AboutMichelle Dunn Expertise As one of the Top 5 Women in Collections, one of the Top 50 Collection Professionals of 2007, and winner of the 2007 Business Excellence award, I can answer any questions about debt, debt collection, improving business credit, creating a credit policy, enforcing a credit policy and collecting on past due accounts. I can also answer questions in regards to starting a debt collection agency since I have been a bill collector for 19 years, started and ran my own collection agency for 8 years, and maintain a 10 year old Association for members of the credit & debt collection industry. I am also the author of the popular and award winning book "Starting a Collection Agency, how to make money collecting money" now on it's 3rd edition. This book has won a the Writers Digest self published award as well as the 2007 New York Book Festival Award.
I am a repeat contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and have been featured on NPR as well as many other national radio and television programs. I have also been featured in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Smart Money, MSNBC and much more. I have 7 published books to my name and am an accomplished speaker and consultant.
Experience I have 19 years experience in debt collection, I started and ran my own collection agency for 8 years and I am the Executive Director of my Credit & Collections Association that I founded in 1998. (www.credit-and-collections.com
Organizations Credit & Collections Association LLC, I was also a member of the American Collectors Association and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce for 9 years. I am a member of many writing groups as well as my local Women Inspiring Women chapter. I am a member of Know More Media as an expert for their blog on business credit.
Publications Business NH Magazine, Smart Money Magazine,Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Home Business Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine and website, many books, newspapers and television programs as well.
Education/Credentials I have written 7 books, 6 in my collecting money series and one for Entrepreneur Press called the Ultimate Credit and Collections Handbook.
Awards and Honors My book Starting a Collection Agency, how to make money collecting money won an award from Writers Digest and the 2007 New York Book Festival in the "How to" category. I have won 2 awards from Dun & Bradstreet and Governor Jean Shaheen. I was nominated as one of the Top 5 Women in Collections in 2007 as well as having been selected as one of Collection Advisor's Top 50 Collection Professionals for 2007.
Expert: Michelle Dunn Date: 6/11/2008 Subject: my corporations debt
Question Michelle, i own 50% of the stock in a real estate title company. i have a company that i ordered title work thru and have not been able to pay because of the bad real estate market. i told this company that i would start paying on the balance as soon as we got on our feet. i recieved a letter yesterday from a bill collector they hired. this letter list me as the debtor instead of the company. it also has my ss# on it. i called and asked how they got my ss# and they said they got it from the credit bureau. can they charge me personally for this debt? is it legal for them to get my ss# and sue me personally? if they can, can i set up a payment plan with them to keep it from effecting my credit. i would really appreciate you repleying to me.
thanks
rick wilkinson
us title corp.
865-300-7791
Answer Rick,
Is your company, the one that billed them, a sole proprietorship or an LLC or some other entity? If you are a sole proprietorship you could be held personally liable. Creditors and collection agencies can get your social security number from the credit bureaus if they have an account with them and you owe them money. Setting up a payment plan depends on if your creditor made an agreement with the collection agency on if they wanted payment in full or would accept payments. If this has already been sent to a collection agency it may already be on your credit, sometimes creditors report directly to the credit bureaus while others let the agency they hire do the reporting.
