Moral Character & Fitness: Past Debts (Paid Off Now)

[lespaul19]

I'm applying for the California moral character & fitness determination. The question regarding indebtedness is as follows:


"Do you owe any debts, including student loans, that are past due (include those barred by the statute of
limitations and past due credit account balances)? .

If YES, list each such indebtedness, providing the name and present address of the creditor, nature of the
indebtedness, date incurred, the account number(s), amount still owing, reason for nonpayment, and the steps
taken to address the debt."


I have had multiple past due debts in the past, including a chargeoff, but I have paid off all of these debts. Since I do not have any past due debts right now, do I have to disclose anything? My credit score is awful and I'm sure would raise an eyebrow if reviewed by a bar examiner. Would it be better to alert them to this in advance or would this be opening a can of worms in regards to a question that is about my past debts?

Thank you

 

[adjusterjack]

The question is "Do you owe?"

Obviously, you don't owe if you've paid them all.

However, I suggest you pull all of your credit reports from www.annualcreditreport.com and make sure all of the debts are marked paid before you answer no to the question.

If there are any that are not marked paid you may have to do some disputing to get them fixed before you pursue your application.

Or, you'll probably have to submit documentation of payment with your application if there is any inconsistency.

 

[quincy]

I'm applying for the California moral character & fitness determination. The question regarding indebtedness is as follows:


"Do you owe any debts, including student loans, that are past due (include those barred by the statute of
limitations and past due credit account balances)? .

If YES, list each such indebtedness, providing the name and present address of the creditor, nature of the
indebtedness, date incurred, the account number(s), amount still owing, reason for nonpayment, and the steps
taken to address the debt."


I have had multiple past due debts in the past, including a chargeoff, but I have paid off all of these debts. Since I do not have any past due debts right now, do I have to disclose anything? My credit score is awful and I'm sure would raise an eyebrow if reviewed by a bar examiner. Would it be better to alert them to this in advance or would this be opening a can of worms in regards to a question that is about my past debts?

Thank you

You need to answer all questions honestly.

This means you should do the research necessary to ensure that what you say on your application is not contradicted by what appears on your credit reports.

If you notice any errors appearing on your credit reports, make sure these are corrected. Check reports from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.

Good luck.