Consumer complaint received 2018-06-16
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action — Threatened or suggested your credit would be damaged
Company: Legal Action Bureau Inc (NY)

On XX/XX/2018 I received a call from XXXX XXXX from the Legal Action Bureau. He did recite the mini- miranda but didnt make any attempt to properly identify me. He told me that my previous landlord, XXXX XXXX, had retained his company to refer this matter to an attorney and recommend legal action. But before he did that he wanted to see if there was a way to settle the account amicably. He kept trying to tell me what a serious matter this was if it went to court, all the expenses I would occur, etc. It was a pure intimidation call from the moment he got on the phone with me. 

I kept trying to interrupt him to ask him questions. I told him I understood the seriousness of the matter but that part of the reason why the debt was owed and not resolved was that I was disputing the amount the Mr. XXXX claimed I owed. 
Mr. XXXX never asked me more information about the dispute. He paused long enough to ask me how I ended up owing the money and after I explained he went back to no matter what the circumstances were I owed the money. He claimed he had an email from me stating I was going to pay the money I owed in full. And he just kept trying to go back to the fact that this matter was going to go to court. 

While we were on the phone the conversation was getting more and more heated. I had never received a letter from this company, he wasnt listening to me when I was saying I was disputing part of the debt, and all he wanted to do was carry on with what to me sounded like a standard script that they would use the first time they contacted debtors. 

During this phone call I also kept being notified that one of my brothers-in-law was trying to reach me. He called several times during a call that lasted maybe eight minutes. I wasnt getting anywhere with Mr. XXXX and I thought perhaps my brother-in-law was trying to reach me because of a family emergency, so I hung up on Mr. XXXX. 

When I called my brother-in-law back he told me that he was trying to reach me because he had received a call from Mr. XXXX. Before Mr. XXXX called me, he had called my brother-in-law, asked if he knew me, and if my brother-in-law had a number for me. Mr. XXXX had told my brother-in-law he was from the Legal Action Bureau and it was important he got a hold of me. 

That was why my brother-in-law was making such a great effort to get a hold of me. He thought I was in some sort of legal trouble and wanted to make sure I knew Mr. XXXX was trying to reach me. 

Mr. XXXX was my landlord so he had my contact information. He had my email address and cell phone. Mr. XXXX had sent mail to me that was registered signature required that I received at my new address. I was in no way trying to hide from Mr. XXXX or this debt. So, Mr. XXXX had no reason to skip trace me to contact me. 
I never did receive the original letter stating the Mr. XXXX had hired Legal Action Bureau to collect the debt, an explanation of the debt, or that I had 30 days to dispute the debt. I didnt hear from the Legal Action Bureau or Mr. XXXX again either in writing or on the phone until XX/XX/2018. I had thought maybe it was one of those collection agencies that tried to intimidate on the first call to get paid, but if that call didnt work they didnt pursue the matter further. After that phone call on XX/XX/XXXX I had intended to file a complaint, but an emergency had occurred at work and, because Mr. XXXX hadnt called back right away, I had forgotten about it. 

When Mr. XXXX called on XX/XX/2018. He again said that he was told to refer this matter to an attorney but that he wanted to give me one last chance to resolve the matter. I told him that I had never received the original letter form his company giving me a chance to dispute the debt, that I was disputing a portion of the debt, and that I wanted to see proof of debt. Mr. XXXX was apparently claiming I had damaged the apartment and he was adding those damages to the total amount owed. I hadnt damaged the apartment, I hadnt written an email stating I was going to pay the past due rent in full, and I had two different statements showing I owed different amounts. I wanted proof of debt so that I could understand exactly what Mr. XXXX felt I owed and his documentation proving what I owed. 

Mr. XXXX asked me what my address was and send he could send the letter. He claimed that his company had sent the original copy of the letter stating his company had been hired to the address he knew was the apartment Mr. XXXX owned and the one I had vacated in XX/XX/XXXX. He asked me what I felt I owed and he asked me how much I thought I could pay a month. He asked me if he could get Mr. XXXX to agree to the settlement amount if I would agree to start payment. I said that if I received that original letter, the proof of debt, and the settlement in writing that I would start paying on the settlement at the end of XX/XX/XXXX. 

Mr. XXXX asked for my email address and said he would have his assistant write everything up. He said that it would take a few minutes but I would have the documentation in writing and the settlement offer would include reporting the debt as paid in full if Mr. XXXX agreed to the settlement and I make the payments. He also said when he called back he would need to receive my debit or credit card information to hold the account. 

When he called back on XX/XX/2018, he said that Mr. XXXX didnt agree to my settlement amount unless I paid the entire amount in one payment. Otherwise he would only accept {$62000.00} if I wanted to make payments. I said that was what I was afraid of because Mr. XXXX had never been reasonable, which was part of the reason we were in this mess. I also informed Mr. XXXX that I never received the documentation via email yesterday that I had requested : The original 30 Day letter and proof of debt. 
Mr. XXXX started to get irate with me. He said that he had sent the original letter and that his company had sent a lot of letters. I reminded him that I had asked for this information yesterday and he had said that he would send it. I needed to see the documentation and I needed to have the original letter form Legal Action Bureau so that I knew exactly who it was I was dealing with, especially if I was going to be sending them money. 

Mr. XXXX claimed I was trying to play games with him and kept calling proof of debt discovery. He said I couldnt receive that information unless I went to court. I told him it was my right to see that information, I had told him repeatedly that I was disputing a portion of the debt, and that he was violating the Fair Debts and Practices Act since I was never given 30 days to dispute the debt and he was refusing to give me proof of debt. 

Mr. XXXX continued to escalate. He told me that he had the power the affect my credit. He said that he was going to cancel any settlement arrangement, hang up the phone right that second, and affect my credit. He told me the only letter he would send me was a demand letter stating I had 15 days to pay the amount I owed Mr. XXXX. He was the one who hung up the phone that day and later that day he sent me a let via email. I have attached this letter with the complaint. It is very threatening and clearly meant to intimidate me. It states that I have 7 days to pay the balance in full.