City of Ottawa Causes Credit Scores to Plummet

[KittyCaterina]

Last week I received one automated phone call every morning from FDR Ltd.

I originally thought it to be a scam until my near perfect credit took a 30 point hit.

Knowing I have no debt, I called FDR who informed me I have two fines, one 103.63 and one 180.44 and recommended I call the City of Ottawa, a place I haven't lived in over 10 years.

Apparently I had two fines from 2003 when I was not even 16 years old, one being "failure to obey a sign" from jaywalking. Yes, jaywalking downtown Ottawa.

I paid them and looked online to see that the City of Ottawa had sent mass tickets from 2003 on to FDR Ltd. and many people had complained that either their credit score went down with no notice or that they had been harassed by FDR Ltd. for fines that Ottawa had never properly tried to recoup.

Has anyone else dealt with this?

 

[Joyrection]

Last week I received one automated phone call every morning from FDR Ltd.

I originally thought it to be a scam until my near perfect credit took a 30 point hit.

Knowing I have no debt, I called FDR who informed me I have two fines, one 103.63 and one 180.44 and recommended I call the City of Ottawa, a place I haven't lived in over 10 years.

Apparently I had two fines from 2003 when I was not even 16 years old, one being "failure to obey a sign" from jaywalking.

I paid them and looked online to see that the City of Ottawa had sent mass tickets from 2003 on to FDR Ltd. and many people had complained that either their credit score went down with no notice or that they had been harassed by FDR Ltd. for fines that Ottawa had never properly tried to recoup.

Has anyone else dealt with this?

It was mentioned in a news article on CTV , March 11th, the headline was:
City of Ottawa brings in collection agency to gather decades-old tickets, tanking residents' credit scores

Just Google that headline. It is why it is important to update you address when you move.

 

[KittyCaterina]

It was mentioned in a news article on CTV , March 11th, the headline was:
City of Ottawa brings in collection agency to gather decades-old tickets, tanking residents' credit scores

Just Google that headline. It is why it is important to update you address when you move.

My address and phone number have always been updated. That is how I received the phone calls with my current address as a confirmation question along with my birthdate.

When I was under 16 years old, I received these tickets and never heard a peep until now.

 

[Jenesis]

Apparently it will be wipe when paid ?????

Long-forgotten fines won't linger on credit records, city assures residents

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7152329

 

[y2kmark]

Isn't there a statute of limitations on petty crap like that? Jaywalking about takes the cake!

 

[Jubee]

Isn't there a statute of limitations on petty crap like that? Jaywalking about takes the cake!

They want to tax RAIN WATER, but that was a conspiracy too. lol They're going to find anything to nail us financially.
They want to drive us harder into poverty and misery and it seems to be working.

 

[Joyrection]

Isn't there a statute of limitations on petty crap like that? Jaywalking about takes the cake!

Nope as there is no risk of going to jail. Debt is debt.

 

[Joyrection]

They want to tax RAIN WATER, but that was a conspiracy too. lol They're going to find anything to nail us financially.
They want to drive us harder into poverty and misery and it seems to be working.

These fines are choices that people made. I seldom pay parking meters in my city as enforcement is typically lax, however if I get a ticket I go directly to city hall and pay it because for the amount of times I have parked for free I am still thousands of dollars ahead. There is no vast conspiracy, pay for making bad choices as no one is to blame but yourself or contest the ticket and waste a day's wage in court...heck you might win.

 

[Jubee]

These fines are choices that people made. I seldom pay parking meters in my city as enforcement is typically lax, however if I get a ticket I go directly to city hall and pay it because for the amount of times I have parked for free I am still thousands of dollars ahead. There is no vast conspiracy, pay for making bad choices as no one is to blame but yourself or contest the ticket and waste a day's wage in court...heck you might win.

I'm talking about taxing rain water being a conspiracy theory, or at least it was lol.
The other stuff, same boat as you, if you dollar cost average something you get nailed on, best to pay right away and be done with it.

 

[Joyrection]

I'm talking about taxing rain water being a conspiracy theory, or at least it was lol.
The other stuff, same boat as you, if you dollar cost average something you get nailed on, best to pay right away and be done with it.

Living in the country east of Ottawa where my only service is free sand in the winter, and one free pickup truck load a year of yard garbage, I count myself lucky. Though it does make the hobby a logistical pain in the ass

 

[KittyCaterina]

These fines are choices that people made. I seldom pay parking meters in my city as enforcement is typically lax, however if I get a ticket I go directly to city hall and pay it because for the amount of times I have parked for free I am still thousands of dollars ahead. There is no vast conspiracy, pay for making bad choices as no one is to blame but yourself or contest the ticket and waste a day's wage in court...heck you might win.

In my situation, I was a kid who jaywalked downtown Ottawa as many people do.
It was late at night and a truck waved my friend and I across.
We were immediately stopped and given fines.

As a kid with no financial resources, I never took it seriously.
If I was an adult, maybe I would have paid it immediately.

Afterwards, until now, there was never any notice or attempt from Ottawa to recoup the money.
My address has always been updated wherever I go.

Only over 20 years later do I hear anything about this with a credit score dive in the middle of an important life change that required my perfect credit.

Even as an adult, many have busy lives and can easily forget about a minimal fine.

I think that the reason this is a news worthy story is because people never received anything in the mail the past 20 or less years, and/or never received any phone calls from FDR Ltd. recently.
There was also confusion with FDR Ltd. saying this could not be wiped from credit reports and the City of Ottawa saying the opposite.

I paid my fines immediately to FDR Ltd. but the process was a little ridiculous.
You can only pay via online banking and each fine has a separate account number, so you must start a "pay bill" file for each fine.
Once you pay, that isn't enough.
You must send screenshots of each payment to the manager of the person you spoke to on the phone.
THEN you must call the person back to inform that this has been done.
And that's not it...
If you want it removed from your credit report, which just should be done automatically after payment, you must email the inquiries department with screenshots of payment and ask for the removal which you are notified can take weeks.

 

[Joyrection]

In my situation, I was a kid who jaywalked downtown Ottawa as many people do.
It was late at night and a truck waved my friend and I across.
We were immediately stopped and given fines.

As a kid with no financial resources, I never took it seriously.
If I was an adult, maybe I would have paid it immediately.

Afterwards, until now, there was never any notice or attempt from Ottawa to recoup the money.
My address has always been updated wherever I go.

Only over 20 years later do I hear anything about this with a credit score dive in the middle of an important life change that required my perfect credit.

Even as an adult, many have busy lives and can easily forget about a minimal fine.

I think that the reason this is a news worthy story is because people never received anything in the mail the past 20 or less years, and/or never received any phone calls from FDR Ltd. recently.
There was also confusion with FDR Ltd. saying this could not be wiped from credit reports and the City of Ottawa saying the opposite.

I paid my fines immediately to FDR Ltd. but the process was a little ridiculous.
You can only pay via online banking and each fine has a separate account number, so you must start a "pay bill" file for each fine.
Once you pay, that isn't enough.
You must send screenshots of each payment to the manager of the person you spoke to on the phone.
THEN you must call the person back to inform that this has been done.
And that's not it...
If you want it removed from your credit report, which just should be done automatically after payment, you must email the inquiries department with screenshots of payment and ask for the removal which you are notified can take weeks.

Well guess lesson learned about taking care of small things like tickets. Yes, the process for getting your credit score reinstated could be better as there is always room for improvement.