Consumer complaint received 2024-10-17
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: BANC OF CALIFORNIA, INC. (TX)

My homeowner 's association, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, changed its bank service for collecting payment of association dues in XXXX, 2024. The bank managing the homeowners association switched from XXXX XXXX XXXX  to Pacific Western Bank. Pacific Western Bank is part of Banc of California , Inc . 

Notice of the change in banking service was only included with the routine mail that they send, identical to their receipt of payment letters from the outside, the same month that they discontinued their service. I was not aware that they switched services until they sent me a delinquent account notice 3 months after the switch. 

In the 3 months that passed, I continued to use their old banking service to pay my association dues, which was still active. All of my payments went through to their previous banking service, as affirmed by the receipts they sent me and my own personal bank 's statements. The recipient of these payments is listed as " XXXX XXXX XXXX Dues '', bearing the correct identity of the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. All of these payments are logged in their old banking service 's website, which they discontinued my access to shortly after sending me a delinquent account notice, so that I could not view my payment history on their old service. 

During those 3 months, the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX claims that I have not paid my dues. Their basis for this claim is that their new banking service, which has its own website and software associated with it, does not have record of my payments. Their new banking service does not communicate with the previous service, so they do not see that all of my payments were made on time and accepted through their old service at this time. Both the old and new services appear on my bank statements with the same identity, " XXXX XXXX XXXX Dues ''. 

Despite my 100 % on time record with my association dues, the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX immediately hired a debt collection firm, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, to attempt to collect these dues which have already been paid, effectively charging me double for these 3 months. They hired this debt collection firm before verifying any details with me, and within 1 month of sending me a delinquent account notice. Once the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX contracted this debt collection agency, they began ignoring all of my emails and phone calls, telling me to contact the debt collection agency instead. When I attempted to contact this debt collection agency about the matter, they were unresponsive. It took more than a month to hear back from the debt collection agency, and their only information regarding the existence of the debt is the automated logs generated by the homeowners association 's new banking service 's website. The debt collection agency, which has been unresponsive and prone to error in all of their communications, does not have any information about the payments made to the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX through the previous banking service, which was still active and still accepting my payments. The debt collection agency has proceeded to send me harassing letters, despite lack of any proof of debt. 

On top of all of this, the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is attempting to charge me XXXX $ per month in late fees on a debt that does not exist, and also wants me to pay legal fees to a debt collection firm that was hired for a debt that does not exist. 

Below are the exact dates and amounts of my payments to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. These dates and amounts are verified by both my banking service, XXXX, and the electronic receipts sent by their former banking service XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

XX/XX/year> : {$370.00} paid to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX under management company XXXX XXXX XXXX ( TX ). 

XX/XX/year> : {$370.00} paid to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX under management company XXXX XXXX XXXX ( TX ). 

XX/XX/year> : {$370.00} paid to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX under management company XXXX XXXX XXXX ( TX ).