Consumer complaint received 2024-06-06 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on your report — Account information incorrect
Company: TRANSUNION INTERMEDIATE HOLDINGS, INC.
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
The original company, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, put multiple erroneous charges on my account upon moving out. The initial incorrect charges were for {$2800.00} for " insufficient notice '' ( even though I had given sufficient notice twice ), " base rent '' of {$350.00}, and a " late charge '' of {$3.00} in addition to the roughly {$60.00} late charge that was already listed for the same month. Naturally, I reached out and requested to have these items removed. The property manager did remove the " insufficient notice '' fee but explained that for the second " base rent '' charge they " just billed it '' because payment was not made prior to the XXXX. There was nothing that I could find in my lease justifying that charge and I have received no further explanation guiding me to that information if it does exist. So, I was charged for days I was not occupying the apartment. The total amount charged for rent exceeded my actual amount of rent per month and the individual charge exceeded the prorated deduction. The property manager eventually ceased communicating with me and told me to wait for a final bill from the parent company, XXXX, and to pay them directly instead of sending the payment to the XXXX office as I had originally requested. 

While waiting to hear from XXXX, more charges were added to my account in the resident portal, such as a {$190.00} cleaning fee even though I had emptied and cleaned the entire apartment before vacating ( which I had video proof of as well as a witness ). In addition, I had received email communication from XXXX XXXX XXXX confirming receipt of my key but nothing mentioning that the apartment was not properly cleaned. When I received the bill from XXXX, the charges listed were still either duplicates, erroneous, or went unitemized. I attempted reaching out to the account receivables department directly and received no response initially. I then secured a lawyer who sent a demand letter to the property manager as well as individual handling my account in the account receivables department. That lawyer also suggested I file a complaint with the Attorney General, which I did. The remaining balance was unpaid since the issues needed to be resolved so accurate payment could be made on my part. Instead of responding to me, my lawyer, or the Attorney General, XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX filed a claim against my third party security deposit insurer, XXXX. XXXX then reached out to me also telling me NOT to pay anything since there was an active claim against my account. Meanwhile, myself, my lawyer, and the Attorney General still did not receive a response. As soon, as the claim was paid by XXXX to XXXX, I immediately reimbursed XXXX. The payment from XXXX did not cover the remaining balance in it's entirety so communication and correction of errors were still needed. 

After some months, the individual at XXXX accounts receivables department finally responded to myself and the Attorney General. She did remove some charges ( such as the {$190.00} cleaning fee ) but not the rent that was charged for days I did not inhabit the unit, she did not substantiate the charge based on language in my lease, nor did she correct the amount of utilities that were due ( and paid ) even after I sent her a copy of the final bill directly from the utility provider in XX/XX/XXXX. I sent a payment for the correct amount of utilities, a screenshot of my payment, as well as a copy of that final bill directly from the utility company. That email went unanswered and still remains unanswered to this very day. Instead, in early in XXXX, I received communication from the collection agency, XXXX, for the remaining balance on the account. I again reached out to the Attorney General who reached out to the individual in account receivables. She responded to the Attorney General saying that my account had been closed and had been sold to XXXX. In addition, she provided a typed accounting of what I owed. In her typed accounting included the double rent charge ( without lease language substantiating it ) as well as the incorrect amount of utilities owed even though I sent her the correct and paid amounts in XXXX. XXXX also responded to the Attorney General with an accounting ledger containing these incorrect charges but the very same ledger included the payment I made in XXXX for the correct amount owed ( and paid ) for utilities. In a separate email from a different individual at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Apartments provided a typed accounting that differed in the amount owed altogether. 

The Attorney General told me that they only serve as a mediator and advised that I seek legal guidance to pursue the matter further as they did not believe there was anything else they could do to assist me with the matter. 

I did reach out to a couple of lawyers but they were either unable to assist or advised me that the cost of litigation would drastically exceed the cost of the actual debt. While I am confident in my claims, I do not have the financial resources to initiate litigation based on the costs associated with doing so. In addition, while paying the debt is cheaper, I do not owe it and simply paying it will not rid my credit report of the collections account. Subsequently, my credit score suffers for information that is not correct to begin with. 

I have disputed the account directly with the credit bureaus ( Transunion, XXXX, and XXXX ) multiple times, with supporting documentation showing that the information they are reporting is inaccurate and it keeps coming back verified. 

In summary, the account never should have gone to collections as I have remained engaged with this matter from the very beginning. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Apartments inflated my account with erroneous charges upon my lease termination and move out then passed the bill to their property management company, XXXX. Both the property manager and the management company ignored my communication on multiple occasions until they took it upon themselves to just send the account to collections. At no point have I been unwilling or unable to pay what was owed as I have had the same employer for the past 11 years. My bank account was hacked and I never received reimbursement from my banking institution which caused me to pay my rent late due to my pay day being after the date my rent was due. So, while I own that my rent was late, it was in fact paid. I was not evicted and I completed the duration of my lease. I have been the one trying to communicate and make payment only to be given the run around and sent to collections for debts I do not actually owe or at the very least have not been properly substantiated. Now that the account is in collections, the credit bureaus are reporting inaccurate information even though I have sent them clear and concise documentation showing that the information is in fact inaccurate.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation