Consumer complaint received 2021-08-08
Company: FAIR COLLECTIONS & OUTSOURCING, INC.
State: NJ
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
Ive been working amiably with XXXX  on an amicable resolution and am surprised by the attorneys letter in pandemic. Ive been sending XXXX  money whenever I get any despite documented struggles in XXXX XXXX and personal financial crisis. I dispute the charges which are not based on facts. 

1. Ive never had a job change/relocation since I moved into XXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX. I refused to send a COVID notice to vacate given risks of forced quarantine and being reported to health authorities. Videos like the below show nations force quarantine but crowded suspects at hospital can cause infection/death : XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX https : XXXX https : XXXX XXXX forced a notice by putting a hold on my force majeure pandemic emergency evacuation and withholding XXXX from movers, despite my several emails begging her to resolve the catch-22 situation. 

2. Several people witnessed my evacuation and know COVID is the reason. XXXX  employees had many emails on various COVID special accommodations just for me and the fact that I, as a documented XXXX  with family XXXX XXXX excision medical records at young ages, evacuated # XXXX in the XXXXXXXX XXXX  XXXX area because of COVID. Dense people and elevator to XXXX Floor raised life-threatening risk but XXXX  never mitigated tenant infection risk so # XXXX was no longer safe for me. The force majeure in the lease and the doctrine of impossibility given unprecedented natural disaster also exempts my liability. 

3. My subsequent landlord and neighbors also know COVID was the reason for my urgent evacuation as no other reason would motivate anyone to take whatever vacancy there is and sign the shortest-term 1-man lease instantly for a XXXX XXXX XXXX and move in alone next day. Half the apartment remained vacant till the end of that lease. 

4. I only decided on the force majeure emergency evacuation because XXXX  emailed earlier that they expected to lease it within a month. They had ample time before XX/XX/XXXX. 

5. XXXX emailed that they lowered rent by {$200.00} but I found it was based on documented wrong calculations. They admitted fault much later that they actually unfairly raised rent by {$50.00} against economic laws governing markets in a weak slow-winter-season market in life-threatening COVID pandemic above my {$3000.00} strong-summer-season high rent which lead to prolonged vacancy. XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX  6. The rent on # XXXX is {$310.00} above the {$2800.00} rent that they advertised at the same time for a newer and larger comparable # XXXX at their own XXXX XXXX. 

7. Neighboring landlords cut much rents to minimize pandemic vacancy by documented data/evidence but XXXX raised rents to increase vacancies and made little effort to mitigate loss. XXXX  charged way higher than comparables. XXXX  offers 3 months free on a 1-year lease during the COVID pandemic but never offered me anything.

8. Ive contributed to XXXX revenue by posting ads, writing 5-star reviews/photos everywhere with XXXX views, and getting broker XXXX XXXX to help me. We each referred tenants to XXXX  but their exorbitant price in crisis turned people down. I offered to compensate XXXX  for any price difference to lease it out but was ignored. 

9. XXXX said in my touring video on record that several units are regularly kept vacant intentionally as a business strategy for higher future rent. XXXX chose not to lease it out and therefore incurred no loss. 

10. I was told in my touring video and texted on a lenient lease-breaking policy of a months penalty and hoaxed me ( who trusted them ) into signing XXXX lease. A powerful and resources firm misinforms and takes advantage of a retail consumer whos unable to fend for himself. 

11. AppliedCo already reduced the balance due to {$8400.00} ( see screenshot in attachment page 1 ) on XXXX but sent {$12000.00} to Fair Collections Outsourcing.

12. AppliedCo threatened me with impersonated attorney letters in the darkest days of the pandemic.

13. Fair Collections and Outsourcing threatens me by impersonating attorney both via phone calls and on credit reports.

There are additional facts and rationales against the charges. 

COVID changed tax date and the world ; there are landlord relief packages/bills/policies in the making to render this a win-win situation. I initiated in XXXX to work with AppliedCo on a payment plan on the rent for either the time before the emergency/pandemic declaration or the average amount of time it took to rent out an apartment comparable to # XXXX in XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX but they ignored my friendly proposal.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation