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Doctor's Office Dunning Your Minor Child For An Outstanding Bill? (C'mon And Pay It, Mom: You're Responsible!!!) Plus: Know When To Fold 'Em And Walk Away
August 28, 2003
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Dear Ben: On September 18, 2001 my (then) 16 year old daughter was taken to a neighborhood doctor's office (a corner-type "Doc in the Box" in Carrollton) with a cold. She filled out the new patient information forms, apparently putting herself down as the "responsible party" on the intake forms. At the time, our health insurance had just lapsed (due to my recent unemployment and my failure to pick up extended coverage under "COBRA"), but my daughter didn’t know this–and presented her health insurance card.
Now two years later, she’s getting calls from a bill collector (in Fort Worth), demanding payment for a debt which (they say) is now $255.00 for that single office visit. I will not let the bill collector speak with her, and have told them that she was a "minor child" at the time of the service and they cannot come after her. They continue to call and I've phoned the doctor's office, but the office manager won't return my calls. Please advise how I should handle this.
Linda E., via e-mail
Dear Linda: Pay the damned bill. The debt was incurred while your daughter was a minor, which means you’re ultimately responsible. So be responsible, quit jacking around and pay them. Or let the debt collectors talk to your daughter and give her a shot of adult reality now that she’s of legal age.
Dear Ben: What are my best options? I bought a double-wide mobile home (and nine acres of land) three years ago. My mother’s been living with me and sharing the payments, but now she’s about to move out. I haven’t gotten a raise for three years and with the cost of living continuing to go up–combined with my mother’s leaving–I can no longer financially afford to stay. I've tried selling and re-financing with no luck on either front. How bad is it if I just walk away?
BJS, via e-mail
Dear BJS: What are the chances you can replace Mom with a roommate? This is the quickest fix–as long as you make sure you check out their background and have a level of comfort about their character, and their ability to pay their rent. (If you should decide to take this route, you might want to rent the movie "Single White Female" starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh to see what can happen when you allow a psycho-roommate to move in.)
Outside of the cash flow fix suggested above, your "walk away" solution may indeed, be about only way to deal with this mess. Before you walk, make sure you’ve got a place to go–get an apartment rented before your credit reports are trashed with the black marks of payment delinquency and the eventual foreclosure of your property. Also: You might try working out a deal with your lender to "deed in lieu of foreclosure"...a maneuver that’ll allow you to "throw the keys" to the bank–giving back the property and avoiding the added expenses generated by the legal gyrations of the foreclosure process...but don’t be surprised if they respectfully decline your offer. Many lenders have to go through the foreclosure process in order to secure a "clean title" that will allow them to (eventually) re-sell the property, free of any legal loose ends or encumbrances. Consider spending a few bucks (I know money’s tight) for 30 minutes with a qualified bankruptcy attorney; it will be the best investment you’ll make to clean-up and stabilize your financial future, once and for all.
Dose of Dover For The Week: Ohmygosh! It’s the end of the world because someone’s having to give back their home to the bank...not. What’s popular isn’t always right and what’s right isn’t always popular–and while my advice may not be the most popular, it is the most realistic. It takes guts to "throw in the towel" and it’s a decision that needs to be researched before it’s made. I don’t care if you owe $2,000 or $20,000 or $2 million–it’s all relative. If you don’t have the money, then you don’t have it...regardless of the amount. If your family, friends or other trusted advisors are urging you to go to "non-profit" credit counseling for guidance and avoid bankruptcy court at all costs, tell them to do their research first: www.bendover.com/control.asp.
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