Consumer complaint received 2024-11-05 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Other debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: Rossi Law Offices, Ltd
State: MA

Complaint narrative:
To Whom It May Concern, I am filing this formal complaint against Rossi Law Offices for their continued attempts to collect a debt that I believe is invalid, their failure to comply with applicable debt collection laws, and their misleading and false statements made during pursuit of the debt. Below is a detailed summary of the situation : Initial Dispute ( XX/XX/XXXX ) : I first disputed the validity of the debt on XX/XX/XXXX via the online portal provided by Rossi Law Offices in their initial debt collection statement. The debt in question is related to excise taxes for a vehicle allegedly registered in XXXX XXXX  for the years XXXX and XXXX, but I moved to XXXX  in XX/XX/XXXX, and my vehicle was registered there. No information had been provided about these claimed debts from the original creditor, including any attempts to collect this debt previously or make me aware the debts were being assessed under my name. 

Rossi Law Offices ' Response ( XX/XX/XXXX ) : An unnamed member of the Rossi team reached out via email and told me this commonly happens due to registrations not being cancelled and requested XXXX XXXX XXXX documents I no longer had. They provided some language around this and showed me a screenshot of an account showing debts incurred XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. They also stated they did not have control over the amount of payment due to the state controlling the taxes. 

My Response to Rossi ( XX/XX/XXXX ) : I responded to their request for documentation on XX/XX/XXXX, explaining that I no longer had the original registration cancellation paperwork due to the passage of time. Instead, I provided proof from my town in XXXX, showing that I paid excise tax for the vehicle from calendar year XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX onward, which indicates that the car was legally registered in XXXX  and subject to excise tax there, not in XXXX XXXX 

Rossi Law Offices ' False Statements About Debt Ownership : In their response, Rossi Law Offices incorrectly stated that " taxes are controlled by the state '' and claimed they had no authority to reduce or eliminate any portion of the debt. However, on XX/XX/XXXX, I verified with the town of XXXX XXXX in the state of XXXX XXXX ( the original creditor ) that they had sold the debt to Rossi Law Offices. This is a direct contradiction to their statement, as it shows that Rossi now owns the debt, not the state. Rossis refusal to acknowledge this or adjust the debt based on their mistaken claims is misleading and is especially damaging to those customers with a legitimate debt claim.

Rossi Law Offices ' Further Actions : Despite my timely response with valid proof, Rossi Law Offices sent a payment demand letter dated XX/XX/XXXX, falsely claiming that I had not responded to their requests and that they had provided answers to my questions. I provided proof of the invalidity of the debt on XX/XX/XXXX, and no further response or verification from them to this proof has been forthcoming. Attachment of this is included. 

Misrepresentation and Violation of Debt Collection Laws : Rossi Law Offices false claim that the state owns the debt and their continued pursuit of payment without proper validation violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ). Their misleading statements and failure to cease collection efforts after receiving proof of the debts invalidity are further violations of my consumer rights. 

Previous Attempts to Resolve : In my communication, I requested that they provide proof of the debt and my ownership. I also instructed them not to contact any family members or colleagues about the matter, and to report my dispute to any credit bureaus they may have contacted. They provided a screenshot of a system showing the disputed dates and did not respond when I provided proof that my car was registered in a different state during the time period the debt was incurred. However, their continued collection attempts, including their recent false statements and misrepresentation of debt ownership in an attempt to collect the debt while in a period of dispute, suggest they are disregarding my rights as a consumer. 

Given that I have provided appropriate evidence showing the debt is invalid, and have received no evidence showing the debt is valid, I believe further collection efforts are unlawful and in violation of my rights under the FDCPA. I have already filed a complaint with the XXXX  Attorney Generals Office, and will continue to report any further potentially illegal collection actions.

I respectfully request that you investigate this matter, ensure that all further attempts to collect this debt cease, and confirm that the debt is properly marked as disputed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation