Can You dispute something even though on the credit report it shows a year earlier?

Question

i obtained a copy of my credit report yesterday and theirs an account in collections but the date it says it was reported was 12/2007 its now aug 2008 i've have not received any letters and my credit report has an up to date address on it could i still send a letter of validation

Answer 1

If it is a valid debt of yours, expect it to remain on your credit report for a little over 7 years from when you last made a payment.

If enough money to be worth the effort, they may wait until just before any statute of limitations runs out and then go for a court judgment that will give them more options (lien, wage or account garnishment) to collect for another 10 years

Answer 2

Yes, you can request validation of any debt on your credit report at any time.  

First, file a dispute with the credit bureau claiming the debt is not yours.  This is IMPORTANT!  Just say you do not recognize the debt.

Then send a letter to the collection agency and say again that it's not yours.  This forces them to not only verify the debt, but to supply you with a complete accounting of what you owe.

If they fail to respond in 30 days to the credit bureau inquiry, the debt is dropped from your report.

By law, they must respond with validation if you dispute the debt within 30 days of the first contact from the collection agency.  If you simply send them a letter without first doing the dispute with the credit bureau they don't "technically" have to even respond.  But once the credit bureau is involved they have to investigate.