Consumer complaint received 2017-05-01
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: NC
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Sub-issue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report

Complaint:
My mother passed away in  XXXX    XXXX  , from complications due to  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX . Prior to that, I was her appointed medical and legal power of attorney. Her geriatric doctor stated that was necessary for her to stay in a memory care facility, as she required constant supervision, so I found a facility near my home and arranged for her to stay there. I had never had to do this before, they were aware that I was her POA ( not her financi er ), and I provided copies of the POA paperwork when I made arrangements for this facility. I very clearly asked them what the right way to sign the papers was, and they took copies of both POA p apers ( medical and legal ).     After my mother passed away, I began receiving collections calls for {$36000.00} that my mother owed to the facility. I explained that these were not my debts, but my mother 's, and referred them to my probate attorney. Th e collection agency sent my attorney one of the forms I filled out ( financial responsibility ) in which I signed the form with  my name in the " responsible party '' blank ( which again was how they told me at the facility I should sign it, knowing full well I was her POA ), but the blank for the " amount '' owed was empty ( no amount specified ). The collection agency claims that I am responsible for {$36000.00}, because I did n't write "  XXXX   XXXX   XXXX ,  Power of A ttorney for  XXXX   XXXX  '' in the blank ( even though they knew I was her power of attorney as I was filling out paperwork ), which is not right because the facility knew that I was not signing to be financially responsible for her but was administering what monies she had, and now they are underhandedly trying to collect this money from me. Aside from the fact that they are holding me responsible when they knew I was only her POA, there is no amount specified that I supposedly owe in the " proof '' that the Collection agency sent.     I sent a letter explaining all of this, including the letter from the collection agency 's attorney, the form that the collection agency states makes me responsible, and copies of both medical and legal power of attorney to all three credit agencies.   XXXX   and   XXXX   have both removed this item from my credit reports. Equifax refuses to do so. They sent me a letter stating that they have investigated and will not change my credit report. I called and spoke to a customer service person, asked him to please look at all of the information I had sent, and demanded to know why the other agencies saw that I was having my credit improperly damaged by this item and removed it from my report, but Equifax refused to do so. He stated that if I wanted to get this removed then I needed to contact the collection agency and dispute it with them ( which I have already done and provided proof of this in the paperwork I sent, and which was the reason I was pursuing it with the credit agencies directly, as the collection agency is trying to collect money - whether they have a strong case to do so or not - and will not remove me from their collections.     I am attaching to this complaint the letter of dispute that I sent to Equifa x (  the exact letter was also sent to  XXXX  and  XXXX   ), t he letter from the  XXXX  collection agency attorney with the form from  XXXX   XXXX  that he claims holds me liable ( that I filled out at the facility prior to admitting my mother there ), and copies of both Power Of Attorney agreements - designating me as my mother 's power of attorney for Legal and Healthcare purposes. These attached letters and forms contain all information sent to all three credit agencies, containing all dates and details, and which only Equifax found inadequate to remove this item from my credit report.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief