Deschutes Property Management

The initial application was approved for a specific unitShe had hours to sign and return the deposit to hold form and pay half of the security deposit to hold the property for herselfShe chose not to do thisWe contacted her to let her know that we were removing her from line because she
did not pay or return the signed formShe said she didn’t know what unit she wanted now and would call back to let us knowShe eventually called back and let us know what unit she wanted to move her application toWe had already let the property owner know that she had backed out of the first oneOnce I went over the application again with the homeowner he reconsidered it and was no longer comfortable with the application even using a co-signerThere were multiple screening guidelines that she did not meetOur company does accept co-signers with an automatic double deposit but not all property owners accept them nor are they required to
It is our company policy to only discuss the application with the actual applicant because it is their personal informationWe have explained this to all of them multiple timesWe let the applicant know that if she had any questions on her denial she could submit them in writing (this is also company policy)She did submit her question in writing via email and I responded to her
We do not have a card machine in our office but we do have a way to pay things on the homepage of our websiteWe contacted the applicants father after the check was cancelled, as we do with everyone that this happens with, and we let him know that the funds need to be paid in guaranteed funds and that there is a $fee as well because of the stop paymentOur bank charges us when people do this which in turn becomes that person’s responsibility to cover itIf we do not receive the funds from any applicant or tenant that were to do something of this matter they would be eventually sent to collections to reclaim the money lost*** asked why it needed to be paid in guaranteed funds and told me that she did not even know what that meant We explained to *** multiple times that the reason we would not run the check again and why it needs to be paid in guaranteed funds is to prevent this occurring againWe also let her know that we were not saying she would do it again but this is the reason why it is required in guaranteed fundsWe had also let her husband know what guaranteed funds options there were
The application fee is used in order to process the applicationThis includes but is not limited to running credit/background checks, calling references and checking to make sure the applicants meet the income requirementIt is stated on our application that this fee is not refundable once we start to process the applicationThis is something that both the applicant and co-applicant signed and agreed to
Deschutes Property Management

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:Sincerely,[redacted] To;Deschutes Property ManagementAll of the information provided here is from the Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs.I received your letter in response to my request for the return of my deposit on September 12, 2015. Along with a settlement check of $200.00 from your company.I would like to start with some basics on Tenant and Landlord responsibility.Security deposits are defined as “Any payment of money, including payment of last months rent in advance of time it is due, given to a landlord by a tenant in order to protect the landlord against non payment of rent, damage due to breech of lease, or damage to the leased premises, common areas, major appliances and furnishing. In EXCESS of ordinary wear and tear."A common misconception is that a security deposit is a fund that landlords can access to restore the rental property to the same condition it was in at the beginning of tenancy, or to make improvements to enhance the value of the property, or to prepare it for sale. In reality, the landlord is not to profit  from the collection of the security deposit. Rather the security deposit is to protect the landlord from financial loss at the end of tenancy due to non- payment of rent, damage due to breach of lease, or damage to the rental property in excess of normal WEAR AND TEAR.Ordinary wear and tear is deterioration the occurs without negligence, carelessness, or abuse of the premises, equipment, furnishings or appliances  by the tenant, a member of the household or other persons on the premises with consent.Also some background on the home.Home Built In 1993 currently the home is 22 years old.Fenced Yard (Original)Fireplace (Original). Currently has a gas leak that the owners were made aware of during our tenancyLawn (Original)Parking: Garage - (Original, lift was replaced during out tenancy)Dishwasher (original)Microwave (Original)Range / Oven (Original)Refrigerator (was original, replaced during our tenancy)Lets start with the problems we had with the home due to lack of upkeep and replacement of items in the home. Lock on back sliding glass door broken. Lock on stove broken unable to lock the stove or self clean. Broken garage door lift Carpet so worn that nails were sticking through the carpet Holes in and gouges in linoleum  flooring  Kitchen sink broken  Furnace broke and the stove had a gas leak making inoperable Dishwasher broken Refrigerator broke, also took 3 days for the replacement fridge. We lost over $300 dollars worth of food from the fridge and the freezer because it took so long for them to bring a replacement. Broken sprinkler main, caused from not winterizing the system before the freeze. The items you have listed as being beyond normal wear and tear are-Mini Blinds -Range_Dishwasher-Screen Door-Paint-Grass-Flower Beds-Kitchen Sink- (soap dispenser was fixed)Window sill-Other charges Light Bulbs-Carpet-Carbon Monoxide Battery-I will go through each item along with the average life expectancy for each item per the Office of Landlord- Tenant affairs website.Shades- 6 Years, they were also professionally cleaned without  broken or missing parts. From your pictures I think you are showing dust or debris? at this point they are 16  years past the life expectancy of rental blinds.Range- 16 years, you have posted a picture of UNDERNEATH the burner. at this point the range is 6 years past its expected service. wear and tear with 22 years of use is expected. especially underneath burners as I myself replaced all burner platesKitchen Sink- 13 years, you have charged me for an attached soap dispenser that was never used nor attached when we moved in. the top was however under the sink. I guess setting it on top of the sink would have satisfied your walk through as the previous tenants have done.either way it is now 9 years past expected working service.Outdoor Screen- I could not find specific to screen doors but there is a listing for exterior doors lasting 20 years. Unless proof of replacment 2 years out of expected service.Dishwasher- 10 years. 12 years over replacement.Window Sill- nothing specific on sills however expected life of a window is 30 years. I have seen as I stated water damage on the other window sills from previous tenants. I doubt an entire replacement was necessary as you stated in your letter as I was already charged for sanding and staining of the sill. I am curious why this wasn’t done for any of the other window sills?Grass and Landscape- As we have gone through many times the lawn was mature yes 22 years the bushes were also very mature. The main sprinkler line was broken, we hand watered the lawn to the best of our ability until the owners fixed the main line break. Our neighbors can also verify how hard we tried to fix the issue as one of them even spoke to the owner themselves. The lawn and landscape was always taken care of, I also have pictures of the home from 2012 that show the lawn in the same condition. the pictures you supplied were not dated and could very well be mid summer with a proper water system in working condition. Also the violation you provided by the HOA was well over a month after we moved out dated July 24, 2015, as we moved out June 19,2015. I’m curious how this would play against us instead for us on why the landscape was in poor shape AFTER we moved.Carbon Monoxide detector- this is the most curious charge of all as it was in the kitchen, even per your own inspection of it. Also no pictures of proof?Light Bulbs- Also lacking pictures or proof? I knew what was expected of me and met all the demands as described per your company in e mail.Interior paint and patching- No pictures provided as was in perfect condition.1) requested an attended move out inspection, denied because they were unable to bring the previous move out sheet with them to compare? (emails to prove)2) carpet cleaning quotes provided, was told you only use a certain company? (kickback)?3) Had home professionally cleaned and all patches and repairs done to original condition using paint provided. (pictures to prove this)4) requested status of our move out inspection to rectify any problems, was never told what the issues were if there were any. ( e-mails to prove this)Now I will move on to problems we had with the unit We were without heat for over a day in the middle of winter. The furnace has a 15 year life expectancy. It should have been replaced 7 years ago. I also had a one year old daughter who froze the entire day until the HVAC people showed up after 5 pm. When I contacted Deschutes they told me to call the gas company, they came over straight away and said we should not be without heat, they should not have been called and there was an active gas leak coming from the fireplace making it inoperable. The HVAC person also told the owner this directly after fixing the furnace and was instructed NOT to fix the leakThe other MAJOR issue we had was a non working fridge it went out on a Sunday. I called Deschutes immediately and someone did come that Monday to look at it. He said the fridge was literally so old they couldn’t order replacement parts for it. we had to wait another 3 days for a new fridge to be delivered. ALL of our food was spoiled and we were unable to keep milk, we had to use a cooler for our daughters milk buying ice at the gas station. In total this cost us well over $300 in food along with a lot of time, effort and grief to our lives when I knew MANY stores in town had fridges in stock and available for delivery long before then.I would like Deschutes to know as well as Regan S[redacted] what an emotional toll this has taken on me and my family, not only were we informed we had to move but also that the owners were selling when we had requested to buy the home. This makes me very suspicious that they are improving the home to sell using our security deposit. We were great tenants and did everything possible to keep the home in great shape, paid our rent on time and all utilities were paid. We also followed every CC&R and reported any problem as promptly as we were made aware. The tension or communication barrier between the owner and property management company was evident. Also Deschutes maintains a one way e mail system so you have no record of what you have reported. I am feeling very drained by this process and has added much undue stress to my life as I have and will continue to do everything possible to get my entire deposit back as that is what is fair right and just. I also feel double the amount of my deposit plus the $300 in lost food and perishables would be fair at this point. We have tried to make everything right within our power along with being honest in our dealings. I do not feel I have received the same respect from the property management company. This is breaking not only state laws, but ethical laws that real estate agents and brokers run by. The broker of the company should be overseeing all of these dealings making sure they are fair and just, in accordance with regulations as well as taking into account fair pricing from contractors without markups or monopoly markets. Anyone knows when you move into a home and live there its exactly that lived in. If a tenant has done everything possible to ensure a property is in as good of condition within their power at the time of move out, paid their rent on time, and lacked any fees and penalties how can you deny them THEIR OWN MONEY? If the owners choose to update landscaping and do repairs to a 22 year old home to prepare to sell it, that is the cost they themselves ensue. It is completely illegal to withhold my deposit any longer and at this point further investigation needs to be assessed into the matter in how this was handled. [redacted] Attached are pictures of receipts turned in with keys (Including cleaning) and a quote to clean carpet 17 years past its expiration date. along with pictures from the landscape from 2012 for comparison

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because: In the move-in inspection report completed on July 10, 2015 it clearly states that the front yard, back yard and "bed areas" have weeds and patches without grass. The purpose of this report is to hold blameless the tenant (myself) of these type of issues when the tenant vacates the property. I looked at the move-in and move-out photos that were provided by Deschutes Property Management. They were blurry and very difficult to see, however from what I could see it looked to me like they proved that the yard looked the same at move-in and move-out. Therefore I should not have been charged$200 for the yard. Moreover, it was explained to me that the cleaning on the home may have been for a "wayward hair" on the toilet seat. It does not seem right to me that I would be charged $120 for cleaning of such a trivial item. I maintain that the home was not clean when I moved in and I regularly cleaned  it and vacated it in much better condition then it was reported on the move-in inspection. I have provided my own move-out photos to prove this point. Sincerely,[redacted]

Hi [redacted],I can see that this is a copy of the email that you sent directly to our office.  We have mailed to you a 23 page response with photo documentation that should answer all of your questions.  Thanks!

Dear Sir and Madam:
Not one person has been to remove black mold from the house at any time, please provide a day and date when this said person came to the house to remove mold. I have pictures and video of the mold, paint cans left in the closet, food left in the outside grill. Non of the issues I have stated in my complaint have been taken care of and I am willing to take to court to speak to that truth.
Please provide prove that someone came to the house to remove mold in which I have been sick, you can't because its still in the house.
Above pictures are just two of over a dozen images and video I have.
 
Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:Sincerely,[redacted]

Revdex.com:The check was received on 6/28/2016. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, however I do not condone the business practices of this property management company. If you are a potential customer be very diligent with documenting the condition of EVERYTHING in the home upon move in and move out. Be prepared to be charged for damages and missing items regardless of your involvement. Also, don't even try to clean yourself, they will charge you anyways. Sincerely, [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
Hello, my name is [redacted] and I am writing in regards to complaint #[redacted]. I responded to the message from the business, however the website would not allow me to attach documentation. I am attaching the documentation here in the hopes that it can be attached to the message to Deschutes Property Management. Thank you for your assistance. 
Sincerely,[redacted]SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REDACTED BY Revdex.com[redacted]

[redacted]
[redacted]
[redacted]RE: [redacted] Dear [redacted],                Thank you for submitting your dispute in writing.  We only received one email dispute from you, and apologize...

for the time that it has taken to respond.  We are looking into getting the $150.00 charged to you for paint touch ups refunded, but must get approval from the owner prior to doing that.  Regarding cleaning, you were only charged for $55.00 of the total $105.00.  Since there were items that were not clean on your move in, the owner was charged for the remaining $50.00 of the move out cleaning bill.  We were never informed that you had hired professional cleaners, and were not given a copy of a cleaning receipt.  Therefore, we were unable to contact your cleaners to go back and clean items that were missed that needed to be cleaned before a new tenant moved in.  The mold that was found in the bedroom was your responsibility per the Mold Agreement in your lease.  We have no record that you contacted us about the mold during your tenancy, and the Mold Agreement lays out the specific steps you as the tenant need to take to both prevent and remedy mold.                               Sincerely,                                Deschutes Property Management

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:Sincerely,[redacted] Hello Jen, we just arrived back in bend after our military active duty tour. I now understand why you were unwilling to send me receipts for items you withheld from our deposit.  We opened your letter last night and honestly all I can say is I am in shock at the items you have charged us for. Perhaps that was the purpose of not allowing or accommodating us on a move out inspection.
First I would like to start with the obvious, that we were great tenants always paying our rent on time along with utilities. After 12 months of living in the home with monthly inspections of our yard and premises the one and only complaint we ever had was to move our trash cans to the back yard which we promptly did. The HOA also routinely inspects both landscape, snow removal and general appearance of the home on a monthly schedule. We have passed all of criteria every month for a year. We had neighbors who were fined regularly for not mowing the lawn, our next door neighbors were also fined for letting the grass die as they installed a desert landscape.
That being said lets move on to the charges or so called deductions from our security deposit.
1) an invoice from inception janitorial. In the amount of $75.00
We hired a professional cleaning company who did the final cleaning of the apartment. Not only did they do all windows but also on top of cupboards which had not been cleaned in years. I submitted the receipt with our keys on June 19th. I contacted the company who said you had not been in contact with them for any follow up cleaning. In your e mail below you specifically said you would contact the cleaners who were hired by us to do any touchups if they were needed. See below. Nor did anyone contact me to contact them myself.
2) Carpet cleaning I submitted my preferred company along with a quote they had provided to have the carpets cleaned. I understand this is the one charge I was bound by contract to pay however you used a company called extreme clean. Not the company I had provided a quote and request for.
Total charged $271.00
3) Grooms construction for 2 hours of labor priced  at $45 an hour. First they suggested a replacement to screen material. To my knowledge none of the screens in the home had ANY damage on them. There was a swinging screen door in the garage that was attached to the wall that we never used. It was in a fixed position the entire time. 
Second I was charged for a broken sink dispenser. The faucet where the dispenser was attached was promised to be replaced as it was broken upon our arrival. The maintenance man came by and assessed the problem but never replaced the broken faucet. The soap dispenser was never used by us and the originally sink looks to be well over 20 years old. Wear and tear are to be expected and it needed replacing which I informed you of.  We were also charged for 12 light bulbs! 12! They were all in working condition but according to the invoice a different shaft type? I'm confused as to how a different shaft type bulb would even be able to fit into a light socked not designed for it. We were also charged for a 9 volt battery, for this we have no idea what or where it was used? All smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors were in working condition upon turning our keys in.
Total charged $155.86
4) Invoice comes directly from your company for charges that are listed as, sand, texture, and painting of the unit along with water damage to the window sill.
Any hole that was left from pictures hanging on the wall was filled and painted with the exact color left in the garage. There wasn't a spot left on the wall that wasn't patched or repaired. The second charge was for water sill damage. Looking back through move in inspections there are over 3 window sills with water damage. This home was built in the early 1990's, I'm sure windows installed during the same time and as we all know as homes age the warping of wood over time is normal and expected especially in a 20 plus year old home. I am also clearly not the first renter who had this happen.
Lastly there is a charge for dead grass repair and removal and replacement of dead bushes. 
Let me start by saying the main sprinkler line was damaged this spring. You guys were also notified of this and the owners came over themselves to figure out why the sprinklers were inoperable. First and foremost the system was never winterized to begin with. The owner did send someone over the following Monday and set the sprinklers for a daily schedule. However the grass was dry yes but dead no? I had hand watered as often as I could to keep it alive until the sprinklers were repaired, it was also early spring when we were moving and it wasn't unusual for everyone to just start to turn systems on. However the lawn nor flower beds were ever without water and weeding as per HOA specifications. Lastly I noticed the removal of the lawn and bushes was done 17 days after we surrendered the property to your care. Many weeds can grow, and grass can die very easily in a two week period especially at the end of June early July where it is well over 100 degrees. As far as the bushes go I would be very interested as to know how it is proven that we "killed" them? Was any type of inspection done to make sure they were getting watered correctly? Did insects or age play into the death of the plants? How old were they? What is the life expectancy of the particular breed? When was the landscaping originally installed? Upon move in it was minimal to say the least along with overgrown shrubbery and ambiguous flower beds.
Amount charged $ 600
We left the house in the best possible condition and also went to very measure possible to eradicate any problems seen or unseen during and after out tenancy at this house.
This is our formal request for the entire amount of our deposit to be returned  to us less $271.00 for carpet cleaning included in the contract. 
For a total of $ 1,124.00
We feel that information was intentionally withheld from us regarding being allowed to rectify problems beforehand with a walk through as well as normal wear and tear guidelines. Furthermore no effort was made to make us aware of the status of our deposit as well as opportunity to fix problems. Should there be any.
I have included Oregon state guidelines on security deposit returns. I completed all of these on the list, also there is a bill currently proposed to make charging a tenant for professional carpet cleaning illegal.
All of this information was pulled from ORS 90.3:
Ask to be there when the landlord inspects the unit. Always ask to attend the landlord’s final property inspection, so you can fix problems or do more cleaning. A handful of states give tenants the legal right to be present.
Confirm your cleaning plans with your landlord. Make sure you understand what your landlord expects, so you don’t end up under- or over-cleaning.
Get the rental in good shape. Clean thoroughly and fix any damage you, your guests, or pets have caused. When you leave, return all keys and remove everything, including garbage, food, and cleaning supplies.
Document your cleaning and repair work. Take photos and videos of the rental when you’re done, and get witnesses who can attest to your work.
Give the landlord your forwarding address. In some states, a landlord who can’t locate you within a specified time may keep the deposit. 
2. Know What You’re Entitled To
Most states hold landlords to strict guidelines as to when and how to return security deposits. Landlords who violate these laws may lose the deposit entirely or face hefty penalties. 
A landlord must return a security deposit within 31 days of move out to last known address.
an itemized statement as to how the deposit has been applied toward back rent, cleaning, and repairs
what’s left of the deposit (including any interest that is required), and
A list of proposed deductions before they are actually made.
Also in ORS 90.675- (16)
If the landlord fails to comply with subsection (13) of this section or if the landlord in bad faith fails to return all or any portion of any prepaid rent or security deposit due to the tenant under this chapter or the rental agreement, the tenant may recover the money due in an amount equal to twice the amount:
(a)Withheld without a written accounting under subsection (12) of this section; or
(b)Withheld in bad faith.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I sent all communications to the same email address, if you got one, you should have gotten them all. Your business having no record of me trying to contact you about the mold is not my fault, being as emails have been lost it does not surprise me other records have been lost - again, not my fault and I shouldn't have to pay for a failure on your behalf. I followed the instructions of the mold removal (to my memory) when it kept coming back I reached out for help since it kept coming back. I appreciate your willingness to refund more of my deposit to correct some of the issues discussed.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Here is the correspondence stating the carpets do not have to be professionally cleaned. But yet we were charged for this upon move out anyway. As of today we have still received no refund from Deschutes property management /RL scott.Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone-------- Original message --------From: Allison <[redacted]@rentingoregon.com> Date: 04/27/2016 2:09 PM (GMT-08:00) To: [redacted] Subject: RE: [redacted] Move Out Hi [redacted], Sorry I didn’t get back to you.  I was off Friday and Monday and have been playing catch up. I believe you talked to Emily in my office and no the carpets don’t have to be professionally cleaned. I will check on the paint to see if the owner wants that left. I know they want to make sure everything else is removed inside and out. I’ll let you know what he says about paint. Thanks, Allison R[redacted]Licensed Property Manager  Deschutes Property Management 605 NE Savannah Drive, Suite 1Bend, OR  97701Phone: 541-385-1515Fax: 541-385-6767www.rentingoregon.com Licensed in Oregon From: [redacted] [mailto:[redacted]@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2016 8:30 AMTo: [redacted]@rentingoregon.comSubject: [redacted] Move Out Hi Allison,We are getting close to being out and wanted to make sure the transition goes as smoothly as possible for everyone. I hope we are still on the same page with what we are responsible for when we move out. We should not have to pay for professional cleaning or carpet cleaning correct? As these things were not done when we started occupying the property as tenants, and there was nothing in our sales contract about them either. I know we need to leave things "broom clean" according to the real estate contract. We will go through and clean better than that though. Also we have some supplies from painting and fixing things over the years and weren't sure if the owners would like them in case they ever need to match colors or touch anything up. Let me know.Thanks,[redacted]   Sent from my U.S. Cellular® Smartphone

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because I can assure you that we were not treated with respect or courtesy by anyone at your business. Furthermore, as much as you have gone around and around in your explanation and defense, I still have not received an answer as to why my daughter's application was initially accepted, and within a few hours, she was denied. 
I have contacted the Revdex.com purposefully so that if anyone is reading this, they will take note and be aware of the kind of disrespect and lack of courtesy that is inherent in your organization.  Hopefully, they will be better informed if they choose to do business with you.
Sincerely,[redacted]
 
We are sorry if you reject our response, we have already gone over every detail of the situation and can assure you that we handled the situation with respect and courtesy.  We can understand that not getting the answers that are wanted can make it seem that we are not treating our customers with respect or like they are human beings, but that simply was not the case.  We wish you all well in your future endeavors.

In response to the Rejected response to [redacted], the concern of mold in the home was brought to our attention August 25th, 2015 and a professional vendor from [redacted] Works was finally able to make contact with the tenant after several attempts.  He said that she was really hard to get a hold of and never returned his calls. When he looked at the caulking of the bathtub he did not note any concern of black mold. He re-caulked the areas of concern in the tub. He did not note any other issues of mold of any kind in the home. This appointment that was made between the vendor and [redacted] for September 4th, 2015 at 11:00 AM. The tenant had also mentioned to that vendor at the time that she was looking to get out of her lease because she didn’t like the loud road. The vendor at the time tried to give her suggestions on how to maybe reduce the road noise.  We also have documentation, including the signed lease agreement that [redacted] would be responsible for a Lease buy out fee if she wished to break her lease at any time.

We are sorry if you reject our response, we have already gone over every detail of the situation and can assure you that we handled the situation with respect and courtesy.  We can understand that not getting the answers that are wanted can make it seem that we are not treating our customers with respect or like they are human beings, but that simply was not the case.  We wish you all well in your future endeavors.
 
Sincerely,
DPM

To whom it may concern. After several attempts via email and phone calls to the Revdex.com today to let you know this has already been resolved, please review the following email from the person who put the complaint in to the Revdex.com/[redacted]. It is to our knowledge that she has requested that the...

review and complaint not be gone forward with any longer as it has been resolved. Thank you,  Deschutes Property Management From: [redacted] [mailto:[redacted]@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 10:11 AM To: [email protected] Cc: Tiffany L[redacted] <[redacted]@rentingoregon.com> Subject: Re: Your Revdex.com Customer Review Hello. We have worked things out with the company. Please do not proceed with the review. Thank you. On Tue, Feb 14, 2017 at 4:03 AM <[email protected]> wrote:

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
I do not agree with their response in regards to the applicant initially being accepted and then later being denied. It was my understanding that the applicant indicated to you that she was accepting the terms of your agreement, but she was in the process of requesting a different unit within the complex, as their were several options available. I also feel mistreated by the employees of this business: specifically, their attitude, inflexibility, and lack of understanding or consideration in dealing with "real" people, not robots. Given the current lack of housing in Bend, it is clearly an owner's market. By it's policies and lack of customer service, Deschutes Property Management seems to be taking advantage of this type of market,  and I'm certain, that when/if the market were reversed, they would not treat applicants the way we were.Sincerely,[redacted]