Expert: Chris Ebert - 10/13/2010

Question
I currently live in Austin Texas since 6/7/2010. Prior to that I lived in a apartment located in Mesa Arizona for three years. I received a letter a month ago stating I owed $575.20 for apartment cleaning fees and collections fees. I contested the the letter and the collection agency sent me an itemized breakdown of $400 for the apartment cleaning fee and $175.20 for the collection fee. They also in the letter sent me a bunch of personal identifing information that they had collected from the apartment complex to include SSN, prior work information, my mom's emergency contact information, my car's make model and license plate number. I contested this letter, and they replied by saying "We are not threating you, but we find it necessary to resort to legal proceedings through attorneys and civil courts"These guys have never answered any of my questions, like why did I never get a bill from the apartment complex. I should have gotten a bill. They just keep sending me letters that I had better pay up or else, but then they make it clear in their letters that they are not treatening me.Should I just pay the bill or try to fight this. Also, I find it disturbing that my previous apartment complex released my Mom's emergency contact information to these guys when that information was given in good faith to be used solely for emegency reasons.

Answer
Kenneth,

I sorry to hear about your situation. It is bad to be betrayed when you thought they were keeping confidential information.

From my side I see that this is usual information that we receive from apartment collectors too. Since this is such a small amount of debt why not try to settle for 30-50% and get them to delete from the credit report.

Chris Ebert
http://www.henelycreditlaw.com