Complaint Review: Pheasant Realty

This company is a MAJOR scam! I moved into one of their apartments in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NY October 1st of 2008. After we had signed our lease in August, we NEVER received a copy, even after contacting the company and the other realty company who had rented us out the apartment several times. When I moved in, the apartment was FILTHY dirty. I spent 2 days straight attempting to make it spotless so that I could unpack. There was sand everywhere, dust bunnies left and right, the tub had something that resembled dried tomato sauce, the oven was filled with crumbs, the toilet water had things swimming around, not to mention a leak whenever you flushed, the refrigerator was sticky and slimy on the inside and out, the lock on the door was broken, and there were some areas on the wall and woodwork falling apart. My boyfriend and I's first place, we scrubbed and cleaned all day, night, and into the next day. We got out a screw driver and fixed the lock. We chalked up the poorly fixed up walls and falling apart woodwork to the apartment being old. It was not an eyesore to us, so we never mentioned it. We never knew contact information for this company. We were given one phone number to call, and when we called, we were told not to use that number and were refused a better contact number. We had no idea if we had a super or not, because in the lobby where it said what apartment the super resided in, our apartment number was listed, and we knew we were not the supers!

We moved out on October 1st, 2009. The only way I was able to get in contact with this company was by letter when I mailed my rent check. Once they received my letter that I would be moving out, I received a phone call by Jerry Bertuna saying that my security deposit would be returned upon receipt of keys. He left his phone number and e-mail address. I e-mailed him a few days after October 1st because I had no idea how to go about returning the keys. He e-mailed me back kindly and promptly to bring them in person to 6108 18th Avenue. I did so the following day, and we were told we would receive the full deposit once inspected and if in the same condition we entered upon. They also said reasonable wear and tear is perfectly fine. We had two things we knew had to be fixed, so we knew the full deposit was not coming back to us, but it was 2 minor things (the sink clogged a bit and a cabinet door did not close properly - maximum $200 total, and that is properly more than what it would cost to fix both things combined). I did not do the best job cleaning the apartment because I found it FILTHY and can ever so clearly remember crying because of how filthy it was and being extremely exhausted after spending many, many hours attempting to make it spotless.

Two and a half weeks after I returned my keys, the apartment was inspected. Two days after this, I received HALF of my $1200 security deposit. I was sent photos of things I did not even do, things that had been there before I moved in. The majority of the photos I received were photos of small pieces of dirt. I also received photos of nail holes in the wall where we hung up photos. Furious, I called the number for Pheasant Realty. No answer. I googled "Jerry Bertuna" and found contact information for him at his other line of work, Aldo Studio. I e-mailed him, to no response, so I called him at the number I had found. I was placed on hold and given a different contact number. I immediately called him. I was super nice, yet right off the bat he caught an attitude with me and was beyond mean and defensive. (Probably because he knows what an awful thing he did)! He told me the building "was not a hotel" and they do not charge by the day but by the month, and that I did not deserve my security deposit back at all but he gave it to me out of the kindness of his own heart. He stated that I was charged $200 for not returning the keys on October 1st, but a couple of days after. I was in contact this man several times, and no one ever stated this. I grew up with my parents renting out an apartment and had never seen this practice before. Especially when the apartment has not even to this day been rented out yet after I moved out! I expressed to him how dirty I found the apartment upon moving in, and he stated that he spends tons of money on making it spotless and that it was spotless when I moved in, which is a MAJOR lie. I left the apartment cleaner than I even received it. He then contradicted himself and said if it were so dirty that I should not have moved in. I saw the apartment for the first time after the previous tenant left after I moved in, how was I supposed to know in advance it would be absolutely filthy? Absurd! I kept telling him that there are pictures of things that I did not even do and he ignored me. He told me I should sue him, because if I do he has photos (which are NOT time stamped and dated, therefore, could have been taken at any time) and that he will counter sue me and take back the $600 I was given because he will win. He kept talking, cursing me out, and laughing at the fact that he stole my money, and when I tried to speak, he told me to shut up. I told him that he lies and steals from innocent people, and he stated the most intelligent rebuttle ever; he said to me "it takes one to know one" and hung up the phone! Absolutely ridiculous! I am now out hundreds of dollars for no reason at all other than the fact that Pheasant Realty and JERRY BERTUNA are crooked and lie and steal in order to make extra money! They will take advantage of tiny little things and pretend like they are a big deal in order to put more money in their theif pockets!

DO NOT move into any apartment associated with Pheasant Realty! If you do, before you move in take photos time stamped and dated of EVERYTHING or else they WILL steal from you as well! Please do not fall victim to this scam! Rent with caution!