Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in New Jersey

My mother rented a beach condo for 1 week from for rent by owner. The place looked clean from the pictures online. The place was not clean and unsanitary!!! in our opinion - especially for our family with 2 young children (2 and 5). For example, there was lots of mold all around the edges of the carpet, all over the shower curtains, on top of the shower, cigarette burn on the bed spread, thick dust on all the windows, black marks on the wall, small hole in the wall, stench in the hallway, etc. It was gross and we called to complain and vacated within 24 hours. We have several pictures. The owner agreed verbally the next day that he would refund our money. The owner now said he handed this matter over to his "partner," which happens to be his wife. She is refusing to refund our money and send a long winded email explaining why. The neighbor to this owner confirmed that this place is a nightmare and is typically rented as a party house for young kids (NOT families). I know my mom was scammed because the pictures obviouslly did not accurately reflect this condo's appearance but I am not sure how we should proceed to get our refund (if we can at all) - e.g. small claims court, etc.


Asked on 8/31/09, 10:16 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Randall Brett Law Office of Randall P. Brett

Contact the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. The URL is http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov. You can file a complaint against the owner (and his wife) and the division will investigate your complaint. Alternatively, you could file a law suit against the owner to get your money returned. If you would like to discuss your legal options, feel free to call my office to schedule a consultation.

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Answered on 9/06/09, 10:39 am


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