Landlord after funds from property manager
The owner of a Timaru property says she has been left about $5000 out of pocket two months after cancelling a contract with a South Canterbury property management company.
Australia-based property owner Anu Ahloyan said she cancelled a contract with South Canterbury Property Management (SCPM), which had been managing her Timaru property, in mid-March, after discovering her tenants’ bond payments had not been lodged with Tenancy Services.
SCPM director Amanda Gray had managed her property since 2014, Ahloyan said.
She said Gray first worked as her property manager through Professionals Timaru, which later became Restate Ltd.
Ahloyan said she discovered Gray was no longer employed by Restate when she called the company trying to get in contact with her at the start of 2021.
She said she was told Gray had left and formed her own company, taking her clients with her.
SCPM was incorporated in September 2017.
On January 29, new tenants entered Ahloyan’s property in Waiiti Rd and paid their bond to Gray.
Gray was then legally required to file the bond with Tenancy Services within 23 working days and provide a receipt to the tenants.
The tenants of the property have confirmed to The Timaru Herald they have not received a receipt of the bond being lodged, despite asking repeatedly.
Ahloyan said she checked with Tenancy Services, and they confirmed a bond had not been lodged for the property since 2015.
She said she then contacted Gray and terminated her contract with her, giving her four weeks’ notice and asking her to pay the bond to the new property manager to lodge with Tenancy Services.
Two months later, Ahloyan said she has still not received the bond, or four weeks’ rent paid by the tenant to the property manager, totalling around $5000.
Gray had not returned the house keys for the property either, she said.
‘‘I’m just so upset . . . I have three small kids under the age of 6, and we struggle ourselves here. And then we have to deal with this.’’
The previous tenant of the property, who moved out in 2020, told The Timaru Herald she did not get her bond back from Gray and never received a receipt saying her bond had been lodged.
‘‘I messaged her a couple of times, but then I kind of gave up. I thought I’m not getting anywhere here. She just wouldn’t reply,’’ the tenant said.
Ahloyan said since cancelling her contract, Gray had become difficult to contact.
‘‘She won’t pick up her calls. Her emails get bounced.’’
However, she said she had received a text message from Gray on April 21 promising to pay the money owed: ‘‘Currently in Christchurch at personal appointments and haven’t always been available to pick up your calls. The payment should have gone through, when I get a chance today I will check this’’.
Ahloyan said she has still not received the money and has not been able to contact Gray since.
Ahloyan said she went to Tenancy Services to see if it could help but was told it did not deal with disputes between landlords and property managers, only between landlords and tenants.
She then went to the Disputes Tribunal, and was told she could only bring a case if Gray had actually refused to pay her the money.
‘‘If she doesn’t pay me, for let’s say 10 years, where does that leave me?’’
‘‘She knows she can just turn off her phone and refuse taking calls.’’
Gray has been contacted for comment but has not responded.
‘‘I’m just so upset . . . I have three small kids under the age of 6, and we struggle ourselves.’’
Anu Ahloyan