Complaint Review: Arnel Properties

We rented an apartment (Alicia Plaza) in Laguna Hills on 4/4/10. The property management is Arnel Properties located in Santa Ana. At the time of move in, the leasing office was too busy to do a walk through with us. We were instructed to make a note/s of anything that was wrong and they would send a maintenance person to correct the problem.

During the first month of residence we sent notes concerning the peeling paint on the bottom of the front door, of two small spots on the kitchen counter next to the stove and of the toilet being lose, and that we were unable to use the oven as the enamel was worn off and it smoked too much to use it.

The only time that any maintenance personnel came to the apartment to fix anything, was when a pipe broke under the kitchen sink. This happened twice, and they acted like we had broken the pipe.

We gave notice on March 4th that we would be vacating the apartment at the end of the lease (4/4/11). We vacated the apartment on 4/1/11 and spent the next three days patching pin hole size holes where pictures hung. All of the windows and verticals were washed. We were unable to wash the windows on the outside as the unit is on the second floor. The carpets were shampooed. And all wood work, including the inside of all cabinets were washed. The patio flooring was washed and waxed. At the time that I took the keys back to the leasing office, the leasing agent refused to do the walk through with us. A maintenance person was sent with me to do the walk through.

Through out the walk through he was rude and insisted that the carpets had to be cleaned professionally, that the entire apartment would have to be repainted, and that the oven would have to be cleaned professionally. After the walk through with the maintenance person I went back to the leasing office and insisted that the leasing do the walk through with me. I mentioned to the leasing agent that I had owned and managed income units in California and that normal wear and tear could not be deducted from the deposit. She indicated that the apartment was very clean and took note of the the oven with large areas of enamel worn off, the lose toilet, and the bedroom screen that had been damaged by a tree limb during a recent storm.

At the time we were cleaning the apartment a previous tenant came by to look at a refrigerator that we had for sale. He asked "why are you cleaning the apartment, you won't get any of your deposit back". He mentioned that when he moved out he got paint from the maintenance crew and had painted the entire apartment including the ceilings, he had had the carpet cleaned professionally and he only got $50.00 back. He said we might get more back because we were white.

After about three weeks I received an invoice from Arne in the amount of $286.74. They charged us for 4 days rent, 4 days electric (the electric stayed in our name until the 4th), carpet cleaning, painting, refinishing the counter tops not only in the kitchen, but in the bath, and general cleaning. I took pictures of the apartment and they prove that the apartment except for a little touch up paint, was in better condition then when we moved in. The oven was not mentioned in the amounts charged in the invoice.

I have been in touch with the housing authority and have been informed by them that this is a general practice of Arnel, and that they even lost a law suit in 2001 for a million dollars. I have written a letter to the Attorney General of California with all of the information. I have also written a demand letter to Arnel.

It is a very sad commentary in today's financial situation that companies are allowed to steal from people that are barley making it financially. Even if we were all very rich and the $450.00 deposit and the additional $286.74 did not make a difference, it is an absolute disgrace the companies are allowed do this.