Consumer complaint received 2024-01-23
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: JNR Adjustment Company, Inc (MN)

XXXX is trying to charge me for work they had to have done due to their own agent telling me when I found their cable on my property that no one was using it and therefore there was no problem with me continuing the installation of a small privacy fence section. 

I did everything I was supposed to before putting up a short privacy fence in the back corner of my property. I called XXXX XXXX XXXX before I dug and have a record of their marking in an email dated XX/XX/XXXX. The only flags in the area were from XXXX that only directed something about using only hand tools, which is what I used. As can be seen from the photos that XXXX 's contractors took themselves, the flags and spray paint were beyond my fence line so there should have been no conflict anyway. There is evidence from the attached photos that I did not put up my fence over their markings since they are still up behind my fence afterward. 

While digging with a hand shovel the morning of Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX I located something that, although very dirty, didn't look like a root. I then stopped and called the phone number on the flag marked XXXX at XXXX and they connected me with a XXXX agent at XXXX. This agent spent some time kindly looking into that line/cable and my area to see if anyone was utilizing that line and concluded that she had no record of anyone using that line/cable and that it therefore must have been a 'retired ' line and that it would be just fine to continue with the installation of my fence, which I did, very relieved that there was no conflict. 

Then on XX/XX/XXXX there were two work trucks parked on the street by that area and walking around on our property. My wife told me this was the second day that had occurred, thinking it must have been XXXX XXXX since there were by the utility pole. I went out to speak with them to see if I could assist in any way or if they needed access onto our property for any reason. The two men told me they were not with XXXX but instead were contractors for XXXX and that a line was damaged, and they may try to charge me for it. I was very concerned about that, and I told them that the XXXX agent said there was no conflict and I asked them if those calls were recorded. They said they were recorded so I was relieved since there would be evidence that I was given permission to proceed from XXXX. They said one person was still using this old line several blocks away and that they agent should have expanded her search. I told them as it was the line/cable was only inches under the surface and not buried very deep. They said this didn't surprise them and told me of a very extensive repair they had to do in downtown XXXX and also expressed that these lines should be up on the utility poles as the fiber optics are here and the XXXX lines are in most places. They said that is what they wanted to do with this line but that XXXX was trying to cut costs. One of them joked : 'it 's job security for me ' that XXXX does this. 

After this came a long series of phone calls to XXXX with me several times asking to speak to a supervisor or have a supervisor call me back, which they never did once. I have documented these calls. 

The contractors came some days later and excavated a trench, which they left open for some days before finishing. They then filled the hole and replaced the sod only partially. This is when I finally was directed to XXXX who then got involved to get the sod finished. You will see in their attached email that they also had difficulty contacting XXXX, and they were working for them! As I was waiting for this work to be done, the initial XXXX contractors came out and marked the ground again with spray paint and flags. When I came out to inquire why they were spray painting the new sod they said that they hadn't done the job properly and that they had to dig it up again and redo it. Needless to say I was more than irritated. Neighbors would come by and, somewhat jokingly, 'boy what did you do? ' This added to our stress since we had done everything as were supposed to and this was very embarrassing. Incidentally, the sod was never done properly since we received that early snow in late XXXX. 

The email we received this week brought back all of that pain and suffering and now they want to damage our credit for their error! I was told that the company that I was connected to from the flag, and thereafter, is based in the XXXX. XXXX should not be able to wash its ' hands of responsibility for what their subcontractors do. Now they have added more damage by hiring another company to engage in billing harassment, and that company should have a responsibility to verify whether the monies they are chasing down are in fact owed. They should not be allowed to harass honest people and damage their credit and reputation for profit. 

Please help. Our foes are too large for us to defeat and the evidence for all of this should be on that first recorded phone call on Sunday, XX/XX/XXXX at approximately XXXX XXXX. I have never done anything like this, and I am very impressed that you do this for us citizens of Minnesota. Please give us a story to share by your help.