Credit Woes of Divorce

Sorry for the the subject of this entry, but hopefully it will help someone out there.

I've been through my own divorce, and I have no intention to go down that route ever again.  I would rather have someone shoot me dead and throw me over a cliff. 

Anyway, I could write a book about "what not to do" when going through a divorce.  I am still "paying" for my past mistakes.  Today in fact I am sending  another credit agency another letter to take off a negative entry on my credit report.  It's been paid years ago, but it is still showing popping up on one credit agency and it needs to be taken off once and for all.  I am proud to say my credit rating is pretty excellent right now (thanks to my darling husband with the near to perfect credit rating) but it could be better.

When I was married to my ex-husband, EVERYTHING was under my name--the electric bill, the American Express card, the garbage/water bill, the telephone bill..etc...etc...  Well, when I was going through my divorce I neglected to do some things because I wanted to be "nice".  I didn't shut off the electricity, the phone, the garbage/water..etc..etc..or get his name off my credit cards.  And of course, all those bills were under MY NAME, and because they were under my name, ex-husband didn't really feel he should pay for them.  As soon as he knew he was headed for the east coast, he decided to just leave all the bills in delinquent status-afterall, the bills were not under his name, so why should he? 

So, let it be a lesson learned to all of you.  You can't be "nice" with certain people.  I will say, however that when he didn't pay for his telephone bill, he really did me a favor.  I was able to get a copy of it.  After he left-without a forwarding address or phone number, I found his "hiding place" in NJ via an unpaid telephone bill.  This really freaked him out.  He thought I hired a private investigator.  Of course, it was just me..  After those weeks and months of searching for the ex-husband's whereabouts, I will confess to you that I quite enjoyed playing the "detective".  If I ever had to do it all over, I think it would be a field that I would have gotten in.  Now you know why I'm inspired by Angela Landsbury's character in "Murder She Wrote."  All that investigating, and she still had time to ride her bicycle around town... 

Anyways, I hope none of you ever find yourself in this predictiment, but if you know anyone who is, let them know that it's okay to shut off the utilities on your ex whoever.  It may save you time and money, as well as some of your own sanity later. 

 

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