Consumer complaint received 2016-02-10
Product: Debt collection — Medical
Issue: Disclosure verification of debt — Right to dispute notice not received
Company: CMRE Financial Services, Inc. (CA)

I recently inquired about making a home purchase with a lender. When the lender pulled my credit report, there were XXXX accounts showing up on my credit report that I did n't recognize. I was able to resolve XXXX with the agency reporting it on my credit but when I called the second agency, they were not so amicable nor reasonable. 

The company was named C.M.R.E. and the collector was a man named XXXX XXXX at extension XXXX. He said that the account that they had on my credit report was for a doctor 's bill back in 2010. When asked why I was never notified about this debt by anybody he claimed that they had an address and phone numbers that do n't belong to me. He admitted that they had never spoken to me even though they have had this account in their office since 2010. I had to find out about this debt by looking at my credit report. Considering my husband and I have had our same cellphone numbers for 12 years, I thought that explanation by XXXX XXXX was very " fishy '' for the lack of a better term. 

Because I had never been notified about this debt, I asked if I could pay this debt including all the company 's unfounded interest which happens to be as he put it " a balance after insurance payment '' in exchange for a removal from my credit report. At this point he said no and instead started quoting XXXX law as an excuse as to why not. Unfortunately for him I am familiar with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. 

XXXX XXXX was also informed of my knowledge regarding this law specifically 809. Validation of debts [ 15 USC 1692g ] ( a ) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing -- ( 1 ) the amount of the debt ; ( 2 ) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed ; ( 3 ) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector ; ( 4 ) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector ; and ( 5 ) a statement that, upon the consumer 's written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor. 
( b ) If the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period described in subsection ( a ) that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, or that the consumer requests the name and address of the original creditor, the debt collector shall cease collection of the debt, or any disputed portion thereof, until the debt collector obtains verification of the debt or any copy of a judgment, or the name and address of the original creditor, and a copy of such verification or judgment, or name and address of the original creditor, is mailed to the consumer by the debt collector. 
( c ) The failure of a consumer to dispute the validity of a debt under this section may not be construed by any court as an admission of liability by the consumer. 

Because he admitted that they had no initial communication with me, and because he admitted that they had the wrong phone numbers and address then he has failed to adhere to the F.D.C.P.A. by failing to validate this debt with me. By credit reporting it he has further violated the law for continuing to collect a debt that has n't been validated. Please look into this