Consumer complaint received 2020-10-31
Company: HW Holding, Inc
State: FL
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed
Sub-issue: Debt is not yours

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2020 I received a notice from Hunter Warfield Debt Collections on behalf of the XXXX XXXX XXXX owned by XXXX XXXX XXXX notifying me that I had a debt of XXXX and it was running at 4.75 %. 

I have disputed this debt with Hunter Warfield. I was never notified that any debt was due. I have not received any information or contact from XXXX since XXXX 2020. I was never notified of a debt or any amount due. No discussion of amounts due was ever discussed. This is an attempt to collect from previous renters in good standing with bogus charges in order to save their business. 

During the pandemic, XXXX management was hosting one on one meetings with residents to determine on a case by case basis, what would happen with each resident and apartment. After my wife and I both lost our jobs we made a one on one appointment to discuss our options and told one of our apartment managers we that we had lost our jobs, thought we would be unable to afford the apartment, and we wanted to know what our options were. He took our keys and said he totally understood and that he was sorry. I explained I didn't want to keep occupying a space I knew I couldn't afford. He thought that was very considerate. There was no discussion of debts or amounts owed at any time. No discussion of financial consequence. We were leaving because we couldn't afford the apartment. In our conversation we told the rep that we didn't feel it was fair to occupy their apartment when we knew we couldn't make it up on the backside. He appreciated our candor. I even repaired and replaced items in the apartment so their maintenance wouldn't have to. 

We wrote them two letters. 1 explaining that we felt it was better to give them their apartment back ( this was during the eviction moratorium ) because once we got our jobs back we would not be able to pay double rents to make up for the " free '' time. We left their apartment in immediately rentable condition. Including preparing the apartment for the next renters by improving repairs on behalf of the company ( removing old shelving and patching the drywall for them ). In the second letter we attempted to pay for the month we had vacated. Our letter was returned. 

This was over 8 months ago. Aspect never reached out to me, never called, never wrote a letter. Nothing. No good faith efforts to collect, no conversation. Just a notice from a debt collector 10 months later. Pretty XXXX practices, I think. Pretty low indeed. 

Now I have a notice telling me I owe {$2900.00}. I have no idea how this number was arrived at, when it was allegedly due, how long it has been allegedly overdue, when the interest period allegedly began, how I have an interest charge on a loan I never took. I am baffled at this notice. I called XXXX and they refused to speak with me concerning " ongoing litigation '' so I don't even know what that means. They directed me to speak to Hunter Warfield. 

This seems to be a last ditch attempt for The XXXX and XXXX XXXX to pull any dollar they can from any source to try to save their business. I personally hope it fails horrifically but they would probably get a bail out. This organization is FILLED with deceptive marketing and business practices, using bait and switch methods on apartment leases, deceptive and dishonest trade practices. Truly, the worst experience I've ever had with a company.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation