Consumer complaint received 2025-02-08 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Rental debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: Action Collection Service
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Hi. This complaint is due to a collector and the apartment complex they are attempting to collect from, harming me by reporting a debt that is not real or isn't truly owed. 

Many years ago, I was in government assisted low-income housing due to being a young single mother. I applied for the housing and was easily approved. The apartment complex was reasonable, and I was very fortunate to have received the assistance as otherwise I don't know what I would have done or how I would have lived. The staff was also friendly enough. At least until it changed. 

During my year living at the apartment complex, the management kept changing hands. It seemed like either the managers didn't want to handle the complex, or the owners kept changing the managers because they weren't satisfied with whoever was managing the apartments. This was a problem for everyone involved with the complex, but it was very problematic for me. I say this because during the re-registration period to determine continued eligibility for the low-income housing, I turned in everything I was asked for. Proof of pay, proof of income or lack of it, and signed paperwork. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards, management changed hands again. 

A few months afterwards, I was told by the new management company that my rent was going to increase several hundreds of dollars a month because I no longer qualified for low-income housing and the previous months I had stayed after the registration period also needed to have the monthly rent adjusted. In other words, the previous months ' rent was retroactively inflated. When I asked why I no longer qualified for this program since my income or financial situation didn't change, I was told I didn't qualify because I didn't turn in my annual registration. After correcting them and stating I in fact did turn it in, they said they had no record of it. After I informed them I turned it in to the previous management company who was handling this paperwork during the time as they were the ones managing the complex during the annual registration period, I was told that unfortunately, that paperwork was never turned in to the government assistance program or the new management. Plenty of protests and frustrations later and it didn't matter. It was either pay more money that I couldn't afford, or leave the complex. I had no choice but to do the latter. 

After that unfortunate ordeal, I have been living off the grace of my family as I could no longer qualify for any other rentals since I had a collection on my report for unpaid rent. Because I was so young and inexperienced, I left it alone since I didn't know what to do or how to fight this. Now, the grace of my family has run out, and I am soon going to be forced to either live on the street with my child, pay thousands of dollars for rental charges I don't owe, or figure out a way to fight this unjust collection which I don't owe. I chose the last one. Even that seems to be getting me nowhere, however. 
Back in XXXX, I tried to get the collection agency XXXX XXXX XXXX to try and settle with me due to the circumstances I have already mentioned in this letter, but they didnt care. They didnt care that I am essentially being robbed because the apartment complex cant keep accurate records or transfer records between XXXX management company to another. I decided to then seek professional help in my hometown. I went and sought credit and debt specialists to help me with this matter. 
Back in XX/XX/XXXX of XXXX, my representatives faxed over my signed authorization to the collection agency, so the XXXX could speak with them regarding my case. The collection agency received the letter just fine and began to speak with my agents regarding the collection. My agents then requested paperwork on the charges from the apartment complex due to the way the apartment complex decided to kick me out or raise the rent on me, and they also offered a settlement to resolve the matter immediately. Action collection services took the request verbally, but then they said they needed the validation request and settlement offer in writing. The offer and request for validation were sent by fax that same day as well as by mail. I then waited for a response to those requests to see what could be done to let this matter rest so I could move on with my life. That response nor the validation ever arrived. 
On the XXXX of XXXX, my agents followed up with XXXX XXXX Services to see if they had a response to the settlement offer and if they had submitted any of the validation paperwork yet. To my surprise, XXXX XXXX XXXX claimed they never received any of it. When we asked how that was possible since they were sent a copy of the requests in XXXX separate forms, XXXX said they dont have any records of it. Clearly my agents and I were a little upset with that response, so we asked to speak with a supervisor. My time with my parents is almost up before I am left homeless, and I need a response soon. XXXX gave us an e-mail to a direct supervisor and told us we needed to e-mail everything to her so she could decide. We did so to XXXX The next week XXXX and my agent speak on the phone, and there is more of the same thing being said. XXXX claiming nothing was ever received prior to the e-mail which prompted her call, and my agent disbelieving that XXXX didnt receive his settlement offer or validation request fax or his mailed letter since they had no trouble receiving his Power of Attorney Fax earlier on the same day. The e-mail ended with another request for validation with a request for urgency to which XXXX said she would send. Here we are XXXX weeks later, and we have heard nothing and have received nothing. At this point I dont even know if XXXX will send anything since they didnt in XXXX or XXXX. Meanwhile, they are hurting my credit report and havent proven a single charge as legitimate. I say that loosely since in my eyes most if not all those charges are not legitimate anyways. I am only being charged because of the apartment complex not giving my paperwork to the low-income assistance program as they are required to and me suffering the consequences due to it. 
It is now crunch time and any day could be my last before me and my kid are homeless and I dont know what else to do. I have offered {$XXXX} to settle this collection simply to be done with this ordeal even if I know I dont owe this money, but it was rejected, and the collection agency doesnt even have the courtesy to send me the paperwork even though they were asked for it by phone on the XXXX of XXXX and in writing as well. Please help me to have this collection agency do the right thing and remove this from my credit report. If they arent going to prove this debt is real with an accounting of the charges, then they shouldnt be collecting it anyways. And I do not appreciate their patronization by saying they are sympathetic, but and then not even provide me paperwork or take my offer seriously. I want this removed from my report so I can finally qualify to rent a home for me and my child before we are forced to live in a car or on the streets.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation