Consumer complaint received 2024-06-13
Product: Debt collection — Rental debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: HW Holding, Inc (NV)

The dispute is about a false debt that our previous landlord " XXXX XXXX '' at " XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NV '' is claiming against us for bogus charges after our move out. These charges are unjustified. Their rationale for the amounts for each charge is absent, arbitrary, and unreasonable. The entities they purport to have hired to perform the unjustified work at frivolous prices appears to be the same as the landlord. They appear to want to pass on minimal wear-and-tear and turnover costs to us, their tenants. 

XX/XX/XXXX : We sign a lease with the landlord. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Our lease starts and we move into the unit. There are cobwebs everywhere. The carpets are very dirty and we clean them weekly with a carpet cleaner. My wife is XXXX  and she is meticulous about keeping clean floors. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I notify the landlord team that we will not extend our lease ending on XX/XX/XXXX. I request that they come to perform a pre-move out inspection. They never came to perform a pre-move out inspection. 
XX/XX/XXXX : We move out with all of our belongings and leave the apartment in cleaner-than-found conditions. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I email the property manager to ask about the refund for my security deposit. I don't hear back. 
XX/XX/XXXX : The property managers reach out by email and request that I pay additional charges that extend beyond my security deposit. From our XXXX $ deposit, they deducted XXXX $ for utility fees which we do not dispute, which leaves us with a refund due of XXXX XXXX However they claim an additional set of damage : XXXX $ for cleaning, XXXX $ for carpet/flooring clean/repair, and XXXX $ for interior painting with bill date of XX/XX/XXXX. We dispute these charges as bogus and unjustified. However they claim that we owe them an additional XXXX XXXX We dispute this and request that they refund us for XXXX XXXX 
XX/XX/XXXX : Hunter Warfield contacts me by email about collecting a debt of XXXX XXXX XXXX $ less than what the landlord are claiming. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I respond to their email and tell them that I have no responsibility for the debt. 

" I do not have any responsibility for the debt youre trying to collect. If you have good reason to believe that I am responsible for this debt, mail me the documents that make you believe that. Stop all other communication with me and with this address, and record that I dispute having any obligation for this debt. If you stop your collection of this debt, and forward or return it to another company, please indicate to them that it is disputed. If you report it to a credit bureau ( or have already done so ), also report that the debt is disputed. '' XX/XX/XXXX : I sent by registered mail the same message. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Hunter Warfield responds with a verification of the debt, which is a copy of our lease agreement and a list of charges : " S/D Retained Carpet/Flooring XXXXXXXX $ '', " S/D Retained Janitorial Clean XXXX $ '' and " S/D Retained Painting XXXX $ '' with bill date of XX/XX/XXXX. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I respond explaining that we left the property in good condition and that these charges are unjustified. I request that they provide evidence to justify that the charges are legitimate. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Hunter Warfield responds with a copy of the charges, the lease agreement, and a move-in/move-out inspection report. The report shows pictures from XX/XX/XXXX compared to XX/XX/XXXX. The conditions are equivalent, except for chip paint on one wall in bedroom 1. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I respond that I continue to dispute the charge. I note that the conditions are indistinguishable from our move in, and definitely not in excess of regular wear and tear, with the exception to the paint touch up in bedroom 1. I explain that we cleaned the apartment and shampooed the carpet with great care frequently and never wore shoes inside the home. We note that the pictures demonstrate minor paint touch up that do not extend beyond 1 or 2 square feet, and note that the going labor rate in XXXX for paint is XXXX $ to XXXX $ per square foot. I conclude that I do not owe them any money, and that they ( the landlord ) continues to owe me the balance on my security deposit. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I receive confirmation that the registered mail sent on XX/XX/XXXX was received. 
XXXX XXXX, XXXX : Hunter Warfield contacts me again, with no additional information from their XX/XX/XXXX message except for accrued interest of XXXX XXXX for a balance of XXXX XXXX 
XX/XX/XXXX : I notice that Hunter Warfield has posted a collection on my credit report with the major credit bureaus. I file a dispute with the bureaus. 
XX/XX/XXXX : I respond to Hunter Warfield 's XXXX XXXX email that these charges continue to be bogus. I also notice that they filed a collection notice with the credit bureaus. I request that they remove all such mentions with all credit agencies within 5 business days, that I reserve the right to take any required legal action necessary to clear this situation, and that I am submitting a complaint with the CFPB. 

The landlord is submitting bogus charges against me, with no justification for their necessity and no justification for how they came up with the amounts they are charging. They are using their own staff and entities under their control to come up with bogus bills. I'm acting in good faith here and am willing to pay for the paint touch up that the landlord at a reasonable price, which the XXXX market rate shows as being less than 10 .