Under Minn. Stat. 504B.175, apartment management companies like The Apartment Shop are allowed to demand a prelease deposit--a deposit paid before you're even approved for an apartment. The Apartment Shop, under Steve Frenz, and by employee Amberlea Palmer, used this device to scam me out of $275.
On June 15, 2013, I submitted an application to lease an apartment at 306 Oak Grove, Minneapolis, MN 55403. As part of the application, Amberlea Palmer at The Apartment Shop requested that I pay a pre-lease deposit, by credit card. She represented that, because I was the first to file an application for the apartment, I would have it and be able to move in well prior to July 1, 2013, the date I represented to her I was direly in need of residence as I had to be out of my previous apartment by that date. The application for the apartment, including the pre-lease agreement, was completed and provided to her. I paid $275, by credit card, to The Apartment Shop. Amberlea Palmer did not provide me with any copies of any agreement.
For the next seven days, I heard nothing from Amberlea Palmer, or other employees or agents of The Apartment Shop. Then Amberlea Palmer and Jenni Strand, by email, represented that they had not been ""able to get a hold of the tenant"" who was occupying the apartment in question. To this date (literally in 2014), I have yet to even hear whether or not my application was ever approved or denied, and what became of the apartment. I had to scramble to find housing as my own lease expired on June 30, 2013. The Apartment Shop never returned the prelease deposit citing that they are only required to refund my deposit if my applicaiton was denied.
This is a scam, and I demand a refund of $275, as not contacting me whatsoever to inform me of the status of my application is (1) a breach of contract, or otherwise (2) a constructive denial. Either way, there is no legitimate reason they are entitled to keep my pre-lease deposits simply by ignoring the applicant. Otherwise, they could theoretically collect infinite pre-lease deposits, not contact any applicants, and keep all the money with no work performed. That, is a scam.
PS, I even had to file a BBB complaint just to get a copy of the pre-lease agreement, which by law, they must provide.
The Apartment Shop Reviews
Under Minn. Stat. 504B.175, apartment management companies like The Apartment Shop are allowed to demand a prelease deposit--a deposit paid before you're even approved for an apartment. The Apartment Shop, under Steve Frenz, and by employee Amberlea Palmer, used this device to scam me out of $275.
On June 15, 2013, I submitted an application to lease an apartment at 306 Oak Grove, Minneapolis, MN 55403. As part of the application, Amberlea Palmer at The Apartment Shop requested that I pay a pre-lease deposit, by credit card. She represented that, because I was the first to file an application for the apartment, I would have it and be able to move in well prior to July 1, 2013, the date I represented to her I was direly in need of residence as I had to be out of my previous apartment by that date. The application for the apartment, including the pre-lease agreement, was completed and provided to her. I paid $275, by credit card, to The Apartment Shop. Amberlea Palmer did not provide me with any copies of any agreement.
For the next seven days, I heard nothing from Amberlea Palmer, or other employees or agents of The Apartment Shop. Then Amberlea Palmer and Jenni Strand, by email, represented that they had not been ""able to get a hold of the tenant"" who was occupying the apartment in question. To this date (literally in 2014), I have yet to even hear whether or not my application was ever approved or denied, and what became of the apartment. I had to scramble to find housing as my own lease expired on June 30, 2013. The Apartment Shop never returned the prelease deposit citing that they are only required to refund my deposit if my applicaiton was denied.
This is a scam, and I demand a refund of $275, as not contacting me whatsoever to inform me of the status of my application is (1) a breach of contract, or otherwise (2) a constructive denial. Either way, there is no legitimate reason they are entitled to keep my pre-lease deposits simply by ignoring the applicant. Otherwise, they could theoretically collect infinite pre-lease deposits, not contact any applicants, and keep all the money with no work performed. That, is a scam.
PS, I even had to file a BBB complaint just to get a copy of the pre-lease agreement, which by law, they must provide.