Bellisima European Dance Academy

Review: On Wednesday July 8th I gave the owners of Bellisima European Dance Academy a check for $150.00 to rent studio space. On Thursday July 16th I arrived at the studio to teach a class. While I was teaching, the owners entered the class yelling and screaming in a very unprofessional manner. They forced me to leave in the middle of my lesson, threatening to call the cops if I did not comply. They told me to leave immediately and return my key to the studio. This broke our agreement that I would rent the studio for the month of July as per a schedule the owners gave me. Per my request, the owners wrote me a refund check for $150.00 and I returned my key and left the studio. The check bounced, I was also charged an additional "cancelled check fee" of $12.00 by Wells Fargo. I was forced to immediately find another studio and move my classes.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund of $150.00 from Bellisima European Dance Academy plus the $12.00 I was charged by Wells Fargo for the cancelled check.

Business

Response:

[redacted] did not have any formal agreement with Bellissima Dance studio. Ownership changed as of July 1. Under the previous owner [redacted] did pay only 25 dollars per month to use the studio hold classes, rehearse etc.Bellissima tried to offer her a written lease agreement, what she did not accept, and wanted to force her terms on the studio. The new studio owners noticed that [redacted] used the studio very often, several days a week, for several hours most of the time. In the dance studio business studio rental usually starts around 20 dollars per hour! She paid this amount for a month. This is completely against the economic interest of a studio to have renters using the premises for free.[redacted] never provided us with a regular schedule, as she had private students, classes who she made appointments randomly,and showed up at the studio and used it for her own economic benefit.At the beginning of July [redacted] simply showed up with a check for 150 dollars, what we took as payment , as far as she never paid before. She was told that in July between 11 am and 3 pm both studios will be occupied, because the guest artists would be rehearsing for a gala performance! In spite of that, without any prior verbal or written notice [redacted] came into the studio around one p.m with a private female student. She did go into the small studio upstairs where the guest artists from overseas were rehearsing already. This point the artistic director did go upstairs too, and told [redacted] that the studio was occupied because of the rehearsals. She replied "I am not leaving, I am not leaving" and she crossed her arms infront of her. The artistic director invited her to the office to discuss the situation, but she was not cooperating. Her private student started to intervene and she was openly agressive. The studio owners had to ask her to leave and return the studio key, she demanded the check for 150 dollars. She was reminded that she would be entitled for half month, because it was already mid July. She did not accept this reasonong either, while she called someone on her phone to come out to the studio. Earlier the studio owners were reminded that [redacted] "likes to burn bridges", and other stuff also confirmed that they have seen her a few times "out of control" Before leaving Before leaving the private student [redacted]..... did hit one of the owners on the face, who suffered a minor eye injury. As soon as they left the studio , the Elk Grove police was called , they came to the studio and took a report. The officer advised that the injured owner can press criminal charges against [redacted]'s student [redacted].... for harassment and bodily injury.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because of the following false statements made by Bellisima:1)We had no agreement. This is false. On Monday July 29th at 3:00pm I met with Bellisima co-owner, Nora, to discuss renting the studio for July. We agreed that I would pay $150 to rent the studio for the month of July.2) I never gave the owners a schedule.This is also untrue. On May 14th 2015 I emailed co-owner, [redacted] a schedule of my classes at the studio. The subject line is "[redacted]." I saved the email and it is attached here.3) I did not accept the rental agreement.This is false. In fact, on Saturday June 20th at 1:00pm I met with co-owner, [redacted], and brought a draft of the lease agreement for July. We agreed she would make necessary suggestions/changes as per studio policies and return it to me for signing. I never received any further communication about this rental agreement. Two weeks later on Monday June 29th I met with co-owner. Nora, who said she had drafted her own lease but lost it on her computer. I never saw or received a copy of this draft. There was no agreement for me to “reject.”4) The police were called and a police report was made.There is no evidence that the police were called. No police came to the studio. I never spoke with any officers and there was no report filed with the Elk Grove Police Department.5) I interrupted a rehearsal to teach my lesson.There was no dancing/rehearsing in the studio when I arrived to teach. In fact, there were two open studio spaces when I arrived. Yet, I was still forced to leave. 6) I forced my own terms on the studio.The price of $150.00 for the July studio rental was a rate set by the owners. These were not my terms. I did not force anything on the studio.7) I refused to leave.While I was teaching, both owners charged in and demanded that I “shut up,” “get out” and return my keys. I had paid $150.00 to use the studio for July so I requested a refund in return for the studio keys. The owners reluctantly wrote me a check for $150.00 and I returned the keys and left. However, the check was then cancelled by the studio and I was charged an additional cancelled check fee of $12.00 by the bank.8) My client hit the co-owner.Both owners verbally abused my client. She was cursed at and physically threatened. While leaving, she was shoved by co-owner, Nora. My client then pushed back in self-defense.9) I scheduled appointments “randomly.”I was instructed by the owners at Bellisima to schedule my classes around the openings in the studio schedule. I followed these directions. There was nothing posted on the studio schedule at the day and time of my lesson. I never interrupted any scheduled classes.10) I am only entitled to a refund of half the rent.The owners know this is an erroneous statement. Accordingly, they wrote me a refund check of $150.00. However, they then cancelled the check leaving me with a refund of $0 and a $12.00 penalty charged from the bank for the cancelled check.

Business

Response:

We are not going to go around describing the situation. [redacted] never provide us with a clear schedule of her classes on which it would have been possible to make a reasonable economic calculation of her use of studio space.When someone is renting space, it is the owner of the space who offers a contract and vice versa.Again: it was communicated to [redacted] that in every instance in case of dispute, or colliding simultaneous need for the use of the studio it is always BELLISSIMA taking priority. She was clearly instructed that in that period in concern the studio would be occupied every day between 11 am to 3 pm. She appeared at 1 pm without any sort of prior notice to the studio, and we were unable to accommodate her request.Her client/student in fact was more agressive and threatening, than [redacted], but she is responsible for her clients action and behavior. Her client Ana....was the one who held the studio key in her hand and was blackmailing the studio owners, and did not give the key back. She is a random client in our studio , had no authority to intervene at all.They were demanding and holding the key back for the 150 dollars rent, what [redacted] was not entitled , as she already used the studio for half of the month. Additionally, someone who rents a space is obligated to abide by the rules and regulations set by the studio owners. And these rules were violated by [redacted] and by her client, because they did not ask whether the studio was available for their purposes ,and wanted to obstruct the studio owners to continue their business activities. There were witnesses. At last but not at least the ELK GROVE POLICE was called as soon as [redacted] and Ana.... left, they arrived to the studio and took a report and did give safety instructions to the owners to avoid further potential violent behavior on behalf of [redacted] and/or client.When they arrived co owner's eye was still red after the bodily injury, what the police officers also noticed, and adviced co-owner that she could press criminal charges against [redacted]' student for causing bodily injury. There were witnesses who saw the physical violence.

Consumer

Response:

I am rejecting this response because the following points made by Bellisima are false:1) I never provided the studio with a clear schedule of my classes. This is untrue. In my last response I attached the email where I included my class schedule. Please review for your records.2) My class schedule collided with Bellisima.It did not. All my classes, including on the 16th of July when I was inexplicably kicked out of the studio, were scheduled during breaks in the Bellisima schedule. There were no classes scheduled at Bellisima on this day and time.3) My student was a “random” patron.In a place of business every student and client should be treated equally. No one is "random." Prior to this exchange, I held classes at Bellisima for 6-months without incident. Nothing about my work or presence was random. My student, as usual, came to attend class at Bellisima and was cursed at and verbally abused by the owners. The only thing that felt “random” was the violent actions of the owners. 4) I was holding the key back from the owners.This is a stilted statement. We agreed to exchange the key for the check but the check was being held away from me at hands length. Even when I returned the key, the co-owner, Alexa, held her grip on the check, she did not let go until it was almost ripped. The exchange was highly unprofessional and appalling behavior from a business.5) I am only entitled to a refund of half the rent for July.The owners know this is an erroneous statement. I paid $150 to rent the studio for the month of July, however the owners reneged on this deal. This is why, after kicking me out without explanation, they wrote me a refund check for $150.00. However, the check was then cancelled leaving me with a refund of $0 and a cancelled check fee of $12.00. There has been no effort by Bellisima to reimburse me for any amount- even the $75.00 they claim I am entitled to.7) The police were called.I had no interactions with the police, nor was I ever questioned regarding the issue. There is no police report on file for this encounter.8) The owners of Bellisima are victims of violence.The violence the owners refer to is their own. While unprofessionally yelling, screaming and cursing at my student and I to “Get out” they fomented an atmosphere that was both hostile and highly concerning. We were repeatedly threatened both physically and verbally during the exchange. Ideally, any guidance they receive from the police or otherwise will be about how to professionally and peacefully engage with clients and patrons.

Business

Response:

The Bellissima management do not wish to engage in description of the chain of events.[redacted] was told that the studio would not be available in the period in concern between 11 am to 3. pm.Studio rental does not authorize any renter to use the studio any time.In addition because physical violence was involved, what falls under the category of criminal and not civil law, Revdex.com does not have scope of authority.If we are further being harassed by [redacted] we will press charges against her client, as how we were advised. Obviously we are not going to give further details in a customer complaint about the exact police actions, and precautions in order to avoid further violence.