Real estate office robbed

[BooRox]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Nevada
I walked in and paid rent for the month of February 2014 on 01/31/14 to my rental agency, which I have a receipt. On February 4th I was contacted by them by phone that the office was broken into and all rents were stolen and mine was one of them. I paid by 3 Money Gram money orders (they do not take personal checks). I tried to stop payment but money gram stated you have to file for a refund that will take anywhere from 30 to 65 days to process and if the stolen money orders have been cashed I will not receive a refund. The rental agency sent me an email on Thursday the 6th saying they are going to draft an addendum and have me sign to take the monies from my security deposit to pay the owner of the house. I have been checking the status of the money orders and one has been cashed, one has presented for payment and the third is still not cashed. I do not see how they can try to make me sign to take my security deposit. They either want a new money order or my security deposit to pay back the stolen rent. Any advise?

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Nevada
I walked in and paid rent for the month of February 2014 on 01/31/14 to my rental agency, which I have a receipt. On February 4th I was contacted by them by phone that the office was broken into and all rents were stolen and mine was one of them. I paid by 3 Money Gram money orders (they do not take personal checks). I tried to stop payment but money gram stated you have to file for a refund that will take anywhere from 30 to 65 days to process and if the stolen money orders have been cashed I will not receive a refund. The rental agency sent me an email on Thursday the 6th saying they are going to draft an addendum and have me sign to take the monies from my security deposit to pay the owner of the house. I have been checking the status of the money orders and one has been cashed, one has presented for payment and the third is still not cashed. I do not see how they can try to make me sign to take my security deposit. They either want a new money order or my security deposit to pay back the stolen rent. Any advise?

If you have a receipt showing that the payment was received, then they don't have any right to demand that you reimburse them for the lost money orders. You are not liable for THEIR loss due to theft. Once that money order was in their hands, and you have proof of that (in the form of your receipt), safekeeping of the rent they received is THEIR problem.

Since you aren't obligated to repay the money that THEY lost, they are also NOT allowed to deduct that from your security deposit (in effect, making YOU reimburse them for THEIR loss out of YOUR security deposit money). DO NOT SIGN any addendum to allow them to do it!

They need to file a police report. Maybe even file with their insurance company to recover their losses.

 

[BooRox]

If you have a receipt showing that the payment was received, then they don't have any right to demand that you reimburse them for the lost money orders. You are not liable for THEIR loss due to theft. Once that money order was in their hands, and you have proof of that (in the form of your receipt), safekeeping of the rent they received is THEIR problem.

Since you aren't obligated to repay the money that THEY lost, they are also NOT allowed to deduct that from your security deposit (in effect, making YOU reimburse them for THEIR loss out of YOUR security deposit money). DO NOT SIGN any addendum to allow them to do it!

They need to file a police report. Maybe even file with their insurance company to recover their losses.

I feel the same way however, they know I delivered payment into the office and they gave me a receipt... So why are they insisting I pay them? I'm doing what I can to help with the money order refunds but they are being cashed one by one. I can get copies of the money orders but there is a fee of $24 each money order to have them faxed in two days. Should I state to them that if they want those copies it will cost them to get them or should I just cough up the $72 and receive all three?

 

[Dave1952]

I would be sympathetic for their loss but I'd not pay a penny to help them. This is not your problem, it's theirs.

 

[sandyclaus]

I feel the same way however, they know I delivered payment into the office and they gave me a receipt... So why are they insisting I pay them? I'm doing what I can to help with the money order refunds but they are being cashed one by one. I can get copies of the money orders but there is a fee of $24 each money order to have them faxed in two days. Should I state to them that if they want those copies it will cost them to get them or should I just cough up the $72 and receive all three?

You are doing them a favor by just offering to provide them with the money order copies. You are under NO obligation to do their job for them to investigate their theft and collect evidence for them. If you are charged for money order copies, by all means, tell them they can pay for them if they want them. Otherwise, let THEM request the copies as part of the evidence-gathering for their theft case.

They are doing NOTHING to help you out here. Remember that they want YOU to pay for their losses for which you have no responsibility nor liability. This is business. They are NOT your friends. These are part of the cost to run a rental business.

 

[FarmerJ]

Make a copy of your receipt from them on 1/31 and store it off premise like a bank box or some where very safe. Keep any communications with them about this in writing & at least certificate of mailing or confirmed mail delivery. If you want copies of the money orders for your records yes feel free to order them up , if landlord wants copies of them the LL can pay for them, you have a receipt that says your paid.

 

[latigo]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Nevada
I walked in and paid rent for the month of February 2014 on 01/31/14 to my rental agency (?) , which I have a receipt. On February 4th I was contacted by them by phone that the office was broken into and all rents were stolen and mine was one of them. I paid by 3 Money Gram money orders (they do not take personal checks). I tried to stop payment but money gram stated you have to file for a refund that will take anywhere from 30 to 65 days to process and if the stolen money orders have been cashed I will not receive a refund. The rental agency sent me an email on Thursday the 6th saying they are going to draft an addendum and have me sign to take the monies from my security deposit to pay the owner of the house. I have been checking the status of the money orders and one has been cashed, one has presented for payment and the third is still not cashed. I do not see how they can try to make me sign to take my security deposit. They either want a new money order or my security deposit to pay back the stolen rent. Any advise?

You can't mean "my rental agency". Because if you delivered the M. O. to "your agent" instead of the "landlord's agent", you would remain indebted to the landlord.

Advice? Ignore the agencies demands. They either know they are bluffing or are too stupid to be in the business. Which I assume they will be shortly out of anyway being so careless with their clients' money.

 

[BooRox]

Yes I've made the copies and they are not here!!! I've decided to order the copies of the cashed money orders for my own records, once the last money order has processed. And like you all have said, I think they need to pay for the copies if they want them! I just want to make sure that I'm ok here! I just couldn't believe that they would ask the tenants to pay for this theft! When I read about this it's usually rent monies stolen from a rent drop box...
I couldn't find much on stolen from inside real estate office or that someone has a receipt.
Thank you all for the advise I appreciate it!!