like ‘Final Judgment for Defendant,’ then you can use that document to dispute if Midland or another agency tries to collect later. If Midland keeps showing up on your credit report, you can send a copy of the judgment to each credit bureau along with a dispute letter. Congrats on winning! What state are you in?
If it doesn’t get removed in a couple of months, you’ll need to send proof to the credit bureaus.
I’m dealing with a Midland case soon myself. I lost with another debt collector, so I’m curious…what did you do that helped? If it’s ruled in your favor, the debt should come off your credit. You may need to start the process yourself, though, since they usually don’t handle it for you.
@Vanya
Honestly, I think my judge just made things easy on me. At the first court date, I showed up without much preparation, but they let me file an intent to defend and rescheduled. The judge told me he’d rule for me unless Midland showed a signed agreement, which they didn’t have. At the final hearing, their lawyer had hardly any documents, and the amounts didn’t even match up, so the judge dismissed it quickly. From my experience, just showing up and participating is half the battle. These firms assume people won’t bother.
@Vail
I tried using the arbitration clause as a defense, but the courts in CT didn’t go for it. Here, small claims cases are tough, and I haven’t seen anyone win against debt collectors in CT. Sometimes it feels like the system is stacked against us. Might just settle at this point. By the way, what did they ask Midland to provide?
@Vanya
Try checking out some online legal communities for advice on CT cases. Did you file to compel arbitration?
Arin said:
@Vanya
Try checking out some online legal communities for advice on CT cases. Did you file to compel arbitration?
Yep, filed a motion, argued it, and they still denied me. No way to appeal since it’s small claims, so I’m stuck.
@Vanya
Maybe bring it up on the forum. Federal law protects arbitration rights, so this doesn’t sound right to me.
Arin said:
@Vanya
Maybe bring it up on the forum. Federal law protects arbitration rights, so this doesn’t sound right to me.
They’re supposed to be protected here too, which makes no sense.
@Vanya
It’s frustrating that they don’t honor that.
Winning the case doesn’t mean it’s wiped clean. Best outcome is they don’t come after you again. If the debt is real, it’ll stay on your credit until you dispute it or mark it as settled.