Elizabeth's assertion that the photographs are merely "management's property" does not address,…read moreexplain, or refute what the photographs actually document. The images clearly show internal electrical arcing, melted wire insulation, and a scorched electrical plug located inside the PTAC unit.
These conditions involve internal electrical components located behind protective housing--components that a guest would not ordinarily have access to, much less the ability to alter or damage during a stay. The physical evidence depicted in the photographs is consistent with an internal electrical malfunction and raises serious questions regarding the inspection, maintenance, and condition of the facility's equipment.
Inconsistency Regarding the Alleged Copper Pipes
There is also a significant inconsistency between the company's police report and the charge imposed against me. In the police report, the company alleges that I stole copper pipes. However, the company charged me only for a PTAC unit and has not provided an itemized charge, invoice, valuation, or other documentation identifying any alleged missing or stolen copper pipes.
The company should not be permitted to rely on an allegation of stolen copper pipes in a police report while pursuing a separate $700 charge for a PTAC unit without clearly identifying the property allegedly involved, the claimed loss, and the factual basis for each allegation.
Lack of Proof
Management has provided no competent evidence establishing that I caused damage to the PTAC unit or removed any copper pipes. A $700 charge imposed days after checkout--arbitrarily divided into $300 and $400 charges--does not, by itself, establish liability.
Absent supporting evidence, the attempt to attribute an internal electrical failure to me, or to accuse me of stealing copper pipes, is unsupported and disputed. I will not accept responsibility for damage that the available photographic evidence indicates originated within the PTAC unit's internal electrical system. Nor will I accept responsibility for an alleged theft that the company has not substantiated or included in its charge against me.
Requested Documentation
If management maintains that I am responsible, it should produce objective documentation supporting each allegation, including:
* A contemporaneous inspection report;
* A certified electrician's assessment;
* Photographs establishing the condition of the PTAC unit before and after my stay;
* An inventory or inspection record showing that the copper pipes were present before my stay and missing afterward;
* Fully itemized invoices identifying the property allegedly damaged or removed;
* Documentation explaining the basis for the $300 and $400 charges; and
* Evidence establishing the ownership, alleged loss, causation, and actual value of the property at issue.
Preservation of Evidence
I am formally requesting that management preserve all records, photographs, maintenance logs, inspection reports, work orders, invoices, inventory records, communications, surveillance footage, police-report materials, and other documentation relating to the PTAC unit, the alleged copper pipes, and the $700 charge.
Any continued assertion that I am financially responsible should be supported by competent, verifiable evidence establishing the specific property involved, causation, ownership, the alleged loss, and the actual amount claimed.