Results 1 to 2 of 2
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Posts
    1

    Default Former Employer Hires Debt Collector, Claiming Wages Were Overpaid 2 Years Ago

    My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: Arizona
    Part time teaching gig ended in 2008 when the whole department was eliminated for a very large university. My services were paid by direct deposit and appeared to be in order. Amounts varied depending on class schedule and I no longer have copies of contracts from several years back. I do not believe I owe the money back. I spoke to former employer and got nowhere--three calls, three different people. Now "my debt" has been picked up/assigned to a collection agency.
    1. Can a debt collector attempt to collect on a wage dispute since it is not a debt in the classic sense of the word?
    2. Can the collection agency report this to credit reporting agencies and damage my credit if I do not agree to pay?
    3. If I cannot prove the payments were justified, how can the former employer prove they were not justified? I have asked for contracts from them and have not received any documentation, just spreadsheets with numbers [wages] they contend were overpaid.
    4. How do these cases typically turn out?

    Thank you.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Former Employer Hires Debt Collector, Claiming Wages Were Overpaid 2 Years Ago

    If you owe them money, it's a debt. If you don't owe them money, it's not a debt because you don't owe money.

    If you believe that a debt collector has reported inaccurate information to a credit reporting agency, you may dispute the information with the CRA and may be able to take action against the debt collector under the FDCPA.

    You are free to contact your former employer and ask for an accounting of what they paid you versus what they claim you actually earned, and whatever other documentation you believe would be helpful. See how they respond.

    If you were overpaid, the typical result is that you'll have to repay the money you didn't earn. If you weren't overpaid, then you shouldn't have to repay any money.

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Similar Threads

  1. Compensation and Overtime: What Are an Employee's Rights After Being Overpaid for Two Years
    By ttara81 in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 12-19-2010, 10:18 PM
  2. Hiring: Can an Employer Require New Hires to Put Down a Security Deposit for Equipment
    By research in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 06-17-2010, 02:58 PM
  3. Defamation: Former Employer Slandering Me To New Hires And Others
    By wolves01 in forum Defamation, Slander And Libel
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-27-2008, 06:56 AM
  4. Debt Collectors: Collector calling about employer's debt
    By skinny99 in forum Debts and Collections
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 08-03-2006, 07:02 AM
  5. Compensation and Overtime: Overpaid, and employer wants a refund
    By DOUG130 in forum Employment and Labor
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 11-04-2005, 09:53 PM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources