Duffus Realty, Inc- GMAC

Failed to adequately inspect rental property after tenants moved out, leaving numerous problems that should have been covered by security deposit. Based on contract signed between Mr. [redacted] and myself, the property he was charged to oversee was left in poor state that required expensive repairs I had to pay for without any reimbursement from tenant's security deposit. According to our signed agreement, the property should have been maintained to condition prior to when tenants took control of the house they rented from me. Not only were there repairs needed to ceiling fan, shower fixtures and cost of cleaning inside of house because of condition tenants left it in, we also learned afterwards the house was infested with roaches that required costly expenditure of pest control services. I am extremely disappointed in services provided by Mr. [redacted] through Duffus Realty, Inc. He did not follow-through on what was explicitly listed in agreement we both signed at the beginning of our contractual relationship. Desired SettlementI would like to be reimbursed for outlay of monies I have to pay to get house back to condition it was prior to date tenants started living in it. Cost is exceeding $1000 for me to get this done myself, which is what I expected Mr. [redacted] company to do. Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted], PresidentContact Phone: [redacted]Contact Email: [redacted]Tenant occupied the home in December of 2012, since that time the rent was collected and deposited into Mrs. [redacted] account in a timely manner. Reviewing records back to time of occupancy maintenance repairs have been made with regards to the property. Mrs. [redacted] chose to sale the property and requested that the tenants be place on a month to month lease at the time of renewal and that I inspect the property, each request was granted. Upon inspection I felt the property was in no state of disrepair, Mrs. [redacted] also hired a agent to sale the property and he noted no disrepair. Tenants gave notice to vacate on August 4, 2014 and vacated on September 8, 2014 and I inspected the premises on September 8, 2014. I sent Mrs. [redacted] a email indicating the damages that I noted, not normal wear and tear. I deducted the cost of damage from the tenants security deposit per the NC Tenant Security Deposit Act. NC Tenant Security Deposit Act does not allow for deduction of Normal Wear and Tear items or required maintenance. Tenants vacated over thirty days ago, I did not note any roaches at the time of inspection nor did the repair person that I used to repair the tenants damage. Minor wear and tear should be expected on a rental property and tenants security deposit cannot be used for owner required maintenance. I have been to the property three times since the tenants vacated and have not noticed any infestation of roaches. The property was listed For Sale On April 22, 2014 and no notice of infestation by the listing agent. I'm sorry that Mrs. [redacted] home is not rented, has not sold and required maintenance is needed. [redacted]Consumer Response First, Mr.[redacted] did not do a thorough inspection of the house; otherwise he would have noted broken ceiling fan and shower fixture. Normal wear and tear is expected, but the ceiling fan had just been replaced before previous tenants took possession of property in 2012. I would expect it to last longer than 2 years. Further, we have never received any invoice detailing costs for repairing house after tenants moved out. Based on their security deposit, we should have idea how much of it was used to complete the work and if there is any left over to fix fan and shower fixture. In addition, we had to put new bushes around the house due to previous tenants careless over trimming that killed them. I believe these costs are beyond normal wear and tear of any home. Finally, the house is rented; so the issue is not about trying to get someone else to pay for expenses of maintaining home. It is common decency to follow-through on what you agreed to do in first place and not try to place blame on someone else for falling short of your responsibilites. I would never recommend Mr.[redacted]'s property management company to anyone based on my poor experience with them.

Complaint against Duffus Reality 7/2/14I am filing a complaint due the Duffus and Reality refusing to give me back my Deposit of $ 1095.00. I provided them a 30 day notice in mid-April 2014 informing them that I was moving out on June 1st 2014. I provided this information in Writing as required by their policy. When June 1st arrived, I started moving out my belongings and notice that I needed additional time, so the Duffus Reality representative informed me that I could extend day by day if I needed additional time to move. The representive informed me that it would be the month rent divided by each day which came out to be $35.23 a day. At the end of the 5 days, I paid $105.97 which was paid on 6/6/2014 and received by Duffus Reality via check.Afterwards I called to inquire when I would be receiving my deposit I paid back on June 30th 2011 of $1095.00. The Duffus and Reality Representative informed me that deposit checks usually are sent out on the 22nd of each month. So I informed them that I will be calling them back on June 22nd 2014. The representative verbalized understanding. As June 22nd, 2014 was on a Sunday, I called Duffus and Reality on Jun 23rd Monday.On June 23rd, 2014 I asked about my deposit and the representative began to blow me off. She started to be very short with me, and then started saying Well, Legally we have to return your deposit by the June 30th 2014. So I then said that I was told that my deposit would be ready on June 22nd and now you are saying it will be ready on June 3oth? The representative said again We legally have to return the deposit back on June 30th. I verbalized understanding.So on June 30th, 2014 at 10:52 am, my husband called to inquire about the deposit. He was told that the owner of the home had been forwarded the information on the house and should back in contact with Duffus Realty by the afternoon of June 30th no later than July 1st which was a week later than what we had been told legally by Duffus Realty. My husband made follow up call on the same day (June 30st) at 2:06 pm to Duffus Realty. My husband was put on hold waiting for the gentleman who works there. My husband stayed on hold for more than 20 minutes. Due the long hold my husband disconnected the call and no more communication was made that day. Thus this brings us to today. July 1, 2014 at 9:11am, my husband called Duffus Realty and spoke to the gentleman once again. The gentleman denied ever having knowledge that I had called the afternoon prior and said he did not receive any messages to call either. When asked about the deposit being ready, he said that the deposit has been forfeited. When asked why he said that we had a pet in the house. We immediately said NO we never owned a pet. He said that, well we got the carpet people there now. We have NEVER owned a pet not even a gold fish and there is no evidence or witnesses to a pet living in our outside of our home. We have experienced subpar service from this company and voiced many complaints to them almost to no avail. Back in June of 2011 we wrote down and documented issues pertaining things that needed attention such as gum on the ceiling in our sons room, a broken microwave door handle, small tares in the kitchen floor, a heap of trash in the corner of the back of the home next to the storage shed, insulation hangings on the steps of the attic (which we later found) items left in the storage shed from the previous resident and other things that we have visual pictures of. After living in the home for 3 years we have had major issues with the central heat. Numerous times over the 3 year period, in the winter with temperatures dropping below freezing we went without the use of the central heat system. We had to use the gas powered fireplace for the front of the home and went out and bought space heaters per room to heat up the home. We constantly told Duffus Realty about the heating issues and we were told that they would send someone out. They usually did but would have to be told to do so with follow up call. They did not take us serious at all. When the people would come to fix it they said it worked yet that same night it felt like cold air blowing instead of heat. We tried to utilize the fireplace to warm up yet it kept cutting off. Eventually they sent a person to check the fireplace as well and service it. Yet after the fact it kept going out all the time and eventually it never came back on. Back in the summer of 2014 we had mold growing in our sons bathroom. We contacted the realtor and they told us that its probably not mold. My wife was 6 months pregnant and my son, who has [redacted], was sneezing more than usual. Duffus Realty eventually sent someone to look at it yet it was not a paid professional, it was our next door neighbor. When the next door neighbor went back and told them he did not smell anything we kept complaining until they sent a professional who said that in order to see the mold he would have to cut out the bottom board of my vanity cabinet boards. The man even suggested putting in a new vanity. The owner told Duffus Realty that he did not want to pay for that. It took about 2 more weeks for Duffus Realty to make a move and do something about it. The man cut out the bottom board and seen a lot of mold. We took pictures and sent it to Duffus Realty. Also the house was not ever pressured wash thus grime, dirt and fungi had grown on the side of the home which created an eye sore on our block. Just this year my husband went to obtain a copy of our lease agreement. The gentleman at Duffus Realty said that he was busy with customers and that I would have to wait. Even though we had been told to come and pick it up on that particular day. My husband took time again to write out a list of things that needed attention. My husband told the gentleman that we expect the issues to be taken care of in a timely manner. The man looked him in his eyes with a look of disgust and said WHATEVER and turned awayProduct_Or_Service: Rental home DepositDesired SettlementI want Duffus Realty to refund my entire deposit of $ 1095.00, return the $105.97 paid to them for the extended time it took for me to move out, any lawyer and or court fees that I may accrue A vocal apology from Duffus Realty as well as a written letter to me stating that they were wrong and apologize to me and my family for what they have done to cause so much hurt and pain that we have experienced as being residents in their property location.Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted], PresidentContact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXXContact Email: [redacted]@duffusrealty.comWe answered every complaint the tenants made over their three year stay. We have requested a forwarding address to mail the remainder of their security deposit to and normal wear and tear charges are deducted. They refuse to give address.[redacted]Consumer Response Date: July 9th, 2014 The following information is the current Dialogue between [redacted] formerly of [redacted] NC XXXXX and Mr. [redacted], the President of Duffus Realty, Revdex.com Case XXXXXXXX. Mr. [redacted] on July the 3rd, 2014 sent an initial email explaining why my security deposit was partially withheld. This came as a follow up to us from Mr. [redacted] previously stating via telephone conversation on July 1st, 2014 that the entire deposit had been forfeited due to me having a pet in the home . I, [redacted], sent a reply email to Mr. [redacted] on July 7, 2014, which then prompted Mr. [redacted] to send me a return email stating false accusations which I will prove, through factual documentation, were not truth. Mr. [redacted] sent a reply back to me on July 8th and then followed up with the statement he had left on the Revdex.com site. Thus, as of July 9th, 2014 the enclosed current dialogue will show the conversation leading up to today as we await the reply from Mr. [redacted]. Duffus Realty, IncSecurity Deposit Disposition Statement Reply in regards [redacted] NC XXXXXDate: 7/7/14Hello Mr. [redacted], Thank you for your response concerning [redacted] NC Rental and why the deposit it was denied. I have noticed that you had documented $100 for carpet cleaning beyond normal wear and tear. I recalled that you had previously voiced that a pet was living in our home which was a false statement on your part. Under normal circumstances, I would have been willing to accept your report due to pictures that were taken from the home concerning the carpet. However there are some things that need to be addressed first.Since the initial beginning of our business relationship concerning [redacted] it has been issues that have been unresolved. Firstly, you and your staff have been very unprofessional, disrespectful and rudely while dealing with me and my husband ever since we have voiced our factual complaints about the home. When I first had signed the lease agreement 3 years ago, I had been told by your representative to look around the house, do a walk-thru and if I had seen any issues that I should write them down and give them to your company for repair. I did just that by documenting those things which I had seen, voiced it to you all and attached it to my lease agreement which you and I both have copies to prove that as being true. The microwave door handle had been broken off and missing since the first day I moved in. The door handle had not been fixed even though on more than one occasion it had been brought up to you all and that had been stated from you all was that you would fix it. This had made our kitchen living experience very difficult being that it was a task to even open our microwave over the whole 3 year period. There was small rips on the kitchen floor that was written to be fixed as well to no avail. There had been gum left stuck to the ceiling in my sons room which was located near the secondary bathroom. Items such as the flyswatter, cleaning supplies, a small childs scooter (left in back yard corner of the home next to storage), solar lights that did not work left on the sidewalk leading to home were left as well. In addition, the storage room outside had a bunch of items like potting soil bags, painter supplies, coolant and various dangerous chemicals were left there and were nesting grounds for poisonous spiders, insects and possible grounds for snakes and rodents. The bathrooms had a plunger and a toilet bowel cleaner that was there when I first moved in thus these items do not belong to me. During a tropical storm/hurricane 2 years ago the mailbox that was originally there blew up the street. My husband went out to retrieve it yet it was not fixable thus he put it in the backyard corner of the home which it still sits today. It sits in the same corner where the scooter and other small items were left and created bed for spiders and a possible nest haven for snakes. Heating had been an issue as well as mold and the attic being not up to par concerning safety.Mold was detected in my sons bathroom via smell from me, my husband and my 11 year old son who has [redacted] all while I was 6 months pregnant with my daughter. The smell was so unbearable that we contacted you all to fix it. You all dragged your feet on this issue. You constantly told me that the owner, who was in the military, could only communicate and or reply to you all via email and he had to okay it. We never had an opportunity to speak with the owner nor were we given any contact information from you all after we had formally asked for it. However, you sent our next door neighbor to check it out which we did not understand why you did not send a professional mold detector. The next door neighbor said he did not smell anything. I had contacted the housing authority and coding division concerning unfair treatment and was told to tell you all that you need to fix this problem. You sent a repair man who originally wanted to replace the vanity where the mold was coming from; when he walked in the home he could immediately smell the strong mold odor. I am a registered nurse an am aware of the health complications that exposure to mold can bring. Neurological and respiratory damage are some of the effects that are related to exposure to mold. The gentleman told us that he would have to check with you all at Duffus to see if he could change the vanity. The man cut the floor board away and saw tremendous amounts of mold underneath the base board. I sent you the pictures to validate this being truth. The repair man contacted us back and said that you all would not replace the vanity and that he would to fix it without changing the vanity as a whole. He returned a few days later with a helper to replace the base board. This whole process took way too long and we were very disappointed in your unprofessional landlord duties. After living in the home explanation)I will need my entire deposit of $1095.00 in full. I expect to receive a reply by 5pm EST on 7/9/14 from Mr. [redacted].[redacted]Final Business Response We answered every complaint the tenants made over their three year stay. We have requested a forwarding address to mail the remainder of their security deposit to and normal wear and tear charges are deducted. We are returning the remainder of the deposit.[redacted] NC XXXXXMore info received from the consumer 2014-07-11No there has been no resolution in this matter. Once again Mr. [redacted] is not being truthful with his replies. He keeps repeating himself without evidence to dispute the claims that we are presenting. We have Mr. [redacted]' signature documented, written, and visual evidence with dates and times which will be displayed. Thus we are in route to seek legal counsel and action to obtain the entire deposit in full as well as a public apology regarding the falsification of the facts, non-truths and no evidence on behalf of Duffus Realty and/or Mr. [redacted] to combat our statements. Thank You[redacted]