34-year-old statement from John Wanamaker shows $34.54 due
They want to do the right thing but arent sure what that would be.
DEAR HARRY: We have been married for 42 years. We always had a charge card with Wanamaker's until they disappeared from the scene in 1995. About a month ago, my wife discovered a statement from them for June 1981 showing an amount due of $34.54, which we apparently have not paid. We have no subsequent statements, nor do we have a canceled check for that amount. We made contact with all the possible successors to try to find out if we still owe the money and where to send it if we do. Not even an inkling of what to do. Can we just toss this statement and forget about it or should we keep trying?
WHAT HARRY SAYS: Of course, if you paid the bill, you are on safe ground. It's a shame you did not put your check number on the bill when you paid it. If you did not pay it, it is way past the statute of limitations (four years), so you no longer can be chased for the balance. I admire your attempt to do the right thing. Let me suggest that you wait 30 more days to see if you get some response. Follow up on any leads. After that, make a contribution for the $35 to a charity that has a solid reputation for helping the poor, such as United Way or Philabundance.
write to him at Daily News, 801 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Harry urges all his readers to give blood. Contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-Red Cross.