Century 21 Prime Properties

Refusal of Century 21 to address the dire repairs needed to make rental house habitable & refusal to do a final walk through/return security deposit.We rented a house located at [redacted], [redacted], NC in June, 2015. We assumed, based on the Century 21 logo placed on the web ad listing the rental home, that Century 21 was familiar with maintaining rental homes and would conduct themselves as any other professional in the field. We later learned that this is the only rental home they manage, as it belongs to their son who lives out of the area. June 30, 2015, the Vice-President was alerted via email that a mushroom was discovered growing through one of the bathroom floors. The issue was never addressed, despite another email on 9/28/15 with a photo attachment of another mushroom found growing through the same floor. On 11/30/15, the Vice-President was again emailed about a mold situation we had discovered. A termite inspector, hired by the owner, let us know that there seemed to be a black mold situation in the crawlspace of the house. We also conveyed in the email that we had discovered mold growing on the floor, walls, ceiling, and personal items of a closet in the room shared by our 1 and 3 year old daughters. We expressed our concern that in extreme cases, illnesses from mold can be fatal, and we took the situation very seriously and needed it addressed immediately. We again emailed on 12/16/15 to ask if repairs were scheduled to take place soon, to which we received no reply. On 1/19/16, we finally realized that the owners had no intention of making proper repairs to the house to make it habitable, and we requested via email that we be released from our lease early, due to our concern for our children's safety. I had to follow up on 1/20/16 due to lack of response. My follow up email was responded to, at which time I was told by the Vice-President that "I'm glad you sent a second one, or I may have missed it altogether. I get too many emails on a daily basis". I was, however, never advised of a better way to make contact. I was told their contractor would set up a time with them the next day to review the extent of the damage. We sent photos on 1/22/16 for their record so they could assess the damage. On 1/24/16, after extensive protests about the lack of urgency to repair the dangerous living situation, we were finally released from our lease agreement and allowed to find residence elsewhere. On 2/24/16, we gave notice that we would vacate on 3/31/16. On 4/1/16, I sent an email to the Vice-President asking if she would like us to meet her at the house to go over the inspection for the return of the security deposit. On 4/7/16, I received an email from the Vice-President letting me know that they had just turned the electricity back on, and had yet to turn on water or inspect the house. On 4/29/16, I sent a follow up email addressing the issue of the security deposit. On 5/2/16, I finally received an email from the Vice-President letting me know that they found the house in poor condition and that we would not receive our security deposit. It is my position, based on our diligence to alert Century 21 of the mold problem and dangerous condition of the house, accompanied with the voluntary claim of her inability to keep up with her work at Century 21, if the house was found in an unclean state, it was solely based on the fact that the Century 21 agents allowed 5 weeks to pass before conducting an inspection. We can hardly be held responsible for 5 weeks worth of mold damage that occurred after we left the house. Desired SettlementWe were unable to professionally clean the carpets, and alerted Century 21 agents as such, and offered to have that expense deducted from our security deposit. Aside from that cost, we are owed the remainder of the security deposit. Additionally, we could even go so far to claim that they owe my husband for the repair work they requested him to do while we lived there - i.e., replace toilet seats, hang blinds. Business Response The tenant is being less than truthful in her complaint. The issues she complained about were, in fact, being addressed; however, the general contractor's and his workman's medical issues (contractor needing a stent inserted into his artery, his subcontractor severing three fingers with a saw, and the death of the contractor's family member) resulted in repeated delays. These were unforeseen circumstances requiring us to find other contractors to visit the property and provide bids. For that reason, we decided to let the tenants out of the lease early, as they had requested.Regarding the mushroom issue: The tenant maintained that there had to be a toilet leak causing a slow drip and that, eventually, a mushroom had sprouted. A plumber was sent to the property to assess the situation. He returned, stating that the toilet was not leaking when he visited the property and that the floor was dry. According to him, there was no problem. We had no reason not to believe him since we had engaged his services in the past, as had many of our clients, all of whom expressed satisfaction with his work.When the tenant informed us that the termite inspection company had discovered fungal growth in the crawlspace, we again dispatched the general contractor to assess the problem. He stated that the tenants had not been cleaning the gutters and downspouts and excessive rain water had infiltrated the crawlspace, causing some fungal growth. His services were engaged to properly clean any affected areas and install a dehumidifier, if necessary. When it became obvious that, due to personal health issues, we could no longer completely rely on this once-dependable contractor, we had another contractor visit the property to provide a bid for the work. He told us that some of the older non-insulated windows had been letting a bit of excess moisture into the house and that that was the reason for some fungal growth appearing in the one bedroom. He was to get us a bid for replacing a few windows and properly cleaning the affected closet area. When this second contractor, at our insistence, had his foreman return to the property to check for any fungal growth in the crawlspace, he also stated that the tenants had not been keeping the gutters and downspouts clean and that the excess water run off had entered the foundation. He recommended cleaning the affected areas properly, laying a new vapor barrier, cleaning the gutters and downspouts of all clogs and debris, and possibly installing a dehumidifier.At about this time, tenants, impatient with the unforeseen delays, requested early termination of their lease, which was granted. And, acting on the advice of the contractors, it was decided that it would be best to wait to do the suggested work until the tenants vacated so that they would not be inconvenienced.When the tenants were moving, they asked us to either mail them a refund of their security deposit (less the cost of the carpet cleaning, which they stated they had not had time to do) or personally deliver it to the house. There were no damages, according to the tenant, and the house had supposedly been properly cleaned, both of which is a landlord's dream. The tenants, however, did not leave the house in good condition at all, which we discovered within a few days of their vacating the property. Contrary to their assertion that we should only have to clean the carpeting, they left the kitchen quite dirty, not having cleaned drawers, shelves, any appliances (even the self-cleaning oven was extremely dirty!). They left filthy and discolored bathtubs, children's handprints on the walls, many damaged and/or missing blinds. In addition, the screen door to the deck no longer had screening, nor the frame to which to attach the screening, the bottom portion of the door was missing and the top outside frame was busted, most likely damaged done by their three dogs, which had also chewed up the deck railing so badly that a carpenter needs to repair the damage and a painter needs to paint all the railing again. The carpeting is so dirty and soiled that it cannot be kept; a carpenter needs to repair the rotted baseboard in the master bath caused by improper use of a shower curtain; a professional cleaning person needs to clean the dirt and squalor in the kitchen and baths; missing and damaged window screens need to be repaired/replaced; an appliance person needs to repair the damaged dishwasher door (most likely damaged from one of the tenant's young children standing/sitting on it); etc. The tenants had been told that they could mount a TV on the wall provided they filled in the holes, spackled and touched up the paint afterwards. They didn't do any of those things. They also used 23 large screws or bolts to attach items to the walls in the master bedroom alone instead of picture hooks, as directed to do. Entire walls will need to be repainted now. Similar issues exist in other rooms of the house as well.The cost of the repairs and cleaning exceeds the security deposit by more than $700! Please note that none of the repairs required are due to any supposed "mold damage," as asserted by tenant, and that we're not talking about light surface dust, but deep, dingy dirt and grime, none of which is caused or made worse by waiting. Contrary to what the tenant stated, the house was inspected within a few days of it being vacated but we only expected to find that the carpeting needed to be cleaned, as we were misled to believe. Instead, we were appalled to find the house in the condition in which it was left. We had to get bids from handymen, painters, blind installation ([redacted]), cleaning lady, carpenter, etc., all of which took a good bit of time and repeated trips back to the property.Consumer Response This landlord's response is as unsurprising as it is untrue. Because they proved to be the epitome of slumlords throughout our tenancy, we began (very early on) communicating with them only by email so we could document conversations. In their reply to the Revdex.com complaint, they imply that they were not aware of the mold problem until, "...the tenant informed us that the termite inspection company had discovered fungal growth in the crawlspace, we again dispatched the general contractor to assess the problem." However, in an email to me dated 11/30/15 wherein she responded to my previous email alerting her of the situation, she stated that, "The termite people did contact us and we are getting a bid from them...," indicating that they had been aware of the situation for several weeks and had taken no action to even acknowledge the problem to us. Who knows how long we would have waited for any movement towards repairs had we not taken the initiative to reach out to the landlords about the problem. Their blasé attitude towards managing this property is irresponsible and dangerous to their tenants. We were aware that the landlords had trouble coordinating with their contractor for a variety of reasons, and were looking into other options for repairs of the mold situation. While simply getting quotes from other contractors may qualify to them as "addressing" the problem, it did not take away from our reality of living with incessant mold destruction and potential health risks due to exposure for at least two months (but the exposure was most likely for the entire duration of our tenancy based on the severity of the problem) without so much as a repair date to look forward to. The landlords actually had a time restraint to remedy the situation based on the laws of North Carolina, which they failed to comply with. Their claim that we were released from our lease upon the realization that they would be unable to make timely repairs is a misrepresentation. We insisted to be released after no movement towards repairs throughout the month of December and most of January, and were finally released from our lease on 1/24/16 after much insistence on our part that included many emails inquiring about the status of repairs, referrals to EPA guidelines for mold removal, and photos of damage to the windowsills, walls, ceilings, and floors, as well as many personal items that were damaged due to mold growth. The landlord was advised multiple times that in spite of daily cleaning with bleach (as they suggested) of the windowsills, walls, ceilings and floors, there was no way to control or contain the mold growth in the home. One of the few truths in the landlord's reply is that the plumber that was dispatched to the house to inspect the mushrooms that were growing through the bathroom floor advised that he could not find a leak. The landlord asserts now that they "had no reason not to believe him since we had engaged his services in the past, as had many of our clients, all of whom expressed satisfaction with his work," but on 9/2/15, she conveyed to me in an email that "we really don't have much faith in the handyman we used. We had him do something at our own house and if [redacted] hadn't been standing over him the whole time he would have messed up big time." The gutters were cleaned once a month, as per our lease agreement to have them 'regularly' cleaned, though it was clear upon our arrival to the home that they had not been cleaned in many months. When the landlord indicated they felt they should be cleaned more often, we began cleaning them twice a month. If they expected any more than that, they should either indicate that in the lease or hire someone personally as any more than 2 cleanings per month is excessive. In regard to damages the landlord claims, we still stand firm in our claim that the "squalor" the landlord found in the house was due to their lack of a timely inspection of the house, and that we should not be held responsible for their failures as property managers. Their claim that damages were discovered "within a few days of their vacating the property" is yet another lie. In an email from the landlord dated 4/7/16 - a full week after we officially ended our tenancy - she advised that, "We just had the power turned on...We also need to have the water turned on....We have not yet had a chance to inspect the house". Again, they were advised on multiple occasions that the daily use of bleach to rid the house of mold was unsuccessful. How they could reasonably expect to find anything other than filth after waiting over a week - who knows how long they actually waited to inspect the home because we heard nothing from them until 5 weeks after our lease expired - is further proof of the type of slow, irresponsible, and incompetent property managers they are. The landlords requested a list at the beginning of our tenancy of items in the house that were damaged upon our arrival so we would not be held responsible for those items at the end of our lease. Several of the items the landlord is now claiming to have been damaged by us were actually included in that list that we provided on 6/13/15. This has been the most ridiculous situation we've ever experienced, and we don't want to waste any more time on it. These landlords will go down in history as the worst we've ever had, or have ever even heard of. Because we have no expectation of decency from them, we knew they would blame us for the filthy condition of their mold infested house and damage made by prior tenants or their own negligence, so we were not surprised when they withheld our security deposit. It is a moot point by now. We do, however, request that the Revdex.com continue to keep our formal complaint, to include this response, attached to this company so any potential tenants who might look to do business with them in the future can be better informed than we were. Final Business Response This tenant is clearly delusional. She and her husband were the 9th or 10th tenants of this property and are the only ones we have had any problems with. Calling us "slumlords" is not only untrue, but is also defamatory! Considering that they contacted us online about being interested in renting the house, we and they naturally used emails as the main means of communication. To say that they did so in order to have documentation is laughable. Here's an email I received from a former tenant regarding our quick response to an HVAC problem:[redacted],Thank you so much for your super quick response to our air conditioning needs...and on a Saturday! You're care for our health and comfort makes you landlord of the year in our books! Will your office on [redacted] be open on Monday? I'd like to drop something off.~[redacted]~Sent on my iPad.The items that the tenant had notified us about in her 4/13/2015 email were:"There were also a few things we wanted to point out now that we are settling in - nothing that actually needs to be repaired, but things we wanted you to know were already in the house upon our arrival: Our comment: Please note that she didn't think these items needed repaired.-drill holes on the brick in the kitchen (back side of fireplace); -the key to the front door only locks/unlocks the bolt (not the doorknob); Our comment: This was incorrect, as tenant later admitted.-the fence is broken along the back side, near the back gate; -there are several worn spots/tears in the carpet; Our comment: There was a small separation at a seam, not a major tear. The carpeting had been professionally cleaned and had no stains.-there is a large stain on the wood floor in the bigger of the two bedrooms (not the master) near the closet (appears to be a paint stain); -the back storm door is broken (will not close completely); Our comment: The hinge merely needed to be tightened at that time; now the door is destroyed completely.-smoke damage around top of chimney." Our comment: No smoke damage present. Before roof was replaced, a leak had stained the ceiling where it meets the chimney.Other than the storm door not closing properly due to the loose hinge, there is absolutely no overlap between the issues she had brought up and the ones requiring repair/replacement after tenants vacated. The tenant goes on and on about fungal growth and how it was endangering their lives and how she was directed by us to clean daily with bleach. She was never told that by us. Amazingly, other than a bit of mildew on the window frame in the master bedroom and the master bathroom, both of which are shaded from sunlight due to many trees on the property, THERE WAS STILL NO MILDEW TO SPEAK OF in the house when we visited with yet another contractor this past weekend. While there is some fungal growth in the crawl space, a mold remediation expert has told us that it is NOT toxic black mold. So, while fungal growth can be dangerous, this was not of that type. It was the termite inspector who mentioned seeing fungal growth in the crawlspace to the tenant, but he is not a mold remediation expert; he's there to check for termites. He misspoke, and the tenant took full advantage of his incorrect categorization of the fungal growth. In regard to tenant's statement that she "insisted" on being released from her lease, that statement is blatantly false: She stated on January 19, that their preference was to be released from the lease, which she reiterated on January 22. After we spoke with the owner, we told her on January 24 that that would be no problem at all. That's five days after the first request!! They asked to continue on a month-to-month basis, which was fine with the owner, which indicated that they found the house perfectly livable until they closed and moved into their own home.It would appear in two long claims submitted by the tenant that her family had not damaged anything at all in the house. She conveniently ignores all the damage they caused to carpeting, blinds, walls, deck railing, dishwasher, screened door, screens themselves (missing or bent beyond use), etc. All carpeting and blinds need to be replaced, many walls need to be patched and repainted, part of the deck railing needs to be replaced and painted, appliance repairman needs to repair the dishwasher door, screen door and many window screens need to be replaced, etc.In response to her constant complaining that nothing was being done to remedy the fungal growth problem and maintaining that it was something that could be addressed in but a few weeks, contractors were being engaged from the outset to diagnose, provide estimates and even commence work to cure the problem with the fungal growth. This was, and still remains, a difficult decision to make because numerous contractors have given their professional opinions of what exactly needs to be done, and their diagnoses vary greatly, as do their bids. The owner is a graduate student who needs to carefully consider which contractor will best solve the problem within his budget. This is neither a quick nor inexpensive decision to be making, but one that requires many bids and careful consideration. As previously mentioned, our always reliable main contractor had personal problems come up and, while he told us that he would able to take care of the issues, in the end he failed us since he had too much to contend with in his personal life and with injured employees. We never ignored her complaints. She continues to exaggerate while at the same time ignoring all the damage that she left behind. It's also laughable that she attributes ground-in dirt and sm to a house being vacant for a few weeks. As a matter of fact, even extremely little dust accumulates in a vacant house since it is the humans who create most of the dust. My email of April 7, in which I stated we had just and the power turned back on, and that we had not had a chance to inspect the house did not mean that we had not been there at all. As previously mentioned, we immediately realized that a much more thorough inspection would be required than tenant had led us to believe and that repairmen and professional cleaning personnel would have to be called in order to gauge the extent of the damages and provide repair bids. To put the record straight, we have never used the term "squalor" when referring to the condition of the house after their vacating it. We said the house was dirty. The tenant keeps stating that the dirt was due to us taking too long to inspect the house. Rings from bathwater in the tub and the dirt in the tub in the master bathroom, which looks more brown than white, was hardly created because maybe a few days had gone by since they vacated. Nor would crumbs and other debris magically appear in the kitchen drawers due to a few days passing. So that whole line of argument on her part is totally irrelevant. As mentioned above, even now, more than three months since they vacated, there is virtually no mildew or fungal growth evident inside the house.