Consumer complaint received 2019-01-18
Company: Carpenter, Hazlewood, Delgado & Bolen, PLC
State: AZ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Seized or attempted to seize your property

Complaint:
XXXX XXXX XXXX would not accept my payment in XX/XX/XXXX if I did not sign their legal contract. I told them I did not want to sign it because I did not agree with some of the things the contract stated. I tried to give them assessment money. They would not accept the money without signing their contract and threatened me with legal action for non-payment, even though they would not accept my payment at that time without signing. This took place with a woman in the back office who works in the office that is located at the second entrance at XXXX, she handles late accounts. So because I was forced to sign under duress, I crossed out items and didn't fully read some of it because my head was spinning from such a threat as legal action. I had cried to my mother and several others concerning how I felt after this situation. 

To this day, XXXX has not sent me a payment booklet to make payments on. This is the second year I have not received it. I have tried to make payments online but my account online is invalid. I have gone into XXXX concerning my online account, they told me I can't pay online when I owe money. 

Secondly, on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX said I owed {$310.00} for home owner 's association fees and if I didn't pay, they would put a lien on my house with an additional {$200.00} fee for the lien. I tried to make a payment online but it said that my online account was invalid. I went in and paid {$120.00} on XX/XX/XXXX which brought the amount down to {$190.00}. I asked about my online account, they said because I owe money, I can't make online payments. 

I went back in on I think it was about XX/XX/XXXX with {$200.00} to pay the rest of the fees but XXXX XXXX XXXX refused to accept my payment. They told me they sent out my account to a debt collector. I have a witness that XXXX refused to accept my payment. I asked how I can pay the next month 's assessment, the young lady said I would have to take it up with Carpenter Hazlewood to clear any charges first. 

Later on I received a letter from Carpenter Hazlewood that stated they were a debt collector trying to collect a debt for XXXX XXXX XXXX. The letter stated I owed almost {$500.00}. I did not pay due to XXXX refusing my payment that would have covered the rest of the fees and because Carpenter Hazlewood charged more than 50 % of monies owed for the lien and any legal fees to make payment arrangements. 

I had received a letter from Carpenter Hazlewood on  XX/XX/XXXX that I owed aproximately {$1400.00} and that if I had paid that amount, we would be settled. I am not rich, it takes time to come up with that kind of money. They took me to court and on XX/XX/XXXX i paid {$1400.00}. I recently received a breakdown that said {$1200.00} legal fees have not yet posted which was to the monies I already paid of {$1400.00}. 

As of today, Carpenter Hazlewood has continued to assess attorney fees, additional legal fees, and have taken me to court. While the fees are accruing there, XXXX continues to accrue interest, referral fees, and assessments. I received a letter stating that XXXX believes I owe {$1300.00} and that the legal fees of {$1200.00} have not yet posted. This is ridiculous considering XXXX refused to accept my payment less than two months after I paid almost half of the monies they said I owed. 

I feel that XXXX XXXX XXXX bully people and try to make the homeowner afraid by forcing them to sign their contracts under duress with threats of taking legal action and being sued for non-payment, yet they would not accept my payment without me signing their contract. As of today, XXXX has sent me to " collections '' with Carpenter, Hazlewood, Delgado & Bolen, LLP for {$190.00}, when in actuality they are an " Attorney at Law '' company. They are trying to impose their fees as attorneys instead of being debt collectors, as they have stated in a letter, they were acting as. 

Because I have already been threatened by XXXX and now Carpenter Hazlewood have taken me to court and has filed a application for default in court against me the same day I made a payment of {$1400.00}. I am not an attorney and am a single parent trying to make ends meat for my eldest child whom is in college and for my XXXX year old. If I do not work, I do not get paid. I am not a full time attorney that can easily get to a court room and file things I do not know much about. I can not afford an attorney. 

The ball is in these companies court and I am afraid of them and what they can do or try to take away from me .... Especially since XXXX threatens me to sign their contracts. I am afraid of what Carpenter Hazlewood could do to me. I fear what other capabilities these companies have in court if I don't comply with their demands or sign what they want. I am even afraid of what they can do to me in court or with my home just by filling this complaint. I other documents to prove some of these things which I have to look for. 

Please help me ...

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief