Consumer complaint received 2023-01-11
Company: Aldous & Associates, PLLC
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged

Complaint:
I hired an attorney to help me terminate my lease at an apartment complex in XXXX, and was offered a settlement where I could pay XXXX rent installments in exchange for termination of the lease. There was a health issue with my attorney, but I was informed that the matter had already been resolved. I then received multiple notices from the apartment complex between XXXX and XXXX stating that I owed money, but called each time and was told that my account was closed and that the emails I was receiving were automated. Then in XXXX of XXXX, I was contacted by a debt collector with Aldous and Associates stating that I owe {$16000.00} dollars to XXXX XXXX ( the apartment complex ). Upon finding out that my account had not actually been closed and the lease issue had never been resolved, I reached out to a different attorney that represents students at my university. I was advised to send a written request for verification of the debt/dispute via certified mail, which I did within 30 days of my initial contact with Aldous and Associates XXXX The attorney then reached out to the general counsel for XXXX XXXX, and they agreed to honor the original settlement of XXXX rent installments in exchange for termination of the lease and cancellation of the debt. I was contacted again by Aldous and Associates on XX/XX/XXXX, claiming that if I did not pay the debt that it would be reported on my credit and they would not be able to help me repair my XXXX XXXX. However, I checked my credit report and was surprised to discover that the account had already been reported to the credit bureaus prior to this call. I contacted Aldous and Associates again informing them that they had never responded to my dispute/request for verification that was sent via certified mail, and they told me they never received a letter so I must not have sent one, and they ended the call. I then called back and was told by a different representative that they actually did receive my letter, and that they allegedly responded by sending proof of the debt to the return address on the certified mail that I sent. However, the " return address '' that they mentioned was not the correct return address. I then informed them that this was not my return address that was listed on the certified mail, to which the representative responded that she never stated anything was sent to a return address. I again informed them that I never received this mail and requested that they send me proof of this mail being sent, and they said the only way I could request this is by mail. Accordingly, I have reason to believe that Aldous and Associates did not actually respond to the dispute/request for verification that was delivered to them through certified mail, and the information they provided me regarding their alleged response to my request is false. Based on the documentation and interactions I have had with representatives of Aldous and Associates, I believe that they were aware of the disputed debt and request for verification and did not respond to my request. I believe they were aware that the matter was being settled with XXXX XXXX already, yet they continue to try and collect false debt. Aldous and Associates have continued debt collection efforts, reported an erroneous account to the credit bureaus despite being sent a dispute/verification request, and threatened to damage my credit after already having reported the account to the credit bureaus.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation