Tradewind Properties, LLC

The tenant contacted us over the weekend and were advised on Monday October 2nd that we would follow up with them by the end of the week as the staff member performing the move out inspection was not in the office until later in the weekThere were no stolen funds and all deposit monies were properly accounted for, documented in a report and receipts provided to the tenant within the state statute deadlineA more detailed response of an outline of each item will be provided by the end of the week as previously stated to the tenant

The tenant was charged for items to bring the property back into its condition less wear and tear It was also not until October 6th that the tenant provided us with a receipt for proof of carpet cleaning Unfortunately because the home was not clean, the carpets were not vacuumed prior to the carpet cleaner they hired coming out All invoices and a proper disposition of security deposit have been sent to the tenant and our staff have relentlessly tried to answer every question and defuse every claimThe tenant simply believes they left the property clean and in move in condition when the move out report and pictures clearly reflect otherwise In an effort to try and compromise, Tradewind Properties will refund the tenant half of the carpet cleaning bill we ordered which would be $plus the 10% coordination fee of $for a total refund of $ I reiterate, because the home was not clean prior to the tenant ordering carpet cleaning we had to schedule cleaners and then carpet cleaning as nothing appeared to be done and the tenant did not supply us a receipt until October 6th

I am rejecting this response because: No formal notice was given Email does not serve as formal notice They never responded to my claim at all They ignored my calls, texts and my email asking for legal fees to be coveredThe legal fees were for me to give formal notice; something they never did A precedent was never set and the consequences of delinquent rent was late fees which were set Their claim of no consequences is inaccurate and I followed their advise including believing them that formal notice was given; which is never was They are not able to produce formal notice because it was never given I demand to be made whole Also their claim to hire an attorney was to use their attorney which was for an eviction process to try to cover their mistake of not giving formal notice

In response to Complaint ID#: *** Tradewind Properties supplied the tenant with their full disposition of security deposit within the legal timeframe even as acknowledged by the tenant (days)A complete accounting and report was also supplied. We do also keep detailed reports of
maintenance requests which must be in writing so no issue or dispute of what was asked and never done comes up without proofThe tenants also were supplied a written move in checklist and given beyond a reasonable amount of time (calendar days) to look over, sign and return or add additional comments should they have disagreed with any itemsNo such tenant signed moved in report was ever returned, thus per the lease the move in inspection report completed by our staff was to be true and accurateThe duct cleaning invoice was split 50/between tenant and ownerThe city actually noted on their report that the ductwork in the home was covered in dust/debris and it needed to be cleaned and partially due to the tenant’s pet Despite the dated appearance of the kitchen flooring it was installed in 2013, I have the invoice showing the date of the installVinyl flooring has a life expectancy of years in rental homes therefore it still should have had more years before needing replacementThe stain was not on it at the time of move in and therefore you are responsible for paying for the years portion that the floor should have lasted, the owners responsibility is the year portion Additional cleaning was needed in the home as cabinets were not cleaned inside or out, the tub was left unclean, the vents were left dusty, etc The other invoice the tenant is responsible for is the turnover maintenance performed by a handyman company for broken mini blinds, replacing dirty furnace filter, and replacing the broken light cover Again, upon move in a full inspection report of the properties condition was sent to the tenantHad any issues at the home been found within days after receiving the report, it was up to the tenant to bring to our attention any disagreements on the report at that time The deposit was used to bring the property back to its original condition less wear and tear thus no refund of such deposit will be made to the tenant Jessica *** Tradewind Properties

I am rejecting this response because:
They have not yet agreed to give us our money back

The tenant referred to by the complainant was a long standing tenant since November 2008. With that said, the last years the tenant became increasingly delinquent with more and more excuses of reasons she could not pay rent, etc. Against management's advisement the owner/complainant
allowed tenant to stay in home. Tenant was aware of the given vacate date of June 30th, as evidenced in the attached emails and even asked for a one month extension. The owner set a precedent with the tenant by allowing her to become so delinquent and accept a multitude of excuses without consequences. With that said, the tenant took it upon herself to use her excuse of a bad back as a reason she could not move on or before June 30th, 2016. The owner/complainant was in a bind because he had sold the house with a projected close date that became a conflict with the actual vacancy date. The owner/complainant unfortunately as owner of the home had to take legal steps to ensure his best interest were being met and we fully understand and recommended that even supplying him with a name of an attorney. Tradewind Properties is not responsible for the owners legal/attorney fees as business of owning a rental property where legal advice and/or action was necessary. Furthermore, Tradewind Properties has not received a voicemail or call from owner/complainant since the tenant moved out and has only received one email with this request which was denied. We are glad to see the owner/complainant had a successful sale of the home on 7/29/

The tenant was charged for items to bring the property back into its normal condition less normal wear and tear.  It was also not until October 6th that the tenant provided us with a receipt for proof of carpet cleaning.  Unfortunately because the home was not clean, the carpets were not vacuumed prior to the carpet cleaner they hired coming out.  All invoices and a proper disposition of security deposit have been sent to the tenant and our staff have relentlessly tried to answer every question and defuse every false claim. The tenant simply believes they left the property clean and in move in condition when the move out report and pictures clearly reflect otherwise.  In an effort to try and compromise, Tradewind Properties will refund the tenant half of the carpet cleaning bill we ordered which would be $75 plus the 10% coordination fee of $7.50 for a total refund of $82.50.  I reiterate, because the home was not clean prior to the tenant ordering carpet cleaning we had to schedule cleaners and then carpet cleaning as nothing appeared to be done and the tenant did not supply us a receipt until October 6th.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/11/18) */
The complaint has been received and comes to our office as a bit of a shock given the issues they are referring to have been resolved and the complainant has paid their bill regarding the invoice due which was in excess of their security...

deposit. The last written correspondence was via email on August 6th to the complainant (email copy to follow) and following that email the complainant paid the outstanding balance of $103.22 via check. From August 6th until yesterday, November 18th, there has been no contact with the complainant. The claim that we are harassing the complainant is unfounded and frankly unjustified. The irrational reaction to file a complaint is stemming from the fact that our office was made aware from the city of Arden Hills yesterday that the complainant still has not paid his final water bill. The city has verified that this bill was sent to the complainant at the leased address and no forwarding address was ever provided to them despite it being the complainants responsibility to call in and cancel service. A copy of the bill will be emailed as well which clearly shows the leased address of which the complainant denies receiving.
The resolution of the complainant is really that of frustration. The resolution we are asked to come to is to leave them alone however we have done nothing outside of our management services that a reasonable person would or could infer as harassing. As stated to the complainant they are responsible for their delinquent final water bill and we will check for payment on 11/24/14 - they have also been advised to contact the city themselves to verify all this information. In addition, our office has sent them a copy of their past due delinquent final water bill as of today.
As far as we are concerned there is no service issue given all matters have been resolved except for the complainant's bill.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2014/11/19) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I found it remarkable that TWP is now trying to play the part of the victim in saying that they are "suprised" that we would file a claim against them. Yes we were planning on leaving things alone however none of our actions have been "irrational" or unprovoked.
First, to clarify, the matter was never settled. As noted in our letter dated 8/4/2014:
"Tradewind continues to use the damage in a few rooms as an excuse to paint nearly the entirety of the home including areas that had absolutely zero damage or marks and to subsequently charge us for it."
Later in the letter we made clear that the matter was not settled and that we reserved the right to file complaints against the company or seek legal action in the future should we so desire.
"Also, we reserve the right to make this information available to the general public, by whatever means we see fit and at any time, for the benefit of any person who would attempt to do business with Tradewind Properties in the future and to warn them of their unethical behavior. This may include but is not limited to online postings, online reviews, comments, emails and letters to existing customers, emails and letters to existing tenants, emails and letters to local news media, and so forth."
In response to our original letter TWP said that we were free to take legal action not against TWP but against the HOME OWNER! Not wanting to involve an innocent party we sent the letter, mentioned above, to TWP to inform them that we would not be taking legal action against the HOME OWNER.
"The unethical behavior and actions are not the responsibility of the owners and therefore we have no plans to press any charges against them. Especially considering the fact that the decision to make repairs, charge fees, and retain the security deposit rests on Tradewind Properties LLC and not on the homeowner. Any decision made by the home owner would have been made in good faith based on the recommendation Tradewind."
Second, the notice from TWP on Monday 11/17/2014 was not to forward the bill but was a notice to "take action" and sue for collection if the bill was not paid immediately. There was no previous notice about the issue. Also as shown in our conversation the City does not allow for accounts to be put into the name of the renters. The city does allow for a copy to be sent to the service address as an "interested party". I also called the city today and they confirmed these facts. During the 2 year time period TWP had always forwarded us a copy of the bill after they had received it. In this case they received a copy of the bill but never forwarded it to us making the account delinquent. It was not until we asked TWP several times for a copy of the invoice form that city that we actually were emailed one. This show that they had in fact kept my mail and not forwarded it on.
In addition, we sent a response yesterday agreeing to work with the City and TWP to remove the $18 fee. The city called us and said they were more then willing to remove the fee considering the situation however TWP has continue to threaten to sue for the $18 even if the city were to remove the late fee.
Such actions are not the actions of an innocent company. In my opinion such comments and actions show more of an "irrational" and "frustrated" attitude on part of TWP then it does on the tenant.
I will admit that I don't believe that there is anything that TWP will do at this point to resolve this issue on their own that is why we have filed a complaint with the Revdex.com so that all the facts of this account can be made public and hopefully TWP will learn how to work cooperatively with the tenants and owners in the future. I do believe a refund of our security deposit or even the $18 would be nice but I don't see that ever happening.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2014/11/26) */
In regard to the complainant's complaint on the security deposit, as mentioned prior this has been settled and paid in full with no further correspondence from the owner, owner's agent or the complainant. Please note that Tradewind Properties does not own the property and we are merely a managing agent for the owner who is responsible for the return of the deposit. At this time, the owner is not waiving their legal right and does not see this as a customer service issue involving Tradewind Properties.
Regarding the complainant's water bill issue, this again was going to be applied to the owner's property taxes if not paid in full. It was not up to Tradewind Properties to waive the tenant's late fee. This decision was entirely up to the city and in no way was the owner or Tradewind Properties involved in that decision. The owner has checked on the complainant's delinquent water bill and it has been paid in full. It is unfortunate that the complainant files a complaint and clearly states what they want the remedy to be as: "Please stop harassing us. You got your money. Just leave us alone!". A reminder to pay their delinquent bill is far from harassing. A clear outcome of what will happen if they do not pay is also far from harassing.
Again, the security deposit issue involves the owner of the home and the owner will not waive their legal right. The complainant is also asking for a refund of the $18 however this was not paid to us thus we are unsure what we would be refunding. In addition, upon the owner checking on the complainant's delinquent water bill it appears that it has been paid in full. Should they desire a refund of the $18 that would be a decision made by the city of Arden Hills.
Have a safe & happy Thanksgiving,

The tenant contacted us over the weekend and were advised on Monday October 2nd that we would follow up with them by the end of the week as the staff member performing the move out inspection was not in the office until later in the week. There were no stolen funds and all deposit monies were...

properly accounted for, documented in a report and receipts provided to the tenant within the state statute deadline. A more detailed response of an outline of each item will be provided by the end of the week as previously stated to the tenant.

I am rejecting this response because:  No formal notice was given.  Email does not serve as formal notice.  They never responded to my claim at all.  They ignored my calls, texts and my email asking for legal fees to be covered. The legal fees were for me to give formal notice; something they never did.  A precedent was never set and the consequences of delinquent rent was late fees which were set.  Their claim of no consequences is inaccurate and I followed their advise including believing them that formal notice was given; which is never was.  They are not able to produce formal notice because it was never given.  I demand to be made whole.  Also their claim to hire an attorney was to use their attorney which was for an eviction process to try to cover their mistake of not giving formal notice.