What Collection Agency Does City of Toronto Use?
Last updated: April 2026
If you have an unpaid account with City of Toronto, your debt gets assigned to a third-party collection agency. These are the agencies that consumers have reported receiving calls from on behalf of City of Toronto.
Based on user submitted entries, consumer reports and public records. They don't represent confirmed business relationships with City of Toronto. Always verify the agency's identity before making any payment.
What happens when City of Toronto sends you to collections
City of Toronto tries to collect the debt themselves first. You'll get reminder letters, phone calls, texts and emails from their internal team.
If you don't pay within 90 to 180 days, City of Toronto assigns or sells the account to a collection agency. The agency contacts you directly from that point. The original debt now shows as a collection entry on your credit report.
You still owe the money to City of Toronto. The collection agency is just the company chasing you for it.
What to do if City of Toronto sends you to collections
Step 1: Request written verification. Get the original creditor's name (City of Toronto), the account reference, and the total amount owed. Don't make a payment until you have this in writing.
Step 2: Don't share personal details. No banking info, date of birth, or address until you've confirmed the debt is yours.
Step 3: Cross-check the amount against your City of Toronto account records or last bill.
Step 4: If the debt is valid, pay in full, negotiate a settlement, or set up a payment plan. If you don't recognise the debt, dispute it in writing with the collection agency.
Step 5: Know your rights. Learn what a collection agency can and can't do.
Only consider a loan or a line of credit if you can comfortably afford the repayments. If you're unsure what to do, speak to a non-profit credit counsellor or a Licensed Insolvency Trustee first.
Can you deal with City of Toronto directly?
Sometimes. Contact City of Toronto's billing department and ask if the account can be recalled from the collection agency.
Some companies take the account back if you arrange payment directly with them. Others won't. Once it's assigned, you deal with the agency.
Even if you pay City of Toronto directly, the collection entry on your credit report doesn't disappear. It updates to show as paid, but the record stays for six years in most provinces.
Can you negotiate a City of Toronto debt in collections?
Yes. But you're negotiating with the collection agency, not City of Toronto.
Collection agencies often pay less than the full amount for debts they buy. That means they accept a lump-sum payment for less than what you owe. This is a settlement.
Get any agreement in writing before you pay. Make sure it confirms the amount, the payment date, and that the account will be marked as settled.
How to check if your City of Toronto account is in collections
Pull your credit report from Equifax Canada or TransUnion.
Look for a collection entry with City of Toronto listed as the original creditor. The collection agency's name appears as the current account holder.
If you see an entry you don't recognise, contact the agency listed and request written verification before doing anything.
How will this affect your credit score?
A debt sent to collections gets an R9 rating on your credit report. R9 is the worst possible rating.
That entry stays on your report for six years from the date of first delinquency.
Paying the collection agency doesn't remove the entry. It changes the status to “paid,” which looks better to lenders. But the record stays for the full period.
For a full breakdown, read our guide to how long collections stay on your credit report.