Product: Debt collection

Earlier this year I was trying to look in to buying a house. It had been years since I checked my credit report and didn't know what it looked like. When I spoke to a loan officer in hopes of becoming pre-qualified for a loan, the loan officer informed me my credit needed some serious work due to a {$27000.00} apartment collection! I remember the apartment complex trying to come after me in the past, but I didn't remember they were attempting to collect {$27000.00}. I'm sure I don't even have to go much farther in this complaint before anybody involved in this complaint realizes this is a ridiculous claim. 

I did begin the process of disputing this account as well as some others on my credit bureau back on XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX. Due to the gravity of the collection amount, the disputes were sent out certified to everybody in XXXX with a return receipt requested. For a while, I wasn't receiving a response from anybody which was very frustrating. After a few months of not hearing back from the collection agency or even the credit bureaus, I submitted a complaint with your agency against the credit bureaus in XXXX. That caused the credit bureaus as well as the collector to finally send me documents as well as an itemization on this collection. The itemization was dated XX/XX/XXXX. I wish I could say that fixed the problem but it didn't. It actually made it worse. 

When the itemization on these apartment collections was given to me, I saw what the charges were for and I just about blew a gasket. It was pretty obvious these charges were bogus. Anybody with half a brain could read between the lines and realize these charges are not legitimate. To break it down, the charges aren't even for damages to the apartment as I left the place clean. In fact, when I left the complex it was because my job layed me off and this complex was specifically for employees of the company. They FORCED me to move out because I was no longer working for them. It was not a pleasant way to move out but I did so anyways. I will be attaching the itemization so you can view what the charges are for. 

They are claiming {$0.00} for cleaning, {$0.00} for damages, {$0.00} for painting, carpet, insufficient notice, cancellation, rekeying, or anything else. {$0.00} for ALL OF IT. That should be enough to prove that I left the place in good condition and only moved because they forced me to move. What they are charging me for is rather dubious. They are charging me {$2200.00} for a concession reimbursement. What concessions? There were no concessions. And even if there were concessions, you can't reimburse yourself for concessions especially when they were the ones to break their own lease. I can't be charged for being forced to move out because a company wants the apartment to give to another employee. That's crazy talk and we both know it's illegal. That isn't the only thing that's off in their itemization. They are charging me {$770.00} in eviction/legal/late fees. What legal, eviction, late fees? As I stated before, I was forced to move out because I was no longer employed by the company who owned the apartment complex. I did so willingly and they didn't have to evict me. I'm not paying for any fees that are made up. I should be charging them for breaking my lease and forcing me to relocate. But again, that's not the worst of it. 

As I read further down the itemization I was provided by the collection agency, I was outright disgusted. They are charging me accelerated rent from the move out date of XX/XX/XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX. YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! They are charging me {$16000.00} in accelerated rent when I was forced to move out and the place obtained a new tenant within a month! I can prove they obtained a new tenant because one of my old coworkers who STILL works for that company and STILL lives at that complex and was a witness to the whole thing. He let me know someone had moved in shortly after I moved out. I actually just called him recently to ask him and he confirmed with me that he still lives there, still remembers what happened to me, and can confirm that place was rented out within a month. He even said that if his memory wasn't 100 % accurate, it absolutely didn't go past two months before someone else was living there. That place was rented out almost immediately. XXXX, we don't have to be experts or even be there to know that the accelerated rent is a bogus charge. It is more likely than not that a perfectly good apartment with no damages and no painting or even cleaning besides possibly a vacuum or dusting required is going to sit there for 8 months without a tenant. On top of everything else, companies have an obligation to try and mitigate their losses. You can't tell me they even attempted to mitigate their loss if they truly had that place vacant for 8 months which I know for a fact they didn't. Give me a break people. That is still not the end of it. 

They are claiming I owe {$84.00} in unpaid utilities. I can see that. The month in which I moved probably went unpaid so I guess I'm not angry about that charge. They are also claiming I owed {$2100.00} as of the move out date. That charge I do not agree with. I left owing them nothing. Even if I did, Owing {$2100.00} in what I will assume is past due rent does not equate to {$27000.00}. In the end, the itemized statement says I owed {$21000.00} minus a {$500.00} credit for a deposit which left a balance of {$20000.00}. On that itemized statement given to me by the collection agency there is a post it note which has a handwritten note saying I owe {$1700.00} in interest to the client. I am assuming they mean the apartment complex. That leaves a grand total of {$22000.00}. Finally, on their actual collection notice the collection agency says I owe {$5000.00} as interest to their agency. That is how they came up with a {$27000.00} collection balance. 

MAN! Just MAN! Like really? Does anybody else see anything wrong with this? And they are still collecting and credit reporting this after my disputes? What more can I say other than I'm probably going to lawyer up after this. I'm actually getting a kick out of this as I write it. REALLY? You are going to say with a straight face that this {$27000.00} collection is legitimate and you are going to continue collecting and credit reporting it? 

They are claiming {$2500.00} in concessions reimbursement with are not defined. They are claiming {$16000.00} in accelerated rent for 8 months which I have witnesses to prove those are bogus. I'm sure once we sue and subpoena records it will show they were collecting rent for that complex during the time they are claiming I owe them. A handwritten note saying I owe {$1700.00} in interest on top of the {$5000.00} the collection is agency is charging? Do I need to go on? I will leave you with this. If this account is not removed from my credit report post-haste I will seek a lawyer and I will sue the apartment complex as well as the collection agency attempting to collect this debt. I'm done playing games and I will not spend anymore time or another dollar attempting to have this clear and fraudulent collection from my credit report unless its via court so I can collect legal fees and punitive damages from those involved in defrauding me and damaging my good name.