A couple years back, I moved in with a coworker to an apartment building in which he was already a resident. Since he already had a lease agreement, I don't recall needing to sign one. I specifically remember never writing down my SSN in the move-in process. Things went sour, I moved out, and then we (he) got evicted. A while later a CA was breathing down my neck, alleging that I owed $3300. I knew nothing of my rights as a consumer at the time. A quick C&D and DV would have done the trick perfectly, but since I didn't know that was an option, I settled to pay $900. The CA never placed a TL on my CRs, nor did they ever provide me with any proof that I owed the debt. I feel now that I got taken. Are there legal grounds on which to sue a CA that has already been paid, based on the fact that they used deceptive tactics to get me to pay?
SOL for FDCPA violations is 1 year. The District of Hawaii has a case that says you can DV after paying, but I have never seen that in any other court. Still, if it has been more than a year, it won't matter.
Yes that is the SOL for FDCPA. If you state laws provide for violations and have a longer SOL, you may have a cause of action. I would bet they will state that by paying, you "admitted to the debt being yours", wether that is true or not. You would probably have an easier time going after the person responsible for the debt, if that is still in SOL for your state.
Was the delinquent rent from the period when you were actually living in the apartment, or was the rent paid up at the time you moved out? There may be some basis to claim you owed some part of the rent accrued while you were there. It may depend on state law, or arguments that equitably, you used the premises. I have seen, for example, utility companies use similar arguments to attempt to collect from adult occupants other than the party on the utility account, but there may be state utility regulations backing up that claim. Without your signature on the lease, you should not owe anything for breaking the lease, which you were not a party to. At least it didn't affect your credit.
It might still be worth a talk with your local DA's consumer fraud unit, just to learn how to handle future problems. Rental collection is an area that often includes fraudulent claims, and if a particular landlord generates repeated complaints, they may become interested.
