Bennett Property Management Rip-Off Artists for both Renters Deposits and Landlords Expenses Mesa Arizona
We rented a house in Gilbert, AZ in 2005 directly from the owner. All was fabulous while he was in charge. When we gave our notice at the end of 2007, he hired Bennett Property Management to take over and re-rent the property. No problem, we thought, until we found out that he handed over our entire deposit to them to manage. Mind you, this included last months rent. Right from the get go, they were intent on keeping every dime.
When I tried to set up our walk through with Jodi Brace, I played phone tag back and forth until I finally called the owner to let him know we were leaving and I needed her to get by! He called me back and said that Jodi said she had called many times and I was never home. The number she had was my cell phone for one thing and we had nothing to do but be there cleaning for the move-out! We cleaned for two days, wiping blinds, ceiling fans and even patching little nail holes in the wall and repainting the walls. Everything was immaculate! She never showed so we took pictures throughout the house with the date stamp and time on them. We got a letter over a month later with every deduction you could imagine on it, including things that came with the house that she tried to charge us to haul off. When I called her to ask her about the haul off charges, she told me that she didn't have time for this and to just sue her!! Needless to say I wrote back and forth with her for 7 months until I finally found out from an attorney that I could sue and they would have to pay our ALL of our travel expenses to get back to Arizona to fight this.
I am assuming that the owner stepped in and told her to handle it because I had copied him on all letters to her by then. I also included the pictures that we had taken where everything was immaculate, and copies that she had sent me where everything was dirty. Gee, I wonder how long it was after we left she that finally made it there to even take pictures. May I also add that the invoices that she tried to claim for work done were through their own company. I hope that the owner filed fraud against her because I would gladly back him up in court!
Angry renters
Salt Lake City, Utah
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
happy owner with Bennett prop mgmt
Avondale,Arizona,
United States of America
Happy owner with Bennett Prop mgmt
#2Consumer Comment
Mon, October 08, 2012
I am a owner with bennet property management. Jodi has proffesionally managed one of my homes for 3 years now. The idea that Bennett prop management (BPM) "schemes" to take your deposit is rubbish. They are bound by the law to protect both the renter and the owner, I have seen it myself. Most of my renters walk with their deposit all the time, IF they clean it to be rent ready for the next renters. If they dont, they lose a portion of it to cover the cost only. The owner or BPM do not pocket the deposits!!!
The biggest loss of deposits is when renters bring in pets, especially dogs, that soil the rug and then use a cheap cleaner to clean the rug leaving the stains that can be easily seen (and smelled). I suspect thats what happened above. Many times renters sneek in pets and do not disclose or request permission to have them in the house. I allow pets but many owners know from experience and do not allow them.
Most of what I know about the BPM renters and owners agreements conflicts greatly with the comments of what alledegedly happened. I love the comment "..... she told me that she didn't have time for this and to just sue her!" LOL! really!!! After 3 years of working with her, I don't see Jodi begging someone to sue her! And what busness person would ever say that!! I don't believe any of those allegations.
Remember, Property managers are hired by the owners, not the renters to take care of their property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, hence the "property management" part. Of course they are going to hold and use deposits to return the home to good condition if it was abused. Duh.