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A SOLDIER was left “out of options” when he was denied a refund from his landlord, who suddenly told him he could no longer move into his new apartment.
Albino Calderon was transferring to the US Army Reserves in San Antonio, Texas, after serving as an Army Specialist at Fort Bliss, about 500 miles away.
Calderon had contacted Iron Horse Valley Apartments in San Antonio to arrange an apartment in his new home city, local CBS affiliate KENS reported.
After browsing some floor plans, the soldier put down a $900 deposit to move in on February 28.
Calderon packed up his belongings, including his cat, and hit the road on February 27 to move in the next day.
While en route to the hotel he planned on staying at the night before his big move, Calderon received a startling phone call from his new landlord.
“I got a call with them stating ‘we can’t move you in tomorrow after all,” Calderon told KENS.
“I have a cat, and everything loaded in the back of my truck.”
With nowhere left to go and $900 wasted, the soldier turned to his family for a place to stay.
The next day, Calderon asked the company for his deposit back.
“[The landlord] had asked me to get everything in advance, do these deposits, get these applications, and then for it to not be ready?” Calderon said.
“I said I just want my deposit back so I can go somewhere else.”
The employees repeatedly told Calderon that he would have to wait 30 days for his deposit to be refunded, claiming the corporate office needed to approve it.
However, Calderon needed the money urgently.
His dire need for a refund led him to contact his local news outlet, KENS.
A week later, reporters drove to the Iron Horse Valley Apartment complex and spoke with the leasing manager about the problem.
The leasing agent spoke to another manager, who informed the outlet that Calderon should soon receive a refund on his credit card.
Within an hour, the refund was on his card.
Tenant’s rights
According to InCharge Debt Solutions, tenants have several rights in the United States:
As a tenant, you have certain rights, and while they vary from state to state, there is a list of standard requirements virtually every landlord in the U.S. must provide:
- Heat (but not air conditioning)
- Running hot and cold water
- Locks and keys
- Smoke detector
- Clean and safe common areas
Landlords can keep security deposits for several reasons. These include:
- Unpaid Rent
- Damage to the Property
- Cleaning Costs
- Unpaid Utilities or Bills
- Breach of Lease Terms
- Abandoned Property
- Repairs Due to Tenant Negligence
If landlords don’t make any necessary repairs, tenants should:
- Review Your Lease or Rental Agreement
- Document the Problem
- Notify Your Landlord in Writing
- Contact Local Housing Authorities
- Repair and Deduct
- Mediation or Legal Action
- Protect Your Rent
“Twenty minutes after [KENS] spoke to the manager, or whoever was running the desk, twenty minutes later the money was refunded.” Calderon said.
“I was able to use it to help take care of everything I need to take care of.”
Calderon praised the outlet’s work, say the reporters did “an amazing job.”
“I was really out of options,” he said.
Iron Horse Valley Apartments did not immediately reply to The U.S. Sun’s request for more information.
