Wwyd apt saga, unjustified fee

amother

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 12:18 am

Wwyd in this situation. TIA for reading till the end Smile

We found out about an apartment from a friend that lives in the same apartment building. By contacting the Super directly, we looked at the apartment and the Super gave us a copy of the application. We filled out the application but did not give it in yet. The Super gave the phone number of the management office. I called the management office to ask a few questions and spoke to someone in the office. The next day I saw that there was a new ad on an online apartment listing which was posted that day for the same apartment. The price and pictures were the same and there was a name and phone number. I assumed it was someone from the management company that was assigned to this apartment and called with questions. The person said that if we are interested in the apartment then we should fill out an application right away because someone else was interested (this was likely not true since it was too soon from when the apartment was even listed). We decided to take the apartment and sent this person the filled out application. We went back and forth a few times to gather info like social security numbers, etc. This person kept saying that my salary could be an issue because I did not have a full year of my income since I had a break between two jobs. Today then the person called and said that the Landlord is not happy with my income and therefore they do not want to pay his fee and we should pay half of his fee and they will pay half. We didn’t feel like there was a choice and said that we would pay (it’s 1K). Something seemed off though and I called the management company since I still had the number, I spoke to the person in charge of this apartment and he said he has no issues with my paystubs and is happy to take us as tenants (turns out he actually knows my uncle well). He said that he thought something was strange because the broker person normally would have asked him for the application for the apartment and here he already had it (because we had gotten it from the super). Plus, ppl in the office remembered that I had called asking about the apartment earlier in the week. He said that we do not need to use the broker and we should think what we want to do about paying him, because we saw the apartment without him and did not realize that he was a broker. As an aside, the management company said that they never pay the broker a fee (so that part was made up as well). We don’t feel like we owe him money, we would think to give something like $180 to make him happy but he wants closer to the 1K. Basically, he never said he was a broker and waited till the last minute to add the fee, and we hadn’t needed him at all since we had already been in touch with the management company directly.

amother

Yarrow

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 12:29 am

You dont owe him anything

Itsallfromhim

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 12:37 am

You don’t have to pay but can always ask a shailah

amother

Cognac

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 8:10 am

Don’t owe him anything. You got the application from the super and had dealt with management directly. He was hired right after and you had already been interested without him.

What he’s doing is sly business practice and illegal. All fees must be told upfront and not after.

I had similar with a mortgage broker and was told legally and halachically I should not pay.

groisamomma

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 8:23 am

amother Cognac wrote:

That's how these people make money...

amother

Violet

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 8:26 am

Don't give him a dime. He is scamming people. You pay him you're encouraging him to scam more people.

Rappel

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 8:33 am

Look up the word "shyster"

icedcoffee

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 8:44 am

You didn't sign anything with him, don't owe him anything, and even the building is saying you don't owe him, so I'd ignore him. I've dealt with many sketchy brokers in NYC, this is nothing new. Congrats on the new apartment!

amother

Viola

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 9:07 am

If you saw it first without him, you don't owe him.

amother

Bottlebrush

Wed, Nov 08 2023, 10:40 am

You're under no obligation to go through him or pay him especially since you spoke to the management office prior to speaking to him.
You can certainly block his number.
BUT I had a situation with mortgage brokers when I was buying my house. There was one we spoke to but decided not to go through with him. He didn't take to it well and sent some nasty messages. Dh spoke to a rav about it and said in the scheme of things paying him what he says he would lose in commission is not all that much when buying a house. So for the sake of shalom the rav recommended we pay him and move on. Wasn't worth having a "curse" on us.
It's not the same situation but maybe call him and tell him you know he's not being honest with you and since you've been in touch with the management company prior you're going to work with them directly. See how he reacts. If he gets mad it may be worthwhile to pay him a few hundred dollars, certainly not the full $1000 he's asking for, just for shalom.