SGI Property Management Phoenix

f you see the name SGI properties... RUN. This company is very unethical, and will squeeze every dollar out of you even if they know they are in the wrong.
I rented a home they were managing for 18 months, I wanted 12 they offered 18, no extra discounts just offered it and I accepted. Upon moving in, the house was absolutely filthy, dusty, and there was holes almost on every wall, some even had nails still in the wall.
I immediately contacted Amy Smith, told her the house was not cleaned and there was lots of small discrepancies with the house. She said sorry that's how it comes and the house was indeed cleaned. Having few rental properties myself, I recorded everything and date stamped every video and photos of the first day of my move in.
Ok...
My rent was NEVER late one day. I was a great tenant, I always reported something when something went wrong, was patient if something didn't happen right away. A few weeks after moving in, the sprinkler system in the backyard stopped working, I notified AMY and told her, I tried to open the hatch for the sprinkler system and there was literately a scorpion nest. Her response "that's your issue" Great, being a father of a 10 year old girl, last thing I want is thousands of scorpions entering my residence. I took care of that myself, finally tried to fix the sprinkler system and it was down.
When it was time for me to move out, completed my 18 months with perfect payment history on time, I hired a professional cleaner who I paid $450 to, I also hired and paid a professional carpet cleaning company who charged me $400, and landscaper $60 to clean up the front and back yard. The house was ABSOLUTELY SPOTLESS, it was a MILLION times better condition than what I founded.
I move out expecting my full deposit.

They tell me not only I a not getting my $3750 deposit back, but I owe them an additional $450...

The grass in the backyard was dead, alongside a few plants.
I am sorry I am NOT a gardener, I am responsible for the HOUSE, I AM RENTING THE HOUSE, NOT PLANTS. I work for the US STATE Department, I travel around the world to different diplomatic outposts, I DIDNT KNOW I WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE TO GARDEN MY PLANTS AND BACKYARD THAT I AM RENTING!
WE LIVE IN ARIZONA, WHERE THE GRASS WILL DIE FROM THE EXTREME HEAT WAVES!

Lucky for me, This story was sent in detail to the Local VA in phoenix and we are trying to get the news station to publish a story about Veterans and companies like SGI properties who take advantage of people and unethically steal people's deposits. I have documented every conversation, I have many photos, videos all time stamped. I am taking this company to Small Claims court, so if anyone has a similar story, please reach out to me. The 3750 deposit they stole from me, is nothing compared to what they will lose. Sorry but wrong veteran.

Ps. They have given me NO chance to fix the issues myself as most companies would, they instead come up with OUTRAGIOUS prices and hire the cheapest companies to pocket the rest of the money. $2500 for a 250-300 sq ft of grass? This company shouldn't exists, hopefully soon it wont.

The drip pan was replacedThere was no visible mold, per the restoration company who came to inspect the homeThe restoration company will perform the necessary work, as they are licensed and certified for this specific workThis work was never in question and was approved by the landlord so additional negotiations for this is unnecessaryThe HVAC technician scheduled the appointments based on the resident's work schedule and availabilityThe landlord will repair the work necessary and if the certified HVAC technician recommends replacement, the landlord will receive thatThe landlord is not required to replace an HVAC unit if a resident asks for replacementSGI also does not have the authorization to simply replace an entire HVAC unit without the owner's approvalThe HVAC unit is functioning and the HVAC technicians have been out to the home to repair the issues as they ariseThe rent will not be refunded, nor will future rent be waivedThe home has not been deemed unlivable from any certified technician sent out

Complaint ID: [redacted] Our office has reviewed the entire history of the consumer’s residency in the propertyThe consumer was notified on several occasions throughout their residency that routine yard maintenance was their responsibility per the lease agreement, including but not limited to all lawns, shrubbery, bushes, flowers, gardens, and small treesThe consumer stated that in their response that they did not trim the bushes, which is why they were charged for a landscaping cleanupAt the consumer’s request, our office has provided the consumer with an email copy of the invoice for the $landscaping cleanup, as well as before and after photos of the work performed.Ultimately, the decision to deduct funds from a security deposit is at the discretion of the property ownerOur office acts as an intermediary between the property owner and property residentOur office does not have the authority to make decisions on matters regarding a security deposit.Our office regretfully admits that our communication with the consumer fell short of their expectation in regards to their concern of unauthorized visits to the propertyOur office notified the property owner on several occasions that unauthorized visits without proper notification was not allowed, however ultimately our office cannot control the actions of an individual

Residents provide at least days written notice of termination and have this time to ensure that any damages caused by resident are rectified prior to transferring keys and possession back to the ownerUpon transferring keys, the homes are inspected for damage and any repair that may be needed The inspection of the home had shown animal feces in the yard and weeds that were not taken care of prior to move out, as well as burnt out light bulbs and dead or missing batteries in smoke alarmsSGI is not a contracting company and we must use vendors who specialize in many areas and ensure that owners are not charged for items caused by resident’s damage or neglectThe vendors’ estimates were used to determine the deductions from the security deposit to ensure timely return of the deposit and work is performed based on the vendors’ schedulesInvoices will be sent to the resident to confirm amounts charged as requestedNo refund is due to the resident as these items were not taken care of prior to move out and an owner is not obligated to allow access to a previous resident to repair items after move outIf a resident needed additional time for repairs directly after move out, SGI would have been able to work with residents and owners to allow such repairs so residents are not charged trip fees and labor from vendorsIn this case, the resident did not inform SGI of any pending work needed upon move out and gave up possession with damages needing to be rectified

I have asked for the evidence (photos and bills) and they claim they have it in this letter, but I have not received anythingI refuse to pay $for trimming a bush when I kept them watered and bloomingI was told the rose bush was from the 1800s and they were very particular about it so I watered it, but left that for them to take care of how they saw fit The property owner violated my rights a second time after their office supposedly emailed her, but they never responded to me about it or did anything

Most of what their response is true Except about the months rent up front That is only have true They failed to mention that they also told me that when I started working, I could bring in a couple of pay stubs to them that showed that I qualified for the property But since the job fell thru I could not do that And also, it is not like I live in AZ I am currently in Wyoming So I was not shopping different properties, this was the only place I was looking at But since my job up there fell thru, then I do not qualify for the property I can't bring in paystubs if I don't have a job that gives me paystubs I feel that my money should come back on that premise

Resident opened a work order regarding an AC leak at 7pm on 7/1/Vendor was sent on 7/and arrived within four hours of dispatchThe AC line was clogged and the pan needed to be ordered and replacedVendor went on 7/again to repair and confirmed the unit was functioningOn 7/4, resident
sent photos showing small stains on the ceiling and carpetInformed resident that the ceiling stains would be repaired along with carpet cleaningVendor did not recommend replacement as unit was running properlyOn 7/5, SGI reached out to resident to ask if the leak was still activeReached out again to resident on 7/asking if the leak was still activeResident did not respond to either attemptOn 7/8, vendor installed new drip pansThere was no active leak at the time of install and unit was functioningOn 7/15, resident called after-hours stating that there is a mildew smell in the home and confirmed that there was no longer a leakResident emailed SGI office on 7/stating that there was extensive water damage, however sent no additional informationResident emailed on 7/17, now stating that AC has starting leaking againAC vendor and restoration vendor were dispatched on 7/to inspect the unit and homeRent will not be refunded to resident as vendors performed necessary work within short time frames and unit was still cooling the homeSGI followed up with resident several times with no response until this past weekendRestoration vendor confirmed that damage is not extensiveThe ceiling is not wet and no mold was notedHVAC vendor performed necessary work to ensure the unit is functioning properlyAll required repairs per the vendors has been and will continue to be forwarded to the homeowner as necessary

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved
Regards,
*** ***

To Whom It May Concern: The resident has called in to our maintenance line requesting service on the heating unitA vendor was sent out to the home to perform an inspection and determine the necessary repairsIt was determined that a repair could not be performed but rather the unit is need of
replacementTwo bids have been provided to the ownerSGI does not have the authorization to approve a major repair without the owner’s approval, which was explained to the residentThe resident asked to have the call escalated above the Senior PM and reached me, the Director of PMI expressed my apologies for the heat going out and explained to the resident that we are diligently working on the issue with the ownerWe will be issuing a credit off her December rent for the amount of days she’s without heatShe is not obligated to stay in the home, however the resident has expressed her financial situation to us several times and SGI simply cannot send money to a residentShe’ll receive a credit off her December rentThe resident was unhappy that money was not going to be sent to her as she proceeded to yell at me and hung up on me before anything else could be discussedWe are sympathetic to the situation, however, as mentioned, the team is diligently working on getting this rectified

We are very sorry that you feel the experience you have hadwith us has not been a good oneWe intend to do our best to turn that aroundand help however we canWe apologize about the condition of the pool and wantto clarify how that situation was handled on our endSome homeowners contractwith
their own vendors outside of SGI’s networkIn this case the owner of thishome has his own pool vendor and once we realized the extent of the issue, we hired acompany from our network to go out and address the problem and we've confirmed this was completed.With reference to the water bill, we have confirmed with you that your tenantledger will be credited for a portion of the bill to compensate to re-fill thepool. We will agree with you that this took longer than it should have andwe will work to make sure that any future issues be addressed in a timelymanner

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
I finally heard from the business directlyI've conceded that landscaping did need to be done, and also the carpet cleanedWhile I believe the prices are high I do not dispute thatI still do dispute the charges of $for batteries and lightbulbsWhen we left the residence there were no lightbulbs out and the smoke detectors were working and not beepingI asked for an itemized copy of what lightbulbs and batteries were used that could have possibly been that expensiveI asked for an itemized receipt detailing this informationThe representative of Saving Grace sent me the same information I already had, just on different letterheadAll it says is "labor and materials: $- light bulbs and batteries", which is what I already knew I was chargedThis is NOT an itemized receiptI've attached a copy to be seen by the Revdex.comThis is an ESTIMATE and does not fully explain the chargesI don't accept thisI am not paying $for light bulbs or batteries I don't believe were ever outThere was track lighting throughout the house that we used regularlySaving Grace and/or the previous tenants left a closet full of lightbulbs that were still there when we leftIf a lightbulb had been out we certainly would have changed itThis is unacceptableIt is not the money, it's the principal of $for batteries / light bulbsThe worst part is, when I spoke with *** from Saving Grace on April 20th to ask about the charges, she was flat out rudeShe was not empathetic, did not listen, and gave nothing but canned answersI tried to question the charges and she flat out liedShe said the smoke detectors that needed batteries require special batteriesI've changed them before, so know for a fact they were standard 9V batteriesAgain, not professional at all to flat out lie to someone who paid your company ~$1500/month for months straight.It is worth noting that when we were looking for new places, we found another property of Saving Grace Investments and called to inquire about the placeWe left several messages and never received a call backThis is not a good way to treat anybody, let alone an existing, paying clientI guess I'm just another number to them, that they can try to cheat money out of when all is said and done.
Regards,
*** ***

To Whom It May Concern;SGI cannot approve the replacement of the unit without the owner's authorizationSGI is also not responsible for the heating unit itself, however we have confirmed that we'd issue a credit off of December rentThe local vendors do not provide space heatersThe weather for the Memphis area is a high of 63-during the day and low of at night for the next several daysThe weather is not considered extreme temperatures and a rent credit is not mandatedHowever, we do understand that the resident is uncomfortable so we've made an exception to issue her a credit from her rent for the amount of time she is without heatIf the resident wishes to purchase space heaters, this will be at her expense. Thank you

I would like for SGI Property Management to provide me with some heater fans until the heater unit is fixI have a year old child with a medical condition and she can not be in extremely cold winterI have been without heat since Friday 11/18/ This is an inconvenience for me and my family I am not responsible for the heater unit going out and SGI should provided me with some heater fansI live in a bedroom house a living and denI would like enough heater fans to cover the entire house hold

Not all items during a move out can be charged back to a resident, as per the landlord tenant act, only damages from the resident can be charged to the security depositPer Arizona law, a landlord has business days to handle the security deposit disbursementThe letter and refund to the
resident was sent out on 8/26/The resident was charged for damages/cleaning and the refund totaled $The owner received the deduction amount of $on 9/10/The owner was fully aware of the amount deducted based on the credit she received on her accountThe resident terminated the lease early and paid the full lease
termination fee equal to two times rent in the amount of $2,which was
paid to the landlord on 8/11/The resident also paid prorated rent from
8/1-8/7/as they terminated as of 8/7/Upon taking possession of the home from the resident, there was a very strong marijuana smell in the homeThe home could not be listed in that condition and this was discussed in length with the ownerThe cleaning company had to order special chemicals to remove the residue from the walls and the smell from the homeIt was not in the owner’s best interest to list the home until the cleaning took placeThe marketing ads were made live on 8/28/SGI’s leasing agent
contacted the owner on 8/31/with a list of additional items that she
recommended to get the home rent-readyOn 9/2, SGI had a showing with a
potential residentThe prospect had a list of items that they wanted to gain
approval on for repair prior to submitting an applicationOwner received an
estimate from a vendor for these items on 9/16/and owner responded via
email on 9/stating, “Go ahead with the work, I know you will send the bill
to tenantFor now, use my account.” On 9/17/2015, SGI sent a bid from a
landscaper in the amount of $to remove weeds from the yardThe owner
responded on 9/stating, “OK, please get it done then, thanks.” SGI provided notice to the owner on 10/23/regarding termination of management due to the condition of the home and lack of payment from all approved repairsOn 10/23/SGI provided the owner with the lockbox code to obtain possession right awayThe only key that SGI had was in the lockbox which the owner removed directlyThe remotes were never returned from the resident and they were informed that they’d be responsible for the cost of replacement, which they understoodOn 10/30/2015, SGI informed the owner that we would send new remotes to them directly to avoid any further delay in retrieving remotesOn 10/30/2015, the owner replied in an email, “That’s alright, I’d rather no replacement, too much work for me, has to go shopping, re program the RC, etc.” Remotes were not sent as the owner did not want them Full possession was in fact transferred to the owner on 10/when the owner retrieved the key from the lockbox(#and #from owner are both regarding keys and remotes)The total amount due from the owner for all approved work as well as operating expenses (utilities, HOA dues) came to: $1,SGI contacted the owner on 10/for paymentOwner asked for repair bills to be emailed over, which SGI did on 10/15/A total of four invoices (one utility bill and three repair invoices) were attached to the email and sent overAll invoices were dated clearlyThe owner responded on 10/23/disputing the charges that they had already approved when the potential resident asked for additional items in the home as well as the landscape clean up to avoid HOA finesAll approvals were received in writing from the ownerPer the management contract, the owner is responsible for any and all expenses related to the home for maintenance and repairSGI never stated that we’d cover any expense on the owner’s behalfSGI only paid the utility invoice and the
one repair invoice which was deducted from the security deposit and credited to
the ownerThe other invoices were not paid directly from SGIThe amount owed
to SGI currently is $for unpaid invoices plus fees for collectionPer
the contract, “All labor and contractors shall be deemed sub-contractors of the
owner and not the Broker unless otherwise agreed in writing…” The vendors had a
right to contact the owner directly for payment as they are contractors of the owner
directlySGI attempted to collect the balance from
the owner directly on 10/15/15, 10/21/2015, 10/23/2015, 10/26/to avoid any
further action for payment owedIn reference to the owner’s claim stating “SGI
admits its mistake for not holding the security deposit” the owner took an
email from SGI out of contextOn 10/26/2015, the owner asked SGI if we had any
success in attempting to collect more money from the previous resident based on
the items the potential resident requested, as some items were damaged items
and that the previous resident should in fact pay forThe owner states in her
email “I am afraid that if I pay this [to you], I will never get paid back for
this.” In response, SGI did agree to attempt to collect further payment from
the resident, however it was a risk of being a landlord that a resident may not
payFurther action can however be taken for an outstanding balance that is in
fact owed

Complaint ID: [redacted]The consumer stated that unauthorized expenses were deducted from the security deposit. This is an incorrect statement as a resident does not have the authority to authorize charges that are deducted from a security deposit. However, the resident does have the right to dispute...

any charge that was deducted from their security deposit. In this case, the resident did exercise their right to dispute the charges that were deducted.Our office regretfully admits that the property manager handling the consumer’s dispute did not respond to the consumer’s dispute form in a timely manner. The property manager was correct in informing the consumer that by cashing the disposition check submitted to her that she accepts the refund as payment in full, waiving her right to dispute any further claims. However, our office does recognize that the consumer is not a licensed Real Estate agent, or property management professional, and therefore may not have the knowledge of that action. With that being said, our office has had our Review Committee examine the consumer’s dispute request.Our Review Committee has determined that no additional monies will be refunded to the consumer. The consumer disputed the following three charges totaling $355.00 + 2.3% city sales tax for a grand total of$363.17:­ Floor cleaning­ Carpet cleaning­ Backyard landscapingOur review committee examined move­in inspection photos, the consumer’s move­in report and move­out inspection photos and have determined that the charges deducted from the security deposit are valid and will remain. No additional monies will be refunded to the consumer. Regarding the floor and carpet cleaning, the consumer is correct in the fact that they had the carpet professionally cleaned at time of move­out, however there were remaining oil stains found on both the tile flooring and carpet. The $70.00 and $90.00 charge from the security deposit is for one­time spot cleaning that went above and beyond the area cleaning the consumer had originally completed. Regarding the landscaping, after review of the move­in and move­out photos it is evident that a one­time clean up, including significant trimming of the bushes. Per the lease agreement, the consumer was responsible to maintain the landscaping in the same condition it was provided to her in, which included routine trimming and pruning of the bushes.The consumer is correct that our office did notify the consumer that they would need to go after the property owner should she decide to pursue legal action. Our office disbursed the remaining funds from the security deposit to the property owner and we no longer held any funds from the consumer’s security deposit. Our story did not change when the consumer notified our office that they may pursue legal action, rather our office educated the consumer as to who the correct party was that they would need to contact.Regarding the consumer’s concern of unauthorized visits by the property owner, our office wasnotified by the consumer that the property owner sent a representative to the property without proper notification. Our office notified the property owner by email that undocumented visits to the property were not allowed and educated the owner that proper notification of visits were required moving forward.Regarding the consumer’s claim that our office did not complete a move­out inspection, on 5/10/17 our office dispatched an independent, third party vendor to complete a full photo inspection of the home. The inspection was completed and documented on 5/10/17.

The applicant, Mr. [redacted], submitted an application with SGI on 9/14. Documents were received and confirmed that the applicant did not meet our minimum qualifications in terms of income. The applicant offered to pay the first two months upfront to help the approval of his application and put down a...

hold of $1,000 to secure the home. The owner approved the application on Friday, 9/16. SGI reached out to the applicant same day and advised the applicant that we needed a confirmed move in date to move forward with the lease agreement. The applicant provided a set move in date the following Monday, 9/19. The lease was sent to the applicant on 9/20 for signature. The applicant then stated that he wanted the Arizona sales tax to be paid by the owner rather than on top of the rent. The owner agreed to pay the tax and the lease was resent within a few hours. The applicant advised SGI on 9/21 that his job fell through and he was unable to move to Phoenix. Per the application that the applicant agreed to, the hold fee is refundable only if the application is denied and is non-refundable when the owner approves the application. The owner approved on 9/16 and the applicant backed out on 9/21. The home was off the market for this time-frame due to the hold and other applicants lost out as Mr. [redacted] placed the hold and confirmed he wanted the home. The hold fee will not be refunded.

Complaint ID: [redacted]Our office has reviewed the entire history of the consumer’s residency in the property. The consumer was notified on several occasions throughout their residency that routine yard maintenance was their responsibility per the lease agreement, including but not limited to all lawns, shrubbery, bushes, flowers, gardens, and small trees. The consumer stated that in their response that they did not trim the bushes, which is why they were charged for a landscaping cleanup. At the consumer’s request, our office has provided the consumer with an email copy of the invoice for the $195.00 landscaping cleanup, as well as before and after photos of the work performed.Ultimately, the decision to deduct funds from a security deposit is at the discretion of the property owner. Our office acts as an intermediary between the property owner and property resident. Our office does not have the authority to make decisions on matters regarding a security deposit.Our office regretfully admits that our communication with the consumer fell short of their expectation in regards to their concern of unauthorized visits to the property. Our office notified the property owner on several occasions that unauthorized visits without proper notification was not allowed, however ultimately our office cannot control the actions of an individual.

I have asked for the evidence (photos and bills) and they claim they have it in this letter, but I have not received anything. I refuse to pay $195 for trimming a bush when I kept them watered and blooming. I was told the rose bush was from the 1800s and they were very particular about it so I watered it, but left that for them to take care of how they saw fit.
The property owner violated my rights a second time after their office supposedly emailed her, but they never responded to me about it or did anything.

Residents provide at least 30 days written notice of termination and have this time to ensure that any damages caused by resident are rectified prior to transferring keys and possession back to the owner. Upon transferring keys, the homes are inspected for damage and any repair that may be needed....

The inspection of the home had shown animal feces in the yard and weeds that were not taken care of prior to move out, as well as burnt out light bulbs and dead or missing batteries in smoke alarms. SGI is not a contracting company and we must use vendors who specialize in many areas and ensure that owners are not charged for items caused by resident’s damage or neglect. The vendors’ estimates were used to determine the deductions from the security deposit to ensure timely return of the deposit and work is performed based on the vendors’ schedules. Invoices will be sent to the resident to confirm amounts charged as requested. No refund is due to the resident as these items were not taken care of prior to move out and an owner is not obligated to allow access to a previous resident to repair items after move out. If a resident needed additional time for repairs directly after move out, SGI would have been able to work with residents and owners to allow such repairs so residents are not charged trip fees and labor from vendors. In this case, the resident did not inform SGI of any pending work needed upon move out and gave up possession with damages needing to be rectified.

Residents provide at least 30 days written notice of termination and have this time to ensure that any damages caused by resident are rectified prior to transferring keys and possession back to the owner. Upon transferring keys, the homes are inspected for damage and any repair that may be needed....

The inspection of the home had shown animal feces in the yard and weeds that were not taken care of prior to move out, as well as burnt out light bulbs and dead or missing batteries in smoke alarms. SGI is not a contracting company and we must use vendors who specialize in many areas and ensure that owners are not charged for items caused by resident’s damage or neglect. The vendors’ estimates were used to determine the deductions from the security deposit to ensure timely return of the deposit and work is performed based on the vendors’ schedules. Invoices will be sent to the resident to confirm amounts charged as requested. No refund is due to the resident as these items were not taken care of prior to move out and an owner is not obligated to allow access to a previous resident to repair items after move out. If a resident needed additional time for repairs directly after move out, SGI would have been able to work with residents and owners to allow such repairs so residents are not charged trip fees and labor from vendors. In this case, the resident did not inform SGI of any pending work needed upon move out and gave up possession with damages needing to be rectified.