Have a dispute with CA Storage Facility they say they will send to Collections

[Anonymous]

I have an 800 Score with all 3 CRA . No lates , derogs whatsoever . Moved out of storage unit , the day before I owed for entire month . They gave until the 10th day , after the full rent is due . Received an email the next day saying the entire rent was due , and they have tacked on additional fees , of which I am waiting to find out .  They say unless paid they will refer to a collection agency in 15 days . This feels like extortion .

My questions are :

Is there a California or Federal Law which prohibits them from reporting until a certain amount of time has passed ? I would think at least 30 days . I have not found such law so far . 

I am thinking I should file a complaint in Small Claims court prior to the 15 days , or whatever the time frame would be , prior to them reporting to collection agency .

They don't have my correct first name , and I don't think they have my SS number , or if they do only the last 4 digits . Should I even sweat it , and deal with it if it does go to a collection agency ? 

Thanks in advance  !

JP

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I have an 800 Score with all 3 CRA . No lates , derogs whatsoever . Moved out of storage unit , the day before I owed for entire month . They gave until the 10th day , after the full rent is due . Received an email the next day saying the entire rent was due , and they have tacked on additional fees , of which I am waiting to find out .  They say unless paid they will refer to a collection agency in 15 days . This feels like extortion .

My questions are :

Is there a California or Federal Law which prohibits them from reporting until a certain amount of time has passed ? I would think at least 30 days . I have not found such law so far . 

I am thinking I should file a complaint in Small Claims court prior to the 15 days , or whatever the time frame would be , prior to them reporting to collection agency .

They don't have my correct first name , and I don't think they have my SS number , or if they do only the last 4 digits . Should I even sweat it , and deal with it if it does go to a collection agency ? 

Thanks in advance  !

JP

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If you're talking a few hundred bucks here, I would actually just pay it even though it's lame and not risk it.

For me, dealing with it potentially hitting my credit report has a lot more impact than $200 or $300 or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Additionally . . did you give them the required notice before you moved out?  Every storage unit I've had usually requires X amount of days and if you don't give that notice you owe for the next month.

[RobertEG]

California has an enhanced debt collection practices statute that applies to its residents.  It became effective Jan 1, 2014, and is titled the California "Fair Debt Buying Practices Act."   As its title implies, it applies to debt that has been purchased by a debt collector, and does not apply to all collections.

If you know that the debt collector owns the debt, you can send an enhanced validation letter under the Fair Debt Buying Practices Act.

Among its provisons is a mandated response period, a requirment to provide limited itemization of the asserted debt, and a copy of the contract with the original creditor.

Neither the CA Act nor the federal FDCPA include prohibitions against reporting prior to communicating with the consumer.