With Susie Sheehan and Tim Stoner being licensed realtors sworn to a code of ethics, I felt confident leasing through them. After adhering to all the requirements of my tenancy, I am distressed to see that they let the landlady, Aileen Loranger, help herself freely to my $2000 security deposit, instead of upholding the lease:
I had agreed to pay for a professional cleaning which came to $350, leaving a balance of $1650 due to me. I had also paid a non-refundable $350 pet fee at the beginning of my 16 month lease:
I received $774.55. When I called them, Susie in particular was hostile and argumentative, while Tim was dismissive that they go with whatever the landlords want. I reminded him that I had called him when I first arrived to occupy the residence about the extensive tile floor looking dirty like an army had been marching around. He just said it had been cleaned and I realized that this was decades of ground in grime and wear. The landlady added $555 for this. I sent him photos of the condition of the floor from his own rental listing and received $277.72 without any comment. This was half of the $555.45 but there is no justification for me paying anything for a floor that should have been refinished before I moved in and had to live with this.
I was charged $220 for "landscape clean-up" with Susie asserting shrilly that landscaping was my responsibility. Well sure, to keep the plants healthy, but this was for a lovely vining plant with flowers cascading down the wall. It flourished during my care and Aileen wants to charge for whatever amount of trimming suits her. Furthermore, my lease states that the security deposit is for damage, no coverage for landscape clean-up.
$110 was charged for some maintenance assessment, something about a light bulb (two had started to flicker at times, looked like an electrical issue) and removing a worn surface for discard. Again assessments, light bulbs, etc, are not damage that would qualify under their leasing contract. The $350 pet fee was plenty for adding to the worn surface before they threw it out.
I would also like $500 returned for the week before my February 22 arrival. This was slipped in at the last minute, with Tim saying they start leases only on the 1st and 15th, an outrageous rip off. read more