Outstanding Debt in Virginia

We have an outstanding
debt with a shipping company (approximately $600)On September
19, we received a letter from a collection agency. I phoned the
shipping company and was told that unless we were prepared to pay
the entire amount, that they had nothing more to discuss with us. So I
phoned the collection agency (no easy matter...they didn't even have a
phone number on their correspondence) and spoke to a woman
named Macy. I told her that we were more than willing to work out
some kind of payment plan ($100/month) and she said she would talk
to the shipping company and get back to me. She never did. I admit
that we did not follow up because there is a lot going on in our lives
right now...health problems, family issues, etc. So the day before
yesterday the collection agency phones (we weren't home...she spoke
to our daughter) and wants to know what we are prepared to do
about the debt. She says we have two days before they turn it over to
a lawyer. I phoned her today and told her that we can pay $100 per
month. I told her I sent the first $100 payment yesterday and gave her
the cheque number, etc.

I told her that I had tried to resolve this in September with someone
from the collection agency named Macy. She basically accused me of
lying. She said that there was no record of me phoning. Fortunately I
kept the piece of paper with Macy's extension etc so I was able to
defend myself on that point. After I said we would be willing to pay
$100/month, this woman tells me that the shipping company wants half
now and half in two weeks. Nothing else is acceptable. Now for my
question (if you're still following this, I thank you :-) Can this company
still sue us/turn us over to a lawyer, if we are making an attempt to pay
the debt? What is our best recourse here? Of course, coming up with
the $600 remaining would be wonderful but it isn't going to happen.
Any advice would be very much appreciated.





send to a friend