Sometimes Landlords are Devils

So as we were getting closer to moving mom and dad out of their apartment a few weeks ago, mom became concerned that they (devil landlord) were not going to give their deposit back to them.  She had done some research (she is the mother of a librarian, so doing research is just the norm in our family) and she found that another person who had moved out complained that the apartment complex (devil landlord) was withholding over half of their deposit for cleaning, etc., even though they felt that they had cleaned it very well.

   

Don’t worry, mom, I will take pictures of the apartment after it is clean just in case….but they seem so nice to you here, I just can’t imagine them not following California Law pertaining to deposits.

Two weeks after they move out, the “devil landlord” steps into the picture….we get a letter stating that they are withholding over $300 of the $500 deposit for the apartment.  $140 for partial painting, $85 for cleaning, $100 for carpet cleaning.

          

My two wonderful sisters……HEY DAVE, not that type of sister….

Ok, that will do…..my two wonderful sisters went in and cleaned the apartment real well.  Mom and Dad had people coming in and cleaning the apartment a couple of times per month since they lived there.  It was very clean….other than a few marks on the walls from furniture (California Law says that is normal wear and tear), two spots on the carpet about the size of a large washcloth where their chairs that they always sat in were at (again, California Law says that is normal wear and tear), everything else was very clean.  In fact, the outside closets were cleaner than when they moved in.

      

I didn’t just take pictures, I took pictures inside and out of everything.  Just look at this stove, tell me it isn’t clean….

     

…as is the refrigerator….as is everything….

Well, you know what they say….don’t get the baby angry!  Ok, my sisters are younger than I, but I am the youngest of four boys and was the youngest for many years before we adopted the girls.  This Devil Landlord has the wrath of "Baby Dave” to deal with!

Friday I called and called and called, and finally on my fifth try I was able to talk to a human.  I explained our families concerns and how we felt they (evil landlord) were taking advantage of our Elderly Parents.  Frankly, the lady I was talking to ended up saying, “If this was my parents I would be doing the same as you…..”, but the bottom line is that I needed to talk to the person who did the walk through, and she would be in on Sunday.  So today, after church, going to have a meeting…. meeting with the devil in the devil’s den.

……time passes by…….will it be smiley face time, or another flow of anger?????

well….

           well, the answer is……..

The lady, whom I was told Friday would be working on Sunday, did not work after all….at least that is what they are telling me when I went over to see her….in fact, even though their Sunday office hours are until 5 pm, she was locking up the office for the day “because I need to go work another property because someone called in sick….”   If this happens tomorrow (her not being there), then we will just see them in small claims court.  Stay tuned for this one….