I live in Virginia. My father lived in New Jersey and passed away 2 years ago. There was no estate and no will.

I got a letter in the mail yesterday addressed to him at my home address. Comcast is trying to collect $130ish.

The fact that they sent it to my house is bothering me. The letter says if they didn't get a response within 30 days they will assume the debt is valid.

I've done some reading and it seems they aren't even allowed to discuss the debt with me. Also seems like the less you say, the better.

Should I just call and tell them there's no one here by that name? Do I tell them he's deceased?

Any advice?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Scurvy,

Tell them your father has passed away, and point them to whomever was executor/trustee/personal representative. NJ state law will probably lay out how debts are to be handled, final expenses settled, etc. and that person (the trustee/executor) is responsible for dealing with them, not you.

I was personal rep for two family members in Michigan, and there, the personal rep had to publish a notice of death in a given way, and that triggered a short period for any debtors to come make claims. After that, debtors had no recourse to the estate nor to anyone else.

Of course NJ laws will differ, but your best bet to get them off your back once and for all is to point them to whoever had responsibility to settle your father's affairs.

Trash bin.

Went through a similar situation here in Fl. Once in '83 when my wife's dad died and again in '12 when her mother died. A copy of the death certificate and statement to the effect that my wife was not on either one's accounts sufficed. Had the same thing when my wife died. Same response from me and it was over with.
Don't know how the laws are in your state are.


YMMV

They aren’t and they didn’t. You opened mail not addressed to you will be their explanation.

Collection companies, and sometimes others, sometimes just look for people with the same name on the off chance they know the person.

A lawyer was trying to contact my dad regarding something having to do with his father... my dad was adopted by distant family after his mother died and his father wasn’t fit to raise my dad and uncle, long story. Dad hadn’t seen or spoken to anyone in that branch of the family in 60+ years.

Lawyer called me just on the off chance I was related.

The letter wasn’t to you, the debt isn’t in your name, I’d throw it out and not worry about it.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Trash bin.

Yes. How badly can they affect the credit of a deceased?

You don’t mention your mom. If she is still around and they were married my answer would probably change.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Trash bin.

Yes. How badly can they affect the credit of a deceased?

You don’t mention your mom. If she is still around and they were married my answer would probably change.

She is around, they were married. I believe the account was in his name only, not hers.

I googled the return address on the envelope and the collection agency info came up. I could call them and tell them I have a piece of unopened mail here addressed to someone who doesn't live here.

A couple of years after my father passed a company sent a letter for a past due bill that supposedly my father owed. I called them and gave the new address that he was residing at which was the address of the cemetery. Never heard of the company since I took care of all his bills for 5 yrs prior to his death.

"Return to sender".

You have no responsibility for your father's debts.

Collection companies will try anything to get someone to pay. When my son passed (living on his own for five years), they contacted me to pay his credit card bills. They even tried to shame me into it by saying families always pay ...

My son had no money in his estate, and I did not incur those bills.
I politely told them they were out of luck. I didn't hear from them again.

I got a hospital bill for my uncle 6 months after his estate was closed. I was administrator of the estate. My lawyer said his case was closed, you snooze you loose. Only recourse they had would be to petition the probate court to reopen his case and the chance of that was for all practical purposes zero. He told me to trash it, and trash unopened any follow ups.

On the other hand I don't know your relationship with your Dad or his situation but you got a pretty small bill. If he actually owed it I might just pay it for him and move on. Take the high road so to speak. What would your Dad have done if he got a bill for something he actually owed? Now if he didn't owe it they can pound sand.

quote:

Originally posted by Scurvy:
I googled the return address on the envelope and the collection agency info came up. I could call them and tell them I have a piece of unopened mail here addressed to someone who doesn't live here.

Whatever you do, do NOT do this. They can use 'whatever info you give them to collect debt'. Any debt. They'll hound you hoping you'll pay just to get rid of them.

My advice is to trash it & forget about it.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
Trash bin.

This.

As I recall, I think in some states by responding to a payment demand, you will extend out the length of time which you can be harassed contacted.

Return to sender, deceased. Written on front.

DO NOT CALL! They will never stop calling you if you do.

If you already opened the mail, trash it. It’s not your problem.

My little bro declared bankruptcy ten or more years ago, I still get weird calls asking if I know him, or “he put you on some legal papers and you owe us money” blah blah blah. If I accidentally answer I usually say I don’t know the guy.

It has been far past the time that they could have tried to settle but they will never stop trying.

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
You have no responsibility for your father's debts.

Collection companies will try anything to get someone to pay. When my son passed (living on his own for five years), they contacted me to pay his credit card bills. They even tried to shame me into it by saying families always pay ...

My son had no money in his estate, and I did not incur those bills.
I politely told them they were out of luck. I didn't hear from them again.

There's a dirty little collection trick that they still try from time to time - usually as a hail mary pass. They'll say "well, you do realize that [as "his father", in this instance] that you do have a moral obligation to pay off his debts, right?"

The dirty trick is that if they can prove (via a recording of the phone call, for example) that you acknowledged a moral obligation to pay the debt, then they can tell at least some courts that the obligation is valid against you.

When in doubt, let someone like that prove whatever they think they have to prove - but don't respond to anything that doesn't come from a court.

I was out $15K (11 years ago) for his funeral. I felt no "moral obligation" to pay debts he acquired on his own.

Another vote here for trash, and do not make contact whatsoever. That just emboldens them as debt collectors, regardless of the message.

Toss it and forget about it. Not your debt.

Trash it. It’s like if they had any credit card debt. It’s unsecured debt. Tough titty said the kitty.