Consumer complaint received 2025-11-05 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Rental debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: National Credit Systems,Inc.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
In XX/XX/XXXX, I pulled my credit reports from XXXX  and XXXX  ( as of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, respectively ) and found a collection account for {$4800.00} listed as past due as of XX/XX/XXXX. The account is reported by National Credit System on behalf of the original creditor XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The account number is XXXX, and it shows as opened on XX/XX/XXXX. It is marked as a " XXXX '' responsibility, with comments noting " Dispute resolved ; customer disagrees '' on XXXX  and " Completed investigation of FCRA dispute - consumer disagrees '' on XXXX. 
Heres the full story : In XX/XX/XXXX, my mother needed an apartment at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. She could not qualify on her own, so I agreed to co-sign the lease only as a favor to help her get approved. I never lived at the property, never paid rent, never received statements, and never intended to be financially responsible beyond the initial approval process. I was told my role was limited to helping her qualify and that I would not be liable unless she defaulted and they pursued me directlywhich never happened during the tenancy. 
The lease ended, my mother moved out, and I believed the matter was closed. I had no knowledge of any unpaid balance until this collection appeared on my credit report in XXXXover 6 years later. 
The apartment complex and collector never contacted me about any balance during or after the lease. They never sent me a bill, a demand letter, or any notice of delinquency, violating FDCPA 1692g ( 15 U.S.C. 1692g ), which requires collectors to send a validation notice within 5 days of initial contact, including debt details and my right to dispute. Since no such notice was ever provided, they must cease all collection activities, including credit reporting, until validation is providedwhich they can not do now, as the debt is time-barred under Georgia Code 9-3-24 ( 6-year statute of limitations on written contracts, expired approximately XX/XX/XXXX ). 
Furthermore, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX stole my personal information and sold or disclosed it to National Credit System without my consent or permission, constituting an unauthorized disclosure in violation of FCRA 1681b ( 15 U.S.C. 1681b ), which strictly limits the permissible purposes for furnishing consumer reports or sharing consumer data, such as only for legitimate debt collection on a valid, enforceable debtnone of which applies here due to the time-barred and unverified status. This unauthorized sharing also violates FCRA 1681q ( 15 U.S.C. 1681q ), imposing civil liability for willfully obtaining or disclosing consumer information under false pretenses or without a permissible purpose, as there was no valid basis to transfer my data for collection purposes without my knowledge or agreement. Additionally, this breaches Georgia 's Personal Data Security Act ( O.C.G.A. 10-1-910 et seq. ), which requires notification and protection against unauthorized access or disclosure of personal information, and prohibits such actions by entities handling consumer data, treating this as a potential data breach or unfair practice under Georgia Code 10-1-393 ( prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts in consumer transactions, including misuse of personal information ).

A prior dispute was apparently filed ( as shown in the comments dated around XX/XX/XXXX ), but that investigation was clearly flawed and violated FCRA 1681i ( 15 U.S.C. 1681i ), which requires credit bureaus ( XXXX  and XXXX  ) to conduct a " reasonable reinvestigation '' of disputed items within 30 days, free of charge, and delete or correct inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information. I was never contacted during that process, never provided documentation, and the account remains reported as if I am the primary debtor, not a co-signer who was never pursued. The furnisher ( National Credit System ) failed to investigate properly under FCRA 1681s-2 ( 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ), which mandates furnishers to investigate disputes within 30 days and correct or delete inaccurate information, with liability for failing to do so.

This is not accurate reporting under FCRA 1681e ( b ) ( 15 U.S.C. 1681e ( b ) ), which requires credit bureaus and furnishers to maintain reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy of reported information. Even if I was a co-signer : I was never notified of any default ( required before reporting to credit under FDCPA and FCRA standards ).

The debt was not pursued against me within a reasonable time.

Reporting a stale, unverified co-signer debt as a current collection also violates FCRA 1681c ( 15 U.S.C. 1681c ), which prohibits reporting obsolete or misleading information beyond 7 years from delinquency ( here, approaching the limit but unverifiable due to time-barred status ). If deleted due to inaccuracy, it must be permanently blocked from reappearing under FCRA 1681c-2.

This erroneous reporting is damaging my credit score and preventing me from qualifying for a mortgage. 
Actions I have taken : XX/XX/XXXX : Pulled my credit reports from XXXX  and XXXX  and confirmed the account appears on both with the inaccurate details. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Contacted my mothershe confirmed the debt is hers and that she was the sole resident. 
XX/XX/XXXX : Reviewed old emails and documentsI have no record of ever being billed or notified by the apartment or collector. 
I am now filing this CFPB complaint to force a proper, documented investigation under the cited FCRA and FDCPA provisions.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation