Vacant Home Caretakers, Inc

Review: I am currently renting a home as a caretaker while the home is on the market for sale. In the beginning everything was rushed, the day you view it you must make a decision pay the deposit and move in and have services in your name with in 5 days. That was fine we agreed to it and did the initial walk through in and around the home area. (The person who showed us the home had never been out to the home before)Within a week I received a call stating that they couldnt do an inspection on the home because the lock I was told to use was locked. (so I can not lock my home when they require me to leave for this period of time?) Then within the first month of us being here there has been extreme wind storms, rain poor, just a mess everywhere. We have done "our part" as far as keeping up with the inside and outside as much as we can. Including fixing and cleaning up things that were already here prior to move in. Now we were given 2 day notice from the realtor company that they were holding a 3 hour long broker luncheon at our home to try and get a buyer since we do not qualify to buy. (understandable) However this is the begining of fall/winter season starting meaning high winds, rain, freezes, power outages (we have had 2 in 2 months) and now today the day after the luncheon I receive a call that there were many complaints about the external area of the property ie: fallen branches, pine needles, grass not freshly cut, etc even though I explained to the realtor and our landlord we rent through that I have someone coming and they couldnt get out here in time for the luncheon to remove the branches (not twigs, whole branches) I was made aware that it looks bad on them because the outside wasnt kept up with well enough. I have never filed a comlaint on a company before but since we have moved in here (yes we love the home and they were a god send) there has been nothing but bad vibes and constant complaints that we aren't doing enough for them.Desired Settlement: We are only asking/desiring our deposit back, and to vacate since this has been a month to month agreement and they too state in our agreement that I could be asked to leave in 48 hr notice. We have a deposit of $800 and have only been here 2 months so everything can go back the way it was prior to us moving in without dispute.

Business

Response:

I was unaware of the Home Managers concerns. I contacted her to discuss them and it seems there was just a misunderstanding. I believe everything is fine now.

Review: We contracted with Vacant Home Caretakers (VHC) (###-###-####)on June 26, 2013 for their Caretakers under contract with VHC to care for home located at [redacted], [redacted], Washington, [redacted] since we moved to [redacted], Montana. The home was listed for sale with [redacted] and the Caretakers ([redacted] and [redacted])placed in our home on July 16, 2013 were to care for our home and yard until it sold. The VHC Contract states that the Caretakers were to pay for all utilities, stage the home for showings, maintain the home and yard in as good or better condition then when they moved in, and be available for as the main contact for the real estate agents showing the home.None of these Contracted Services were provided to us. Utilities were not put in the Caretakers name, the home and yard were not maintained and the condition was significantly degraded, the theft by the Caretakers of our personal property items that remained in the home totals $2,047 to date, mail box keys stolen and re-keying cost $75 paid by us, window broken and not replaced, drywall damaged and not repaired, all house paint, tile and spare flooring stolen, carpets soiled, pets in home but not allowed per Contract, breach of contract by Caretakers for 10 items, Caretakers causing numerous disturbances that resulted in police showing up, several people and parties in the home which are not allowed, Caretakers not available by phone for home showings, and several other items.Caretakers were finally evicted on September 3, 2013 by VHC through notice by the County Sheriff. We rented the home on October 4, 2013 for 6 months to a family that wants to purchase the home. All of the damaged home items, cleaning, carpets, and reimbursement for stolen items were to be taken care of prior to October 4, 2013. We have made daily phone calls and e-mails have been sent daily to VHC without any results. We have been reimbursed $884.95 to date for the stolen $2,047 personal property items leaving a balance of $1,162.05 due to us.Desired Settlement: We want all the damaged home items and proper cleaning taken care of immediately by VHC as the new tenants are not responsible for these items. We want the non-reimbursed to date stolen personal property immediately reimbursed by check from VHC including all paint, flooring, and tile that will remain with the home for the new owners. We want VHC to be held responsible for the cost for the locksmith to re-key the mail box. All home and yard items to be restored to condition prior to Caretakers

Business

Response:

October 30, 2013

Business Statement:

** & [redacted] contacted Vacant Home Caretakers (VHC) and requested we put a home manager (caretaker) in their home located on [redacted] in [redacted]. At the request of the homeowner, the home managers moved into the house prior to the Everearts having all their belongings out of the home.

It is our policy for the homeowner not to contact or make arrangements with the caretaker directly. Mr. [redacted] went to the house without VHC knowledge to retrieve the remainder of his belongings. Because we were not contacted it is difficult for VHC to know what was left in the home or taken by the homeowner.

Later Mr. [redacted] called the office and informed us that the TV was not in the home. We spoke to the caretakers and they said that the homeowner took the TV. VHC chose to pay for the cost of the TV to keep the peace between all parties. A check was mailed to [redacted] for $800 (ck#[redacted]).

Following Mr. [redacted]’s confrontation with the home manager he called VHC and requested the caretaker to move out. VHC contacted the caretakers regarding to set up a move out schedule.

At a later date, the homeowner emailed us and said that he couldn’t find his bicycle helmet, cable, and lock. He assumed the caretaker had taken them. Again, VHC sent a check for $68 to appease the homeowner.

Several weeks later when Mr. [redacted] couldn’t find his air compressor again he assumed the caretaker took it. VHC stepped up and sent the HO a check for $405.99.

Mr. [redacted] complained there were dry spots in the yard, yet VHC had continued using his yard care service. While maintaining the lawn they possibly overlooked a sprinkler repair.

On September 3rd the caretaker finished moving from the home and according to our policy, we had our cleaning service finish cleaning the home. VHC cleaned the carpets and repaired a small hole in the wall of the master bedroom.

At this time VHC and the realtor did a walk through to inspect the home. The realtor took pictures and sent them to the homeowner stating how nice the home looked. Per an email dated September 4th the HO thanked us for taking care of his house.

Later the homeowner contacted VHC about a broken window in the garage that he assumed was done prior to the caretakers moving out. We repaired the window.

Although all the keys were returned to the realtor the HO demanded the home be re-keyed. This was completed by VHC.

When the HO rented the house he contacted VHC regarding the lost mailbox keys. VHC never received mailbox keys from the homeowner and when we discussed this with Mr. [redacted] he said that he believed his neighbor had given them to the caretakers.

The HO wants VHC to replace used paint cans. VHC had no knowledge of any paint cans in the home.

The HO also claimed the patio floor had an area of black mold from water entering in the corner. It is assumed this was caused by the lawn maintenance crew moving the sprinkler too close to the house. The homeowner recanted and said he would pay for it himself.

ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH MONTEREY DRIVE

House professionally cleaned $130

Carpets cleaned $175

Replacement helmet, cable, lock $ 68

Compressor $406

Replacement TV $800

Window replacement $207

Repair wall $ 35

Home re-keyed $ 50

Utilities $ 39

TOTAL PAID $1910

It is very difficult to control things that were done or said between the homeowner and caretaker without our knowledge. Our company has strict policies and procedures against this and requires homeowners and caretakers to sign and agree to them.

We have no way of knowing if the caretaker took the items or the homeowner misplaced these items or of any other agreements made between them. We feel our company has gone above and beyond to meet the requests of the homeowners.

If you have additional questions please contact me. See attached documents.

Vacant Home Caretakers

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]

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.]

VHC makes the following errors in their response letter to Revdex.com dated October 30, 2013:

1. As the homeowner, I contacted VHC prior to the retrieval of the remaining items left at the home. At no time did I have direct contact with the Caretakers, only their son, when we picked up our remaining household items on August 2, 2013. Their son and I looked for our missing TV and could not find it. He called his mom Erica and she denied ever seeing a TV in the home. I called VHC and reported the TV missing and they said yes you had a TV in the home and we have a picture of it. VHC had to pay us for the stolen TV per their contract with us.

2. We did not request that the Caretakers move out until we found out that these Caretakers were never screened by VHC and several violations of the VHC Contract occurred by the Caretakers over several weeks. The Caretakers eventually had to be evicted by the Sheriff's Department.

3. VHC reimbursed us for the stolen TV at $800 and the stolen bike helmet and lock at $68 but we have not received any check for $405.99 for the stolen air compressor and air hose. VHC needs to reimburse us the $405.99 ASAP as has been requested for several weeks now. I already had to purchase a new air compressor to blow out my sprinklers.

4. When the Caretakers moved out, they took all of the paint, ceramic tile, and wood flooring left for the new home owners. VHC is very aware of the several gallons of paint that was in the garage because they were going to paint the drywall repair with the paint. VHC is also aware of the wood flooring and ceramic tile as well. This was at least $480 worth of building materials stolen by the Caretakers. There is no "assumption" on our part about these household items being stolen by the Caretakers and we just wanted to be reimbursed. We have requested the reimbursement of these stolen items several times but to no resolution. We want the $480 reimbursed immediately so that we can replace the building materials for the new homeowners once we sell the home.

5. I gave the mailbox key to the son of the Caretakers and then my neighbor gave them the other key. At no time did VHC state to us not to do this and we even asked them if we are to give the Caretakers the mailbox keys and they said yes. It cost me $89.38 to have a locksmith re-key the mailbox so the new tenants can get their mail. This expense should be reimbursed since the Caretakers stole our keys.

6. The reason the home was re-keyed is because the Caretaker was found in the garage after he was evicted and he could not be trusted to not have made another key. This was done for the safety of future tenants.

7. VHC did not clean the carpets, repair the drywall damage, or repair the broken window until several weeks after the Caretakers were evicted on September 3, 2013. In fact, the broken window was reported to the Pasco Police by VHC as being done while the Caretakers were in the home as the Pasco Police called me and told me this. The broken window was not actually repaired until several days after my new tenants moved in on October 4, 2013.

8. The pictures sent to us by VHC on September 4th did not show the broken window or soiled carpets only the parts of the home that looked good. It was not until several weeks later that we received pictures from our new tenant on how bad the home was cared for by the Caretakers. Scratched woodwork on several doors, soiled carpets, and etc.

9. The Caretakers breached the VHC Contract on several items including not cooperating with the Realtor for home showings by not answering the phone for showings, having several parties at the home, having pets at the home, causing disturbances to the neighbors, and several other items. The VHC Policies and Procedures in their contract with us were not adhered to.

I appreciate any resolution that the Revdex.com can provide on this matter, especially the reimbursement of stolen and damaged household items that VHC is responsible and accountable for as stated in their contract with us.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Although I do not think I could file a formal complaint, I did complain to Vacant Home Caretakers and was told everything was my fault.
Based on my horrible experience working with this company, I would not recommend anyone work with them in any way.
My bad experience was from start to finish. During my time in the vacant home, I found nasty notes left in my home when I returned from work. No matter how clean I left the house, I always had a nasty note. It bothered me that the company would drop in while I was out often and leave very rude comments. It made me feel my space was violated by someone with ill feeling.
Second, having to pick up, clean your dinner dishes in a rush, and vacate OFTEN, meant that once the realtor arrived while I was just finishing dishes. That evening, I was distracted by their EARLY arrival (they did NOT give me 1/2 hour as they had said). As a result, my wedding ring was left on the window sill. And the people in my home stole it. I should have called the police and filled out a report and forced the realtor's office to divulge their client. Instead I complained to VHC and got told it was my fault, which was only partly true. They say, no leaving valuables out, but when you're disturbed constantly, human error will occur.
Instead of saving money on rent, I lost:
1. my wedding ring, which was irreplaceable, since that kind is not made anymore! (-$1,000)
2. a refrigerator that I had to buy to fit that particular kitchen and later was destroyed in storage because I couldn't use it in my next rental home. (-$400)
3. My pride, as I spent years afterward questioning if I'm a slob as the notes frequently left by strangers called me.
On top of the above demoralizing experiences, my family was given two-weeks notice to vacate, when we'd only lived there for three months. I had to buy a major, specific appliance, and got only three months use of it. The owner wanted to sell the home to a friend, so we had barely adjusted to living in the home and my child had just made a friend of the neighbor, when we were kicked out.
I hated the whole experience, the way the company told me the average tenure of stay was 6 months + to 2 years. And we got 3 months and lost appliance purchase, ring, and felt very used. I would not ever do business like this again, and I feel sorry for anyone who believes they will save rent money and get to feel at home in a nice rental house with this company, because it is a lie they use to rope you into their contracts and violate your rental rights. Nobody should allow their rights to be infringed in this business.
Since I left, I have heard most consumers avoid these kind of businesses because they can see that the promise of money saved sounds "too good to be true." I wish I had seen that, and I still feel sad when I look at my wedding ring that the special one my spouse bought for me is in some [redacted] shop or some stranger's house.

Review: Vacant Home Caretakers (website: http://[redacted]/) was contracted to provide a "home manager" to live in my house while it was up for sale. They selected a young couple to live in the house. During this time the "home manager" was living within the house, only a representative of VHC was allowed to have contact with the "home manager." I was not allowed to have direct contact with the "home manager" and neither were they allowed to have direct contact with me. All communication had to go through VHC.The representative of VHC made a decision that my couch needed to be removed from within the house. They called me to request that I remove the couch, and I did so. The "home manager" also requested that an insect terminator be called, which I did. I received an offer on the house that required me to do some painting on a "barn" structure on the property. While painting this structure, I discovered my $500.00 area rug on the ground with holes and mildew. It was completely ruined by the holes as well as the fact it had been raining very hard. I have photos. Upon moving out, the "home manager" stated a representative of VHC apparently told them that the rug needed to be removed from the living room. They told us they rolled the rug up and put it into one of the other rooms. The representative of VHC said that wasn't good enough and that it had to be removed from the house. VHC states that they called me to pick up the rug, but I never received a phone call. The "home manager" states that VHC instructed them to take the rug outside the house, so they leaned it up by the front door. Since I never received a phone call, I did not come to pick it up. It began to smell, and the "home manager" threw it out behind the barn.I have called VHC several times and left them messages. They refuse to call me back. I lost my $500.00 rug due to their mismanagement. They never called to have the rug removed and even if they had, removing it outside was negligent.Desired Settlement: I want replacement rug of my choosing of relative value or the money needed to replace the rug.

Business

Response:

Dustin -

Before we moved, we hired a company called Vacant Home Caretakers to place a tenant in our home on recommendation from a friend and our realty company. After two plus months they finally placed a tenant in our vacant home (even though they said it would take two weeks). The house was shown consistently and we were busy here so we continued to check in with our realtor and waited for an offer. Three months into the tenant's stay I started to get messages from my neighbor. There were a lot of trucks parked outside, including one with a broken window. The yard was looking bad as well. Then she said there were definitely TWO people living in the house. We checked in with our realtor who had found the house a mess inside and our front yard full of brown spots. Our realtor worked with the company to kick out the tenant. The company admitted that they had allowed a second tenant to move in without letting us know. Our realtor was adamant that the condition of the house affected our ability to sell it. When I spoke with the company, I asked how they were going to make things right. They said they would look at the situation and get back to me. I have called every couple of days for the past two weeks and cannot for the life of me get the owner on the phone to discuss our situation. I have only gotten an email stating that the home was cared for to their satisfaction. They collected rent from the home manager and we haven't seen a dime even though their involvement with our home cost us four months of prime market time. We should have just left the house vacant.

I am a home manager for Vacant Home Caretakers, upon move in, I provided my debit card info for a one time authorized payment of $1600.00 ($800 for the rent and $800 for "deposit") My first rent payment was due beginning of April. I processed via bill pay the April Rent for $800.00. Today (April 6th) I noticed they charged my debit card another $800.00!!! I am livid because they now have $1600.00 for a rent that is only $800. I demand refund of that money immediately and an explanation WHY they are charging my debit card without my authorization.