Expert: Creditwrench - 7/16/2008

Question
I have an old Chase Credit Card from back in college that paid for my final semester. When I graduated I was making regular payments...never really got anywhere. In the past two years, things have gotten really bad. I was laid off from a job that was shutting it's doors and it took me awhile to find work...the payments got behind. I began working in Real Estate and had caught everything back up after a few closings but the fees were exorbitant and the interest rate was out of site. They were not cashing my checks until AFTER the due date no matter when I sent them, I was getting hit with 35.00 fees for that, 35.00 fees for being over the limit, high interest...every time I would make a payment to bring it back down I would get bogus fees for late payments and higher interest rates to take it back over the limit. At this point I believe the amount owed is three or four times what I had charged in the first place..it is up to close to $10,000. (I do not know exactly as Chase has not sent me a bill since last fall). Then the local Real Estate Market Crashed. I asked for hardship help like Bank of America gave to me. Chase Bank said I had to make three payments of a set amount, three months in a row, and THEN they could enter me in the program to remove my fees and interest so the set payments could begin to work on the balance. I paid for over six months and they never entered me in the program. At that point I had not had a paycheck in months and was looking for other employment. Eventually my savings ran out and I had to quit paying on it all together along with everything else. I went a full year without employment, no means of supporting myself except through my family. I am working a temporary job but it ends in two weeks. They are trying very hard to find a place for me in the company but at this point I am still unable to guarantee steady payments. Most of my other creditors are working with me: Ford Credit, Bank of America, etc.
Chase Bank however, has turned it over to Valentine and Cabartus "Attorneys" who have harassed me, degraded me, lied to me, accused me of stealing money from chase by using their credit cards and not paying them back, among other things. They have never physically sent me any documents and apparently do not record the conversations as I have to repeat everything every time I speak with someone. I  have offered them money when I started receiving paychecks as small as they were...up to 200.00 as that was all I was paid and they would not accept it. I have tried sending something in writing to Chase but I get the run around on who and where to send it.
I am trying to take care of this and pull myself out of this mess at the same time as I am on the verge of living on the street. My credit is shot, I do not have any assets, the job market is horrible. If I file bankruptcy I can not hold a Real Estate License in the state of NC. (according to my association) and I do have clients and houses on the market..but they are just sitting there. If they sale, they are large commissions that I could offer Chase a substantial amount...like 1500.00 but if I file bankruptcy I lose even that option. I do not want to file bankruptcy. I want to work and pay my debt....can you give me any advice on how to handle this situation and this harassing company?
Desperate and stressed!

Answer
Desperate and stressed? Why not learn how to fight back and give them more grief than they are giving you? You say your credit is shot? Then learn how to fix it and get paid for doing it. You don't have any assests and little income? Then let those who are abusing you pay for the misery they are causing you. If you don't want to do that then all I can say is that you will just have to live with it the best you can.