re-collection....Please help someone!

13 yrs paid debt-recollection
What is the name of your state? Wisconsin

13 yrs ago I had a dwi and needed to have an out-patient counseling. (everyone had to do this)

I recieved a letter from a specific county agency which is the Dept of administration collection divison stating that I owed $168 for services provided. The referring dept was DHHS. The letter however was sent to my parents address and used my last name which has since been changed in 1995 or so. I know that I paid this. I immediately called the individual listed on the letter to ask what the heck this was for. He told me that there was a "glitch" in the system and that it had just been referred to his dept.

I told him that I have been living at my current address for 3 yrs and he said, well we sent it to two other addresses and know that you received the letter because they were never sent back.

Honestly, I don't ever remember receiving them otherwise I would have responded. Needless to say, he said that if I can't prove that I paid this that the county will take me to court and get a judgement against me. I told him I wanted a copy of the statement and that I would call my bank to get the cancelled check. I called and the bank told me that after 7 years the information is destoyed. I told him that the statute of limitations is over for this anyway and he said it would still be in the best interest of the state to collect and receive a judgement if I could not prove I paid this.

Is it not up to the governing agency to try all means to correspond with the prove of payment in a timely matter as well to give the party due "time" to prove payment? Is there not a statutes to put liability to the county with regards giving said party an opportunity to prove payment?

My credit is ok and it irritates me that after 13yrs they think they can re-collect this amount! Would this case not be dissmissed because of the "timebarred" time frame?

please assist.

[racer72]

You are going to find out when it comes to government agencies, the SOL does not apply because it is not considered a consumer debt. The only real advice is to pay the debt again and keep a copy of the cancelled check with your records, not the banks.