Consumer complaint received 2019-04-03
Company: Columbia Recovery Group LLC
State: WA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
We were contacted by XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX showing that we owed to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX an amount of money. Immediately after receiving this notification we sent to them the following letter by certified mail with proof of evidence disputing this money owed to them : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, WA XXXX Dear Account Representative, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX, I have received your notification regarding XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Account # XXXX and I am writing as I respectfully disagree with your calculations and I believe there must be a misunderstanding. 

According to the lease that we signed with XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, my contract as per paragraph 11. States, Resident will be responsible to Landlord for all damages provided by law, occluding ( but not limited to ) rent due through the end of the contract term, minus rents paid by a replacement resident ( if any ). This amount will vary depending upon how long it takes Landlord to find a replacement resident and can not be determined in advance of move-out as it is typically impossible to estimate. 
In our case, it is possible to now figure out this exact amount. 

Please see below calculations : Total Rent Paid from XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  {$890.00} Please see attached copy of cashiers check paid to XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX Total Rent Owed through the end of the signed contract term from XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX {$7400.00} Less Rent for the replacement resident through the end of their signed contract term ( XX/XX/XXXX ) which as of XX/XX/XXXX has been paid in full to XXXX XXXX XXXX ( {$7600.00} ) Please see attached copy of contract signed by replacement residents, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX Less Security Deposit ( {$500.00} ) Water Charge 45 Days {$7.00} Please see attachment Move Out Statement XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 45 Days {$79.00} Trash Charge 45 Days {$22.00} Water Charge 45 Days {$65.00} Utility Serve Fee 45 Days {$3.00} Carpet Cleaning {$170.00} Cleaning {$150.00} Painting Touch Up {$100.00} Total amount overpaid to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( {$46.00} ) According to the above calculations and per the contract terms signed by both ourselves as well as the replacement residents, we do not owe any further money to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. In addition, they owe us a balance of {$46.00} as well as any further rent collected between XX/XX/XXXX, the last day of the new residents lease and XX/XX/XXXX, the last day of our signed lease. I expect that you will send me a check for this balance. 

Attachments included : - Copy of Cashiers Check paid to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX - My lease agreement with a highlighted section regarding termination - Signed Lease by the new tenants, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX - A Copy of XXXX XXXX XXXX Townhomes Move out Statements which do not include the above calculations They then continued to make phone calls to myself and sent again the same letter they sent initially to us by mail. We then sent back to them the same certified letter and copies of evidence above. On XX/XX/XXXX XXXX contacted me by email with a settlement offer stating we now owed more money than the initial debt they were trying to collect. I emailed them back with the same letter as above and the following response : As per the certified mail to sent you on XX/XX/XXXX with the enclosed letter dated XX/XX/XXXX ( attached for your reference ), We do not owe any further money to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. In addition, they owe us a balance of {$46.00}, as well as any further rent collected between XX/XX/XXXX, the last day of the new residents lease and XX/XX/XXXX, the last day of our signed lease. I expect that you will send me a check for the balance. 


On XX/XX/XXXX a representative called me again and harassed me again about this debt stating that they wanted to discuss another settlement offer and once again harassing me to admit to the debt which is completely invalid. 


Thank you, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX pl XXXX XXXX, WA XXXX

Company response to consumer: Untimely response