ComplaintsforOlde Town Brokers

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I lived in an apartment that had an old door that needed maintenance and I contacted Jeannie on 4/4/2019, she advised me to call pop a lock, and they required a drill out costing $161.52. The door still has mechanical problems and ticket were ignored. When I moved out of ************************** my deposit was held without any explanation. I have videos of the unit on move out and videos of the damaged door. A year later I still have not received any deposit money back. Instead Jeanne C***** argued with me stating they were keeping the deposit to fix and paint the door. She then kept changing the reason why I will not be receiving the $1500 deposit. On top of being very deceptive and rude I have not received my deposit.

  Business response

  08/11/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/06/30) */ Mr.*********** locked himself out of the unit in the evening on the evening he referenced in his complaint. He was asked to call pop a lock to come out for access since it was after hours and his responsibility per his lease since he locked himself out. It had nothing to do with the functionality of the door. His property manager explained that to him and that the cost of that would not be reimbursed by the owner due to the circumstance. The manager also explained to him upon move out that a claim for the repair to the door and replacement of door handle due to that incident would be charged for to his security deposit in the amount of $407.90. A claim letter with the invoice attached was sent to him certified mail on August 17,2021 (his lease ended July 31, 2021). His security deposit per his lease that was paid at time of move in was $1150 not $1500. The claim letter showed $742.10 of that money being returned to him. Mr.*********** refused to sign off on the claim. In October of 2021 the manager emailed him that the owner would agree to settle the amount for $191.25 and return $958.75 to him. He agreed to this verbally but then refused to sign off. Then he began contacting the manager again the beginning of this year arguing the claim and asking for reimbursement of the pop-a-lock bill in addition to fu;; refund of his deposit. The owner would not agree to this so the funds have been held until they reach an agreement. This was also explained to Mr.*********** that we cannot release escrow funds if both parties will not sign off so they have to either reach a settlement or go to mediation or court to settle. I once again reached out to Mr.*********** this week to see if he would agree to the settlement offered in October and have not received a reply. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/07/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I disagree with those version of events. I did not lock myself out, the key would not work, no maintenence available, I was told to call*********** and I would be reimbursed. Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2022/07/14) */ The tenant's response does reflect what actually happened. He did lock himself out, he contacted the manager after hours, the only option was for him to contact a lock company to access and he was told it would be at his expense. The claim sent against his deposit was at the owner's request due to damage to the door. He did offer to decrease the claim from $407.90 to $191.25 to try and settle this. As a property management company the funds are held in escrow and Florida Statute requires that both parties sign off on the claim. If they cannot agree, they will have to seek legal recourse either through mediation, small claim court or arbitration. We are required to hold the entire deposit until both parties can agree. So at this point the only thing we can offer is what the owner has agreed to which is the release of $958.75 to Mr.*********** which is $1150 the full deposit less the reduced claim amount of $191.25. If Mr.*********** is not in agreement then we do not have the authority to do anything else and we can let the owner know that he and Mr.*********** will need to seek legal avenues to resolve this.

• Initial Complaint

  05/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After all the drama that my realtor put me through while living in the condo that she supposedly helped me get into, I did everything that we were supposed to do for us to move out and get as much as our deposit back as possible and they took forever and then when she says that it was mailed out on the 28th and has yet tracking shows that has yet to even get to the post office get the tracking number underneath shows that it has been delivered to whoever she mailed out something to she tried to do that just to save face on the timing allow four Realtors to return a deposit but she did not even mail it back as well as causing me so much anguish and drama living where I was living I will be filing everywhere I can with the realtors association and ethics board and everywhere to make sure this woman never sells or rents out another property.

  Business response

  06/22/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/10) */ This tenant along with her husband and child were placed in the property by the property manager of the unit. There were some challenges getting them approved but with her assistance the owner agreed to lease to them. During the time they lived in the condo, the wife had multiple altercations with another resident/owner in the community who filed more than one complaint with the Community Association. Due to the issues this created for the owner and the owners desire to sell the property at the completion of the lease, she informed the property manager that she was not going to renew their lease and that she was listing the unit for sale. The property manager gave notice to the tenants as instructed and per the time frame within their lease. At that point, the wife began to constantly harass the manager, then she contacted me (I am the General Manager). I emailed her also explaining that there was nothing we could do, the owner was not renewing due to issues caused with the association and her decision to sell rather than lease the unit. The harassing emails and texts continued. I then emailed her and requested she only contact the manager through the online portal as it related to the move out process or maintenance and to please refrain from texts or emails non-related to their lease and of a threatening nature. The complete move out instructions were part of their lease and the manager also reminded them via email of what was required. When they moved out of the unit, it did require some repair. To name part of the list: replacement of carpet in a bedroom that was severely stained, walls in one bedroom required patching and painting, the unit required additional professional cleaning, and replacement of a door that was damaged. As far as timing, the claim was sent within the 30 days allotted by Florida Statute. The letter was sent certified mail with a return receipt on April 28th. The letter outlined each repair, including photographs and the receipts of the costs for the repairs. At tenants request, the manager did email them when the letter went out, and she did inform them there were some needed repairs that were being charged to their deposit. The return receipt was received at the address they gave us on May 2nd and signed for on their behalf. That receipt was received in our office May 3rd and a copy of that receipt was emailed to the tenants. As of May 2nd, the date they received the claim letter, the wife launched a personal attack on our company and named people individually in a slanderous nature on google review and our company ******** page. As well as filing this complaint to BBB. All prior to any review of the claim or response to the letter to attempt a resolution. Her husband, after reviewing the letter, has since responded to us as of Monday, May 9th, with a proposed compromise which we are presenting to the owner in hopes of resolving this claim amicably. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/05/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I never had a problem with the upstairs neighbor until the Realtor told me all the complaints on me. All my complaints were on the neighbor because of what the Realtor told me she was doing. Everything from us being an interracial couple, to having children in a community of older owners all of that the Realtor said it was the neighbor. Anyone I have ever spoken to in regards to that condo it had to do with my unhappiness living underneath that woman and all the complaints that my realtor was saying she was putting up against me. It was not until I finally got a hold of the HOA bc the REALTOR TOLD ME TO SINCE NOVEMBER that they informed me of some findings I knew nothing about my Realtor's shady practices until then. Then I received a tyrant text message from the Realtor that night and it confirmed everything the HOA stated. I never once attacked the Realtor until SHE TEXTED ME WITH HER RANT. I simply told her to leave me alone or I would add her to my lawsuit in which at the time I was pursuing against the HOA and the neighbor for harassment. It was not until I put everything together that it turned out to be the Realtor. Her being upset that she lost the sale of the condo due to these findings is why she wrote me speaking on my poor credit, how when i was sick with covid after having been in the hospital for a week 2 weeks after having my child, the county was paying my rent and they were taking too long. I KEPT COMMUNICATION THE ENTIRE TIME AND SHE NEVER MENTIONED ABOUT ANY SALE OF THE UNIT. She told me that they were not renewing my lease because of an eviction that I had on my credit which I had proof that I did not own. She thrn instructed me to call the HOA and I was asking for that letter I even had to call the office and ask for that letter she never mentioned sale of the property until the HOA contacted me back about all of their findings and my complaint. This was in January. I only filed this because it felt that we were being toyed around from jump. Not once did the general manager asked what the problem was with her realtor she automatically took her realtor side and disregarded the things that I told her her realtor had done to me and to my family she didn't even bother to ask for the findings when I had the proof. She automatically made me out to be the suspect and said i was "threatening her" and then when I called her realtor a racist is because she only responded to my white husband and also made my race an issue in the beginning when we first moved in and blamed that on the neighbor as well. And contrary to what they might think I was actually the one that was responding to all the emails and pretending to be my husband at times because the Realtor was failing to respond to me. And BTW I am the one that wrote the letter in response to the claim on our deposit not my husband this again is where they're thinking that because my husband is white that he is the one that HANDLING everything but the entire time the Realtor has been dealing with me. MY HUSBAND COULDNT PUT TOGETHER A EMAIL MUCH LIKE PUT TOGETHER DOCUMENTATION WITH PROOF. THESE PPL DONT SEE there has never been an issue until the HOA got my email of everything. I am not the only one that's filing a claim against the realtor or Old Town brokers. So if me stating my reviews online like any other person would is a crime then whatever. I gave my experience why is that so bad? Because you dont want to believe a black woman like myself?

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩