The debt collector sued me in circuit court and I filed an appearance and a trial date was set. While I was away the debt collector sent my wife a summons to appear for the same case and when she did not appear - the debt collector asked for and received a default judgement that I successfully got vacated. 

This debt originated from unpaid medical claims by an insurance company and I had to enlist the aid of the Illinois Insurance Commissioner to compel them to pay the claims. This took over a year but the insurance company paid on the claims. The judgement amount the debt collector sought to get from the default judgement did not take into account the payments made by the insurance company even though they were aware of the payments that were made. When asked about the payments the debt collector stated " I have a judgement '' ; however the judge vacated that judgement and the judgement amount was reduced. Has I not sought to have the judgement vacated the debt collector would have sought to collect the entire amount of the judgement knowing that at least half the amount they were seeking had been paid already by the insurance company. 

The debt collector verbally agreed to a payment agreement but sent a form - not filed in the court too late for me to comply with the terms of the agreement. The debt collector then filed the agreement with the court 5 days after the payment was due and then filed a Wage Deduction Notice with the court and sent a copy to an employer that I have contractual relationships with damaging my professional reputation. I am now in the process of disputing the wage attachment, but the damage has been done.