Consumer complaint received 2024-01-06
Product: Debt collection — Rental debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Rowland Avenue Management, Inc. A/KA Columbia Debt Recovery, LLC d/b/a Genesis (NJ)

Dear Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, I am writing to dispute the recent derogatory mark on my credit report. Both my wife and I received identical derogatory marks, and upon thorough review, we believe these marks are inaccurate and incorrect, necessitating immediate attention and correction. 

The derogatory marks allege an outstanding amount of {$680.00} owed to XXXX XXXX XXXX. However, this charge stems from a disputed transaction settled by the bank, and we firmly contend that we do not owe any sum to XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

I applied for an apartment at XXXX XXXX XXXX in late 2022, and due to income requirements, my wife and I applied jointly. We paid a total of {$250.00} for the application fee ( {$120.00} each ) and {$500.00} for the amenity fee ( {$250.00} each ). The latter was represented to us as fees to use buildings amenity for the entire 18-month duration of the intended stay. Despite our application retraction within a week, XXXX XXXX XXXX refused to refund the amenity fee, citing a 48-hour notice requirement and asserting the non-refundable nature of the fee, without furnishing any substantiating evidence. 

Following unsuccessful negotiations, we contested the charge with the bank on XX/XX/XXXX, triggering a 60-day investigation that resulted in the credited return of the disputed charges on XX/XX/XXXX. Despite this resolution, continuous demands for payment from XXXX XXXX XXXX persisted. On XX/XX/XXXX, we received a notice from Columbia Debt Recovery, who seek to collect the alleged debt from us on behalf of XXXX XXXX XXXX. Both XXXX XXXX XXXX and its debt collector failed to substantiate their claim, merely asserting the existence of an outstanding balance in their system. Notably, our request for additional information was ignored by the debt collector, who, without responding to our email and provide the information we requested, proceeded to place derogatory marks on our credit reports. 

We neither occupied the property nor utilized any amenities. Notably, the claimed owed amount includes a {$50.00} fee imposed due to an unsuccessful attempt to charge us. The actions taken by XXXX XXXX XXXX and its debt collector strike us as egregiously unfair and an abuse of their power. It seems they are leveraging their financial resources and influence to enlist a debt collector and unjustly recoup a disputed charge that has already been settled, to which they have no rightful claim. This situation raises serious concerns about the effectiveness of customer protection in such instances, questioning the fairness and transparency of the process. 

We again initiated the dispute with confidence in the impartiality of the system and the ethical standards upheld by major credit reporting agenciesEquifax, XXXX, and XXXX. Regrettably, our optimism waned as the credit agencies refrained from conducting independent research, opting instead to only rely on the information provided by the debt collector. Compounding our concerns, the debt collector in question is directly affiliated with the original creditor, XXXX XXXX XXXX, with a singular objective of collecting funds from us. This raises questions about the objectivity and fairness of the credit reporting process, as it appears to lack a thorough examination of our dispute and leans heavily on information provided by an entity with a vested interest in the outcome. 

We respectfully request your intervention in this matter to facilitate a fair and impartial resolution. With your involvement, we urge XXXX XXXX XXXX and its affiliated debt collector to provide evidence substantiating their claim regarding the alleged owed amount. Given our skepticism regarding the availability of such evidence, we assert that, in the absence of proof, it is only equitable for them to promptly remove the derogatory report from our credit history. Your prompt attention to this pressing issue is greatly appreciated, and we believe your intervention will contribute to a just and transparent resolution. 

Enclosed with this letter, you will find supporting documents, including initial email correspondence with XXXX XXXX XXXX, dispute initiation and settlement notices from XXXX, and email exchanges with the debt collector. I believe these documents will assist in the prompt resolution of this matter. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to a swift and positive resolution. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX