The Vines at Riverpark Attempted Wrongful Withholding of Deposit Oxnard California
I was a resident of The Vines for over 2 years. I eventually decided to vacate because the level of service provided by The Vines was unreasonably low.
I read reviews posted by former tenants on different social media forums, and noticed that the manager of The Vines, Lourdes Clinton, has a reputation for trying to wrongfully withhold tenants' security deposits. I knew Lourdes to be extremely dishonest from my encounters with her. For example, I asked her for the name and number of her supervisor and she wrote down a phone number that has nothing to do with The Vines.
Based on the bad experiences described by prior tenants, I decided not to take any chances with respect to my deposit, and I hired the most reputable cleaning service in the county to do a thorough move-out cleaning of my apartment, at a cost of $660. The cleaning service did a great job and the apartment was exceptionally clean.
Today I did a move out inspection with one of The Vines' agents. I took extensive pictures before they arrived, to demonstrate the excellent condition of the apartment. During the inspection, The Vines' agent told me I would be charged because the exterior of second story windows hadn't been cleaned. When I told him that I thought it would be unsafe and unreasonable for any tenant to either climb a 2 story ladder or to remove the screens and hang out the window, he responded "wasn't it explained to you that the apartment needs to be perfectly clean?" I asked who would have explained this to me and he said that he didn't know but that maybe it was in our lease. There is no such provision in our lease.
The Vines' agent also said he would have to charge me because there was a literal speck of dirt in one of the bathroom sinks. Incidentally, I had just gone over that sink with lysol wipes and paper towels minutes before he arrived, and the speck of dirt could only have come from one place - his filthy shirt when he leaned over the sink. I asked him to confirm that he was talking about a single speck of dirt, and he said "well that means it's dirty." I pointed out to him that his shirt was covered in stains and visibly dirty, and that he must have been responsible for the speck of dirt that he was "going to have to charge" me for. In response, he shrugged and walked out of the bathroom. He later reiterated that I would be charged for that single, literal speck of dirt in the sink.
I have rented all over southern California for the last 14 years, and I have never encountered 1) such a low level of service while I was a tenant and 2) such a flagrant attempt to unlawfully deduct cleaning costs from a security deposit. I am alarmed by The Vines' pattern of engaging in unethical business practices.
I am an attorney, so I plan on taking The Vines to small claims court in the likely event that they wrongfully deduct any cleaning costs from my deposit. But I don't think this issue is about me - The Vines' unlawful abuse of the rights of their tenants is a matter of public concern. I have also reported this incident to our county's Housing Rights Center, but I wanted to share my experience with the public as well, in hopes that I can save other people the hassle associated with giving this terrible management company their business.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert has not grasped my point
#3Author of original report
Fri, August 26, 2016
Robert,
Whether or not my full deposit is refunded, I am reporting an unethical business practice that I find alarming - the attempt to unlawfully deduct unnecessary cleaning costs from a security deposit.
I appreciate the fact that the Vines has 21 days to refund my deposit, and I intend to take legal action in the event that they withold a portion of it. I don't need to wait 21 days to share my experience of being told I will be charged for the cleaning of a sink that contained a single speck of dirt.
The cleaning service I hired is the most reputable service according to consumer generated reviews on various social media forums - the same forums where former tenants of the Vines have posted accounts of having their deposits wrongfully withheld. I am not reporting the Vines based on "what so and so said in a review." I hired a cleaning service based on reviews from prior tenants. I am reporting the Vines based on what the Vines' agent said during my move-out inspection.
With respect to your comment that there is a disconnect between a tenant cleaning the exterior of second story windows and my choice to hire a cleaning service, you are suggesting that a tenant should have to hire a cleaning service in order to receive a full refund of their deposit. A tenant should be able to perform all necessary cleaning.
I have purchased homes in the past. The fact that I am currently renting is not "a bit odd" for an attorney in southern California. Regarding the fact that you think most people move on the first of the month, I gave the Vines notice of my intent to vacate by August 31st. I vacated as of August 25th because the Vines' manager, Lourdes, made a mistake in her paperwork that caused me to accelerate my moving schedule.
Robert
Irvine,California,
USA
So you are an attorney
#3Consumer Comment
Fri, August 26, 2016
It is always amazing how people very often come here and start to build themselves up to try and make their story sound better.
As here we are you claim to be an attorney, but are acting very "un"attorney like.
First off do you tell your clients on a regular basis to go ahead and post negative reviews based on what other people said and to not wait to see actually what happens. After all according to you they haven't even sent you your deposit or reason why they are holding it....yet here you are blasting them on some public Internet site as if they held your entire deposit. What if they come back and actually give you your entire deposit back, are you going to come here and post that or just leave people guessing?
We then see statements like "most reputable cleaning service". Really by who's standard? Do you have some independent rating agency that says they are the most reputable? Again..they may be reputable, they may be very good but that is about as far as a regular attorney would go. To add in something that is very unlikey able to be proven can be problematic to you.
In addtion to that, they say they are going to ding you for the outside of the windows. Your comeback...that it is unsafe for a "tenant" to do that. But remember..just a few short sentences before you had a "professional" cleaning company. See the disconect here? For $660 I guess they don't do windows?
Then as for reporting them. So you have reported them on the basis of what "so and so" said in a review..as so far you do not know if they are going to hold any of your deposit or not.
But there are also a few things you didn't really say that seem a bit odd for an attorney.
I really don't know many attornies who live the "rental" life, most have purchased houses. Next, most people move out around the first of the month. In CA a landlord has 21 days to return the deposit or notify the renter why their deposit is being held. It is now the 25th of the month and you have heard nothing. So if it has been more than 21 days why did you not even mention this..as this IS something you can take them to court on.