An apartment management representative with a personal vendetta claimed that I caused damage to an adjacent apartment. She notified me in writing four days before I was scheduled to move-out. In the letter, she claims that because of a water leak and my negligence I am responsible for {$7.00}, XXXX of damages to the apartment bellow. 30 days later, the firm submitted my erroneous and unsubstantiated debt to a collections agency. The collections agency then quickly furnished this damaging information to the major credit reporting agencies. I requested the collections agency to substantiate the debt, and they mailed me copies of the following documents : the aforementioned letter, a hardware purchase order invoice of {$3200.00}, my apartment 's " move-out inspection '' checklist completed and signed by the firm 's maintenance man and me ( illustrating our agreement of the damage-free condition of my apartment ), the lease agreement, and a " security deposit accounting '' document which shows the amount due to owner as {$7.00}, XXXX, yet all of the credits do not add up to that figure. It 's as if the firm simply invented a number and the collections agency blindly accepted it when the numbers do not add up to my reported debt amount. Unacceptable and unfair.