Real Estate Agency Withholding Deposit

[Can't Believe This Mess]

Leased house 3/2000 through realtor firm hired as leasing agent to manage the property. Paid $1,000 deposit + $400 pet deposit. Ten days after being in house, husband notified by phone at his job by HUD Inspector General's Office that owners of the house were indicted on 7 counts of fraud prior to our signing the lease for buying another home under "Officer Next Door Program" and not living in it as required by rules of HUD. We were not notified by the leasing agent of this indictement nor by the owners of the house. Leasing agent refused to meet with us without owners present when we demanded to talk to them. (The owner ended up pleading guilty to fraud and was due to be sentenced in Sept. Don't know the outcome). We feel very violated. Sought legal counsel who decided on his own not to pursue because we didn't have the money. He did send a letter and tried for a mediation, but no response for the realtor or their attorney. After we signed this lease 3/2/2000, the owner of the house's wife went to work for the realtor. Isn't this conflict of interest????She is no longer there after conviction of husband???? We voluntarily moved because we didn't want to be in the middle of this mess. Realtor knew also that the house we were moving from - our family of three + Two dogs had got toxic poisoning from and we were looking for a place to rest and heal. Needless to say this has caused us great stress and I am still under doctor's care for the toxic poisoning. Thanks for your help.

 

[HomeGuru]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Can't Believe This Mess:
Leased house 3/2000 through realtor firm hired as leasing agent to manage the property. Paid $1,000 deposit + $400 pet deposit. Ten days after being in house, husband notified by phone at his job by HUD Inspector General's Office that owners of the house were indicted on 7 counts of fraud prior to our signing the lease for buying another home under "Officer Next Door Program" and not living in it as required by rules of HUD. We were not notified by the leasing agent of this indictement nor by the owners of the house. Leasing agent refused to meet with us without owners present when we demanded to talk to them. (The owner ended up pleading guilty to fraud and was due to be sentenced in Sept. Don't know the outcome). We feel very violated. Sought legal counsel who decided on his own not to pursue because we didn't have the money. He did send a letter and tried for a mediation, but no response for the realtor or their attorney. After we signed this lease 3/2/2000, the owner of the house's wife went to work for the realtor. Isn't this conflict of interest????She is no longer there after conviction of husband???? We voluntarily moved because we didn't want to be in the middle of this mess. Realtor knew also that the house we were moving from - our family of three + Two dogs had got toxic poisoning from and we were looking for a place to rest and heal. Needless to say this has caused us great stress and I am still under doctor's care for the toxic poisoning. Thanks for your help.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There is no conflict of interest.

 

[David J. Miller]

Based on your lengthy post, I'm sure your only question was not concerning the conflict of interest but since it was the only direct question you posed, Homeguru's was the response you received.

If you have additional questions, rather than making the attorney's extrapolate your questions, you should be more clear and articulate them.