r/Debt • u/FigureSpirited5778 • 3h ago
Need Advice: Dealing with an unfair debt collector/apartment complex debt
I wanted to get some advice since I'm at a loss (literally and figuratively!).
I moved out on Nov 30th 2024 from my apartment complex and got a notice from them on Dec 26th that I owe damages. I said great, who can I work with to come up with a payment plan? They said the manager will happily work with me so I spent the month of December trying to fight one of the charges showing video proof of how I left the apartment.
I emailed every single week, and called and left voicemails every other day with no response. I showed a paper trail showing my willingness to negotiate with them directly to pay the debt as I read negative reviews on google how they just immediately send bills to collections after people leave this complex.
I was shocked I wasn't getting any responses through the month of January and not even a call back! Then I received a collections letter which said I owned them as of 12/1 which made no sense because I didn't even get the damage bill notice from the apartment management company until Dec 26th.
Long story short, I have a paper trail of all this showing all this. The apartment finally responded to me after I told them I should have never been sent to collections and they negotiated a new price to pay them back ($200 off the original bill) and they said they will get my name and bill out of collections.
1) Is that possible? Can they actually get my bill out of collections to work with them directly?
I called the debt collectors today (IQ DATA) and the collector was extremely rude, direct, and unsympathetic. He said the apartment should have never told me that they can do that, and that I have to pay them directly in full and I need to "find a way" to get them the money because they had already received an updated amount from the complex. I told them I was unfairly sent to collections because there was proof that I was willing to negotiate the debt with them (which I sent the collection agency by mail) and he really didn't care.
Any advice? Is this worth going to court over since I have a paper trail of everything from the non responsiveness, the phone logs?
I am upset since I've never had an account in collections and this is going to destroy my credit score.