Consumer complaint received 2018-01-26
Company: Williams, Rush & Associates, LLC
State: TX
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Impersonated attorney, law enforcement, or government official

Complaint:
I'm at my wit 's end in dealing with a Texas collection agency. 

Williams, Rush and Associate acquired what they claim is my debt from a previous employer : XXXX XXXX. 

More than five years ago, I had a modest employee account with XXXX XXXX that was being paid through a payroll deduction. if ... this is the same account the collection amount has been GROSSLY INFLATED. 

I left the employ of XXXX XXXX ( XXXX, Texas ) in XX/XX/2012. 

I believe any legal collection activity on this alleged debt is well outside of the four year Texas Statute of Limitations. 

Williams Rush & Associate have contacted me by telephone on numerous occasions and in violation of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, verbally threatened to : 1.  Have my XXXX Driver  License Suspended 2. Flag my DAC report to prevent me from getting another job in the XXXX industry. 

3. File suit against me and Garnish my wages ( in Texas? ). 

4. Contact my current employer, as well as my friends and family, ( all listed on my original job application ) for the purpose of embarrassing me into doing the right thing. 

Williams, Rush and Associate have verbally identified themselves as Collection Attorneys representing XXXX XXXX. 

XXXX XXXX is quoted online acknowledging that their collection attorneys are very aggressive. 

Also, on the Williams Rush & Associate Better Business Bureau page they seem to be representing themselves as Attorneys & Lawyers Collection Law..

Williams, Rush and Associates is NOT A LAW FIRM. ( I call anonymously and asked ). 

It is my understanding that falsely claiming to be an attorney is a violation of the FDCPA. 

I've sent several detailed letters by registered mail, requesting that Williams, Rush and Assoc. VALIDATE the collection account ( if they were able ) or immediately DELETE the derogatory account. 

Even before the Statute of Limitations expired on this account, they failed to provide me with an accounting explaining how this debt became so incredibly inflated or any proof of their legal authority to collect this account on behalf of my former employer, XXXX XXXX. 
While Williams Rush & Assoc. repeatedly ignored my request for validation or verification of this account. When contacted by XXXX and XXXX  credit reporting agencies, Williams Rush and Associate continue to verify and update this defamatory and derogatory information on my credit reports. 

The assertion that they verified the account for the credit bureaus, isn't believable or credible as they have failed to provide any supporting documentation when requested. 

It is my understanding the Court has determined that the act of verifying and/or updating collection accounts on consumer credit reports are Collection Activities. and are prohibited activities after the Statute of Limitations has expired. 

Credit reporting constitutes an attempt to collect a debt. See, e.g., XXXX v. XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) ( a creditors report of a debt to a consumer reporting agency is a powerful tool, designed, in part, to wrench compliance with payment terms ) ; Matter of XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  ( XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ) ; XXXX v. XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXXXXXXXX/XX/XXXX ). 

Subsequent to the Statute of Limitations expiring, Williams, Rush and Associates CONTINUE to access my credit reports, without a permissible reason, a clear violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 

I recently did some research on XXXX XXXX XXXX, the owner of Williams, Rush and Associates. 

According to the website XXXX,  XXXX XXXX is a XXXX XXXX who was XXXX XXXX XXXX, with XXXX for : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX of a XXXX XXXX ( numerous offenses ), XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX,   XXXX XXXX- XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

If this information is correct, I am extremely concerned about pursuing this matter directly with Williams, Rush and Associates. It definitely seems that dealing with XXXX XXXX, already convicted of XXXX XXXX XXXX, would not be advisable. 

I'm stunned that XXXX XXXX can even be a debt collector in the State of Texas with his background of XXXX and XXXX XXXX. Is there no licensing or background verification required before allowing a XXXX XXXX to destroy the financial reputation of Texas citizens? 

It doesn't take very long ONLINE, to find numerous complaints against Williams, Rush and Associates and XXXX XXXX. 

Williams Rush and Assoc. DO NOT PLAY BY THE RULES and I can't imagine a way to deal with them without putting myself at an unacceptable risk. 

At this point, I simply want this incorrect, unverified, defamatory and derogatory information DELETED from my XXXX XXXX and XXXX Credit reports. 

It is my understanding that the law requires that reported information be accurate and verified within 30 days of a dispute or be DELETED from the credit reports. 

The collection account reported by Williams, Rush and Associates is  the ONLY derogatory item on my XXXX and XXXX Credit Reports and as such, is extremely damaging to my financial reputation. 

I've read a number of other complaints on the CFPB website and it appears that Williams, Rush and Associates ' response is almost always : " Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law. '' This is an unfunny joke, in my humble opinion, this company is an ongoing criminal enterprise and is exactly the type of miscreants that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should be pursuing. 

I have dozens of pages of supporting documents, letters, and even XXXX XXXX criminal record if these items are of interest to you, please contact me and I will forward them by " snail mail ''. 

If you can be of service in this matter, I will be extremely and eternally grateful. 

If this request is outside of your responsibilities, please refer me to another agency that can assist me. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation