Brooks Family Real Estate, LLC

I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and would like to just close it outI do not agree with the business practice or professionalism of this business, but I have a lot more in my life going on that needs my attention to let this continueI stand by everything I said, but like I said, I would just like to let it go

To allow for a proper reply, I feel I should go in order of this reply from the businessTo start off, I will not tolerate being lied about, or having what should be a business speak this unprofessionally about clientsIt should not be acceptable to have a landlord spread misinformation to try to further their storyAt the end of mine, it will be clear this is just a bullying attempt by a business to not do what is right First, yes I am militaryThat is why we were going to be in the Columbus area for yearsAfter discussing with [redacted] Brooks, the year lease is what was recommended that we did a three year lease since we had no plans to stay in the area once the three year duty was completedThere was never any talk about lowering the security deposit, three year lease, or lowering rent due to a military “status” Yes, the lease agreement that I signed stipulated a day noticeOn April, I gave her written notice via textIn the text, it stated, “***, I wanted to let you know we have decided to stay in the Columbus areaWe really like it so we have been looking around at housesWith that we found a home really wanted to get moving owning our own houseI know we signed a three year lease, but I was wondering if we can look at leaving June 1stWe really like this house but it is too large for what we will need in a few yearsWith that date, it should be plenty of notice.” Nowhere in any text did I state, “this should be enough notice.” After my text is when she sent, “Glad you like the area and have decided to stayWe do have a Lease Agreement that specifies three yearsSince you have given notice (I’m assuming this text is your notice) I will do my best to re lease Summerfield but I need your cooperation so I can show it and get it re rentedOnce I do that you will have successfully broken your lease and can move on.” If there was a problem, there was nothing mentioned in the conversation during text I have saved every text that I have written or received from ***, and can provide them upon request, as well as a detailed phone bill to show none are missing I told [redacted] in the texts that she would have our full cooperation in getting the house re rented so that there was not lapse, and so that we could move onYes, there was the two hour window of 4:00pm to 6:00pm that we needed to get the children’s homework done, dinner etcI do not see a problem with shoe covers, we did not want to be held liable for prospective renters messing up the carpetAt the time, our baby was months old, and the only bath time we ever needed was after pmTo be quite honest, seeing this complaint, I cannot even begin to fathom that someone who is a mother would have a problem with any of these requestsWe are not the type of people that would choose business over family, regardless of whether we needed to rent the house or not The days were completely open for showings, as well as weekendsYes we were highly motivated to get the house rentedWe wanted to move on to our own, and we wanted to help out our landlord per the written agreement via textProper protocol should dictate that the property owner control the persons who view the propertyHowever, when the address is listed on the ad in Craigslist, and a prospective tenant gets turned away because the landlord states, “she doesn’t have the time,” that causes someone who is really interested in the area to come to the address listed to ask to see it to possibly get the house before anyone elseThere was also never a time that three other prospective renters came to the property and were turned away Yes, we let the woman who rented in to see the house and her husband saw it later that eveningThey were extremely interested in seeing the house and getting it, even though the landlord did not have timeI find it atrocious that this business states that we served them alcoholic beveragesThere was never a moment I offered alcoholic beverages to people that were there for a business reason If it was such an issue that the new tenants were inexplicably allowed to enter the property, then why was it that they are the ones that signed the lease on May? On May I notified [redacted] via text that everything was moved out, and she let me know to leave the keys on the counter with our forwarding address, and would get the landlord/tenant letter in the mailFrom the 25-28th of May, we returned morning and afternoon to drop off and pick up our daughter from the bus stop as she finished out the school year On the 28th, as we were picking her up, there was a Ryder moving truck, and the new family was moving inThis was still under our lease dates Per our agreement, the original and stuck with move out date was MayI verified via text later on that [redacted] was aware that our move out date was May as she stated the new families move in date was JulyI am not sure why the landlord stated we did not pay rent for June, or live there as we had already moved outdays after we left the residence, the new tenants moved inI request verification by the new tenants, as well as the neighbors as to the move in dates of the new tenantsThere also is a way to verify the dates of the rental of the Ryder truckFor further verification, we shut off our power with AEP on MayI do not know what the $is that she stated, but we paid that home’s electric up until June Also, on our last days of being in the house, mail began appearing for the new tenants, so verification could be provided from the USPS as to their change of address date As stated in the response, the landlord mentioned repair had to be done on the propertyHowever, as evidenced by the original letter, we left the home in a good condition, and she thanked us for thatThere was no mention of repairs needed until this dispute, which is convenient to add to one side of a story A water bill has nothing to do with this disputeIf there is a dispute with the water, it should be able to be effectively distributed based off of our move out datesAlso, according to Fairfield County Utilities, the landlord has to call and change service, which she did, and gave them a move out date of June 14, causing the chaos of the water bill As far as the welcome basket, yes we did get that, on the day of move in when [redacted] was going through the house with usIt is impossible to prove a verbal thank you, and obviously this is another attempt at some recognitionAgain, I see it as adding something else to make them look better It is extremely unfortunate to deal with individuals who believe they can spin the truth to benefit them when a business practice is in question I do not believe I should be given preferential treatment, nor am I picking and choosing what parts of the Agreement to honorI followed the agreement, and also the written agreement of the textThat is just as much of a written agreementUpon receiving notification that if we helped her out getting renters in, I would have successfully broken the lease, that I followed as well, we made sure that there were renters in the home so that we may move onThe landlord/tenant letter that we received in the mail states that we left the home in a good condition, so to state in a dispute that after the fact you would like to send us the cleaning bills is appallingAlso in the letter that I find the most important sentence is that it states that because we broke the Lease Agreement that our security deposit is forfeited, but yet the text clearly states that with our cooperation of finding new renters, we may move on and our lease is successfully broken, which we did It all is conflicting, as [redacted] Brooks states in this reply that since we broke the lease agreement we forfeited the security deposit, when in the text it clearly stated that if we cooperated to get renters, then we would have successfully broken the leaseAlso, I normally would have no problem paying up until the original move out date of MayHowever, due to the new tenants moving in under the time frame of our lease, on May, that portion should be returned to me as wellI am still requesting the right thing to be done, so that this may be completed

July 16, 2015TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AT Revdex.com WITH REGARD TO ID 10691623The complainant has been given a number by Revdex.com in order to have his/her/their name be kept private.He has used BFRE owner's name with impunity in written statements to the Revdex.comComplainant has usedbullying speech in texting, and as a member of the military knows that commanding officers takeseriously issues such as using derogatory language to civiliansWhether it is in text messages (as it was)or in person.Perhaps one spouse should have told the other spouse about all conversations they had with BFRE.To parse words and phrases, e.g., "plenty" or "enough" is not productiveThe Lease Agreement and itsintent was casually dismissed by complainantIt should be obvious that sixty days means sixty (60) days.Three tenants were turned away, not by complainant, but by complainant's actionsWorking aroundand behind the property owner most certainly took place, in fact, complainants went so far as to postthe property, without permission, on Facebook.The complainants were given a cordial "good-by" and were thanked for the clean houseThis does notmean BFRE did not have any work to do in itAs previously stated, one major issue was the "dabbing" ofthe wrong color paint in several rooms by complainantIn the whole scheme of things, and given theverbose and overbearing demeanor of the complainant our company did the painting and other workand did nor seek anything else from complainant.The couple who ultimately signed a new Lease Agreement on the property were never told anyone withthe company was too busy to show the propertyFull work weeks were dedicated to re-leasing theproperty complainants occupied for a third of their lease, so as to not put the family in the position ofpaying rent and paying for a mortgage elsewhereThe general nature of ungratefulness runs deep.Successfully breaking the Lease Agreement means that complainant was able to go on to other housingand not be sued for months and months of the property being vacantWalking away from a three (3)year Lease Agreement is a serious matterThe complainant and the landlord worked together and theoutcome was complainant walked away from the Lease Agreement and a tenant was found to take overwith a new Lease AgreementAs previously stated, the complainant was very motivated to getsomeone else to move in to the propertyHence, complainant was successful in that mission.No "chaos" was caused by the water billProper paperwork (along with all other paperwork) wascompletedThe only "chaos that was caused was complainant failed to let the water department knowwhere to send the last billAs previously stated, the complainant was graciously told to "pay what thefamily believed they owed*.This is the last and final statement Brooks Family Real Estate, LLC will give on this subject

I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and would like to just close it out. I do not agree with the business practice or professionalism of this business, but I have a lot more in my life going on that needs my attention to let this continue. I stand by everything I said, but like I said, I would just like to let it go.

July 2, 2015TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AT Revdex.com WITH REGARD TO ID [redacted]The complainants leased a home from Brooks Family Real Estate, LLC, used their military status as validreason to negotiate at three (3) year lease, a $50 per month lowering of the rent, and a lesser securitydeposit.The Lease...

Agreement they signed stipulates a sixty (60) notice, complainants did not give a sixty (60) daynotice but a lesser notice. As a matter of fact, complainant via text message gave notice stating "thisshould be enough notice". Respectfully, we assert that the subjective notion of what is proper notice isset in writing by the Lease Agreement. As the lease states, complainants were obligated for three yearsand if the lease was broken they were liable for the rent until the property was re-rented and thesecurity deposit would then be forfeited. The obvious business reason for this is that any time aproperty is turned over there is expense. Expense in ordinary items like carpet cleaning (BFRE paid [redacted] to clean the carpeting at a cost of $234.85), maintenance items (which were also completed on5/26/ & 5/27/15 and 6/2/15 and paid for by BFRE to [redacted]'s Maintenance at a cost of$405.00 ), and the considerable time it takes administratively to advertise, talk to potential renters,drive time to show the property, conduct new background checks, prepare new lease agreements, takecare of utility turn overs, and many other items that all take time and effort.Complainants did not move from the property because of military orders.Complainants allowed the property to be shown, at their convenience. No showings were allowedduring the week between the hours of 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm because of the children's homework. Shoecovers were purchased by the company so that no one wore their shoes in the property. If more than15 or 20 minutes was taken to show the property the complainants called the landlord and complainedthat it was "the baby's bath time" and they needed to come back home. In hindsight, it would have beenbetter to not show the property until complainants had moved out. Then, however, they would havebeen liable for the rent until re-rented. Complainants were highly motivated to exert extra effort andtherefore extra pressure on BFRE to get a renter in quickly and so Brooks Family Real Estate, LLC madeevery effort to re-rent the property so the family was not liable for the remaining monthly rental costsfor the remaining two years.Proper protocol would dictate that the property owner (Brooks Family Real Estate, LLC) would controlthose persons who would view the property. The complainants, however, allowed people to view theproperty without our knowledge or oversight. In fact, the complainants invited a woman in to see theproperty in the afternoon and then invited her to come back with her husband that evening and servedthem alcoholic beverages. The following day, Brooks Family Real Estate had three other prospectiverenters who were to meet at the property but because another couple had been given a special previewand had provided a deposit on the property, they were first in line to rent. The other prospects weretold when they showed up at the property that it had been rented.It was fortunate for the complainants that the property was re-rented, and it was because Brooks FamilyReal Estate, LLC did not wait until the complainants moved out to begin the re-rental process. The LeaseAgreement clearly states that the security deposit is forfeited if the lease is broken and that the fullrental amount is due until it is re-rented.The new tenants, who were inexplicably allowed to enter the property for viewing without thelandlord's knowledge or oversight, signed a Lease Agreement beginning July 1, 2015. They did come into measure and look the property over again the remaining day (s) of June after complainants movedout and left the keys on the counter but did not pay any rent for any part of June 2015, nor did they livethere. In fact, maintenance work, as evidenced by the repair bills, had to be done on the properry. Thewalls in the living room, dining room, and hallway were "touched up" by the complainant using thewrong color paint. BFRE had to pay for these areas to be re-painted. The assertion that two parties paidrent for the same timeframe is false.The complainants left the Summerfield Way, NW property owing a water bill. In checking with thewater department it was learned they did not leave a forwarding address. The water bill did catch upwith complainants and the wife called BFRE to complain that they did not use the whole time period ofwater. Complainant was advised to pay what she thought her fair portion would be.It is sometimes unfortunate to deal with individuals who sign Lease Agreements and somehow believethey should be given preferential treatment by picking and choosing which parts of the Agreement theywish to honor. The complainants were treated with the greatest respect, as individuals and as membersof a military family. They were given a laundry basket full of useful household items as well as snacks forthe children and for their dog when they were given the keys to the property. It is instructive to notethat no "thank you" was ever given. There is most certainly no disagreement that complainantssuccessfully broke their Lease Agreement. The total owed on the Agreement was $52,200.00, and theyhad paid $15,950 of that total. They broke their Lease Agreement and forfeited their security deposit.Perhaps Brooks Family Real Estate, LLC should send them an invoice for the carpet cleaning, painting,and repair items as well.

To allow for a proper reply, I feel I should go in order of
this reply from the business. To start off, I will not tolerate being lied
about, or having what should be a business speak this unprofessionally about
clients. It should not be acceptable to have a landlord spread misinformation
to try to further their story. At the end of mine, it will be clear this is
just a bullying attempt by a business to not do what is right.
First, yes I am military. That is why we were going to be in
the Columbus area for 3 years. After discussing with [redacted] Brooks, the 3 year
lease is what was recommended that we did a three year lease since we had no
plans to stay in the area once the three year duty was completed. There was
never any talk about lowering the security deposit, three year lease, or
lowering rent due to a military “status”.
Yes, the lease agreement that I signed stipulated a 60 day
notice. On 11 April, 2015 I gave her written notice via text. In the text, it
stated, “[redacted], I wanted to let you know we have decided to stay in the
Columbus area. We really like it so we have been looking around at houses. With
that we found a home really wanted to get moving owning our own house. I know
we signed a three year lease, but I was wondering if we can look at leaving
June 1st. We really like this house but it is too large for what we
will need in a few years. With that date, it should be plenty of notice.”
Nowhere in any text did I state, “this should be enough notice.” After my text
is when she sent, “Glad you like the area and have decided to stay. We do have
a Lease Agreement that specifies three years. Since you have given notice (I’m
assuming this text is your notice) I will do my best to re lease Summerfield
but I need your cooperation so I can show it and get it re rented. Once I do
that you will have successfully broken your lease and can move on.”  If there was a problem, there was nothing
mentioned in the conversation during text.
I have saved every text that I have written or received from
[redacted], and can provide them upon request, as well as a detailed phone bill to
show none are missing.
I told [redacted] in the texts that she would have our full
cooperation in getting the house re rented so that there was not lapse, and so
that we could move on. Yes, there was the two hour window of 4:00pm to 6:00pm
that we needed to get the children’s homework done, dinner etc. I do not see a
problem with shoe covers, we did not want to be held liable for prospective
renters messing up the carpet. At the time, our baby was 4 months old, and the
only bath time we ever needed was after 6 pm. To be quite honest, seeing this
complaint, I cannot even begin to fathom that someone who is a mother would
have a problem with any of these requests. We are not the type of people that
would choose business over family, regardless of whether we needed to rent the
house or not.  The days were completely
open for showings, as well as weekends. Yes we were highly motivated to get the
house rented. We wanted to move on to our own, and we wanted to help out our
landlord per the written agreement via text. Proper protocol should dictate
that the property owner control the persons who view the property. However,
when the address is listed on the ad in Craigslist, and a prospective tenant
gets turned away because the landlord states, “she doesn’t have the time,” that
causes someone who is really interested in the area to come to the address
listed to ask to see it to possibly get the house before anyone else. There was
also never a time that three other prospective renters came to the property and
were turned away.  
Yes, we let the woman who rented in to see the house and her
husband saw it later that evening. They were extremely interested in seeing the
house and getting it, even though the landlord did not have time. I find it atrocious
that this business states that we served them alcoholic beverages. There was
never a moment I offered alcoholic beverages to people that were there for a
business reason.
If it was such an issue that the new tenants were
inexplicably allowed to enter the property, then why was it that they are the
ones that signed the lease on 8 May?
On 25 May I notified [redacted] via text that everything was
moved out, and she let me know to leave the keys on the counter with our
forwarding address, and would get the landlord/tenant letter in the mail. From
the 25-28th of May, we returned morning and afternoon to drop off
and pick up our daughter from the bus stop as she finished out the school year.
On the 28th, as we were picking her up, there was a Ryder moving
truck, and the new family was moving in. This was still under our lease dates.
Per our agreement, the original and stuck with move out date was 31 May. I
verified via text later on that [redacted] was aware that our move out date was 31
May as she stated the new families move in date was 1 July. I am not sure why
the landlord stated we did not pay rent for June, or live there as we had
already moved out. 3 days after we left the residence, the new tenants moved
in. I request verification by the new tenants, as well as the neighbors as to
the move in dates of the new tenants. There also is a way to verify the dates
of the rental of the Ryder truck. For further verification, we shut off our
power with AEP on 26 May. I do not know what the $18.02 is that she stated, but
we paid that home’s electric up until 1 June.  Also, on our last days of being in the house,
mail began appearing for the new tenants, so verification could be provided
from the USPS as to their change of address date.
As stated in the response, the landlord mentioned repair had
to be done on the property. However, as evidenced by the original letter, we
left the home in a good condition, and she thanked us for that. There was no
mention of repairs needed until this dispute, which is convenient to add to one
side of a story.
A water bill has nothing to do with this dispute. If there
is a dispute with the water, it should be able to be effectively distributed
based off of our move out dates. Also, according to Fairfield County Utilities,
the landlord has to call and change service, which she did, and gave them a
move out date of June 14, causing the chaos of the water bill.
As far as the welcome basket, yes we did get that, on the
day of move in when [redacted] was going through the house with us. It is impossible
to prove a verbal thank you, and obviously this is another attempt at some
recognition. Again, I see it as adding something else to make them look better.
It is extremely unfortunate to deal with individuals who
believe they can spin the truth to benefit them when a business practice is in
question.  I do not believe I should be
given preferential treatment, nor am I picking and choosing what parts of the
Agreement to honor. I followed the agreement, and also the written agreement of
the text. That is just as much of a written agreement. Upon receiving
notification that if we helped her out getting renters in, I would have
successfully broken the lease, that I followed as well, we made sure that there
were renters in the home so that we may move on. The landlord/tenant letter
that we received in the mail states that we left the home in a good condition,
so to state in a dispute that after the fact you would like to send us the
cleaning bills is appalling. Also in the letter that I find the most important
sentence is that it states that because we broke the Lease Agreement that our
security deposit is forfeited, but yet the text clearly states that with our
cooperation of finding new renters, we may move on and our lease is
successfully broken, which we did.
It all is conflicting, as [redacted] Brooks states in this reply that since we broke the
lease agreement we forfeited the security deposit, when in the text it clearly
stated that if we cooperated to get renters, then we would have successfully
broken the lease. Also, I normally would have no problem paying up until the
original move out date of 31 May. However, due to the new tenants moving in
under the time frame of our lease, on 28 May, that portion should be returned to
me as well. I am still requesting the right thing to be done, so that this may
be completed.