Boulder’s Pearl Street Eye and Laser Center confirms debt collection letters were sent in error

The owner of Boulder’s now closed Pearl Street Eye and Laser Center confirmed to the District Attorney’s Office that debt collection letters received by past customers were in fact sent out in error.

The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office began investigating the letters last week after more than a dozen former customers of the business received the debt collection letters even though they did not owe any money.

Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty said his office has since received an email from an owner of Pearl Street Eye, Dr. Warren Tripp, saying the letters were mistakenly sent out.

“In the email, Dr. Tripp confirmed that the collection notices are in error,” Dougherty wrote in an email to the Camera. “He also provided a letter addressed to the collection agency, in which he requested that the collection agency immediately cease all collection procedures regarding his patients.

“The District Attorney’s Office is continuing to seek information regarding the nature and cause of the collection notices.”

The debt collection agency that sent out the letters, Capital Accounts, agreed to put the accounts for letters sent out in August on hold after hearing from Dougherty’s office. Capital Accounts also told the District Attorney’s Office it will not contact any credit reporting agency about the debt until the accounts are verified.

But while the agency has agreed to put the accounts on hold and Pearl Street Eye has reportedly contacted them, Dougherty said those who received the letters should still contest them.

Anyone who has received the letter but believes they do not owe any money should not pay the amount and should instead contest the debt in writing to Capital Accounts. Disputes can be sent by email to service@capitalbillpay.com, by fax to 1-800-296-3317, or by mail to Capital Accounts, P.O. Box 140065, Nashville, TN, 37214-0065.

According to its website, Pearl Street Eye is “making a gradual transition to new ownership. At the present time there are no doctors seeing patients at Pearl Street Eye.”