Fighting An Unfair $5,500 Charge: Can Small Claims Court Fix My Credit

Hi everyone,

In 2020, I lived in an apartment in NJ and was charged $5,500 for floor damage caused by a leaking AC after I moved out. This included my $1,000 deposit, which wasn’t returned.

While living there, I had submitted a repair request for the AC through their website, so the landlord knew about the leak and even serviced it. Unfortunately, during the chaos of being a resident physician during the COVID surge, I didn’t document the damage, assuming I wouldn’t be held liable for something caused by their faulty AC.

Now, years later, a debt collection agency says I still owe $4,600, and it has been marked as "collections" on my credit report. My main goal is to get rid of this collections entry since it’s hurting my credit score, and I’m planning to buy a house soon.

Do you think winning in small claims court is possible in this situation? And if I win, would I be able to force the credit agencies or bureaus to remove this from my report?

I’d really appreciate any advice or insights on how to handle this!

Thanks so much!