If you’ve heard any of the horror stories about MiddleTown Property Group, you’ve inevitably heard people complaining about a “redecoration fee” or a “move-in” fee. Even though the Indiana Attorney General’s Office ordered MTPG to stop using deceptive business practices & terminology (like a non-refundable “redecoration fee” in lieu of a refundable security deposit), they continue to prey on innocent, unsuspecting people who do not know their rights.
While they now appear to be “crediting” their shady redecoration fees as a result of the AG’s investigation last year, they simply invent arbitrary charges virtually every tenant is billed for after they move out, regardless of the condition of the unit when they vacate. They’ll charge $300 for “cleaning labor” and another $150 for “paint labor”, so before you know it a $250 “redecoration conversion credit” that should have been refunded has been exhausted… and then some.
All of a sudden, instead of getting your money back for leaving the unit in far better condition than you found it when you moved in, they’re claiming you actually owe them more money. Those charges appear to be imposed whether your unit is left immaculate or filthy. And, by all accounts, whatever condition the unit is left is the same condition it will be found by the next tenant. That means they’re charging cleaning fees and not even cleaning before new tenants move in! If that’s not fraud, I don’t know what is. And issues like that are among the many, many things currently being investigated by the Indiana Attorney General’s office. It’s my understanding that there is no longer just one investigator assigned to the MTPG investigation, but an entire team. The wheels are beginning to come off MiddleTown Property Group’s wagon.
Earlier today, in a private 2000-member Facebook group dedicated to MTPG complaints that I’m a part of, another member posted a screenshot of one of these itemized lists of move-out charges. Even after the “redecoration fee” was “credited” this person still allegedly owed an additional $284.
Likely the only thing MiddleTown Property Group can legally charge that tenant for is the repair to the closet door. And that’s only if they can, in fact, prove there actually was damage and that the tenant they’re charging is actually responsible for that damage. How many “damaged closet doors” has MiddleTown Property Group charged a tenant for when they moved out, only to never repair it and charge the next tenant for the very same damage when they move out the next year? I bet a forensic audit of their business records would be incredibly revealing.
MiddleTown Property Group specifies in their leases that replacing batteries in smoke detectors is the responsibility of the tenant, so unless the batteries are actually documented as having been missing from the smoke detector(s) when the tenant vacated, that’s likely also a fraudulent charge. How do you specify that tenants are responsible for replacing batteries, then charge them for replacing the batteries when they move out?!? The answer is simple: tenants don’t know their rights, they don’t know those charges are likely fraudulent, and MiddleTown Property Group counts on people just paying whatever they have to to finally be rid of them once & for all. Turns out making people hate you so much they’re willing to pay anything just to escape your avarice-driven clutches is a very profitable racket.
The same is true of the charge for light bulbs. Unless they can prove the light bulbs were missing or burned out at the time the tenant vacated, this is probably also a fraudulent charge. HUD is also very specific about the light bulb issue, stating specifically that the “Replacement of fluorescent lamps – or any light bulb designed to last for years of continuous use” is the responsibility of the landlord.
There’s nothing on the itemized list of charges indicating that the paint labor or paint used were due to any documented damage caused by the tenant. Unless the paint and labor were directly related to repairing damage caused by the tenant, this is probably also a fraudulent charge. Routine painting would fall under the umbrella of “wear & tear” and landlords cannot deduct those costs from any deposit or charge a tenant to paint after they’ve moved out.
In short, any typical task that a landlord would do as part of the normal process of preparing a unit for a new tenant – like cleaning, painting, caulking a bathtub/shower, etc. – falls under the category of “normal wear & tear” and charges for completing such tasks CANNOT be deducted from any refundable fee or deposit or invoiced after a tenant moves out.
A landlord CANNOT charge for or deduct from refundable funds the following:
- Normal cleaning (vacuuming, wiping down surfaces, dusting, etc.)
- Routine carpet cleaning
- Routine painting (i.e. not damage related)
Housing4Hoosiers has published an incredibly informative and helpful guide on this topic. Please be sure to check out What Is “Normal Wear and Tear?”. The United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has also published a PDF that is helpful in determining what is “normal wear & tear” and what is “damage”.
Before you pay MiddleTown Property Group a dime of what they’re claiming you owe when you move out, do your homework and know your rights. If you believe the charges you’re being told to pay are fraudulent, you are well within your rights to dispute them.
If you’re a Ball State student, send an to email to Resident Services stating the following:
1) You’re going to have their “move-out invoice” reviewed by an attorney at Ball State’s Student Legal Services office before you pay anything
2) If any of the charges turn out to be fraudulent, you will do the following:
- File a formal complaint with Indiana Attorney General
- Add your name to the growing list of plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit being organized by MiddleTown Property Group Sucks
- File a complaint with the BBB
- Post honest reviews on each of MiddleTown Property Group‘s Google Business listings
3) Advise MTPG they have 72 hours to provide you with a revised itemized list of charges or provide evidence to support the validity of the original charges and that after 72 hours you will proceed with the tasks outlined above.
If you’re a not Ball State student, send an email to Resident Services stating the following:
1) You’re going to have their “move-out invoice” reviewed by an attorney from Indiana Legal Services before you pay anything
2) If any of the charges turn out to be fraudulent, you will do the following:
- File a formal complaint with Indiana Attorney General
- Add your name to the growing list of plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit being organized by MiddleTown Property Group Sucks
- File a complaint with the BBB
- Post honest reviews on each of MiddleTown Property Group‘s Google Business listings
3) Advise MTPG they have 72 hours to provide you with a revised itemized list of charges or provide evidence to support the validity of the original charges and that after 72 hours you will proceed with the tasks outlined above.
This may or may not result in MiddleTown Property Group reversing the charges and, at the very least, zeroing out your account. Ideally, they’ll not only do that, but you’ll end up getting any refund you’re entitled to. The bottom line is that they count on people just paying what they claim they owe, if for no other reason than to finally be rid of them once & for all. While that’s understandable, it’s also the reason they’ve been getting away with shenanigans like this for years. Until people stand up to them and refuse to succumb to their extortion racket, they’ll keep right on doing it.
They’ll keep doing it until tenants fight back and say, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!” Haven’t you had enough?!?
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