Blake Management Group

I was hired by one of the properties to provide a service and did so. I was on time, and received a great response from the people at the property where I was hired, but was told the payment was to come from corporate. I did receive a check, which I deposited, only to be told by my bank that they had stopped payment on the check. I called corporate and they told me it was a mistake and that they would immediately send me another check. After a couple of weeks, they stopped taking my calls and have not paid me. It should be noted that I sent an invoice one month BEFORE I was to provide my service. Would not do business with them again.

Review: Blake Management Group withheld the majority of our security deposit for repairs and charges that, in many cases, we had nothing to do with and for things that are necessary and routine maintenance to a home. They have not provided receipts or documentation for the work that they undertook. They have stopped responding to our emails and letters, and they have not refunded us the money that they owe us.When we took possession of the property, it was dirty, filled with garbage, and the lawn and gardens were unkempt. Despite the condition in which we found it, when we returned the property to Blake Management, it was professionally cleaned, the only items remaining were those that had been there when we rented the home, and the lawn and garden beds were neat and clean. We had a walk-through with [redacted] (an [redacted] of the company) before we moved out, during which she informed us that it was clear that we had taken great care of the house and that the only thing we needed to do before we left was to make sure the bushes in the front of the house were trimmed. You can imagine our surprise when after having told us that the house was in great shape, Blake Management withheld a signifiant portion of our deposit for routine maintenance such as painting and maintaining the gas fireplace; for hauling items that were left in the house when we took possession of it; and for lawn work. We wrote to the company and respectfully pointed out the charges and fees that were unreasonable, and indicated areas where we should receive our security deposit back. They responded with by saying they would refund a fraction of what we are owed. The fraction they have offered us is unsatisfactory as it results in our paying for charges that we did not incur.Desired Settlement: In addition to the small portion of the security deposit that Blake Management has refunded us, we would also like to receive $746.96, which was withheld for charges that we did not incur:Haul Trash from Shed $65.00 (this trash was at the home when we rented it)Repaint Living Room Soot Damage $108.00 Gas Logs Diagnostic Charge $99.00Half of Repair/Paint First Floor Bedroom $42.50Landscaping $350.00Electricity $82.46

Business

Response:

January 24, 2014

RE: Revdex.com Case #[redacted]
Dear [redacted],
We are in receipt of your letter dated January 15, 2014 regarding the complaint filed by [redacted] last contacted us in an e-mail on August 19, 2013 expressing her dissatisfaction of charges against her account at move-out. We responded with the enclosed letter of August 22, 2013. In this letter [redacted] expressed that the charges were reasonable, but offered a refund for two of the charges. We have not had a response from [redacted].
The home was NOT dirty, filled with garbage and the lawn and gardens were NOT unkempt. The home was cleaned before move-in and the owner spent $3,750 for removing a tree and pruning. The downstairs tub was refinished, a new microwave installed and the gutters were cleaned. This is a well-maintained home in a highly desirable neighborhood. The owner takes great pride in this home and is much attuned to keeping the home to neighborhood standards.
The [redacted] were a very nice family and did take reasonable care of the home. It was professionally cleaned regularly as well as at move-out. Charges for repairing a wall that was full of tape and removing soot caused by not operating the gas fireplace correctly are acceptable charges. We also require that utilities remain on during the entire lease period. The tenants disconnected their service and moved out prior to the lease expiration. They were charged their pro-rated share of the bill. The bulk of the charges were for landscaping. The tenants, by their own admission, only cut the grass for the two years of their lease. They did not clean the gutters, maintain any of the planting beds nor trim any shrubbery. The charges for these items are reasonable as well.
Again, we await [redacted] response to our final offer.
Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]

Regards,

Dear [redacted],
This letter is in response to RE: Revdex.com Case # [redacted]. I received Blake Management's response through your site; unfortunately, they have not resolved the issue. We did receive the letter that Blake Management sent to us on August 22nd agreeing to refund two of the erroneous charges that were levied against us. In this letter, [redacted] said that this was his final offer.
This offer was not satisfactory, as it did not address all of the fraudulent charges that were levied against us. However, because [redacted] said that he was no longer willing to negotiate further, we sought legal counsel and had our attorney contact Blake Management on our behalf. He sent a letter on Sept. 12th•

In this letter, our attorney requested that Blake Management send us a refund for $746.96 for the following charges:

Haul Trash from Shed

Repaint Living Room -Soot Damage

Gas Logs Diagnostic Charge

Half of RepairjPaint 1st Floor Bedroom

Landscaping

Electricity

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

I spoke with the business, today:
The business is willing to refund ½ of the $** charge for the removal of the trash from shed
The business is willing to refund the ** fee for the gas log diagnostic charge
The business is not going to refund the charge for electricity because as the lease states the tenants are responsible for the utilities up until the lease expires, and even if the tenants left the property early they are responsible for that charge.
The other charges are valid and will not be refunded.
The business is willing to refund the consumer $[redacted].

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The resolution that the business is offering is the same resolution that was offered initially and is not satisfactory for the reasons that I outlined in all of the correspondence I have forwarded to you. I will recap it here, again: