ComplaintsforUniversity Realty of Tampa, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I made arrangements with University Realty, Inc. (URI) to have the tenant move out on 7/1/2022. However, the tenant could not pay rent since 4/2022. URI sent me email on 5/31/22 "Tenant did not pay the rent. She called Bob over the weekend and told him she is moving out. Bob is supposed to do the walk thru with her tomorrow." and "Bob is meeting her tomorrow at 10. So your parents can come by the office after 11." URI's web page states "Careful Inspections: At the end of each lease, your property is thoroughly inspected, and any undo wear and tear... will be deducted from the residents escrowed security deposit." Since the move-out date changed to a month earlier than expected, I had to work that day. I work long hours so my mother went to URI's office to get the keys after 11 AM on 6/1/22. URI said nothing about the condition of the property and my mother assumed it was fine. However, there was a lot of damage. On 6/3/22 URI admitted on the phone NEVER doing a walk-through. I went to the property and took pictures and sent over 70 pictures and a detailed 5 page list of damages and URI emailed on 6/8/22 "Yes, I did receive the email. I was able to open the zip file...Once I have everything together, I will send you copies." I have emailed URI several times starting on 6/8/22 stating "Bob... told my mother on the phone (6/3/22) that if we sent pictures of damages, he would submit them with some forms. I will be needing copies of the forms for my own records." I emailed the estimates I had from the plumber and landscaping company (the front yard is currently violating HOA rules) to URI. On 7/22/22 URI emailed me "I have put this into Bob's hands. I have done all that I can do. He will call you next week. He wants to set up an appointment to meet you at the property. I thought I sent you a copy of what was mailed via certified to the tenant. I will go ahead and scan it and send it to you on Monday." I did not get any email on 7/25/22 and Bob must sign forms ASAP.

  

  Business response

  08/05/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/05) */ I have managed this rental unit at since 2005. Over that time, we have had numerous tenants. The last tenant that leased this unit, occupied it for a little over 6-1/2 years. She previously rented at another location for over a year and left the property in great condition. It was left in such good condition that the owner was able to sell the property shortly after she moved out, without having to do any work to the interior. The tenant was employed at a physician's office and was good with rent payments at until she lost her job during the pandemic. The tenant became delinquent in payments and sporadic at best. Ms. Y**** was sympathetic and gave her reductions in rent. We were in contact with 3 day notices and attempts to collect funds with payment agreements. Ms. Y**** decided that she no longer wanted to continue this tenancy. I talked with tenant and had her agree to move out and save the expense of having to file for eviction. I was going to meet with the tenant on June 1st at the office and collect the keys. However, when I came into the office that morning, the keys were in the after hours drop box. I had the keys tagged and a check for the forfeited security deposit of $800 written at that time for Ms. Y****, since the tenant owed money for past due rent. Ms. *****'s mother was going to pick up keys and we were no longer going to be managing the property. The keys and the deposit check were picked up and we said our goodbyes. She called me later that day and told me of all the damage to the property. I told her to make me a list, take pictures and I would send a claim letter to the tenant listing all damages. Well the damages proved to be quite extensive; carpet removal, tile removal, painting of rooms in colors that tenant wanted, furniture and trash removal, etc. I don't think that if the property was left in normal shape after a 6-1/2 year tenancy, there would be a complaint at this time. I have been managing properties in the Temple Terrace area for 45 years and I realize that occasionally situations like this come up. I think Ms. ***** and her family are good people and have been good owners for the past 17 years. The reason I wanted to meet with her at the property was to offer monetary settlement for the damages of the previous tenant. We have sent the notice claim on security deposit, along with the supporting documentation that was supplied by Ms. Y****, to the tenant's last know address, as the tenant left no forwarding address. I will reach out to Ms. ***** in the next week after this response is filed. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/08/16) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) University Realty, Inc.'s (URI) response offered no solution. URI made the following statements in their BBB response which I received on 8/8/2022: 1. "The tenant was employed at a physician's office and was good with rent payments at until she lost her job during the pandemic". This is irrelevant - losing your job and creating damages to a property are unrelated. This is also irrelevant because my main complaints are about URI's handling of the property AFTER the tenant moved out. URI did not do a walk-through and I had to do this myself, even though this was a duty I paid URI to perform. URI has also been extremely unprofessional in their communication with me regarding the claim letter; I have attempted to get a copy of the claim letter numerous times since 6/8/2022. URI has made up excuses, told me they would send it (but have not), and have ignored me. They would not tell me the name of the collection agency so that I could check if they actually submitted the information or not (see email from 6/8/2022). Bringing up the tenant's job situation is a "red herring" type of tactic by URI. 2. "I was going to meet with the tenant on June 1st at the office and collect the keys. However, when I came into the office that morning, the keys were in the after hours drop box". URI just admitted they had the keys for a couple of hours longer than they originally expected. Shannon wrote in email on 5/31/2022 that Bob would do the walk-through with the tenant on the following day and we could come get the keys by 11 AM. So now, in URI's BBB response, they admit the keys were already in their drop box on the morning of 6/1/2022, which gave them more time to conduct the walk-through. However, a few days later, Bob told my mother via telephone (while I was at work) that he did not have enough time to do the walk-through. In URI's BBB response, they never mention the walk-through. They try to omit that fact. Yet, by not doing the walk-through they violated my contract with them. Their web site states "At the end of EACH lease your property is thoroughly inspected..." They need to be held accountable for this and they owe me compensation for doing their job. 3. "She called me later that day and told me of all the damage to the property". This is incorrect. My mother did NOT call on the SAME day because she was too shocked and upset by the damage. She called a couple of days later. 4. "I told her to make me a list, take pictures and I would send a claim letter to the tenant listing all damages". Bob told my mother this on 6/3/2022 via phone. I sent the list and pictures to URI on 6/5/2022. I worked hard to compile it as quickly as possible. Since then, I have asked to see the claim letter multiple times. URI has told me they were working on it a couple of times, next they ignored me a couple more times, then in my final attempt to contact them on 7/22/2022, Shannon said "I have done all that I can do.... Bob will call you..." URI has NEVER initiated contact with me. I have always been the one to try to contact them. URI has not tried to call, email, or postal mail me about this issue. I have received no communication initiated by them since the tenant moved out on 6/1/2022. The statement "Bob will call you" was a lie because it has never happened. I need to see the claim letter because I want to make sure no damages were forgotten and that I agree with the cost estimates for repairs. On 6/15/2022 I offered to help Shannon make the claim letter. I wrote "Should I try to find a similar chandelier or fans on the Home Depot or Lowe's web page (plus I would need someone to install them)? Then I could show you the price. Would that be helpful to you?" but she only replied "Got it" on 6/16/2022. Also, on 7/22/2022 Shannon wrote "I thought I sent you a copy of what was mailed via certified to the tenant. I will go ahead and scan it and send it to you on Monday". But I have still never received anything, and now it has been over 2 months since the tenant moved out and nearly a month since Shannon said she would "send it... on Monday". 5. "The reason I wanted to meet with her at the property was to offer monetary settlement for the damages of the previous tenant". On 7/22/2022 Shannon wrote "He (Bob) wants to set up an appointment to meet you at the property". Now Bob is stating he was going to offer me "monetary settlement" at this meeting - yet he has never made any attempt to contact me via phone, email, or postal mail. Therefore, his statement about offering me money is false and he is being dishonest. 6. "We have sent the notice claim on security deposit, along with the supporting documentation that was supplied by Ms. *****, to the tenant's last know address, as the tenant left no forwarding address". I need to see this immediately - this is what I have been asking to see since 6/8/2022 when I wrote "please confirm that *** has submitted the forms and pictures. He told my mother on the phone (6/3/22) that if we sent pictures of damages, he would submit them with some forms. I will be needing copies of the forms for my own records. You may email them or send them through postal mail". On 6/8/2022, Shannon replied "Once I have everything together, I will send you copies". Now in URI's BBB response they say they have sent the claim letter - but I need to see proof of this. What is the postmark date and what is the tracking number? Where are my own copies? Why wasn't I allowed to see the letter ahead of time so I could approve all of the damages were indeed included? URI wrote that the tenant left no forwarding address. This is the reason I tried to compile the information as quickly as possible, in just 2 days. But URI has taken over 2 months and now they seem to not know the tenant's new address. This is their fault for taking so long and they will need to hire a Private Investigator to find the tenant. 7. "I will reach out to Ms. ***** in the next week after this response is filed". No, you may not. You had numerous chances to contact me but you chose not to do so. So now all communication must be done in writing and through an agency such as the BBB. Furthermore, URI needs a reminder that the BBB web page states "you are representing that it is a truthful account of your experience..." because they have included some statements that I find to be questionable. In summary, URI did NOT conduct a walk-through, yet their web site states they do this service at the end of EACH lease. They need to be held accountable for misleading information on their web page. URI must show me proof that they have sent the claim letter. It must include ALL of the damages I listed when I did my own walk-through. I need to have a copy of the claim letter along with the date it was sent and the tracking number. I need to know the name of the collection agency and how I can reach them myself. If the claim letter was unable to be delivered to the tenant because she has moved away, URI must hire a Private Investigator to find her. URI took too long to send the claim letter and treated me poorly during the multiple times (over a time period of two months) I asked for it. They wrote in their BBB response "I think Ms. ***** and her family are good people and have been good owners for the past 17 years". Since I was a good customer to them for several years, I expected them to treat me and my family with much more courtesy and professionalism than this. I am writing to the BBB to protect URI's current and future customers from having a bad experience such as mine. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/08/23) */ This response was taken verbally by BBB: We have come to an agreement and made amends. Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2022/08/23) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It is true that University Realty, Inc. offered to make amends in an email to me on 8/17/2022. I replied to them and accepted their offer in an email on 8/18/2022. However, I have still not received the funds they offered. They did not inform me by email that they (postal) mailed the offer yet, either. Furthermore, they have not responded to the questions in my email on 8/18/2022. I asked "How should I report this money to the IRS for 2022?" and wanted to know if the funds they offered me would count as rental income. As I wrote to them on 8/18/2022, once I receive the funds I will certainly inform the BBB that we have made amends. Also, once I receive the funds I will tell the BBB as soon as possible on my non-working day (this is because my working hours start before and end after the BBB's working hours). Thank you very much. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/08/26) */ This response ws taken verbally by BBB: The funds went out on Tuesday and we will be in touch regarding your questions.

*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. ↩