Q. I paid off my car loan in 2007. Now I'm trying to sell the car and thought I misplaced the title. I called the bank I had the loan through, and they told me I have a balance remaining of $639 that is a result of unpaid late fees and interest. I was not told this when I made my last payment, only that I would soon get my title. I never got any bill. What can I do to dispute this, get my title and clear any delinquency from my credit report?

A. Start by asking the bank for an accounting of every charge that they say you owe and a record of when and how they contacted you regarding these charges.

If it's a local bank, go in person, explain your situation and try to get the branch manager to help you straighten this out.

If not, call the bank's auto loan department and ask to speak to a manager.

If the bank can't provide a detailed list of how the charges were accrued, then ask that the $639 be dismissed, that any record of late payments be stricken from your credit reports and that the loan be recorded as paid in full.

Be a little more flexible if the bank can prove you were late with a few payments but has no record of billing you for the late fees and interest.

Offer to pay the fees in exchange for waiving the interest and notifying the credit agencies that the debt has been paid in full.

If you have to put any request in writing, send the letter by certified mail, so you have proof it was received.

If the bank refuses to negotiate, you'll have to decide whether to pay the $639 or hire a lawyer to help you challenge the charges.

That might seem like the principled thing to do, but as long as the dispute drags on, you won't have the title to your car and you won't be able to sell it.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.