Madison Realty

Review: I went to Madison Realty in response to an online advertisement for a studio apartment in Queens Village. Although I gave the broker $300 for the application fee and for part of the broker's fee and emailed her my income tax information the same day, I was informed that I did not get the apartment because I did not submit the rest of my documents fast enough (two days later). Before showing me the 3rd apartment on November [redacted], 2015, the broker told me not to ask the current tenant who still lived there any questions so I didn't. The next day I paid the broker $300 for the application fee and the deposit towards the broker's fee because I liked the apartment. Later that day, I was informed that I got the apartment. I sent the broker an email stating that I would like to give the remainder of the broker's fee, along with the security deposit and one and a half month's rent totalling $4,200.00 at the lease signing on Decembr *, 2015. The broker told me that I had to pay the balance of the broker's fee on November **, 2015, even though I was not scheduled to sign the lease until December [redacted] and my move in date wouldn't be until January [redacted] because she said that someone else would get the apartment if I didn't give her the balance right away. So I gave the broker the balance of the broker's fee and signed a satisfaction agreement on November **, 2015. I tried to contact the current tenant, who was not scheduled to move out of the apartment until the end of December 2015, to make sure everything regarding the apartment was okay before I signed the lease, but the broker put the wrong apartment number on the satisfaction agreement. Therefore, I was ringing the wrong bell and never contacted the right tenant until after I signed the lease and got the correct apartment number. After I signed the lease, I went to the tenant of the correct apartment to speak with him about my concerns of fumes that would come into the apartment because it was located over a garage. The broker never informed me about this prior to the lease signing. When I entered the building, a strong smell of cigarrettes hit me. The current tenant informed me that he didn't have any problems with car fumes, but that he sealed his door to prevent cigarrete smoke from entering his apartment because there was another tenant who lived on the same floor who was a smoker. That really alarmed me so I decided to go back to the management company to get my money back because I knew I couldn't tolerate living in an apartment over a garage because of fumes and also from cigarrete smoke, especially because I signed a 2-year lease! When I spoke to the person that I signed the lease with at the management company, she asked me if I would like to wait for another apartment, but that the only apartment I would be able to rent would be on the 1st floor because I have a dog and it is a company rule that tenants with dogs have to live on the first floor. She also told me to speak to my broker about the problem. The broker called me the same day and I told her what my issue was and she told me that she would not refund my broker's fee because she earned it. She said the best she could do for me was to ask the management company if they would be willing to let me wait for another studio apartment on the first floor and she couldn't tell me when that would happen. My problem with that was that I would still end up with an apartment on the 1st floor, which would be over a garage and I wouldn't know when another apartment would be available. I felt that the broker should have disclosed all of this pertinent information about the apartment prior to my signing a lease, especially because car fumes and cigarrete smoke are serious matters that would affect my dog and my quality of life. On December **, 2015 I sent the broker an email stating my issue about not being informed about the smoke and garage prior to signing the lease and about having the wrong aparment number written on the satisfaction agreement and that I would appreciate if she would refund $950.00 of the broker's fee because I was back to having to search for an apartment again. The broker called me and said that I would not get my money back, but that she would see what she could work out with the management company by having me wait for the next available studio on the first floor. I haven't heard from that broker since December **, 2015 so I deciced to call the manager of the Madison Realty to explain the situation and to ask for a refund. He also said that they earned the broker's fee and that I could not get a refund. That is why I am writing this complaint today as another step in resolving this matter to refund the $1,200.00 because the broker did not disclose the fact that the apartment was over a garage and that there was a smoker on the same floor before the lease signing date.Desired Settlement: I would like for Madison Realty to be professional and fair in it's conduct by providing their client's with FULL DISCLOSURE when showing apartments and not demaind that client's pay for FULL broker's fee until all the needs of the client has been met and the lease agreement is signed when this is the case. I would like for them to refund me $1,200, which is the total amount that I paid for the broker's fee so that I can proceed with looking for another apartment that meets my needs.