When I purchased my condo, I was advised that I would be billed $350 per year for water service. The past 2 years, I received the bill in February and promptly paid it. But this year, I don't remember receiving a bill. Since it only happens once a year, it didn't occur to me that I hadn't yet seen the bill.
This week, I received a letter from a collections attorney that included a copy of my statement account, showing the $350 charge, plus a $35 late fee and a $25 collections fee. The letter from the attorney also indicated that an additional $50 in legal fees had been tacked on, for a total of $460.
I'm not disputing the validity of the original debt, but I am wondering if I have any recourse regarding all the additional fees. If it was simply a modest late fee, I'd probably just pay it and move on, but $110 seems a bit steep.
I've noticed consistent problems with mail being mis-delivered to the wrong address in my complex, and I definitely did not receive any certified communications from the original creditor regarding my debt. Can I be sent to collections in this way even if they haven't made any attempt to contact me besides sending a bill via US Mail that I may not have even received?
This week, I received a letter from a collections attorney that included a copy of my statement account, showing the $350 charge, plus a $35 late fee and a $25 collections fee. The letter from the attorney also indicated that an additional $50 in legal fees had been tacked on, for a total of $460.
I'm not disputing the validity of the original debt, but I am wondering if I have any recourse regarding all the additional fees. If it was simply a modest late fee, I'd probably just pay it and move on, but $110 seems a bit steep.
I've noticed consistent problems with mail being mis-delivered to the wrong address in my complex, and I definitely did not receive any certified communications from the original creditor regarding my debt. Can I be sent to collections in this way even if they haven't made any attempt to contact me besides sending a bill via US Mail that I may not have even received?
