Consumer complaint received 2025-12-26 00:00:00
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
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I am submitting this complaint regarding Columbia Debt Recovery LLC, d/b/a Genesis, for attempting to collect and report an unverified debt and for furnishing inaccurate information to credit reporting agencies ( incl. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ). 

On or about XX/XX/year>, I received an initial collection notice from Columbia Debt Recovery LLC, d/b/a Genesis, alleging that I owed {$320.00} to an entity identified as XXXX XXXX ( Account No. XXXX ). 

* * Formal Dispute and Validation Requests * * On XX/XX/year>, I formally disputed this debt in writing via email and clearly stated that this debt is not mine. I requested validation pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ), 15 U.S.C. 1692g. 

After receiving no meaningful response, I sent a second written dispute and validation demand on XX/XX/year>, again invoking my rights under the FDCPA and requesting that the collector : - Cease all collection activity, - Provide competent validation of the debt, and - Ensure any credit reporting reflected that the account was disputed, as required by the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). 


* * Inadequate and Deficient Validation * * In response, the collector provided only an unsigned rental lease agreement via email. The document :- Is unsigned, - Does not establish that I agreed to the lease, - Does not demonstrate that I am legally obligated for the alleged debt, - Does not include an itemized accounting of the amount claimed, - Does not show proof of delinquency or default, and - Does not establish the collectors authority or chain of title to collect the debt.

I promptly notified the collector in writing that an unsigned lease alone is not sufficient validation and requested proper documentation, including : - Proof that I am the individual legally obligated for the debt, - A signed lease or agreement, - A complete itemized accounting, - Proof of default, and - Chain of title/authority to collect. 

To date, no competent validation has been provided. 

* * Improper Credit Reporting * * Despite my timely disputes and the failure to provide adequate validation, the debt has been reported to credit reporting agencies, negatively impacting my credit score.

Reporting an unverified debt after a dispute constitutes continued collection activity and the furnishing of unverified and inaccurate information, which I believe violates : FDCPA 1692g ( b ) ( continued collection without validation ), and FCRA 1681s-2 ( b ) ( failure to ensure accuracy and proper investigation after dispute ). 

* * Requested Resolution * * I respectfully request that the CFPB : - Require the company to cease collection activity unless and until lawful validation is provided ; - Require the removal of this unverified account from all credit reporting agencies ; - Require the company to correct its records and ensure compliance with the FDCPA and FCRA ; and - Investigate whether this company engages in a broader pattern of furnishing unverified debts to consumer credit reports. 

I have attached copies of the relevant emails and correspondence demonstrating my disputes and the collectors failure to provide proper validation.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation