On Friday, I hopped into support chat with Verizon. I had tried calling on Thursday evening, but after getting bounced to five or six different numbers, I got a message saying they were closed for the night. I was pretty confident entering the chat with the Verizon tech that all would be vindicated when she attempted to look up the account. Surprisingly, she actually verified that they had turned over an account matching my wife’s maiden name to the collection agency. Then, I hit a brick wall. She said they had no further information on the account and that I would have to deal with the collection agency.

With what the tech had told me, I immediately sent my wife a text message to get her credit report and review it. As I suspected, there was no derogatory information contained in it. We sent a letter via certified mail with a return receipt to Afni, Inc. expressing the fact that she disputes the debt and that we have never lived in New York, as necessary for her protection under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). We sent courtesy copies to the Illinois Attorney General, Nebraska Attorney General, and Verizon. Today, I went through Intelius.com and spent about $20 on background information. I ran a check on my wife’s maiden and married names. Therefore, I believe we have the documentation we need to take Afni, Inc. to court if it gets that far. I have also contacted a lawyer in Chicago, just for safe measure.

Reflecting back on our time in Omaha, there is very little I would have done different. I was able to complete my Bachelor’s degree and start on my Master’s. I was active in Scouts, although this last year has been fairly tied up with working two jobs. Speaking of two jobs, I’ve met some great people through Domino’s. I’m hoping I can stay in touch with a few of them, somehow. It’s been a great ride, but it’s time to move on. Five years in one place is, well, too long when you’re looking at advancing in your career.