collections agent/original creditor required to send you a bill before filing on your credit report?

I had backed out of a rental contract back in 2005 (they misrepresented the property) and heard nothing further. all of a sudden a collections company has filed a delinquency on my credit report for "back rent" however, I never received a bill or any type of notice that I owed anything from either the management company or the collections agent. Aren't they at least required to notify you before filing it on your report? I have always worked hard to maintain my credit and would have paid the $300 rather then deal with the hassle of getting it taken off of my credit reports. I have gotten it taken off of 1 and am in the dispute process with Transunion. Thanks They had my phone number plus they didn't send anything to my old address (it was my parents address). I cancelled the contract about 30 minutes after signing it...I never even received a key.

Public Comments

1. obviously you were in the middle of a move.. this could have made it very hard for the "collector" to reach you.. Now they do not have to go out of their way to reach you just like you didn't find it a big enough deal to take it upon yourself to find them... if they sent something like a bill to you it is not their job to make sure you get it.. remember the mail is a service to people not a right and it is not 100%,... if you signed anything you are responsible.. if the property was not what they said it was, you can fight to have the contract voided, but if you just sd "mmm, no thank you" and left it.. its yours to carry ...
2. Nobody monitor's this and credit agencies get away with this practice all the time, if they happen to get questioned all they have to do is say they did mail you a notice and that is enough proof, the consumer is never given the benefit of the doubt. If they don't get fined with it they will continue doing it. Medical bills are the worst. They slap it on your report so fast even if they did mail you a notice it probably hasn't even been delivered. This is why it is so important people get a copy of their report to check for things like this every 6 months or so. You should not wait until you are at a bank looking for a home loan to find out what is on your credit. So at least you found out before you were in need of a major purchase most people are not that lucky.