How to Settle Debt With National Credit Systems

George Simons | January 27, 2025

George Simons
Co-Founder of SoloSuit
George Simons, JD/MBA

George Simons is the co-founder and CEO of SoloSuit. He has helped Americans protect over $1 billion from predatory debt lawsuits. George graduated from BYU Law school in 2020 with a JD-MBA. In his spare time, George likes to cook, because he likes to eat.

Edited by Hannah Locklear

Hannah Locklear
Editor at SoloSuit
Hannah Locklear, BA

Hannah Locklear is SoloSuit’s Marketing and Impact Manager. With an educational background in Linguistics, Spanish, and International Development from Brigham Young University, Hannah has also worked as a legal support specialist for several years.

Summary: To settle debt with National Credit Systems (NCS), validate the debt, file a written Answer with the court if you’ve been sued, and negotiate a settlement offer. Get everything in writing, and request the debt’s removal from your credit report. Solo can help with all this and more.

Did National Credit Systems contact you recently? Have they entered the debt in your credit report? If so, you may owe a landlord an unpaid rent balance. National Credit Systems Inc. is a legitimate third-party collection agency that specializes in collecting for the multifamily residential industry.

Don’t ignore National Credit Systems (NCS) because it will hurt your credit score and could lead to a lawsuit. Collection agencies tied to unpaid housing debt have a more substantial weight on your credit report than other collection activities.

Although NCS can impact your credit score, you have the opportunity to address the situation and potentially have the item removed from your credit report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act provides valuable protections against unfair credit reporting. It empowers you to request that National Credit Systems verify the ownership and accuracy of the debt. The debt must be removed from your credit report if they cannot provide adequate proof.

Below, we explain how you can remove the debt from your credit report, negotiate a settlement, and what to do if NCS has sued you. But first, what is National Credit Systems, and who do they collect for?

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What is National Credit Systems?

National Credit Systems is one of the leading debt collection agencies for apartment owners or managers. The company started in 1991 and is based in Atlanta, Georgia. It has a legitimate license, allowing it to collect debt throughout the United States. According to its website, it prides itself on providing professional and compliant services tailored to the needs of the apartment industry.

National Credit Systems' contact information is:

Who does National Credit Systems collect for?

National Credit Systems primarily collects debts on behalf of landlords and property management companies. They specialize in recovering unpaid rent, fees, and other charges related to residential leases. National Credit Systems collects for:

  • Apartment owners
  • Property management companies
  • Multifamily housing providers
  • Student housing complexes
  • Affordable housing providers

When NCS contacts you for a debt, do not dismiss them immediately because you did not transact with them directly. Seek more information to determine if you have a debt with one of their clients.

Read National Credit Systems reviews online

When reading National Credit Systems reviews online, it’s important to approach debt collectors with a positive mindset. Remain open to communication because many collectors aim to help you resolve debts amicably and find workable solutions. Engaging respectfully can lead to better outcomes and less financial stress. Here are three reliable platforms to read their reviews:

  • National Credit Systems reviews with Better Business Bureau
  • National Credit Systems reviews with the CFPB consumer database
  • National Credit Systems reviews on Google

You may have encountered mixed reactions after reading the reviews, but let's look at a positive review from Bailey, who thought the experience would be unpleasant, but she had a different outcome.

“Honestly, based on the Google reviews, I was worried the customer service would be terrible, and the process would be cumbersome to get the receipt I needed to clear my outstanding balance. But that was not the case! My agent, Leundray Evans, was so helpful and concise in getting my balance cleared and a method to download my receipt the fastest way possible. Thank you for the great service. I really appreciate it!”

You can also have a similar outcome when you approach an NCS agent with the intent of working with them to help you address the debt.

Remove National Credit Systems from your credit report

A debt entry by NCS in your credit report remains there for seven years. You will experience difficulty getting a credit card or asking for a loan because of the weight given to residential real estate collections. Here are steps to remove the debt from your credit report.

Ask NCS for a goodwill deletion for paid debt

Write a letter of goodwill deletion if you have paid the debt but NCS has not removed it from your credit report. Collection agencies are legally allowed to either change the status to paid or delete the debt after payment.

A paid status on your credit report still limits your chances of getting a loan because it still shows you previously had an unpaid debt. Requesting for goodwill deletion involves explaining the reason for delayed payments and why you would like the paid debt deleted.

Make the request politely and refrain from demanding deletion as they are still operating within legal grounds by having it on your credit report with a paid status.

Ask National Credit Systems to verify the debt

If you have not paid the debt because you doubt whether you owe NCS or the debt amount is inaccurate, send a debt validation letter to get more details. Even if you recognize the debt, sending a debt validation letter is a good idea to ensure that National Credit Systems has complete and accurate information about the debt. It is common for debt information to get lost or mixed up as it moves from the original creditor to collection agencies.

Send the debt validation letter within 30 days of the first contact from NCS for the request to be considered valid. National Credit Systems should respond with a debt validation that includes a breakdown of the debt, more information on the original creditor, and a statement allowing you to dispute the debt.

Go through the validation document carefully, and if you notice discrepancies, request NCS to correct the errors or remove the debt from your credit report. If they fail to respond, dispute the debt with the credit bureaus.

Dispute the debt with the credit bureaus

The law allows you to receive a free credit report once a year from Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Contact each credit bureau within 30 days after receiving the validation notice and ask for your credit report.

Check for the errors you saw on the NCS validation document on your credit report, highlight them and dispute the debt online, by mail, or via phone call using the following contact information:

Experian

TransUnion

Equifax

These credit bureaus have 30 days to investigate and correct or remove any incomplete, inaccurate, or unverifiable information.

Negotiate a settlement with National Credit Systems

Collection agencies sometimes agree to settle for a payment less than the original debt amount either due to the financial inability of the consumer or the age of the debt. Once you confirm the debt is accurate and rightfully yours, you can approach NCS and make a settlement offer.

Use the following steps when negotiating a settlement with National Credit Systems:

  1. Carefully evaluate your personal finances to determine the maximum amount you can offer as a settlement.
  2. Contact NCS to initiate settlement negotiations. Explain any hardships that have a bearing on why you need to settle the debt. Follow-up in writing so that there is a written record of the settlement process.
  3. Once you’ve reached an agreement with National Credit Systems, make sure you receive a signed copy of the settlement agreement.
  4. Make your payment on time.

For a smoother process and to improve your chances of getting a settlement deal, use SoloSettle. SoloSettle helps track correspondence with the debt collector and provides you with a secure way to make payments while protecting your personal financial information. Learn more from the following video:

Give NCS a month after you have paid to fulfill their end of the agreement and check your credit report for confirmation that they have removed the debt. Here are some tips for negotiating a settlement that is most ideal for you:

What if National Credit Systems is suing you?

The first step after receiving a lawsuit is to draft an Answer and send it within the 14–30 day deadline. SoloSuit can help you draft an Answer for free within minutes. We can also have an attorney review the document and file it with the courts at a small fee.

Here are six helpful tips for drafting a winning Answer:

  1. The Answer isn't the place to tell your side of the story in detail: At this stage in the lawsuit, the burden of proof is not on you. This means that you don't have to elaborately explain your side of the story. In fact, doing so can hurt your case. Let the plaintiff (in this case, National Credit Systems) prove their claims. All you have to do is respond to each claim listed in the Complaint.
  2. Deny Deny Deny: Most attorneys recommend that you deny as many of the claims against you as possible. Denying is like saying, “prove it,” which requires documentation on National Credit Systems' end. If NCS doesn't have enough evidence to prove you owe the debt, it will likely dismiss the case altogether.
  3. Include defenses: You should include a section in your Answer where you state your affirmative defenses. These are short statements that are reasons National Credit Systems doesn't have a case against you. For example, the debt may be past the statute of limitations, you may be sued in the wrong state or county, and you may not have received a Summons notifying you of the lawsuit. These are all common affirmative defenses that can strengthen your case.
  4. Use standard formatting or “style”: Your Answer should be clean and professional, with standard font, font size, and formatting. It should include a caption that states the court information, parties, and case number.
  5. Include a certificate of service: The certificate of service is a short statement at the end of a legal document that certifies the document was actually sent to the opposing party. It should include the address that was used and how it was sent. So, you should certify that you sent the Answer to the attorney representing NCS with the address listed on the Summons document.
  6. Sign it: Almost all courts require a signature at the end of the Answer. Without an Answer, the court will most likely reject the document. Make sure to double-check whether your court accepts electronic signatures or not.

Learn more about these six tips in this video:

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