Consumer complaint received 2025-05-28 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports — Credit reporting
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem — Was not notified of investigation status or results
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
b'I am submitting this formal complaint against XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX TransUnion, and Equifax for multiple violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Texas Finance Code, and the Texas Property Code. I am a "consumer" as defined under 15 U.S. Code  1692a(3), and I believe these entities have engaged in deceptive, misleading, unlawful debt collection, and inaccurate credit reporting practices. 1. Dispute of Debt - Legal Termination of Lease (Texas Property Code  92.016): I was a tenant at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and a victim of family violence, as defined in Texas Family Code  71.004. In accordance with Texas Property Code  92.016(b), I legally terminated my lease and vacated the property. I provided a copy of my "Temporary Ex Parte Protective Order" (Cause No. XXXX) to the landlord. Per Texas Property Code  92.016(f), I am released from all liability for any unpaid rent as of the date of my lease termination, as the lease contract did not contain the statutory disclaimer language. Therefore, the alleged balance of \\XXXX  being pursued by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. is invalid, not owed, and should not have been pursued or reported. 2. Violations by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Misrepresentation of Business Name: XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. has repeatedly misrepresented its identity on my credit reports. As shown in the attached reports dated XXXX XXXX XXXX the account is listed as "XXXX XXXX" on TransUnion and "XXXX XXXX XXXX" on Equifax. This does not match its full legal name, "XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX," which is inconsistent with its registered bond. This practice violates Texas Finance Code  392.304(a)(1)(A), which prohibits the use of any name other than the true business or professional name in debt collection activities. Failure to Cease Communication: I initially disputed this account on XXXX XXXX XXXX by sending letters to all three credit bureaus and to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX., citing inaccuracies. Despite this, the account remains on my credit reports. I also invoked my rights under 12 C.F.R.  1006.6(c)(1), which prohibits further communication from a debt collector once a consumer has notified them in writing that they refuse to pay the debt. Any continued communication or collection attempts constitute a violation of federal law. Reporting Debt Not Owed & Furnishing False Information: By attempting to collect and report a debt from a tenant legally released from liability, and by furnishing false credit information, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is violating 12 C.F.R.  1006.6(d)(1)(iii) and Texas Finance Code  391.002(a). Failure to Provide Validation Notice: XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX failed to provide a validation notice as required by 15 U.S. Code  1692g(a) and 12 C.F.R.  1006.34. Engaging in Deceptive Practices: All of the above actions constitute deceptive practices under 12 U.S.C.  5536. 3. Violations by TransUnion and Equifax (Fair Credit Reporting Act): Despite my direct disputes and providing supporting documentation, TransUnion and Equifax have failed to conduct a reasonable investigation and delete this inaccurate and unverifiable debt from my credit reports. I sent certified dispute letters to Equifax on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I sent certified dispute letters to TransUnion on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The attached credit reports, generated XXXX XXXX XXXX clearly show the continued reporting of this disputed account, with "Account information disputed by consumer" noted on the TransUnion report. This demonstrates their awareness of the dispute and continued failure to act. Their continued reporting of this debt, which is legally not owed, constitutes a violation of my rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), specifically 15 U.S.C.  1681i(a)(1)(A) (duty to conduct reasonable reinvestigation) and  1681i(a)(5)(A) (duty to delete inaccurate information). 4. Relevant Case Law: XXXX XXXX v. Equifax Information Services, LLC This case is highly relevant to my situation, where a plaintiff terminated a lease, vacated the property, and then faced debt collection and negative credit reporting for a debt they claimed was not owed. The court in XXXX XXXX v. Equifax Information Services, LLC (Case No. XXXX) found that a debt collector can be liable under the FDCPA for attempting to collect or report a debt that was never owed, stating, "A debt collector that attempts to collect a debt that was never owed similarly violates  1692e(2)(A)". Furthermore, the court held that a furnisher (such as Equifax or TransUnion) must investigate the legal validity of the debt under the FCRA, and failure to do so can result in liability if the debt is not legally owed. This directly supports my claim that both XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and the credit bureaus are acting unlawfully.'

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation