Thread: Collection companies

So, got an interesting call yesterday from a collection company saying I owed my old apartment 1700 dollars. Now, I lived in said apartment from July to October of last year. Paid the full amount of rent in advance (and still have the bank statement to prove it). So I ask them, all right, why do I owe them this. They tell me I owe a late fee for July and 1400 dollars for carpet replacement in January. In January, when I haven't lived there in months. I told them that to which they told me that it was too bad but that's the information they have and how am I going to pay them.

I got to admit, I really don't know what to do with this. Anyone have any advice?

Small claims court

How can you be late with the first month's rent when that's paid upon signing the lease?
May be take them to court and make few hundred dollars off their stupidity.

Originally Posted by ghostonthehorizon

So, got an interesting call yesterday from a collection company saying I owed my old apartment 1700 dollars. Now, I lived in said apartment from July to October of last year. Paid the full amount of rent in advance (and still have the bank statement to prove it). So I ask them, all right, why do I owe them this. They tell me I owe a late fee for July and 1400 dollars for carpet replacement in January. In January, when I haven't lived there in months. I told them that to which they told me that it was too bad but that's the information they have and how am I going to pay them.

I got to admit, I really don't know what to do with this. Anyone have any advice?

Send them a COPY of your receipt via certified mail with a nice letter saying that you paid in advance and did not stay any longer than the contracted time, also be sure to let them know that you did not damage the carpet and therefore are not responsible for it. If there were reason to believe that you were responsible they should have made mention at the termination of the lease and final inspection of the property. Let them know that if they have any further questions to please send them in writing and you will forward them to your attorney. If you are not responsible for any damages they are probably simply fishing for a sucker and his money, you paid in full, in advance, so therefore they think you have more and they want it. Good luck!

Originally Posted by gugi

How can you be late with the first month's rent when that's paid upon signing the lease?
May be take them to court and make few hundred dollars off their stupidity.

That's what I'm confused about too. Then again, I'm also confused on how no one seems to be able to get ahold of me until the collection agency has it.

Thank you for the advice so far.

well, as long as you have the paperwork it really is their problem. apparently the complex has a terrible management and they'll have to learn the hard way.

of course, the collection agency doesn't really care - they've got the job to collect the money and if it turns out that they were given bad information it most likely won't be at their expense, but those who hired them.

you can call the apartment complex and tell them that they're doing something wrong and better fix it quickly or it'll hurt them, or look up the regulations about debts and collections.

Start searching the internet for debt boards. Plenty of folks have been in your position with regards to Collections agencies falsely making claims.

Read up on how to handle these guys. Don't even talk to them again until you have completely evaluated the situation in light of what you'll learn in these debt forums AND have a strategy to deal with them.

It sounds to me, if your description is accurate, like an unscrupulous collector just looking to prey on an innocent law-abiding citizen or worse, a scam artist. Record every conversation you have with them and refuse to talk to them on an unrecorded line. Direct them to the line you can record. Some states allow you to record legally without having to tell the other person. The debt boards will guide you.

Learn your rights under the law, because if they're a legitimate collector they can make your life a living nightmare if they are unscrupulous. And if they are unscrupulous they're most likely going to commit violations against the Fair Credit law and when they do and you have them on tape you sue the living daylights out of them and make them pay you. That's the only way to handle these kinds of situations otherwise they will keep preying on the law-abiding.

Start here. Good luck.

Best Regards,
EL

Collection Agencies don't care about excuses. They have the paperwork and that's all they care about. I would contact the property mgmt to find out what the deal is.