Bill collectors hound driver for decade

Dear Terry,
In 1998, I had an accident. Mercury insurance paid off the dealer. However, the dealer is after me to pay the interest on the car, as if I had had it five years. Bill collectors have been aggressive trying to collect. What can I do?
-- Barbara

Dear Barbara,
If your e-mail is accurate, you're saying that 10 years after the car was totaled and the insurance company settled with the lien holder, you're being pursued for a balance due?

You first need to find out from the insurance company exactly what was paid and compare that to what you owed on the principal of the car loan at the time. If there was a gap between what you owed and what the insurance company paid, you would have been liable for the difference.

The collection agency could be trying to tack on interest for the unpaid portion. But overall, I would contact an attorney to sort through this, because 10 years is a long time for this to still be an issue.

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