Gorski Law
Pennylvania & New Jersey Consumer Rights Law Firm
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Misread Public Records

Sometimes when a consumer is involved in a lawsuit, the credit reporting agency will misread the judgment as being against you when that is not the case.  Examples of this problem include: a consumer was sued by a collector for an alleged unpaid debt, but the consumer prevail and judgment is entered in the consumer's favor; a foreclosure action was filed against the consumer to take back ownership of the property (an in rem judgment), but no monetary judgment was ever entered against the consumer; the consumer filed a civil lawsuit against someone for money damages and prevailed; a civil lawsuit was filed against the consumer, but the case was dismissed; a  judgment was entered against a consumer in a lawsuit, but the court subsequently vacated the judgment.

PUBLIC RECORD ERRORS - MiSREAD JUDGMENTS

One of the main items on a credit report is public record information. For credit reports, this means any bankruptcy that you filed or any civil judgments or tax liens that have been filed against you.  A public record on your credit file can be one of the most damaging items affecting your credit score.  

Sometimes when you are involved in a lawsuit, the credit reporting agency will misread the judgment to be against you when that is not the case.  Examples of instances where judgments are commonly misinterpreted include:

  • You were sued by a collector for an alleged unpaid debt, but you prevailed and the judgment is entered in your favor;
     
  • A foreclosure action was filed against you to take back ownership of the property (an in rem judgment), but no monetary judgment was ever entered against you;
     
  • You filed a civil lawsuit against someone for money damages and prevailed.
     
  • A civil lawsuit was filed against you, but the case was dismissed;
     
  • A judgment was entered against you in a lawsuit, but the court subsequently vacated the judgment.

In all of these cases, no judgment should be reported on your credit report.

Public Record Errors Are A Serious Problem You Should Not Ignore

If you have a public record error on your credit report, you should not ignore this problem. Minimally, you need to contact the credit reporting agency to dispute the erroneous items on the report. You also may want to consider speaking to a lawyer.  Mixed credit files can cause numerous harms including:

  • Denials of credit including mortgages, auto loans and credit cards;
     
  • Delays or denial of your employment application if your credit is checked;
     
  • Denied an apartment or other rental property;
     
  • Denied utility services such a cable tv or a cell phone;
     
  • Denied insurance.

In addition to these harms, public record errors appearing on your report can adversely impact your reputation and cause substantial emotional stress.  All of these harms are compensable under the law, but you are unlikely to receive any compensation without help from a lawyer. 

Do You Need Help?

If you think you have a public record error on your credit report, Gorski Law may be able to help resolve the problem and obtain compensation for you.  Initial consultations are always free. Call 215-330-2100 or email the firm to schedule a consultation.