Attempts to collect debt not owed: Debt collection

Issue : Debt Collection I am filing this complaint regarding Fair Collections & Outsourcings ( FCO ) attempt to collect an alleged $91.00 electric utility debt that I was never made aware of until more than one year after I had vacated my apartment. I moved out of the apartment approximately three years ago. At the time I vacated the property, I was never provided with a final utility bill, notice of an outstanding balance, or any communication indicating that I owed money to the utility provider. Had I been notified of a legitimate balance, I would have promptly paid a $91.00 obligation and avoided any collection activity. Instead, my first notice of this alleged debt came more than a year after I had already moved out, when I was informed that the account had been placed with a third-party debt collector. As a result, I was deprived of a reasonable opportunity to review, verify, or resolve the alleged balance directly with the original creditor before it was referred to collections. To date, I have not been provided with documentation demonstrating that I was properly billed for this alleged balance before the account was referred for collection. I have not received the original utility bill, an itemized account statement, or documentation showing when and how the original creditor attempted to notify me of the alleged debt. Consumers should receive timely notice of any outstanding balance and be given a fair opportunity to resolve it before being subjected to third-party collection efforts. In this case, that did not occur. The lack of timely notice prevented me from addressing the matter when it could have been resolved quickly and without unnecessary collection activity. Given that I was not informed of this alleged debt until more than a year after vacating the property, I believe it is unfair and unreasonable to pursue collection under these circumstances. I respectfully request that the CFPB review this matter and require Fair Collections & Outsourcing to provide an appropriate resolution consistent with applicable consumer protection laws.