HELEN PAINTER & CO REALTORS

Description of Work: We moved into a 2 BR/1 Bath circa 1930s home managed by Helen Painter in the early Spring of 2005. Before we moved in, we were informed by the home inspector we hired that the carpet was slightly 'pet damaged' from a previous occupant. Everything had been cleaned well enough so we didn't think anything of it. Our dog and cat were both extremely well trained anyway so we didn't anticipate any problems one way or the other. The house was devoid of central air conditioning and we had to rely upon a window unit in the main living area and one in the master bedroom to cool the house. They performed poorly at this task. When my wife became pregnant in early 2006, this became an issue since she could never get comfortable. We finally decided not to renew the lease arrangement and moved out that summer. Our $650 security deposit was ultimately withheld from us and we were informed by Helen Painter that we would be held liable for the pet damage to the carpet (damage that pre-existed our living there - and as such, damage we were not liable for). They then threatened to take us to court if we refused to pay for the carpet replacement. I filed my response with the Justice of the Peace and, seeing that they had no case, they dropped everything, including their previous requirement that we pay an extra $1,300 for the carpet replacement. At the time I did not have the resources to sue them myself, so we never got our $650 security deposit back. I suggest great caution when thinking of renting any home managed by this company. I do not believe they are trustworthy, specifically the branch manager we had to deal with: Cindy Hoover.