I’ve received some emails from readers asking what I wrote to the debt collectors claiming I owe them money. Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, if you formally dispute the debt within thirty days of original notice, the debt collection agency is required by law to provide proof that the debt is indeed valid.

I started with a sample letter I found from Fair-Debt-Collection.com, but it needed a lot of work in the grammar department. While all the information contained within the original letter is valid, it gives off an amateur vibe with typos and misused punctation. Cleaned up, it looks like you have a crack legal team at your side, and you’re a force to be reckoned with. The letter is pretty lengthy, so I’ve posted it after the jump.

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to inform you that the debt you are attempting to collect from me is not valid. My claim number with your company is [your claim number].

This is the first I’ve heard from your company, or any other company, on this matter. Therefore, in accordance with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Section 809(b): Validating Debts:

(b) If the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period described in subsection (a) that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, or that the consumer requests the name and address of the original creditor, the debt collector shall cease collection of the debt, or any disputed portion thereof, until the debt collector obtains verification of the debt or any copy of a judgment, or the name and address of the original creditor, and a copy of such verification or judgment, or name and address of the original creditor, is mailed to the consumer by the debt collector.

I respectfully request that you provide me with the following information:

• The amount of the debt
• The name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed
• A verification or copy of any judgment
• Proof that you are licensed to collect debts in the state of [your state]

Be advised that I am fully aware of my rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act. For instance, I know that:

• Because I have disputed this debt in writing within thirty days of receipt of your notice, you must obtain verification of the debt or a copy of the judgment against me and mail these items to me at your expense.
• You cannot add interest or fees except those allowed by the original contract or state law.
• You do not have to respond to this dispute. However, should you choose to do so, any attempt to collect upon this debt without first providing validation directly violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Please be advised that I am keeping records of all correspondence from you and your company, including recordings of any and all phone calls, and I will not hesitate to report violations of the law to my State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau.

I have disputed this debt; therefore, until validated, you know your information concerning this debt is inaccurate. Thus, if you have already reported this debt to any credit-reporting agency or credit bureau, you must immediately inform them of my dispute with this debt. Reporting information that you know to be inaccurate, or failing to correctly report information, violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act § 1681s-2.

Finally, if you do not own this debt, I respectfully demand that you immediately send a copy of this letter to the original creditor so they can be made aware of my dispute.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Your name here]