Staff ran off with my 2 months condo deposit and more, lied everyone

[Austrian26]

Hi, i stay in <removed> EXECUTVE PLACE for nearly a year and about 2 months ago one of the Staff there ran off with a lot of money that she borrowed from various people living there and also with my deposit of 28500 baht. Its totalling more than 100k baht that she stole and im not even sure if the condo went to the police yet

 

The owner of the room and the management don't want to pay me back my deposit , it's not my problem to deal with that staff. It's theirs. I have a reciept. The management also lied for 2 months telling me i will get it back until they suddendly said i have to go to police and file a conplaint against the staff and/or owner and basically were like i dont have a chance in getting back my money.

 

 

 

I want to know what i can / have to do. What are my chances of getting back my money ?  Will i need a lawyer etc?

When i go to the police, do i file against the condo, the owner of the room or the staff ?

 

Basically the staff is just handling rooms for the owners, and the staff is payed by the owners or by a condo management..not sure about that.

Edited October 6, 2018 by CharlieH
Name removed as per forum rules.

[CharlieH]

Whoever your rental agreement is with is presumably (on paper) who you paid your deposit too. They are responsible for returning it at the appropriate time. (IMHO)

[ukrules]

How about calling in the tourist police and tell them you've been ripped off, that might get some movement.

 

Whoever you're renting from is the person who owes you the money, it doesn't matter who stole it, you paid it to the person they designated so it's on them.

 

The management in a building I stayed at some years back stole everything, this happens more than you might think.

 

The idiots who owned the apartment I was living in for a couple of years at that point told me that I might need to pay some rent again unless I could prove every payment.

 

I had every receipt going back to the initial deposit so I wasn't bothered by their problem, but they were at least thinking of recouping their loss from me.

 

This was a legitimate company (even had tax stamps on the yearly leases) and they owned many millions of dollars worth of apartments in Bangkok.

 

[sfokevin]

I would go to the police ASAP!

Name the owner of your unit in the police report (not the manager who took the money) Give the police a copy of your rental agreement with a copy of the ID of the person who signed your lease.

And if your still in the unit stop paying rent!

Edited October 6, 2018 by sfokevin

[blackhorse]

The joys of renting. These incidents are happening more and more.

[Crossy]

I'll just add our similar experience, we rented a condo from 2004 to 2011, usual 2 month deposit plus 1 month rent up front.

 

We'd been in about 3 years (yes, years) when a lady turned up at the door looking surprised to find people in residence. Seems she was the actual landlady and hadn't seen a bean from the condo management who had rented the place to us. Wifey had of course kept every stamped up receipt including the deposit. Management company promptly removed (the next lot were rather worse on the actual upkeep), future rent paid direct. We didn't get our deposit back, but after such a long time it wasn't really missed.

 

[blackhorse]

I'll just add our similar experience, we rented a condo from 2004 to 2011, usual 2 month deposit plus 1 month rent up front.
 
We'd been in about 3 years (yes, years) when a lady turned up at the door looking surprised to find people in residence. Seems she was the actual landlady and hadn't seen a bean from the condo management who had rented the place to us. Wifey had of course kept every stamped up receipt including the deposit. Management company promptly removed (the next lot were rather worse on the actual upkeep), future rent paid direct. We didn't get our deposit back, but after such a long time it wasn't really missed.

 

This happens a lot. In our building the lady running the real estate section would be left with condos to rent while owners were overseas. She pocketed rent from at least a dozen condos, mostly short term stuff.

Mate from the UK got back and was suspicious and went to the electricity company and that gave the game away

Never leave keys with agents to find tenants and then leave the country.. You will be scammed

[bwpage3]

Call Big Joke!

[AhFarangJa]

15 hours ago, sfokevin said:

I would go to the police ASAP!

Name the owner of your unit in the police report (not the manager who took the money) Give the police a copy of your rental agreement with a copy of the ID of the person who signed your lease.

And if your still in the unit stop paying rent!

I may be wrong, and will humbly cede to a more knowledgeable person than I, but I think to do this would be illegal, and maybe lose the complainant some leverage.

[blinkers]

Are you still living there? if so why have you asked for your money back. Sorry, I may have missed something here. When you say a deposit, a deposit for what? is it a security bond? whereby after you leave, any outstanding bills, cleaning or repairs which are the tenants responsibility are deducted and the balance refunded?

[baansgr]

File a police report  immediately, if not done within three months it becomes a civil offence.  The company that took your deposit and issued a receipt is responsible to return your deposit.

[stbkk]

Many years ago something similar happened to me, but on a much smaller scale. I used to pay all of the utility bills direct apart from the water, which I paid in cash to the juristic office of the condo. When I went in to pay it one month it was a different person in the office and they said I owed over a years back payments (just a few hundred Baht a month) according to their records. Nope, says yours truly, and when I proved it by showing them the receipts back to the beginning of my tenancy, they agreed.  The key point was after I had provided them the proof we got talking and they were very openly telling me that the previous juristic office staff had not paid any of the tenants water bills to the water company for ages, but just pocketed the cash. They were then using the 'give me proof' method to try and minimise the juristic offices loss through the theft of their staff, and didn't see anything at all wrong with this approach!

Edited October 7, 2018 by stbkk
typo.

[snowgard]

The police can't help you. If staff stole money from the management company, they have to report it to the police. Not you.

 

My advice is to go to the consumer protection board office in your city. They are really helpful with problems like this.

 

http://www.ocpb.go.th/ocpb_eng/main.php?filename=index___EN

[3421abc]

You should get together with the other tenants who lost their deposit and go as a group. You will get a lot more done if it is a group of people, especially if Thais were also ripped off.

[sirocco]

Hello,

Yes, there are the joys of renting, but also those of the purchase.
Ask the 50 future / ex buyers of TROPICAL OCEAN at HUA HIN what they think.
They have been robbed by crooked promoters who for some have disappeared, and no one is responsible.
Soaring savings of a lifetime.

[Austrian26]

3 hours ago, blinkers said:

Are you still living there? if so why have you asked for your money back. Sorry, I may have missed something here. When you say a deposit, a deposit for what? is it a security bond? whereby after you leave, any outstanding bills, cleaning or repairs which are the tenants responsibility are deducted and the balance refunded?

The staff told us we have to move out of the room into anotger room, since the owner needs it (this turned out to be a lie by the staff, her plan was to pocket rent in new room) . So the owner sent back 12500 baht of 32k deposit (staff kept 16000 already before, 3500 for damages), so a total of 28500, them in addition the staff pocketed the next 16000 from the new room while not telling her we moved there. A few days later she disappeared.

[falangjim]

Destroy the place to the tune of what money you lost. There is no way you'll see it returned.

[Ctkong]

20 hours ago, Crossy said:

I'll just add our similar experience, we rented a condo from 2004 to 2011, usual 2 month deposit plus 1 month rent up front.

 

We'd been in about 3 years (yes, years) when a lady turned up at the door looking surprised to find people in residence. Seems she was the actual landlady and hadn't seen a bean from the condo management who had rented the place to us. Wifey had of course kept every stamped up receipt including the deposit. Management company promptly removed (the next lot were rather worse on the actual upkeep), future rent paid direct. We didn't get our deposit back, but after such a long time it wasn't really missed.

 

Thais are basically opportunists regardless their standing in life. If they can glean  a quid out of you, they will! Buddha would be pissed off with those who called themselves Buddhist ...

[Ctkong]

15 minutes ago, falangjim said:

Destroy the place to the tune of what money you lost. There is no way you'll see it returned.

Exacting revenge western style may not go down well in  thailand .... remember paying just small sum of money can make a man disappear from the face of the earth here in Thailand. Put the loss down to karma. 

[smutcakes]

5 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

I may be wrong, and will humbly cede to a more knowledgeable person than I, but I think to do this would be illegal, and maybe lose the complainant some leverage.

Of course it would be illegal, its stupid advice and shows another poster who talks a lot about something they have no knowledge about.

[rwill]

Hiring a lawyer would probably net you a loss anyway.  Those saying contact tourist police, the first and probably only thing they would do is investigate you.

[Media1]

21 hours ago, ukrules said:

How about calling in the tourist police and tell them you've been ripped off, that might get some movement.

 

Whoever you're renting from is the person who owes you the money, it doesn't matter who stole it, you paid it to the person they designated so it's on them.

 

The management in a building I stayed at some years back stole everything, this happens more than you might think.

 

The idiots who owned the apartment I was living in for a couple of years at that point told me that I might need to pay some rent again unless I could prove every payment.

 

I had every receipt going back to the initial deposit so I wasn't bothered by their problem, but they were at least thinking of recouping their loss from me.

 

This was a legitimate company (even had tax stamps on the yearly leases) and they owned many millions of dollars worth of apartments in Bangkok.

 

Who ever signed that contract owes you your security deposit. Irrelevant are stories of there people collecting money on there behalf. File a 20 baht police report to police against the owner of the condo. Have the police contact him.

It's his problem 

Or simply remain in the condo for 2 additional months rent free

[Media1]

21 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Whoever your rental agreement is with is presumably (on paper) who you paid your deposit too. They are responsible for returning it at the appropriate time. (IMHO)

Correct

[kensisaket]

6 hours ago, stbkk said:

Many years ago something similar happened to me, but on a much smaller scale. I used to pay all of the utility bills direct apart from the water, which I paid in cash to the juristic office of the condo. When I went in to pay it one month it was a different person in the office and they said I owed over a years back payments (just a few hundred Baht a month) according to their records. Nope, says yours truly, and when I proved it by showing them the receipts back to the beginning of my tenancy, they agreed.  The key point was after I had provided them the proof we got talking and they were very openly telling me that the previous juristic office staff had not paid any of the tenants water bills to the water company for ages, but just pocketed the cash. They were then using the 'give me proof' method to try and minimise the juristic offices loss through the theft of their staff, and didn't see anything at all wrong with this approach!

Can't get away with that even in "the sticks" like Sisaket.  You miss one month's water payment then your next bill has the bar code removed; so, you have to pay directly to the water dept (no 7-11 or Big C). You don't get a 3rd bill, you get your water meter removed; and, water shut off.  As for the original post, police or immigration police for sure.  

 

Edited October 7, 2018 by kensisaket

[falangjim]

3 hours ago, smutcakes said:

Of course it would be illegal, its stupid advice and shows another poster who talks a lot about something they have no knowledge about.

Well, I didn't say get caught.  And yes, I have experience. ????

Edited October 7, 2018 by falangjim

[shaurene]

On 6 October 2018 at 6:22 PM, sfokevin said:

I would go to the police ASAP!

Name the owner of your unit in the police report (not the manager who took the money) Give the police a copy of your rental agreement with a copy of the ID of the person who signed your lease.

And if your still in the unit stop paying rent!

If he stops paying rent that will go against him. Put Ye brain in operation before you,open your mouth Mate. He has all recipes, a police report and they will follow it up, if not, tell then you have Big Jokes number.

[KittenKong]

These sorts of scams by rental agents are very common here. I personally know a dozen or more owners who know they have been scammed by agents, and a dozen more who have been scammed but dont know it yet.

The same agents have billed the owners for common fees but not paid them. Same applies to repair work that is either over-billed or simply never done.

 

As for the OP: if he has a proper receipt then it is the owner's problem not his. If the owner leaves an agent in charge of rentals and gives them the key then the owner has to assume responsibility for the agent's actions.

 

Personally I would never even consider being a landlord here unless I handled all the renting myself, and I would never trust any agent here (of any skin colour) to do anything. They smile a lot but they are entirely untrustworthy.

[Ctkong]

Rental agents in Thailand seems to be a different breed altogether complemented by immoral jurisdic persons. Awesome combination.

[vinegarbase]

On 10/6/2018 at 6:18 PM, ukrules said:

How about calling in the tourist police and tell them you've been ripped off

First ask the management again if they will return your money and tell them if not you will be going to the police. If they say they will get you your money then get it in writing from them, complete with stamp, signature and id card of the management. If they refuse then go to the tourist police. If they do promise and the time comes and they don't give you the money then go to the tourist police. If they start giving you some money make sure it keeps coming until you get paid in full and if there is no payment at the agreed time go to the police.  

Edited October 7, 2018 by vinegarbase

[zaZa9]

On 10/6/2018 at 6:27 PM, blackhorse said:

The joys of renting. These incidents are happening more and more.

You gotta be kidding.

When the Managing Agent at my condo block took off with loads of rent , deposits and even the office furniture , it was the owners who bore the brunt.

Nearly all of them knew that if the losses were passed on to us tenants then we would be walking and then their losses would be greater.

The cops were involved and stated that they would deal with the thief,  ( and to honour the agreements ) , which never happened.

You must have meant , "The joys of renting out your property "...