Crosstown Apartments NYC

Revdex.com:Crosstown apartments is working to find us a new apartmentI have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been
resolved
Sincerely,
*** ***

[redacted], allow me to address each of your accusations in turn.
Your first accusation was that we had employed bait-and-switch tactics to lure you into our offices under false pretenses. Bait-and-switch, by...

definition, is advertising an apartment that does not exist as a means of drawing you in, then showing different properties. This was not at all the case. The fact is that you did view the exact apartment you had initially responded to. Upon seeing it in person you expressed that it did not meet your requirement for space, and asked to see additional units. We then showed you, upon your own request, several additional options at, above, and below your stated budget. The apartment you ultimately chose to apply on was listed at only 6% above your desired price. It was the option you liked best and found the most overall value in, and as such hardly represents an attempt on our part to push you past a comfortable price range. You had contracted us to find you a great 3BR apartment, and through our efforts you decided we had located the ideal place.
Your second accusation was that you were “rushed” into signing contracts and making a deposit. After seeing your favorite apartment you told us you were interested in applying, but needed time to think about it. Being experienced professionals with a great deal of expertise in the New York City real estate market, we prudently advised you that apartments within close proximity of the University are in high demand during the summer months and that it is important to apply very quickly if you seriously hope to be approved. Our agent, not wanting to put undue pressure on the decision, parted ways with you so you could consider the options on your own. You even mentioned at this point that you did not think we were pushy, and indeed were very happy with the process. Being that you were students we offered you a 20% discount from of standard fee. When that still didn't work, we met your additional demands by further reducing the fee by another 25%. At this point we were accommodating your needs at our own expense by acquiescing to half the original rate you had already signed for!
To crystallize the point that we did not “rush” you: when you finally came in to start your application nearly three hours after seeing your chosen apartment, the agent you had met with in the office that morning had already left for the day. Prior to leaving, he had prepared all of the paperwork for you (the payment breakdown stating you would likely be asked to pay the 12 month lease term in full with additional security, the fee agreement stating we were only entitled to collect compensation if you were approved by the landlord to sign a lease, etc.) and it was laid out on the table for you when you came in. There was no salesmanship necessary, no discussion of any costs beyond what was printed in black and white to your specifications, no discussion of the terms, as it had already been agreed on between you and the agent who showed you the apartment. The deposit you made and signed for was the very last thing you did before you walked out the door. You had s een a place you loved, been left to decide whether it was right for you on your own terms, negotiated nearly half off the broker’s cost, and come in three hours later of your own accord to start an application under exceedingly transparent conditions.
You allege that we “shocked you” by informing you that you would be asked to pay the entire year of rent in full with two additional months security deposit. However, at the time of your initial qualification meeting in our office and again when you began your application we prepared you for exactly that by correctly explaining that most international students without strong credit or guarantors in the US are asked to pay the full year and three months additional security deposit with certain landlords – which you said would be possible. To make it incontestably clear from the beginning that this would be the case, we had you sign a payment breakdown at the time of the application, before you made any deposits. This payment breakdown state you agreed to pay 12 months rent in full and 3 additional months for security deposit. You also paid an application fee of $125.
With your deposit submitted and the basic framework of your application in hand, we started sending your paperwork to the landlord. You state that you were “called literally 20 minutes” after submitting documents, but that is exceedingly misleading. There were two full days – two days – between your filling out applications and your being approved. On the second morning you submitted to us via email documents which were necessary to completing the application but effectively supplemental to the overall offer being made, and upon submitting this last piece of your application the landlord was already primed to approve it on the basis of your willingness to pay 12 months in full upfront.
So, in summation: you came into our offices to contract our services on the strength of an ad you saw. We showed you the very apartment that had been advertised, and several others at your request. You determined that one was exactly suitable to your needs, and were given time to think about how to proceed. You negotiated half off the fee, and came back to the office on your own auspices under expectations that you would be able to pay a year of rent upfront with additional security. You signed documents laying out exactly these terms, and put down a good-faith deposit with the clear, written caveat that it was refundable only if your application was rejected by the landlord. Two days after submitting the first round of your paperwork, you sent us the final documents which we forwarded immediately and: good news! They approved you!
This is when things got messy.
Subsequent to your approval you capriciously changed your mind about taking the apartment. Although you, as an independent adult, had signed documents stating that you agreed to the rental payment conditions and agreed to pay a broker’s fee if you were approved for the apartment, you opted to renege on your contract and back out. Again: you were approved under exactly the terms you had negotiated, agreed to, and signed on. The documents that you signed only bear the signatures of the two applicants who were present. There is no forged signature on them. We have no signed agreement with a forged signature.
If you were surprised that [redacted], who is a very upbeat and friendly person, seemed sour after you made these allegations, I'm sure you can see why. When you spoke with us over the phone you stated that your third roommate had simply changed his mind and decided to live with a friend. That sounds like it may have been the actual factor that has kept you from proceeding with the rental of the apartment, rather than any issues with being rushed, threatened, scammed or cheated.
In full summation: you saw an ad for apartment. You came in to contract our services at a standard fee. After discussing your situation and qualifications we prepared you for the likelihood that many landlords would ask you to pay the year in full with three months security. On the basis of your having agreed to that, we took to see the apartment you responded to along with several others that matched your criteria. The last one you saw was your favorite, although it was $200 over your budget. The agent advised you that it was an excellent property in a neighborhood with high demand and that expediency was necessary in order to procure it. She then left you to mull it over on your own. You then decided it was the right choice for you, and negotiated the fee down by almost 45%. Three hours later you came back to the office to start an application. The agent you had met with was gone for the day by that time, but had left his colleague with a print-out of a payment bre ak-down showing one year and three months likely security upfront, and the new broker’s fee reflecting your demands. You signed for both, and made a deposit on the stated terms that it would not be refundable unless you were rejected by the landlord. You gave us the beginnings of your application, which we submitted along with your agreed-upon offer to pay the year in full with security. Two days later you submitted us the last remaining pieces, and we immediately sent them on. Your approval came quickly thereafter, and only at this point did you decide to say anything to us about not wanting to go through with the rental in spite of the legal obligations you were under by contract. We did our job and fulfilled our end of the agreement with all honesty and forthrightness. You simply decided to ignore it

Review: We were looking for a 3br apartments up north in Manhattan and came across CrosstownApts listing. We then contacted Crosstown to see the apartment but we were asked to come to the office first. They showed us the place, which were quite small, and then introduced us to a much better apartment and tempted us to spend more than our budget on this apartment (A very classic bait-and-switch sale tactic). We agreed to take the place while being Rushed to fill out the applications + contracts and put down a security deposit up front. I asked [redacted] (one of the brokers) if we could take the applications and contracts to read and fill out but [redacted] said "no, the applications and contracts have to filled out in the office now." Before we could do anything, they asked to charge us a security deposit of $3200 first then gave us the contracts + Apps. Then after submitting our documents, I was called literally 20 minutes later by another broker named [redacted] that we were approved and the amount due was 1 whole YEAR rent + 2 month Security deposit at lease signing. I was so shocked I felt like we were getting ribbed off because at this point if we withdrew, they would take our deposit - Plus they CHARGED us $125/EACH for an application (which should only cost up to $50 to run a credit check).

I called in very politely if they could make an exception and let us off the hook and get our deposit back but [redacted] changed his attitude from being very sweet and nice to really rude and negative. He then gave the phone to [redacted] who tried to threaten us with laywers and contracts. I was very disappointed and frustrated. They even FORCED me to fill out the third application for my friend who wasn't there because of work (only the two of us were there) and to FORGE his signature on the App.

I am taking legal actions to get our security deposit back as I am sure the [redacted] has not even been able to read our documents and we were approved in a blink of an eye. I believe the whole process was planned as a scam to try to get our deposit. They also used very high pressure tactics to rush us to sign the contracts.

We want our deposit of $3200 back and the contracts voided.Desired Settlement: We want our deposit of $3200 back and the contracts voided.

Business

Response:

[redacted], allow me to address each of your accusations in turn.

Your first accusation was that we had employed bait-and-switch tactics to lure you into our offices under false pretenses. Bait-and-switch, by definition, is advertising an apartment that does not exist as a means of drawing you in, then showing different properties. This was not at all the case. The fact is that you did view the exact apartment you had initially responded to. Upon seeing it in person you expressed that it did not meet your requirement for space, and asked to see additional units. We then showed you, upon your own request, several additional options at, above, and below your stated budget. The apartment you ultimately chose to apply on was listed at only 6% above your desired price. It was the option you liked best and found the most overall value in, and as such hardly represents an attempt on our part to push you past a comfortable price range. You had contracted us to find you a great 3BR apartment, and through our efforts you decided we had located the ideal place.

Your second accusation was that you were “rushed” into signing contracts and making a deposit. After seeing your favorite apartment you told us you were interested in applying, but needed time to think about it. Being experienced professionals with a great deal of expertise in the New York City real estate market, we prudently advised you that apartments within close proximity of the University are in high demand during the summer months and that it is important to apply very quickly if you seriously hope to be approved. Our agent, not wanting to put undue pressure on the decision, parted ways with you so you could consider the options on your own. You even mentioned at this point that you did not think we were pushy, and indeed were very happy with the process. Being that you were students we offered you a 20% discount from of standard fee. When that still didn't work, we met your additional demands by further reducing the fee by another 25%. At this point we were accommodating your needs at our own expense by acquiescing to half the original rate you had already signed for!

To crystallize the point that we did not “rush” you: when you finally came in to start your application nearly three hours after seeing your chosen apartment, the agent you had met with in the office that morning had already left for the day. Prior to leaving, he had prepared all of the paperwork for you (the payment breakdown stating you would likely be asked to pay the 12 month lease term in full with additional security, the fee agreement stating we were only entitled to collect compensation if you were approved by the landlord to sign a lease, etc.) and it was laid out on the table for you when you came in. There was no salesmanship necessary, no discussion of any costs beyond what was printed in black and white to your specifications, no discussion of the terms, as it had already been agreed on between you and the agent who showed you the apartment. The deposit you made and signed for was the very last thing you did before you walked out the door. You had s een a place you loved, been left to decide whether it was right for you on your own terms, negotiated nearly half off the broker’s cost, and come in three hours later of your own accord to start an application under exceedingly transparent conditions.

You allege that we “shocked you” by informing you that you would be asked to pay the entire year of rent in full with two additional months security deposit. However, at the time of your initial qualification meeting in our office and again when you began your application we prepared you for exactly that by correctly explaining that most international students without strong credit or guarantors in the US are asked to pay the full year and three months additional security deposit with certain landlords – which you said would be possible. To make it incontestably clear from the beginning that this would be the case, we had you sign a payment breakdown at the time of the application, before you made any deposits. This payment breakdown state you agreed to pay 12 months rent in full and 3 additional months for security deposit. You also paid an application fee of $125.

With your deposit submitted and the basic framework of your application in hand, we started sending your paperwork to the landlord. You state that you were “called literally 20 minutes” after submitting documents, but that is exceedingly misleading. There were two full days – two days – between your filling out applications and your being approved. On the second morning you submitted to us via email documents which were necessary to completing the application but effectively supplemental to the overall offer being made, and upon submitting this last piece of your application the landlord was already primed to approve it on the basis of your willingness to pay 12 months in full upfront.

So, in summation: you came into our offices to contract our services on the strength of an ad you saw. We showed you the very apartment that had been advertised, and several others at your request. You determined that one was exactly suitable to your needs, and were given time to think about how to proceed. You negotiated half off the fee, and came back to the office on your own auspices under expectations that you would be able to pay a year of rent upfront with additional security. You signed documents laying out exactly these terms, and put down a good-faith deposit with the clear, written caveat that it was refundable only if your application was rejected by the landlord. Two days after submitting the first round of your paperwork, you sent us the final documents which we forwarded immediately and: good news! They approved you!

This is when things got messy.

Subsequent to your approval you capriciously changed your mind about taking the apartment. Although you, as an independent adult, had signed documents stating that you agreed to the rental payment conditions and agreed to pay a broker’s fee if you were approved for the apartment, you opted to renege on your contract and back out. Again: you were approved under exactly the terms you had negotiated, agreed to, and signed on. The documents that you signed only bear the signatures of the two applicants who were present. There is no forged signature on them. We have no signed agreement with a forged signature.

If you were surprised that [redacted], who is a very upbeat and friendly person, seemed sour after you made these allegations, I'm sure you can see why. When you spoke with us over the phone you stated that your third roommate had simply changed his mind and decided to live with a friend. That sounds like it may have been the actual factor that has kept you from proceeding with the rental of the apartment, rather than any issues with being rushed, threatened, scammed or cheated.

In full summation: you saw an ad for apartment. You came in to contract our services at a standard fee. After discussing your situation and qualifications we prepared you for the likelihood that many landlords would ask you to pay the year in full with three months security. On the basis of your having agreed to that, we took to see the apartment you responded to along with several others that matched your criteria. The last one you saw was your favorite, although it was $200 over your budget. The agent advised you that it was an excellent property in a neighborhood with high demand and that expediency was necessary in order to procure it. She then left you to mull it over on your own. You then decided it was the right choice for you, and negotiated the fee down by almost 45%. Three hours later you came back to the office to start an application. The agent you had met with was gone for the day by that time, but had left his colleague with a print-out of a payment bre ak-down showing one year and three months likely security upfront, and the new broker’s fee reflecting your demands. You signed for both, and made a deposit on the stated terms that it would not be refundable unless you were rejected by the landlord. You gave us the beginnings of your application, which we submitted along with your agreed-upon offer to pay the year in full with security. Two days later you submitted us the last remaining pieces, and we immediately sent them on. Your approval came quickly thereafter, and only at this point did you decide to say anything to us about not wanting to go through with the rental in spite of the legal obligations you were under by contract. We did our job and fulfilled our end of the agreement with all honesty and forthrightness. You simply decided to ignore it

Review: My housemate started working with a [redacted] from this company on the week on June [redacted]. We were shown several apartments and shown a similar apartment to the one we liked and were shown pictures of. Housemate went to see the apartment and later asked [redacted] our [redacted] in an email if there were any issues with the apartment. He said the apartment was fine so we put in an application. She also went to see the apartment with her guarantor on July [redacted] but [redacted] told them they could not see the apartment before the lease was signed. After we got approved we were rushed to sign the lease and did not get to sign it in the office. Instead we were encouraged to sign the lease individually at different intervals of time and [redacted] picked them up from me at my job June [redacted]. This was also the date we gave [redacted] his [redacted]s fee of 3,420. We never received a proper copy of our lease, even after requesting it. We requested keys and copies of the lease from July [redacted] to July[redacted] and never got either. I went to see the apartment June [redacted] with my guarantor and the buildings superintendent who proceeded to tell us the work that needed to be done in the apartment when our lease was supposed to start the next day. There was a stove and fridge for another apartment in the living room, the toilet had some "leaking issues", tiles in the bathroom needed to be resealed and the biggest problem which the super said would not be fixed before move in was the radiators in the bedrooms. He told us after we moved in he would have to bring several guys into fix the radiators and potentially tear up the floors. At this time, we still had no keys or a copy of the lease and the apartment was not at all move in ready. After lengthy conversations with [redacted] the [redacted] company they told us they could not get the apartment ready in time for when our July first lease would start and that the real estate company crosstown was supposed to have been aware of this. They agreed to let us out of the lease July * and are returning the first months rent that we had to put down because they knew our apartment was not ready at the time our lease started. When we went back to Crosstown asking for the a refund and they refused.Desired Settlement: We would like all or at least some of the [redacted]'s fee refunded because we were not properly informed about the apartments condition, never given keys at the start of the lease and never received a copy of our lease. The apartment management company said Crosstown knew the apartment was not ready but we were still encouraged to sign a lease.

Consumer

Response:

Crosstown apartments is working to find us a new apartment. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,

Review: A real estate agent at Crosstown Apartments showed me a listing mid October of this year. At the viewing I was told the apartment would be completely renovated with new appliances for a November [redacted] move in. Over the course of my dealings with Crosstown it came to light that the management company was completely unaware of the assurances made by the agent. The management company had no intention of replacing any appliances and expected an October [redacted] lease to be signed. When the real estate agent and I discussed these discrepancies, they failed to take any corrective action. I had no other recourse but to go to the management company myself. I was assured by my real estate agent that he would take care to check on the progress of the renovations. I was also told the rider Crosstown provided would hold the management company responsible to finish renovations before move in day. Upon move in day, November [redacted], I found the renovations were not completed, the windows could not lock, the shower was unusable, and the apartment was infested with bedbugs. Because of this, I was unable to stay in the apartment for even one night. I met with the management company and they agreed to release me from the lease and refund the total amount I gave them. It was clear to both the management and myself that Crosstown misrepresented the apartment. Crosstown Apartments has yet to refund the fee I paid them for their service. As far as I am concerned they have done nothing to deserve it.Desired Settlement: While I believe I am entitled to payment for the additional moving costs, cost of storage unit, cost of commute while I was unable to stay in unit, cost of replacement clothing while mine were tied up in an infested apartment for two weeks, and the cost of laundry, all I am asking for is a refund of the broker's fee of $3,780.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have been contacted directly by Crosstown Apartments regarding complaint ID [redacted], however my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

The broker has only offered to return a fraction of the fee I paid him.

Let it be stated here that we were in communication regarding the issue, just before I filed the complaint with Revdex.com. It doesn't seem like the complaint has made any difference in the way they have been handling the issue.