[Diana]

I just got the summons from an old creditor, saying that I have not been paying that account at all. The thing is, I have been paying that account since August of 2004, and within one week of my mailing out the payments, the checks have been cleared from my bank. I even printed out copies of those checks from my online banking website for my own records. The thing that I have noticed about this account is the fact that they never send anything back to me, saying "thank you for your payment, this is where your payment went, and this is how much you owe now;" a statement, like I had with other creditors. Last month, I sent a certified letter to this creditor asking for an account summary, and until now I have not received anything back, which I thought was weird. Now it makes somewhat sense.

So what should my next step be? I know I should get a lawyer since obviously this will be going to court (I hope not, though), but lawyers are costly, and I cannot afford them right now. Is there any way where I can first inquire directly with the creditor or the lawyer myself or is a lawyer really neccessary?

[aaron]

If you received a summons, you should also have received a complaint stating your balance due. How does that compare to what you think you owe?