I am so TIRED OF THIS LIBRARY I don't even know where to being.
In 2003 after checking out a couple of books on gardening I found out I had cervical cancer and would subsequently be put through treatments and surgery. Because of financial strain I then had to put my house of up for sale.
Yes, I had two library books. I read a lot. I just forgot about them. I don't EVER remember signing anything to the affect of "if I do not return these books I agree to this going to a COLLECTION AGENCY". I mean for petes sake I've had a library card in Santa Rosa since I was 9 years old!!! 1980!!!
To make a long story short, I'm sure the library DID send me a late notice. With the stress of moving, dealing with medical treatments, etc somehow a couple of library books just lost priority. Until we applied to rent a house that is and found out we had a COLLECTION ACCOUNT opened up against us from UNIQUE NATIONAL COLLECTION. I immediately contacted them and they refused to accept payment OR make any deals regarding removing the negative mark. They said it HAD TO BE DONE through the library.
So I went to my wonderful local library, checkbook in hand, ready to do whatever I had to. (This was two years ago). They accepted my payment and said all they could do was report it as PAID to national collection. I begged with them to please remove it from my credit report as had I known that the consequences would be SO PUNITIVE I never would have checked out a book in the first place. The manager at the time (a female, I can't remember her name) said she would "try".
Well they didn't "try" very hard. It's listed as a paid collection and every time I dispute it, it comes back verified.
This has DECIMATED my credit.
Thank you sonoma county library of santa rosa for screwing your local residents over a library book.
Is this punishment really befitting the crime?
Warning: do not check out books here as god forbid if you're late they'll DESTROY your future homebuying chances.
I feel intense anger every time I even drive near the library. What could have been a fond memory from childhood is ruined.
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