Lost deposit because we didn't qualify?

[Wyldephyre24601]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Utah

My fiance and I were looking to rent an apartment in Springville UT. We found part of a Victorian triplex available for rent. We filled out the application and sent it via e-mail, and asked to meet the land lord in person. He said he was out of the country, and that we could call him. During the phone conversation he said that he was in the Ukraine and that we needed to pay the deposit and the first month's rent to reserve the place for us. We followed his instructions and deposited cash into his account. We asked the teller to make a note of what the payment was for and who it was from. We also still have the receipt from that transaction.
After we did that we called him and he told us that we didn't qualify w/o a co-signer because our credit was too new. I told him that I thought we could get one, and he agreed to wait to see. My parents didn't agree because they had a bad feeling about the situation and we were unable to find another. We told him that we were unable to meet his conditions and asked him to return the deposit and first months rent. He refused. He said that he would hold it until he could find another tenant and return whatever was left to us after "damages" were assessed. We have not heard from him in months.

I still have all of the e-mails between us, as well as the deposit receipt, but I do not have the phone call recorded.

Any thoughts? Help? Advice?

 

[sandyclaus]

You've been SCAMMED

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Utah

My fiance and I were looking to rent an apartment in Springville UT. We found part of a Victorian triplex available for rent. We filled out the application and sent it via e-mail, and asked to meet the land lord in person. He said he was out of the country, and that we could call him. During the phone conversation he said that he was in the Ukraine and that we needed to pay the deposit and the first month's rent to reserve the place for us. We followed his instructions and deposited cash into his account. We asked the teller to make a note of what the payment was for and who it was from. We also still have the receipt from that transaction.
After we did that we called him and he told us that we didn't qualify w/o a co-signer because our credit was too new. I told him that I thought we could get one, and he agreed to wait to see. My parents didn't agree because they had a bad feeling about the situation and we were unable to find another. We told him that we were unable to meet his conditions and asked him to return the deposit and first months rent. He refused. He said that he would hold it until he could find another tenant and return whatever was left to us after "damages" were assessed. We have not heard from him in months.

I still have all of the e-mails between us, as well as the deposit receipt, but I do not have the phone call recorded.

Any thoughts? Help? Advice?

Why would you pay money for rent if you haven't been told your application to rent has been apprpved already? I can see a deposit to hold, but not rent.

You deposited money directly into someone's bank account? And how do you know if it was really THEIR bank account?

Surprise! They have your money and you have no rental. Honey, you've been scammed. You haven't heard back because they never were going to call you. I'll bet that the place has already been rented out, and that if you ask the tenants, they will tell you that someone other than who you spoke with owns the place.

No rental agreement existed or does exist between you and the "landlord". That means there are no damages (he wasn't going to rent to you, and you never had an agreement to do so). The only thing you can do is sue for the entire amount you paid. But good luck finding the person who really got that money and bringing them to court. You can call the police to report the fraud, but a report is pretty much what you'll have. Consider your money gone and this to be a very expensive lesson.

NEVER give money to someone for an apartment that you can't meet in person. That should have been a big red flag.

 

[Cvillecpm]

Let me guess....you found the property on Craigslist. You IGNORED the BIG RED SCAM WARNING.