Finance House

What is the name of your state? What is the name of your state? Virginia

Briefly: My exboyfriend and I shared a credit card two years ago. I was not making much money and he persuaded me to transfer balances of two cards to his credit card, so I would have just the one payment. The card (MBNA) was his credit card and he added me as an Authorized User. As I continued with college, he paid the payments and we would use the card if we went out to eat, etc. Sometimes I would use the card in my name and sign for dinner, or sometimes he would use his card, etc. I may have made a total of five charges on my own (clothing, etc.) but the majority of the charges were the two of us going out doing things together. He was always aware of the charges that I made.

He never pushed me to pay (I paid as I could to at least pay for what I transferred to the card) until we broke up and I started seeing someone else (currently, my husband). After our break up he would send me emails to pay the card (which now has $10k on it) and I said I was not working but if I had money, I would pay. I sometimes sent him money, when I could. He has emails from me saying that I would help him pay, but in most of the emails (not all) I also said that I didn't make all of the charges on the account and he needed to pay too. He has in writing that I said I would help pay.

I received a Warrant of Debt in the mail today (he is still in Virginia and I live in Tacoma, Washington). It states that he is saying that I owe him a debt in the sum of $12k (the balance on his credit card). I don't owe the entire balance of that card. We made charges together. What can I be held liable for? Especially if the cc company still has the receipts that I have signed for? And am I liable for the balance transfers? I called the cc company and they do not have me as a "joint" user, only an authorized user. They say by their standards I am not financially responsible for paying them back. He's been making payments since early 2001.
(This was not brief after all). Will that make a difference, that he has paid and is now just deciding to take me to court?