Consumer complaint received 02-06-2017 about Debt collection (Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)) with EQUIFAX, INC. (GA).
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Indicated committed crime not paying

Complaint: In late XXXX I & my mother moved into a rent w/ the option to purchase new home. While we still had an active lease and had paid our XXXX rent, In XXXX the builder offered to sell us the home. The builder informed us that in order to purchase the home that we MUST use their " lender, appraiser, attorney, and realtor '' in order to purchase. We thought this was an odd request. I had not owned a home, but my mother was & still is a homeowner in another state. The tactics that they were using & the demands to use only their staff became problematic. We were within our ten day grace period to back out of the real estate deal & after speaking with my mother about our concerns I contacted a professor of mine who was a lawyer. When I told her about the situation she told me to " immediately withdraw in writing from this deal XXXX, it does not sound right & there is something very unethical and illegal going on. '' I did as she suggested & put in writing that we wished to withdraw from the real estate deal. The company was XXXX with a corporate office in XXXX, GA. 
Upon sending written confirmation to the lender/landlord, I received an email response telling us to " get out of the house immediately. '' It was not possible for us to move that day & they had accepted our rent for the previous month & the current month only a few days earlier. 
Shortly after we were met with threats, harassment, letters stating we were in violation of things such as " lawn care '' and " positioning of the trash can. '' They company sent the maintenance man over to our house before XXXX on several mornings to just ring the door bell to intimidate us, whereas previously they always gave adequate notice before coming to the home for any reason. 

In retaliation, XXXX XXXX filed an illegal eviction notice with the courts & we were required to answer and appear in court. I hired an attorney who reviewed all of the documentation as I did every transaction with XXXX XXXX in writing and they replied in writing. The lawyer looked everything over and told us it was an " illegal eviction and the judge is going to really be glad to hear this case. You all are looking at a minimum of XXXX in damages and the judge can decide to let you occupy the property as long as he chooses. '' He went on to state that we were still legally tenants and under a lease per the law in Georgia. He added that they could not take our rent and then tell us to " get out immediately. '' We went to court and our lawyer did not show. We waited for hours and he was tied up in another XXXX. The judge kept telling us that he was willing to wait for the attorney because he wanted to hear the case. My XXXX yr old mother became ill & the company asked if we could come to an agreement. I agreed. I would later find out that though their actions were illegal, it was reported to the credit bureaus that I had a " civil action '' against me that I lost. 

I contacted XXXX XXXX & they agreed to correct the record, inform the courts, credit bureaus & whomever else that this eviction should have NEVER been filed to avoid legal action. Initially the XXXX bureaus refused to remove it. It was incorrect to begin with as it stated I owed {$700.00} which was incorrect. Eventually after several disputes & evidence, XXXX and XXXX deleted the account from my credit report. 

EQUIFAX refused to remove it & stated that they would only report it as " paid or settled. '' Even with significant evidence, I can not get Equifax to remove this damaging account from my report, not even with confirmation from the parties who filed it erroneously and illegally. My score with Equifax is very low and every time I am turned down for some form of credit and Equifax is quoted, it lists " civil judgement or public record '' as the reason. I notice that on my Equifax credit report that there continue to be errors that exist nowhere else.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation