Beware of this woman!

[Wanderlust]

Before I start this is a variation on the Trying to find somewhere decent to rent isnt easy thread, but I have started a separate one just to highlight how bad some landlords/ladies can be.
I have lived in the same bungalow for over 3 years but for various reasons wanted to move, but none of them because of my landlady who has been excellent. I eventually found a good place, and had agreed to move in, with the specific proviso that the owner was responsible for breakdowns of the air con and water pump; however a few days after this agreement had been struck (without any payment being made and before moving), after having given notice to my landlady, the owner changed their mind and said I would be responsible for pump and air con. I wasn't having any of this, but they wouldn't budge, so I cancelled the deal. However this left me with a dilemma - try to find somewhere else quickly or try to rescind my notice. I chose the former and after some frantic searching found a very nice place that suited both budget and requirements, although the drawback was having to pay 6 months up front and two months deposit. The other problem was a telephone line; the owner said it had one, but on a closer look it didn't, so I agreed to take the place on condition that a TT&T line was installed (as this was my internet provider and I didn't want to change after having successfully got past the initial hassles and ending up with a good connection/server). The woman said OK but I would have to pay a holding deposit of 10,000 baht, returnable in the event that the phone line could not be obtained.
I think most can probably guess what happened next; TT&T informed us that they have no new numbers available, and even if they did they couldn't guarantee internet at the address of the new house because of it's distance from the servers. Consequently I called the woman and cancelled the deal; she says OK come and get your deposit. However 10 minutes later she calls and says I can't have my deposit back, and then the battle began. After two weeks, today I have managed to get 5000 baht back from her, after involvement from my lawyer (a strong phone call) and the local police. I won't go into the gory details but it was the best deal I could get. What is more pleasing is that the woman in question openly insulted one of the highest ranking officers in the Hua Hin police, as well as one of his men, and they are now after her on their own behalf, as well as being fully supportive of my situation; they were suitably 'thanked' as well.
Please PM me if you want this woman's name (have to protect HHAD legally!) - but she has a gold shop on Chomsin Road leading up to the railway crossing. She is apparently Thai-Chinese, and a harder faced bitch I have ever to meet. She either has severe memory problems or is a bare faced liar, as on a number of occasions she both contradicted herself (example: talking to my g/f on the phone a few days after the call from the lawyer she first claims that someone else spoke to him, and then complains that he was insulting to her!) and made factually incorrect statements (example: told my lawyer on the Monday that she had already installed a TOT line, when on the Friday before it hadn't even be agreed or ordered!).
I actually regard this as a salutory lesson as well as a lucky escape - I know for sure that I would never have got any of the full deposit back had I paid it, and very likely anything that needed doing while living there wouldn't have got done unless I forked out. Needless to say I am putting up with the limitations of my existing abode as my landlady was kind enough to allow me to stay. I hope none of you have to suffer at the hands of this woman!

[buksida]

This sort of stuff really gets my goat. You NEVER get deposits back, they just assume farangs have got money to burn and we can afford to give them these "gifts".

Its a shame the law cant protect us either, I am never handing over another deposit without a legal contract. Holding deposits are just bullshit, she had every intention of ripping you off.

Luckily you got some back, there are a few places for rent down our soi if you're still looking, most of the inhabitants are ok, with the exception of the odd old, hunchbacked twat that keeps building houses and polluting everyones serenity.

[James61]

She's Chinese with a gold shop.
That says it all.

[lomuamart]

I was in a little place in the middle in HH for 4 years. The owners always said that I was like a son to them.
When the roof leaked, they asked if they could up my rent from 4,500 to 5,000 a month to pay the contractors over a period of months. I didn't have a problem with that. It still seemed a good deal to me for living in a quiet place in the centre of town.
Until I announced I was moving out. "Could I have another 5 days or so and how much did they want off me?"
Well the figure, relatively, was extortinate. I had already signed the new contract and we had to call the new owners to come and get us with their pick-up as I was told to leave immediately.
I lost 4,500 deposit, was overcharged for 3 days over my rent and bills and most importantly lost 5 years financial stuff as I forgot it was filed in the wardrobe. That was tax returns in the UK, receipts I could offset etc.
Mai pen rai. Move on and when I need to account, I will.
Yes, James61, some of them will own a gold shop. But not this one and I take great delight in generally suggesting to people not to go near her property with a bargepole.

[pasathai]

Is there such a thing as an escrow account at the local bank. that would keep both parties "honest" to a higher extent/

( unless the thai person has a realitive working at the bank I suppose)