Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

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. It wont be until some time next week that my 80 dollar application fee will show up on my bank account. If I don't see it by Friday next week, what should I do? 
Regards,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
Two reasons.
First, the reason I submitted the complaint initially was their lack of contact with me regarding the issue.  The information on Madison's inflated charges was provided for context and to convey their legal requirement to respond.  I do appreciate their apology on the matter.
Of note, on August 5, 2016 I did send them a request for clarification on a charge, and conveyed issue with two other charges, and have yet to receive a response.
Secondly, I do find their charges were over inflated.  I anticipated some cleaning and yard fees, but not the extant at which they charged.  The home was not filthy and damaged, and I do not find the report actually supports that.  Additionally, they included charges for "miscellaneous repairs," of which I have requested clarification.  Their charges also included disposal of debris on the property that was present before I moved in, and their photographs included an item of interest to them that was also present before I moved in.  Whether I was charged for it I do not know.
I will likely pay the business for additional money they request, largely because I do not want this to drag out any longer and I do not trust the business.
Sincerely,[redacted]

He has been in communication with me directly for the last several week.  Recently decided to escalate to small claims court.  See attached. 
[redacted]SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS REDACTED BY Revdex.com[redacted]

We apologize for the trouble these applicants encountered.  There was no lying, bait and switch or anything else nefarious that occurred.  It was a simple mistake of not having complete information in the listing and not some plan to cause inconvenience for anyone.  Please understand...

that when mistakes occur it causes more work for us, so we have no incentive to create any problems or cause anyone any trouble.Once we discovered the mistake, we tried to find an alternative property in our inventory that would work for the applicants but were not successful.The holding fee and application fees have already been refunded as of this response.  In all cases where mistakes like this occur through no fault of the applicant, all deposits and refunds are returned as soon as possible.  When we make mistakes, we step up, correct them and make things right. Regards,[redacted]PresidentMadison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

To Whom It May Concern:[redacted] informed us she was listing the house for sale and would let the tenants out of their lease a month early to be able to keep their Spokane Housing voucher and our responsibility would be to close them out at move out.  They vacated on 4/30/15.  We proceeded to...

process all the charges associated with their move out.  They ended up having a balance owing of $251.48 after the security deposit was applied.  Included in the owing amount was an outstanding balance to the City of Spokane for $189.24.  The previous tenant came in on 6/1 and paid $192.62 and again on 7/1/15 and paid $58.86 which in turn settled their account. See Exhibit 1.While the security deposit was sent to the owner on 5/15, we were receiving monies from a previous tenant that was in Collections (two tenants previous) that was paying the outstanding bills through the summer;  see Exhibit 2.When [redacted] came into the office on 8/31/15, she asked for her amount to settle the account with us and talked about an outstanding balance with the City of Spokane.  Not realizing that she had not been paying the City of Spokane over the summer, (her responsibility as the house was for sale and we didn't receive duplicate copies), I gave her the amount to pay off what was owed in our system including the previous tenant bill at the City for $189.24.  She paid the $454.39 and her account was settled and all the bills were paid on 9/1/15 as agreed. See Exhibit 3.Regards,[redacted]PresidentMadison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

A check for $297.00 was sent to the [redacted]'s on July 28, 2015.Regards,[redacted], RMP®PresidentDesignated BrokerMadison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Review: In November 2012 I had to contact the management company because my kitchen sink wouldn't drain. Following that request they sent out a plumber to have it repaired; it was a simple hair clog. Nothing was mentioned to me by the management company either through my lease or when they were contacted about the repair about me as the tenant being responsible for the charges. Within days of the service, I received a bill from the management company for the service of the plumber. I contacted them by e-mail when I received the bill asking why I was being charged when it was not in my lease that I would have to pay for basic maintenance on the property and after reading through the Landlord Tenant Act I was still stumped as to why I was being charged for an everyday repair that was not caused by misuse of the property. I got the runaround and very little communication from them for several weeks following the dispute and in the end was told "Please find the attached portion of your lease as to: Repairs & Precautions: "Repair and plumbing costs due to misuse of toilets or drains will be charged to the resident"Failure to maintain drain system of hair in which it builds up is not misuse but not maintaining the property."After that communication from them I tried several more times to get a straight answer because according to the landlord tenant laws, the landlord is responsible for maintenance of the property unless the tenant misused the facility and the statement I received from them admitted that I did not misuse the property. I got nowhere.Shortly after the first clog was taken care of my bathroom flooded; black water in the tub, grey water in the toilet and the sink. Once again, I called them to come fix the problem. Once again they hired a plumber, and once again I was charged for the subsequent fees. I was told by the plumber that it was tree roots but my bill from Madison stated feminine products so I was being charged. Total bill to date $213.33.Desired Settlement: I ask the same here as I asked them February 5th 2013. Cease and desist the harassment regarding the plumbing and remove the unfounded charges. Also, stop using my rent monies to cover the repair so that you may claim I am continuously behind on my rent.

Business

Response:

We require the tenant to maintain the property. Part of normal maintenance is clearing clogged drains from materials put down the drain by the tenant. Hair and feminine products both fall under that definition in our opinion. See attached invoices.

Regards,

[redacted]. [redacted]

President

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

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

As a business operating within the state of Washington you are required to adhere to the state laws and regulations that govern your entity. I agree that the clogs fall under the definition of normal maintenance; however, by requiring the tenant to pay for charges associated with normal maintenance you are in direct violation of the Landlord Tenant Act. The Landlord Tenant Act clearly and unequivocally states in Landlord - Duties - 59.18.060 (7) Maintain all electrical, plumbing, heating, and other facilities and appliances supplied by him or her in reasonably good working order. http://[redacted].**.[redacted] Also, the Landlord Tenant Act provides remedies in 59.18.100 Landlord's Failure To Carry Out Duties, etc for the tenant to effect remedies on their own with a written estimate if the landlord does not properly perform their duties and gives the tenant the right to deduct said amount from their rent payment.

This is not a double edged sword. You as the "Landlord" are responsible for maintenance of the property and all that that entails with the only exclusion being if I as the "tenant" misuse the property or facilities.

Review: A few years ago, I contracted with [redacted] of Madison Real Estate and Property Management to manage the renting of my town home at [redacted]. He has not performed due diligence as promised in that contract. For example, the contract states that the renter would "clean up the exterior of the property . . .". More than once, the homeowners association sent me an official request to clean up the landscaping around the town home to bring it into compliance with the rest of the neighborhood. Mr. [redacted] assured me that he would have the work completed and would bill the tenants to clean up the yard. He never fulfilled that promise. July 31, 2014, Mr. [redacted] and I terminated our management contract. My town home was vacated with a large front picture window broken, the interior of the home dirty and greasy, and the exterior an overgrown mess of weeds and dead plant debris. My phone calls are not returned, nor are my emails, nor my keys, nor my garage door openers, Mr. [redacted] and his staff are in "avoidance mode". I do not know what Mr. [redacted] is doing with the damage deposit paid by the tenant who vacated my property on July 21, 2014. Madison does not honor its contracts, does not have the civility to communicate with its clients, and makes promises that are never kept. I think the citizens of Spokane trust that the businesses permitted to operate here are ethical.Desired Settlement: My first desired outcome is that the large broken picture window in the front of my town home be replaced with a new unbroken window pane. Second, the town home needs to be thoroughly sanitized with carpets shampooed, floors mopped, bathrooms scoured, kitchen and appliances brought back to the cleanliness in which I turned the property over to Madison. Third, the landscaping needs to be restored to a groomed appearance in compliance with the rules and regulations of the [redacted] Homeowners Association. Fourth, I want my house keys, my garage door openers, and the counter top microwave returned to me. Fifth, I expect no apology nor communication from Madison once these desired outcomes are finalized. I will be delighted to have this nightmare business relationship behind me.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

We have been in communication with Ms. [redacted]. Please see attached e-mail string.

The main point of contention is that she wanted to let people into the unit to use at their convenience before our move-out process was completed. She would have put herself and us at risk and allowing people into the unit prior to the move-out process being completed could have voided any recourse against the former tenants. We are trying to protect her whether she realizes it or not. Please see attached e-mail dated July 25, 2014.

We would have gladly handed over keys to Ms. [redacted] at any time had she signed our release stating that she was taking control of the property and alleviating us from any liability or responsibility for her actions moving forward. She did not do this and in fact a representative of hers came into our office AFTER this complaint was filed to pick up the release for her. We had e-mailed it to her prior but had not received it back from her.

Lastly, all of the items requested in her "Desired Settlement" are things we do in the normal course of business on dozens of move-outs each month. All cleaning and repairs are charged towards the tenant and completed up to the amount of the tenant deposit. Any further expense is the owner's responsibility to forward funds to us and we then pursue the former tenant for reimbursement (up to and including collections if necessary). Please see detailed move-out condition report documenting deficiencies at the time of tenant move-out. A detailed set of 298 photos taken at the time of the move-out condition report can be provided to the Revdex.com upon request.

Lastly, all accounting will be done and provided to Ms. [redacted]. We operate and account for all trust funds according to state law and provide a transparent, open and complete accounting for all funds. However, as always, we do need reasonable time to complete this process.

Regards,

[redacted]. [redacted]

President

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received, your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Revdex.com,

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

First of all, after doing business with Madison Property Management for over three years, they fail to spell my name correctly.

Second, the email they submitted to you dated July 25, 2014 was created after the fact specifically for you to think there was an "email string" between us of some sort. I NEVER received any such email in my inbox nor delete file nor spam file. They made it up so you would think they communicated with me. They did not.

Review: I am the owner of a residential property that was managed by Madison Real Estate and Property Management. My contract with Madison was terminated on August 9, 2014 for multiple violations of our contract agreement by Madison Real Estate. I terminated the contract as per the terms sited in the contract via certified mail. On Aug. 1, 2014 I spoke with the president of Madison Real Estate, [redacted], in regards to when I would receive documents essential to the management of the property (lease agreement, home inspection and tenant deposit). Mr [redacted] told me I could get them on the termination date of the contract. On the morning of Friday, Aug. 8, 2014, I called Madison to find out when and where I could get the documents. I was told no instructions were left for them by [redacted] to give me any of those items and they wouldn't give them to me without his instruction. They said they had no way to contact him but they would call and let me know when [redacted] returned to the office. I did not receive a call back. I called back just before closing that same day and talked to the vice president of Madison Real Estate, [redacted]. [redacted] was very rude and told me I would get them when they felt like giving them to me and there was nothing I could do about it. It has been 10 days now since the contract terminated and I haven't heard from them or received any of the requested items.Desired Settlement: I receive the requested documents as soon as possible and the report of this behavior is made accessible to the public.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

Let me address the assertions in order-

1. Contract Issues: In the effort to clean and repair Mr. [redacted]'s rental home in order to show the home and place a qualified tenant quickly, we conducted work on the property. This was done in order to rent the property quickly. We did not intend to upset Mr. [redacted], only look out for his best interests. We did find and place a tenant quickly saving Mr. [redacted] extended vacancy time and giving him income much quicker than otherwise would have occurred. In addition to that, WE PAID HIM EVERY PENNY WE SPENT ON HIS PROPERTY DURING THE TURNOVER PROCESS (OVER $1,000). WE PAID TO HAVE HIS PROPERTY CLEANED AND REPAIRED OUT OF OUR POCKET. So, not only did he get cleaning and repairs done quickly and get a good, qualified tenant placed quickly, HE PROFITED FROM OUR EFFORTS BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING.

2. Conversation on August 1, 2014: We did speak and I explicitly told Mr. [redacted] that he could pick up keys as of the termination date but that the lease and final accounting wouldn't go out to him until about 14 days after the termination date (we technically had 30 days to get everything to him). We got out the documents promised within the 14 day timeframe I expressed to him on the phone. This is our standard practice and we have never to my knowledge had a complaint about it. Mr. [redacted] had the tenant's contact info and a copy of the lease sent to him upon tenant placement, so there was no issue in managing his property during our turn-around window of 14 days. To address the communication issue further, Mr. [redacted] also sent a letter stating that he did not receive a return phone call when requested about the mistake listed in paragraph 1 above. That was untrue as well. I left two messages in two consecutive days after his request (apologizing for our oversight and making sure he was satisfied with our refunding $1,000+ to him). The answering machine was his wife's voice stating both of their names, so I know I did not have a w[redacted]g number. I never received a return call from him.

3. No Return Call on August 8, 2014: We work 12 and 14 hour days in the summertime, many times out of the office at properties (in other words, doing our job). This is especially true the first ten days of the month when turning properties around to get them ready for rent is very time sensitive. Expecting a call back in less than 8 hours, from a person doing time-sensitive work out of the office, during the busiest time of the month, is unrealistic in our business. Mr. [redacted] was told by me what to expect and when to expect it in our phone conversation on August 1, 2014. He was told by our office staff what the process was and when he could expect documentation and accounting.

4. [redacted] Rudeness: Mr. [redacted] was belligerent and demanding. Mr. [redacted] was firm as Mr. [redacted]'s demeanor was very hostile. I would not consider Mr. [redacted] to be rude, but he can be very direct when necessary.

As far as Mr. [redacted]'s desired settlement, he now has the documents promised, in the timeframe promised to him by me personally in the phone call on August 1, 2014. Additionally, I too wish this report be made public so anyone considering to do business with Mr. [redacted] will be aware of how he operates.

Neither myself nor my company are perfect. We make mistakes and when we do we own up to them and try to rectify them as best as possible (such as paying for work even though it means we will lose money, like in this instance). However, there are times when someone is unreasonable and cannot be satisfied under any circumstances. Unfortunately, this appears to be one of those times.

Respectfully submitted,

[redacted]. [redacted]

President

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

<st[redacted]g>[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received, your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]</st[redacted]g>

Revdex.com,

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

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

Please see attached.

Regards,

Business

Response:

As I stated in my original response, we made mistakes but did everything in our power to correct them to no avail or satisfaction on the part of Mr. [redacted]. He came out far ahead both financially and in peace-of-mind due to our efforts. His lack of communication on the outset (not returning my two phone calls) and misunderstanding of a prior phone conversation is disappointing. I'm not sure what else to do at this point and hope he finds satisfaction elsewhere.

Regards,

[redacted]. [redacted]

President

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business' response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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.

Regards,

Madison Property Management did not respond to formal written requests for maintenance. They "cooked" the numbers to justify retaining a deposit. I will be happy to discuss how they did this after we complete the litigation process that we are in currently. After we achieved service of a court summons for them, they wrote us a check for about 40% of what is fair. They also filed a counterclaim the SAME DAY. We can prove falsification to retain a deposit. We didn't have any money or communication from them until after document service which was 2 and 1/2 months after move out. The final monetary report was grossly different than the original, and neither was accurate. They are even trying to charge us for City Water/Sewer/trash bills that we already paid. (as a matter of fact, we found out that we overpaid by 2 weeks because of this process. The City applied a credit to our current account because of it) They also tried to charge us 75% of a cleaning bill from construction mess they created a whole month after we moved out. Madison Property Management and especially [redacted] are cheats.

Avoid this company at all costs. I should have known during the leasing process they were trouble. In the beginning I would drop off a deposit for the application or something and an hour after I would leave, someone else would be calling me and asking for the same deposit I already made. The house I'm staying in has had several maintenance issues. I've made multiple maintenance requests that have gone unanswered. Now, we had a major leak in the house I am staying which requires coordination between the insurance company, Madison Real Estate, and sub-contractors. Every time something is in the hands of Madison, the ball drops. We've only had use of about 2/3 of our house and Madison, due to their lack of communication and urgency, has tremendously slowed the process. All the sub-contractors even stated this was something they experience regularly when dealing with Madison. As soon as they have your money and a contract, your satisfaction with their services no longer matters. DO NOT RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE.

Madison...oh what can we say about Madison Realty. They have been a nightmare to work with. When we initially signed the lease it was for 6 months. Normally when the lease is up again its for the same amount of time or goes month to month. When it came to re-new the lease we were told it had to be for a year rather than another 6 months or month to month. Never have we come up against that sort of policy.

If you need work done on the house you are renting they do not respond in a timely manner. The only time they did was when human feces were backing up the utility sink in the basement as that would violate the lease and we would be able to end it. The walls when we moved in were a pale pink in color and had bad stains on them. We asked twice if we could paint and they never responded to our request. So we painted anyway knowing it would improve the property.

Even though we have overall left the place in a better state we are not getting a deposit back which was a thousand dollars. And in fact they are saying we owe them money.

I don't understand the absolute meanness of this company. Worst business practices ever. Be warned renters...check out these reviews and all the non-recomended reviews. Horrible company....Wish I had seen these reviews prior to signing on the dotted line...

Epilogue: So after a lawyer sends them a letter we finally get a part of our $1000 deposit. Thanks Lawyer....I won't type were Madison can go....

Review: I received a bill from the City of Spokane for $477.69 for a rental they had been managing for me. After attempting to call [redacted] more than once and not getting my calls returned I went to the business on August 31, 2015. I was told by [redacted] that the money for that bill had been sent to me by mistake after the tenants moved out. I was never contacted about this and asked to return the money so the bill could be paid. [redacted] told me there was a balance of $24.77 on their records so I would need to bring a cashiers check for $454.39 so they could send in the bill. I went to Chase bank at that time and obtained a cashiers check for that amount. I gave it to [redacted] with the assurance that the payment would be sent out by the next day. About 1.5 weeks later I received a bill from the City of Spokane showing that they had received a check from Madison in the amount of $189.24. I attempted to call Madison on 9/17, left a message for [redacted] who never returned my call. I went to Madison the next day. [redacted] was not in but I spoke with [redacted]. [redacted], the receptionist, was also present along with 2 other ladies who I assume work in the office. In checking the computer I was informed that there was still an outstanding bill for some mowing that had been done and for their 10% commission.. Our renters moved out in the spring and we our selling the house so those bills should have been paid at that time. When I was there on the 31st paying my bill I was assured that this would take care of everything. She returned my house keys. I find it difficult to believe that after 4 months she was not aware of any other outstanding bills. The receptionist, [redacted], was present at that time and heard [redacted] tell me that this took care of everything, although I do understand that since she works with her she may not be willing to admit this. I feel this is a poorly run business. They don't return calls(I have called several times over the summer, none returned) and I believe that some of their practices are deceptive. I had informed them in January and again in March that we would not be renting the house again and would not need their services after the current renters were moved out.

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

Review: I went in to this establishment to resolve an issue with rent payment. I had received an email from one of their employees saying that we only owed $50.24 as a final balance. Since [redacted] only accepts a money order or cashier check you can see my frustration when I arrived to their location and find out that we owe $150.24. As I was trying to explain to them that we cannot just keeping driving in and out of Spokane from Cheney, an employee (Who's information I have) decides to literally yell at me because I "Interrupted His Sentence." I was treated incredibly poorly and I feel that something needs to be done about this. This isn't the first time that I have been treated poorly by them and I have a plethora of emails to prove it.Desired Settlement: An apology is acceptable but I feel that the individual who yelled at me should have some sort of consequence for their action.

Business

Response:

I was the person [redacted] referred to in his complaint. Here are the details:

1- [redacted] and his roommate were almost one month late with their rent.

2- Our office had been working with them to get the late rent resolved.

3- When [redacted] came into the office I was at the front and he was being disrespectful to one of my employees (our bookkeeper).

4- I attempted to explain the situation and was repeatedly interrupted.

5- I raised my voice in the attempt to finish a sentence without being interrupted. It was far from yelling, however [redacted] took the opportunity to escalate his rude behavior.

6- [redacted] stormed out of the office while his roommate stayed and got things handled in a somewhat more reasonable manner.

When anyone on my team is being treated in a disrespectful manner, I will not stand by and let it happen. My bookkeeper extended every grace and courtesy available trying to work with [redacted] and his roommate, yet she got nothing but grief for it the day he was in my office. Should anyone treat my employees in that manner in the future, my reaction will be no different. No apology is forthcoming, nor is one warranted.

President

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Review: Below is a certified letter I sent to [redacted] 5/11/13. The reply to that letter indicated they would respond with final accounting within 30 days of receipt, 5/13/13:My property at [redacted] was managed by [redacted] Management & Company [redacted] starting January 2001. Last summer, your company transitioned to merge with other management companies to form Madison Real Estate. Tenants [redacted] and [redacted] occupied my property from 1/25/08 to 7/31/12. In May, 2012, I called your office advising of my plans to take back residence of my property at the conclusion of the current renter's contract, July 31, 2012, and terminate my property management contract with your company. On June 6, 2012, I sent a brief letter to your office confirming that conversation. Nearing the end of July 2012, I received a call from you advising the renters were in arrears on rent and your office was preparing eviction paperwork. I was also told the renters had vacated and that there was substantial damage to the residence. You described some of the damage, commenting that I will want to replace a lot of the upstairs carpeting. You indicated you were mailing me a CD containing pictures of the damages. On August 4, 2012, I went to Spokane. I and my 2 sons spent a full week cleaning, painting, repairing, and replacing as much as we could in 1 week. During that week, I contacted your office requesting the [redacted] $650.00 damage deposit monies to assist with those costs. Later that day you returned my call advising you were going to submit damages to small claims court and indicated releasing the deposit funds to me at that time might jeopardize that effort. You requested an itemized list of the condition of the house in support of that claim. You informed me small claims court action cannot exceed $4,000.00. I told you to restore that amount of damage could easily exceed $6,000.00, that I didnt have those resources, and any monies would be helpful. On September 2, 2012, I sent you a detailed list of tasks completed during that week, receipts, tasks remaining to show the extent of the negligent damages to the property, and a conservative estimate of my financial losses. In the middle of September 2012, I received a $392.26 bill from the [redacted] for outstanding utilities the renters had accrued over several months. I contacted the [redacted] advising that I had not been aware of those overdue charges and paid the bill immediately to avoid action against me. I was informed the monthly billing statements had been submitted to your office as well as the tenant. As I was responsible for that delinquent bill, I contacted your office to inform that I had received it and expressed my concern of not being notified of it by your office. I was asked if I had anything else to declare as your office was still preparing the documentation to pursue losses in small claims court. I indicated there was nothing else I was aware of. In the middle of October 2012, I contacted your office and asked the status of the small claims action, closing of the tenants contract, and the closing of my property management contract with your company. I was told your office had been very busy with the office merger, but they were currently working on these and that in the next 24 to 48 hours the paperwork would be finished. I was told I would receive a copy immediately. In December and January I was again told your office was still in the process of preparing the documentation. In February 2013, I received a Collection Notice for $24.76 owed [redacted], Spokane. I contacted [redacted] and was told your office had received the monthly past due billings and the final billing statement. The bill was not paid and no contact had been made so in December 2012, the bill was turned over to collection. I paid the bill and again called your office to express my frustration of not being kept informed by your company. My last contact youre your office was March 14, 2013, when I called and ask why I hadnt received the damage deposit monies or any of the requested documentation and express my dissatisfaction regarding all of this. I was told your office was still working on the documents for small claims court and they didnt realize the damage deposit had not been deposited to my account. As of the date of this letter, I have not received the CD of pictures, the damage deposit monies, or documentation of your office pursuing legal action against the tenants, closure of the contract with the tenants, or closure of my property management contract with your company. I am at a loss to understand the duration of this situation, the absence of follow through by your company, and apparent disregard of a clients credit standing. I have no knowledge of the status or outcome of these contractual and financial concerns. In an effort to resolve this situation and relieve the uncertainty, I make the following requests. Within one day of receipt of this letter, please post a $650.00 damage deposit check to me. Within one week of receipt of this letter, please provide the CD, a total accounting for and verification of a comprehensive small claims court action, a total accounting of the [redacted] contract closure, and a total accounting of the closure of my property management contract with your company or provide an explanation why these actions have not been completed. I request all responses be in writing and all of the above mailed to the address below.Desired Settlement: I request Madison Real Estate and Property Management prepare and file on my behalf a comprehensive small claims court action for the [redacted] damages to my rental property and their office be responsible for all costs associated with filing that claim and their office provide to me verification of the filed claim. I request a total accounting of the [redacted] rental contract closure and a total accounting of the closure of my property management contract with Madison Real Estate and Property Management. I request the $650.00 damage deposit still in their possession and the interest accrued on those monies since August 2012.

Business

Response:

First, I would like to express my apologies to Ms. [redacted] for the delay in responding to her requests.

On the request of the $650 damage deposit, those funds will be disbursed to Ms. [redacted] by end of business today. The tenant owed back rent beyond the deposit amount and the deposit monies can be used to offset that debt owed by the tenant.

In regards to the request of filing a small claims action, we are waiting for a legal determination as to whether or not we can file a small claims case since we are no longer the management company for the property. If we can, we are happy to pursue the case and pay the related filing costs as soon as we are able to get receipts for the materials. If we are unable to legally file a small claims case, we are still willing to pay the filing costs. In either case, we need receipts for the costs involved with the clean up and restoration of the property prior to filing. Additionally, Ms. [redacted] must be willing to appear in court to testify as she handled the clean up and restoration of the property.

If Ms. [redacted] is unable to appear in court and testify, we are able to pursue this matter through the collections process.

Lastly, once we receive a copy of all receipts for costs involved with the work done at her property, we will get out a final accounting within 14 days.

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

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

Thank you for forwarding the Madison Real Estate "Message From Business". I have concerns with their response, starting with the apology for the delay in responding to my requests.

Review: We just received our security disposition and have one major concern. We were charged $270 for carpet cleaning but we already had the carpets professionally cleaned (as outlined in the lease) prior to moving out AND provided a receipt for this cleaning when I turned in the keys and remotes to the property. We should not be held responsible for covering the cost of duplicative carpet cleaning resulting from Madison's failure to properly record it already being completed. Madison has not responded to multiple emails and calls trying to resolve the situation. Their non-response to an issue that is obviously their responsibility is completely unacceptable.Desired Settlement: We are requesting that the amount charged to us for carpet cleaning ($270) be refunded immediately as this was an obvious oversight on the part of Madison Property Management.

Business

Response:

A check for $297.00 was sent to the [redacted]'s on July 28, 2015.Regards,[redacted], RMP®PresidentDesignated BrokerMadison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

When my husband and I moved into our new apartment back in 2013 Madison real estate gave us rave reviews. They said that the only thing we needed to do was pay the last month of rent which we did and were approved for our new apartment. My husband and I along with our three children have lived in that apartment for the last 18 months. My mother who lives in Seattle was diagnosed with cancer so we made the move over to Seattle. My husband found a good paying job and we applied for a town home near my mom. The town home called back 3 days later only to report that we had been denied. My husband and I were shocked. When we asked why they said that Madison real estate had said that we were awful tenants and that we had numerous noise complaints as well as past due and unpaid rent. We rented from them for 5 years!!!! If we were such bad tenants why were we not evicted?! We paid them $6000 in so called damages to the home and "unpaid" balances so that shouldn't have even been an issue. We never received any noise complaints nor any notices of these so called complaints. Now my husband and myself including our three children are homeless because this real estate agency gave us a supposed bad review. There are numerous complaints that have about them but this is the one that is effecting is now even though we haven't rented from them in a year and a half! I will never ever rent from them again and I would love to see them out of business so that way this doesn't happen to anyone else.

We had a 1 year lease with MRE. Upon move in, the stairway banister was loose and rotated and obviously not safe. He refused to take a picture of it or note that it was rotating on the check list, but he told us to not rotate it because it could ruin it, but he wouldn't put that on the list.

Also, at move out, they charged us $400+ for various charges, but didn't specify what those charges were for.

We cleaned the house top-to-bottom, and had professional services performed by the company they recommended, yet they still charged us a "general move in/out fee".

We have tried to contact them on various occasions throughout the lease for small repairs, and after the lease to clarify the charges, but they never replied in a timely manner, unless you call 2 months timely.

They refused to do a walk-through with us at the end because they were "too busy" and then they charged us for these false requests.

They also do not make the repairs that you request unless you ask them 3-4 times.

NEVER go with Madison Real Estate! They are not renter friendly, nor are they property owner friendly.

Review: We rented from Madison Real Estate and Property Management (MRE) for a 1 year period from 6/22/2012 through 6/30/2012. When our lease was coming to an end, we had the choice to renew our lease, rent somewhere else, or consider buying a home. We chose to get away from MRE as soon as possible. We received a statement and (partial) deposit refund on 7/15 after moving out on 6/30. The summary page said to call if we had questions and when we called we were laughed at for having tried to call instead of communicating in writing. At that point we knew that our problems with dealing with MRE were not even close to being over. We sent an email to them later that evening (7/15) to see who we should contact about our questions, and how we should contact that person. We sent another email to them about it on 7/21 due to no response. They replied on 7/22 asking for “specific questions” to the deposit without saying who to contact. I replied with those specific questions on 7/22. With no response from MRE after one more week, I sent another email on 7/29 reminding them. Then I sent another email on 8/3 to remind them, again due to no response. And I sent another email on 8/5 reminding them once more (yep, due to no response). After no response at the end of business on 8/6 I changed my game plan. Phone calls obviously weren't working. Emails obviously weren't working. So I sent a certified letter giving them one week to give a reply with answers to our questions or I would sue, which arrived to them on 8/7. Finally, on 8/19, rather than suing, I sent another email begging them to reply. Still no reply, so I went in person to their facility towards the end of business on 8/21. At this point we probably should have just sued them. Instead, I called them after I left work on 8/21 to see if they were still open and to see if the person I was emailing was still there. The receptionist said the person was still there, and still would be when I got there 10 minutes later, still within normal business hours. After arriving, the receptionist told me that the person was, in fact, not there and had gone home for the day! I told her that I wasn't leaving until I had the chance to speak with that person. Suddenly she came out of the back room! I explained to the person about me sending 7 emails and 1 certified letter since we had moved out, without any answer from MRE to my questions on the bill. I reviewed the charges and how I felt they were inaccurate. She verbally admitted that the new account water bill fee ($10) was indeed charged in error, and that they would be sending a response to me by email the next day. And this time they did actually reply! And to my surprise, two business days later we even received actual paper copies of their email! And it was written that they would give us the credit for the $10! In their response, their excuse for withholding the $10 was, “this may be a new charge that [the water company is] doing that we were not aware of.” This is just plainly not true to any extent. I contacted the water company and was told that this charge has been in place “prior to 2000.” The water company also said that MRE has even paid that fee “a number of times” in the history of MRE having accounts with the water company. On top of this, MRE requested copies of our rental water bill statements on the day we signed the lease, and MRE was aware through those statements that we were charged, and paid for, the $10 fee on our first bill. And to add more, MRE was the property management company for 30 different active accounts with the same water company on the day we signed our lease. MRE knew that this was not a new fee. They knew that it was included with every initial statement when the account changes responsible parties. To top it all off, the fee is even mentioned on the water company’s website very plainly and clearly. Two weeks later after their reply we still had not receive the $10 credit they promised to credit. Perhaps they meant that we would have a $10 credit towards our next rental, knowing full well that we would never rent from them again? Even the form of the credit was not clarified. Rather than send any more emails, which history showed would be unanswered, I sent a second certified letter on 9/10/2013 (MRE received it on 9/12) giving them until 10/1/2013 to return the money owed us, or face litigation. RCW 59.18.280 states, “If the landlord fails to give such statement together with any refund due the tenant within [14 days] he or she shall be liable to the tenant for the full amount of the deposit.” As such, and to be in compliance with state law, we are requesting the remainder of our deposit be returned for the time and trouble we have gone through in trying to get our money back. This month (6/30/2014) will be 1 full year since we moved out and we still have not received any other communication from them about when or how they will be giving any credit, even though they said this credit would be given. They failed to comply with the state law. While they did give a statement, it was not a full statement. It was not a specific statement. And they failed to provide a portion of the deposit that was due to us, the tenants, within the specified time-frame. When I brought this to their attention the day we received the initial partial refund, all they really had to do was reply within a reasonable time and return the $10. I likely would not be pursuing the remainder of our deposit if they had done this, although it was still a failure to comply with the state law. Instead, they ignored our multiple attempts to communicate and resolve the issue, most likely hoping that we would forget about it. But because of the intentional refusal to return the money owed to us, we are asking for the remainder of the full deposit according to the state law. If we must take this to court, we will ask the court to consider awarding "...two times the amount of the deposit for the intentional refusal of the landlord to give the refund due."Desired Settlement: Our desired outcome is for them to comply with RCW 59.18.280 and return the remainder of our full deposit, totaling $440.04, due to their failure to “provide a full and specific statement” as well as failing to give “any refund due the tenant.”

Business

Response:

First, let me apologize that Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] were communicated with in a timely manner. We strive to respond to all requests in a reasonable amount of time but occasionally we fall short or things get missed. This appears to be one of those instances.

Let me run through the time frames of events as evidenced in the attached document:

6/30/13: Lease end date

7/1/13: Tenant delivers keys to office

7/4/13: Move-out condition report completed

7/12/13: Final disposition sent to tenants (including all invoices and ledger outlining all charges in detail)

7/22/13: Tenant submits questions about deposit in writing (via e-mail)

8/22/14: Response outlining all charges (and the mistaken $10 charge) mailed to tenants

After reviewing this case and the tenant ledger it has been found that we did not issue a refund for the $10.00 mistakenly charged to the tenant. A check for the $10 plus an additional $20 ($30 total) for inconvenience, mailing costs and inadvertently holding the funds will be mailed out to the tenant by July 11, 2014 via certified mail.

I do apologize for the inconvenience and that the mistaken charge did not get returned to the tenant in a timely manner as it as it should have. However, this was not an intentional refusal to return funds; it was a simple oversight due to a flaw in our process. In our opinion this mistake does not constitute a violation of RCW 59.18. Additionally, a full and complete accounting was provided to the tenant as of July 12, 2013, despite the claims of the tenant (see attached). The amount of $440.04 owed by the tenant will not be refunded.

We have adjusted our process so that moving forward the bookkeeper is copied on any deposit dispute responses so that entry of any refunds is double-checked by both the maintenance and accounting departments. This should prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future.

Lastly, I once again apologize to Mr. [redacted] that our communication was lacking and we will strive to do better in the future.

Regards,

[redacted]. [redacted]

President

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received, your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Revdex.com,

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

You “occasionally” forget to respond to complaints to your

tenants? My complaint of you not

responding is not something new about Madison Real Estate (MRE), simply read

the Revdex.com reviews and the reasons for your Revdex.com rating. Also, when I was being ignored for the 1st

6 weeks after we moved out, I called the property owner, for whom you managed

the property we rented. Yes, I’m sure

you already heard from him about me having to contact him directly to help me. I had to leave a message the first time in

the evening, but he quickly called back THE NEXT MORNING. He told me of his own frustration in trying

to do business with Revdex.com. He surprisingly

(well, not so surprisingly) couldn’t get anyone to return his phone calls or

emails. He had tried several times, in

multiple methods, and he failed to get a response as well. So, that “instance” of MRE not responding to

requests in a timely manner wasn’t just with me as a tenant in that initial

period, but also the property owner. Also, the new tenants in the same home have had several issues in getting simple repairs done, and they threatened to sue you for your lack in response. The neighbor just down the road from my new house had the same issue, with you not responding to his requests for simple repairs when he first moved in. These are just a few of the MRE tenants that I know.

Now, in your time frame of events you forgot to include ALL

OF THE OTHER attempts I made to contact you, including via certified mail. I would have sent the specific questions

sooner, but I had no information on who the correct contact person was supposed

to be. The original summary page said to

call you, and when we called we were laughed at and told to do everything in

writing but didn’t give us a person to contact.

I asked the Maintenance Manager, and she never told me who the correct

person to contact was, but she asked for the specific questions. I emailed those questions the same day she

(finally) responded to me. It took me 2 emails (7/15 and 7/21) just to get the

correct contact person before sending the questions. I am attaching all documentation I have about

our attempts to contact you.

In your reply to my Revdex.com complaint you said that on 7/12/13

the “Final disposition [was] sent to tenants (including all invoices and ledger

outlining all charges in detail).” I

frankly disagree, and the invoices (see attached) confirm this. Nowhere in it did you outline the charge for

YOUR new account fee, and you charged us for

YOUR new account set up fee, which was not outlined in the ledger. Therefore, the disposition DID NOT outline

all charges in detail; hence, the failure of the landlord to “give a full and

specific statement of the basis of retaining any of the deposit” (see RCW

59.18.280). You attempted to provide the

full statement, but you did not actually send a full and complete statement

(mistakenly or intentionally).

You were correct in part of your reply: “… [MRE] did not

issue a refund for the $10.00 mistakenly charged to the tenant.” That says it all right there. YOU failed to give “any refund due the tenant

within 14 days.” It has been a full year

now. The law states it clearly that if

this happens, the landlord “shall be liable to the tenant for the full amount

of the deposit.” It doesn’t say anything

about exceptions for “mistakes” or otherwise.

It really is that simple, and I can’t see why you feel that you failing

to give any refund due does not constitute a violation of this RCW 59.18. There aren’t very many sentences in the

RCW. It isn’t hard to get lost in there. Now, if you had offered the $10 plus an

additional $20 for inconvenience the first time around (after my first 2-3

attempts to contact you, or even when you replied nearly 8 weeks after we moved

out), I might have actually let this slide.

After you finally replied and admitted that you failed to provide

the full deposit due to us, you yet again failed to deliver by not actually

sending the refund. I guess that was

another one of those “instances” where you fall short? I even sent you a reminder via email and certified mail 2 weeks later to forward us the money due. You simply ignored (again) that certified

letter also.

I then sat on this for several months, researching MRE’s past, and

nearly filed small claims to pursue the owed full amount of the deposit. I wanted to give MRE one last chance,

however, by going through the Revdex.com. Listed

below is a time frame of events for this process:

6/7/2014: Complaint filed with Revdex.com

6/8/2014: Complaint sent to MRE with request to respond within 10

calendar days (a time frame that Revdex.com felt was appropriate to wait for a

response)

6/17/2014: Revdex.com sent second request for business to respond

6/23/2014: Revdex.com sent third request for business to respond

6/27/2014: Revdex.com advised MRE that their accreditation could be

revoked if they don’t respond

7/1/2014: MRE requested a 5-day extension to reply

7/7/2014 (morning): MRE’s time frame was exceeded for a response,

MRE notified

7/7/2014 (afternoon): MRE gave 1st written response to

Revdex.com complaint, claiming they will send a $30 refund to us

Wow, I must have terrible luck with MRE. It took you one full month, 5 notices AND

threats of your Revdex.com accreditation being revoked to get a reply from you. I seem to be involved with all of your “instances”

in which you fall short.

I also find it very interesting that it wasn’t until Revdex.com got

involved that MRE admitted that this “mistake” was their mistake. In your first reply to me you avoided any

responsibility of it, and stated that “this may be a new charge that we were

not aware of.” That letter was signed by

the “Designated Broker and/or Managing Broker.”

Then I brought forward the truth about the situation, and only then did

you admit that you made a mistake. Trying

to skirt the issue is just terrible business habits. You knew it was not a new charge. You were completely aware of the charge. You outright lied to us to cover up your

mistake. Nowhere in that first reply did

you even hint at apologizing for not refunding the money. And then you had another one of those “instances”

and never sent the refund you admitted to owing us. You never even apologized for lying to us,

but tried to downplay this whole thing as an instance of a mistake in which MRE

fell short.

You said you have adjusted your process so “that entry of any

refunds is double-checked by both the maintenance and accounting departments. This should prevent this sort of thing from

happening in the future.” The

very first person that I emailed to discuss deposit concerns was [redacted]

[redacted]. She signed her email with her

first name, and then listed her job functions directly below that. It is very interesting that she lists herself

as being “Maintenance Manager” as well as “Accounting”. Your process “adjustment” that you mentioned

isn’t really an adjustment at all. You

make it sound like a change will take place where two separate departments are overlooking the issues, but evidence shows that no actual

change can occur if the same person wears both hats. It sounds good on paper, but when all the

details are brought forward it is very clear that it’s just words. I’m calling your bluff again.

Now, the RCW doesn’t require the intentional refusal to refund the

deposit. For the full deposit to be

returned per the RCW if you fail to give “any refund due the tenant” within 14

days, no intention is mandated to be proved at all. For you to not have to repay the full

deposit, you must prove that circumstances "beyond your control prevented you

from returning the deposit." It is quite

simply if you fail to return the full deposit due the tenant. No other qualifications. The intention qualification is requisite to

be proved only for double the deposit to be returned, in the courts discretion. If intentional refusal is proved, then you

could be liable for up to two times the amount of the deposit. We can go there if you want; all evidence put

together shows beyond a reasonable doubt that this was more than a simple

oversight.

However, I know mistakes happen.

Let the facts stand where they are for your intentions. When there are that many mistakes and lies with

one transaction it’s hard to believe that this was merely a mistake. Intention is difficult to prove, so I will

leave that one up to the judge. I am

simply requesting that you comply with the state law as it is clearly and

simply written. If we actually receive

the $30 check you mentioned, I will count that towards the total of our

remaining deposit to be returned. Let's just hope that I am not a participant in your next "instance" of MRE falling short.

I am still requesting that you return the total of our full deposit as it became

due on 7/15/2013 because of your failure to comply with state law and your neglect in returning our deposit, and for making us suffer through your lies and prove you wrong.

Regards,

Business

Response:

To Whom It May Concern:

My sincere apologies. Our bookkeeper apparently misinterpreted the response, an honest mistake. An additional check for $10 will be issued in our next check run.

Regards,

[redacted]. [redacted]

President

Madison Real Estate and Property Management, Inc.

Consumer

Response:

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received, your complaint will be closed Administratively Resolved]

Revdex.com,

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

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

Please add the following to my Revdex.com complaint about Madison Real Estate. Thank you!

Madison is a great management company. They always quickly respond when I sent in a maintenance request they are always kind and understanding and I have loved having you as my management company.