Complaint Review: Marilyn K. White

Ripoff Report Review

If I could give this business, White's Vacation Home Rentals, zero stars, I would.

My wife and I rented a property, sight unseen, and paid for in advance, from November 29, 2014 through March 29, 2015, for exactly four months. The property was at 17835 91st Freedom Ct., The Villages FL, 32162. During the time we occupied the property, we experienced the worst landlords imaginable. Of the 17 maintenance issues we brought to the landlords' attention, exactly one was fixed, one was attempted to be fixed, but failed, and fifteen others were ignored. This is what I said: Ignored! Our requests were not responded to by the landlords. Not a word. The place failed to provide a kitchen blender. After being ignored twice, I insisted on an answer in my 3rd request. The answer was "NO". Blenders were provided in their other properties. The 17 doesn't count the repairs we made to the unit ourselves.

When we checked in we found: grease in the oven, outside mold on the house (my wife cleaned some mold that faced the porch, thick mold on the porch screen, measurable dust on the tops of the ceiling fan blades and kitchen cabinets, a plastic bag full of moldy sponges in one of the lower kitchen cabinets, trash in the trash can, a poorly stocked kitchen (we purchased at least a dozen items so that we could actually cook more than a TV dinner). And, there is so much more we could report without being "picky".

Also when we checked in, we were shocked at the amount of cleaning we were "instructed" to do prior to checking out. Our lease merely stated, "Leave the property as you found it." Of course we couldn't do that. In order to be compliant with the cleaning instructions, we had the place professionally cleaned at our expense two days before we left. The landlords illegally withheld a large part of our security deposit for "cleaning". What?! When I informed them that we had the place professionally cleaned, the landlord accused me of lying. I possess a canceled check and a receipt from the cleaning company. Can't wait to go to court.

We sent a complaint to the Central FL BBB, Florida Attorney General's and the Federal Trade Commission's offices, and a mediator was assigned to our complaint. For all practical purposes, the landlords did not participate in the mediation process. I have offered to discuss and settle this dispute with the landlords on at least four occasions. There has been no response from them about this subject. The mediator suggested that we take the landlords to court. We will next winter.

Why did we stay the reader may ask? There are several reasons, but most notably was that it was nearly impossible for us to move. We had been in a horrific automobile accident in Southern Virginia while en route, and both of us were suffering from PTSD, under the care of doctors, and taking heavy-duty pain meds. I (William) was flown to shock trauma in Richmond to undergo a battery of tests. Any mid-winter rental in The Villages would have been almost impossible at that time. We really felt stuck.

The Whites took advantage of our condition to invade our privacy. They entered our unit illegally (Florida law requires 12-hour notice to be provided to tenants prior to any entry), perversely took photographs of what they considered "slovenly" conditions within our living space, and had a mock fest about us with their friends and poker buddies. I'm surprised our beds were ever made during those times. There was a similar case in Fairfax County, VA, in which the plaintiff was awarded $500,000.

All my wife and I wanted from the Whites was that they would do their jobs as landlords. Instead, we were ripped-off. Let the buyer beware. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Do yourselves a favor and do not rent from these people.