Fwd: Re: Security deposit

[Roberto Luis Estévez]

Hey guys... did you also get these charges?
What happened to the smoke detector? And what was this thing with the window?

---------- Mensaje reenviado ----------
De: <sg...@aol.com>
Fecha: 09/07/2015 16:07
Asunto: Re: Security deposit
Para: "Roberto Luis Estévez" <rles...@gmail.com>
Cc:

Hi Roberto.  After deducting for some missing smoke detectors ($24.78 per person) and the drywall repair from water leaking in where Sergio didn't shut his window all the way for a while ($50 per person) and the $750 I already paid you, your refund remaining is $175.22.  I can western union this to you (less fees) or make it out to Amanda and mail it to her so you two can figure it out.  Whichever you'd prefer.  

- Steve Goldberg

(301) 646-1952

On Jul 7, 2015, at 5:55 PM, Roberto Luis Estévez <rles...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Steve!
I no longer have an address in the US.
Would it be possible to make a bank to transfer to a Bank of America account? If that is so, I  can give you my account info.

Otherwise,  could you make the check on Amanda's name? Then she and I will figure it out.

Best

Roberto

Hahaha!  Best explanation ever. : )
 
-Amanda.

Hahaha!  Best explanation ever. : )

 

-Amanda.

On Tue, Jul 7, 2015 at 1:47 PM, <sg...@aol.com> wrote:

Ha!  I figured one of you was pissed off by another's bad nail clipping hygiene ;)

- Steve Goldberg

(301) 646-1952

On Jul 7, 2015, at 1:22 PM, Caitlin Lacy <caitli...@gmail.com> wrote:

That stuff seems like it was written by an idiot overseeing the project trying to give instructions to inexperienced workers. Probably thought it would come off at the time.

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 7, 2015, at 1:10 PM, Roberto Luis Estévez <rles...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi there!

No idea where that came from. I am almost sure that by the time I got to the house (end of August 2013) that was already in the floor.

Best

R

2015-07-07 18:57 GMT+02:00 Sérgio Pinto <sergio...@gmail.com>:

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the email, and hope all is well with you. If I recall correctly (and if you are referring to something that i think was written in Spanish), that was there from the time you sent a few workers to fix the upstairs bathroom (replace floors and toilet). But if someone recalls it differently, please chime in.

Best,

Sergio

2015-07-07 12:51 GMT-04:00 <sg...@aol.com>:

The house is in pretty good shape.  Thank you!  ....Other then the permanent marker "no nails" written on the upstairs bathroom floor in multiple languages?  I'm gonna try some paint remover on it, but if that fails does anyone want to claim responsibility for it, or should I split it 5 ways?

- Steve Goldberg
(301) 646-1952

--

Amanda Moskal
Master of Public Policy Candidate
University of Maryland - College Park
630.440.0429
amo...@umd.edu

[Sérgio Pinto]

I didn't receive anything. The window thing was about me, supposedly, although it was never clear where exactly the water entered, since my room was never exactly flooded, and I also wonder if it would have been cheaper to fix it at the time, and not some years later. I have no idea about the smoke detectors, never removed them.

Anyway, I'll email him to charge only me for that. Although i find this method of him deducting everything to whoever happens to be part of the full turnover quite peculiar (the window thing happened when Juan was still in the house, and you, Caitlin, and Patricia had not begun living there). 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Baltimore House" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to baltimorehous...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Amanda Moskal]

I also contacted him.  Here was his explanation:

 

"As far as deductions go,  I make no attempt to assign responsibility.   I charged you 1/5th of the drywall repairs just as I charged everyone else 1/5th the cost of replacing the carbon monoxide/ fire detector that was missing from your room."

 

The smoke detector/carbon monoxide detector is mine.  I removed it so it wouldn't get cracked/broken in the move-out (it's happened before when moving large items) and the movers accidentally packed it with my things.  I have it (just found it in boxes yesterday) and I've offered to return it to him so he will reimburse us all.

 

I've never had a landlord that "make no attempt to assign responsibility" for damages.  This is weird.

 

Amanda

[Roberto Luis Estévez]

Ok, thanks for the explanation guys... I read Steve's email and was left wondering WTF was happening hahha

Serg, did the water get in through a window you left open? because if it was a failure in the ouside insulation then you have no responsibility.

Miss you guys already!

Best

Tino

--

[Sérgio Pinto]

Hey Tino, it probably infiltrated the window sill when I left the window open, yes. I have no idea how/why Steve says the crack in the ceiling only "became visible recently", though, since it has been there for at least a couple of years.

P.S. Hope you enjoyed Spain, even if it is not as nice as the neighboring country, and enjoy these days as a tourist in DC, too!

[Roberto Luis Estévez]

Oh ok... I don't even know what crack in the ceiling we are talking about, but how is that related to the water that cake in through the window?

I hope  you are having fun in europe!! Enjoy! I'm definitively enjoying DC, although it is kind of sad.

Hugs

Tino

[Sérgio Pinto]

Going back to this now that I am back in the US - when reading this thread, I thought he was referring to only 1 smoke detector missing, does anyone know which is the second missing one, as well as the broken one?

Also, if we take the contract literally, the initial security deposit amount from which he deducted those amounts should have been higher than $1000, because the contracts (at least mine, but i suppose everyone's) stipulated that the security deposit would be placed in an interest-bearing escrow account...

[Roberto Luis Estévez]

Oh.... I remember the interest thing! I had forgotten about that.
What is an escrow account?
I know interest rates in savings accounts where around 0.1% so when I initially read that I thought the interest would be around 1 or 2 dollars

Apparently there where 3 smoke detectors missing or broken... one from amanda and 2 from common areas.

[Sérgio Pinto]

That's true, it'd always be a small amount, it's just funny that he 'forgot' to add that. 

Yes, I knew about Amanda's (he was supposed to reimburse everyone once that was returned?). Does anyone know what happened with the broken and the missing one from the common areas (which I assume were the kitchen and living room)?

[Amanda Moskal]

Re: Escrow and interest: I've never had a landlord give me interest (of any amount) on my security deposit.  I've never heard of anyone's landlord doing that either.  I would consider that an uncommon practice.

 

Re: Smoke detectors:  Steve said that he'd already replaced all of the smoke detectors, so I couldn't return mine.  Then, on my check (and I'm presuming all of our checks), it mentioned replacing 3 smoke detectors.  I guess the two in the common areas went missing, too.

 

For my replaced smoke detector, I'm going to take the collective amount of all 3 detectors ($25 x 5 = $125), divide it by 3 to account for my one detector ($125 / 3 = $41.50), then divide that amount by 5 for each of us ($41.50 / 5 = $8.33) and return that $8.33 to all 4 of you since you shouldn't have to pay for my missing detector.  That simply isn't fair.  I'll Venmo you immediately.

 

Re: Water damage:  Did we ever get a response from Steve on my he's charging Tino, Caitlin, and Patty for water damage that occurred before they even moved in?  Moreover, any response on why he's charging all of us for an issue he admits comes from Sergio's window, but did not give Sergio adequate opportunity/options to repair before moving out?  In my opinion, none of us should have to pay for something we gave immediate notice on and received no "demand to repair" in a timely manner.

 

-Amanda.

 

[Patricia Mullaney-Loss]

Thanks for the $ Amanda! And I am not sure if he gave a response about the water damage. I think that since you have him notice and he chose to wait 'til it was a bigger problem that you shouldn't have to pay for the full repair. 

[Caitlin Lacy]

No idea about the smoke detectors except those things were definitely working right? So loud! I believe we left the one in the living room up and that the kitchen one was on the counter where the microwave was when we left. Thanks for the payment Amanda!

Sent from my iPhone

[Sérgio Pinto]

Thank you, Amanda, for the smoke detector reimbursement. I will also send the $50 from the repairs to each of you - Tino, in your case i'll deduct the $19.97 from your share of the water, and can you let me know if Venmo still works for you? If not, please tell me what the best way of having the money reach you is.

He never gave an explanation on why he's charging them while they were still on the house. I asked him directly, and his reply was "While I don't know about the wall under the window sill, the cracks in ceiling in the kitchen didn't show up till recently?  I don't make any effort to assign responsibility.   I just split the damages 5 ways.  You all may reimburse each other as you see fit." When I pointed out that the cracks in the kitchen have been there all along (though it'd be equally ridiculous to charge people who entered the house after the root cause of the water infiltration problem had already taken place), he did not say anything. And yes, it's absurd that he didn't repair it immediately and charge me (or ever mention that i'd be charged for those repairs), instead being happy to sit on the problem for 3 years. I'm just not sure how feasible it is to make him give back a part of the security deposit that he withheld.

Regarding the escrow account interest thing. Independently of how unusual it is to receive interest on it, 1) it's probably less unusual than to charge people for a problem that happened before they entered the house, and 2) he was contractually obliged to place it at an interest-generating account. But maybe I am just growing intolerant to smart-ass moves by landlords...

[Amanda Moskal]

Thanks for the reimbursement, Sergio.  I think your intolerance at dipshit moves is well-warranted.

[Patricia Mullaney-Loss]

Should we draft a letter to him regarding these two points? 

[Roberto Luis Estévez]

I fully support any move at least to complain about this. However, I know I'm far away and I wouldn't have to deal with this shit day-to-day, so I know it's easy for me to say that.

You guys decide if you want to wage the war, and if you do I'll fully support you

Much love!

Tino

[Patricia Mullaney-Loss]

Sergio is right, it does say: "Within forty-five (45) days after the end of the tenancy, Landlord/Agent shall return the deposit to Tenant together with simple interest, which shall be accrued in the amount of three percent (3%) per annum, less any damages rightfully withheld.  Interest shall accrue at six (6) month intervals from the day Tenant deposits said collateral security with Landlord/Agent, provided the said security deposit is fifty dollars ($50.00) or more."

[Caitlin Lacy]

How am I missing his emails? He charged us for cracks in the ceiling? In an old house? Old houses get cracks because they are old and it happens when the house settles. WTF? Is he saying the cracks are due to water damage from Sergio's window? Landlords. Fucking landlords. I get to meet my new one next week but he seems very nice.

Sent from my iPhone

[Patricia Mullaney-Loss]

I will be free to help draft an email this weekend if we want to complain to him.