Consumer complaint received 2023-04-24
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: United Credit and Collections Inc. (SC)

An overview of my case. At its roots it involves a prior landlord-tenant dispute with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX who are located in XXXX, South Carolina XXXX XXXX has made a claim that I owe them {$1300.00}. I turned in my keys to management on Friday, XX/XX/XXXX. Items involved in that charge would include rent income and their renter 's insurance. The alleged debt owed was sold to United Credit and Collections , Inc, who are now seeking payment, and have reported this to XXXX. My credit score with XXXX has dropped as a result of this action. I have disputed all of the debt they claim I owe to both XXXX and United Credit and Collections. 

Key Items in my dispute : 1 ) I was on a month-to-month lease with XXXX XXXX a part of my leasing contract has been provided for your confirmation. This part of the leasing contract was provided to me also by United Credit and Collections. Attached is a part of this leasing contract for confirmation. 

2 ) A lack of thirty-day ( 30 ) notices provided to me by XXXX for rental increases- XXXX increased my rent twice. Once in XXXX, and again during the last month I was a tenant, which would be XX/XX/XXXX. No letter or notice of any kind was provided to me thirty days prior to each increase both times. To be clear, I was NOT notified by XXXX XXXX at the end of XX/XX/XXXX my rent would be increased from $ XXXX to $ XXXX in XXXX, and I was NOT notified at the end of XX/XX/XXXX my rent would be increased again from $ XXXX to $ XXXX in XXXX. Ninety-one ( 91 ) percent of what they claim I owe is a result of these increases. Per consultation with the XXXX XXXX XXXX and an attorney, it is my understanding those increases are not effective due to the South Carolina Landlord-Tenant Act. Rent was paid to XXXX for each month during the last three months I was there ( XXXX has my last day being XX/XX/XXXX, and did prorate my rent ), but did not include any additional money they wanted as a result of their increases. My deposit was taken as rent money. I printed out what they claim I owe now from my account portal on their website, and it is attached for your review. Any outstanding charges prior can also be sent to you upon request. 
NOTE : XXXX reported to the utility company, XXXX XXXX XXXX, that my rent did NOT increase in XX/XX/XXXX, and also that my rent did NOT increase again in XXXX. Please see attached for evidence. 

3 ) XXXX renter 's insurance - XXXX has claimed that I owe them for their renter 's insurance I never paid, even though there was never a lapse in coverage. It was a requirement as a tenant, but you were given the option to be covered through your own insurance company. I was covered through XXXX XXXX. Please feel free to contact my XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, at XXXX, to confirm I was covered WITHOUT a lapse in coverage ( or/and for documentation ), and especially for the days XXXX wants payment per the documentation I printed out through their website. 

4 ) XXXX Deposit letter - a thirty-day ( 30 ) notice to vacate letter was provided to XXXX, which they acknowledged, on where to send my deposit and a deposit letter with itemized deductions. This is attached. I never received a deposit letter from XXXX in XXXX or XXXX of the year XXXX, to the address given on my thirty-day ( 30 ) notice to vacate ( my last day of tenancy did need to be adjusted ; I complied with their request to leave by Friday, XX/XX/XXXX ). XXXX and/or United Collections did not provide any evidence that an attempt was made by XXXX to send a deposit letter by certified or registered mail to the address provided on my thirty-day notice to vacate.. Included in documentation from United Credit and Collections is a deposit letter/notice ( with an itemized list of items on a separate page ) from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. It was first read by me on XX/XX/XXXX. The address I provided in the thirty-day ( XXXX ) notice to vacate to XXXX is not on their deposit letter/notice, as only XXXX 's address is XXXX at the top. 

From my understanding about what I know about rental laws in the state of South Carolina, XXXX failed to take necessary actions as required by South Carolina law. United Credit and Collections , Inc has become a party to these illegal actions. Poor management practices may be involved in my case, too. Other? At XXXX water came through my ceiling in my kitchen due to a leaky roof, which they repaired. The leak stopped. However, XXXX never repaired the ceiling, even after an inspection was made by maintenance. There were other places in my apartment where there appeared to be leaks in the ceiling ( brown spots ). 

Attached are records I made reference to in this email. 

1 ) Apartment Lease Contract, signed by all parties on XX/XX/XXXX ( nine pages ) 2 ) Current Outstanding Charges, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX pages ) 3 ) XXXX XXXX XXXX documents ( two pages ) 4 ) My thirty-day notice to vacate that was sent to XXXX XXXX XXXX attached letter, and their acknowledgment ( three pages ) 5 ) United Credit and Collections XXXX seven pages ) - all primary paperwork received by them and my responses ( seven pages ). My last response to United Credit and Collections , Inc. was sent by certified mail.