I received a collections letter from Southern Management Systems, Inc on May 21 almost a year to the day that my daughter moved out of the apartment complex she was leasing from University Crescent in Baton Rouge LA. The collection letter arrived to both of the addresses she had listed as alternate contact addresses on the same day. That would be me her mother and the other person is her grand mother. But we never received any information from University Crescent showing that she had an outstanding balance on her account. We did not receive one form of contact from University Crescent no letters, no phone calls nothing. My daughter had a lease from August - August but she moved out on May 17th because her school year was over and she no longer needed the apartment. The management of University Crescent did a walk through with my daughter with my daughter on May 17th and gave her an all clear and she turned in her keys to the management. Since the apartments have 4 bedrooms her room remained locked she elected to not sublease the apartment and we continued to pay rent through the end of her lease in August. As far as we know the other two girls stayed the term of their leases. My daughter had a deposit of $100.00 and then a pet deposit of $100.00 along with a deposit for the pet that would not be refunded of $250.00 and for having a pet she paid an additional $25.00 more per month on top of her rent. After her move out we never heard a word from University Crescent nothing.
Then all of a sudden May 21st we (myself and her grand-mother) received the collections letter from Southern Management Systems, Inc. Since her grand-father co-signed the lease for any possible damages Southern Management would speak to them and told them why she owed $326.46 dollars it was for replacement of carpet in her bedroom, blinds, carpet in the living room. None of which was discussed with her upon her walk through with the management when she received the all clear and turned in her keys. No damages were discussed they never mentioned that they would have to change the carpet in the bedroom or the blinds or even the living-room carpet.
I contacted University Crescent would speak to me I got in touch with them right away my first call was June 10th, I needed to speak to my daughter and she was out of the country in Scotland attending a University there. I needed to get specific information from her like terms of lease and so forth and to find out if she had ever received any calls or letters from the apartment complex about damages and repairs made. I spoke to them on June 10th, June 23, July 6 and July 7 hoping to get some information regarding the damages to the apartment. Southern Management would not speak to me until they received approval from my daughter that it would be okay to discuss her account due to privacy issues. She left several messages that they said they did not receive and finally I contacted my daughter had her call give the approval and then called them right back by this time it is June 25th past the dispute date with the collections agency. But I spoke to the first person and she told me what the damages were for, I questioned the charges and asked if they could provide me anything in writing and they told me know they told me they do not have to provide me any information that the complex tried to contact us and we ignored any information which is a complete lie we never received anything at all from the complex. She passed me on to another person at Southern Management he had to get the approval to speak to me from the first person because she did not not it in the file that my daughter called in and told them they could speak to me on her behalf. This guy did all he could but could not help me either they consider themselves the collection agency and all they want is the money it does not matter to them if you received anything about the debt prior to being turned over to collections.
So I asked to speak to a manager which I did get and that is when things went completely down hill. She answered the phone with a very poor attitude, was extremely rude, raising her voice to me stating to me how long she was doing her job and telling me she would make sure that my daughters credit would be ruined if we refused to pay for these damages. I tried to explain why should we pay for damages that we do not believe what we owe and that they would not let me file a dispute because it was past the date because they refused to speak to me without my daughters permission and it took forever for them to get that permission because they would not take phone mail approval and the time difference make it almost impossible for the two of them to connect.
The next thing I know the girl is screaming at me telling me she is taking my name off of the account and no one at Southern Management would be allowed to speak to me further on this account. I can tell you that the conversation was recorded if you need to hear the conversation it took place on July 2. She told me not only will she make suer my daughters credit is ruined but too my parents because they co-signed for her. My parents cannot afford a dollar let alone $346.64 they do not have any money to put towards this debt and we do not believe this money is owed by my daughter. But now I have no more open line of communication because Southern Management Systems, Inc has cut off all communication between myself and them. So how is this supposed to be work out if they will no longer speak to me.
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