Finance House

What is the name of your state? What is the name of your state? Fla.
I am being sued by a collection agency for a hospital bill that I have disputed the valitity of since 6/5/01. After 3 1/2 months of disputing this $2185.15 bill due to what I would say "$453.00 of unnecessay drug screens( I don't do drugs) and padding of points to make the emergency room visist more expensive that it needed to be". I walked in to this hospital with family and sat in the waiting room from 9:22 am till 3:15 pm getting tests done intermittently. I finally was placed in a room 3:25 to 5:45. My boy friend thought I had had a seizure in my sleep(my mom died a month previouly greiving badly) and I was charged for an emergency room visit for 1 level under critical. I have no ins. and my profession has suffered government cuts and am only able to find part time to PRN emplyment. After the hospital reviewed my complaints through all of their employees. They sided in their favor taking off ONLY $42. for a pulse oximeter and another $200. as a convenience to me. They would have taken on 25% more off if I would have paid it in full within 10 days. They did not admitt that they made errors in adding up points for the ED room charge. I then sent the hospital a letter stating that I could pay $5.00/ month untill I found better emplyment and that I could increase my payments when I found more consistent emplyment. 1 1/2 months later I got a letter from a collection agency stating I owed for a hospital bill for 1907.40. I called them, they said that they would take 15$/ month but it would not stop it from going to my credit report. I Sent $15 on 11/14/01 I didn't get a statement for Dec. and they sent another letter in Jan/02. I called them again and told them that I would send $15 and I did so on 1/02/02. I received a preformed certified letter from an attornery on 3/8/02 wanting me to pay it in full. I called the collection agent and they told me that they don't send out statments for any payment less that $25. So I agreed to pay $25/ month so that I would be sure to get a statment. But they would only accept payment in full at this time or they would pursue legal action. I told them that I could not pay the full amount. They verbally would not accept $25 , but I mailed a payment of $100. to pay for back months that I had missed and the current month on 3/22/02 they returned my check to me. They said that they would only accecpt payment in full. May 3, I got letter stating that they were willing to negotiate a payment plan with me and to call. I later found that they wanted $500. down and $117. per month and to sigh a promissary note and pay the doc stamps of $7.00 I refused, I told them that I could send $25 a month . I mailed them a letter 5/18/02 telling them that I could pay 25$/ month and included a check for $125. for back payments and they returned the check to me again. on 6/8/02 received summons to mediation in small claimes for 7/31/02. I basically wasted my breath there. They added lawyers, interest and court cost to the bill making in now near $2500.00 . Attorney for collections only there to accept a payment plan of $200.00 down and $25.00 per month, basically the same thing that I wanted to or tried to pay before the summons. But they want me to pay the extra added charges. I am not paying for those added charges I was willing before and they didn't want my money. So now we are going to trial hearing 9/30/02.

I just want to know if I have a case to fight here and do you know of any laws that they violated? I have not refused to pay this bill. And can my letters and or returned checks be used in small claims.

sorry so long.
ABS in fla.