Cog Property Management, Inc. Deposit and Application Fee Scam Dallas, Georgia

When I was trying to find a rental property that would accept cats, I contacted Cog Management, Inc about a rental property at 106 Brookside in Dallas Georgia. The agent Terri Dodson showed the property, but never told me that tenants are required to pay their rent with a credit card. She also never mentioned that there is a per pet charge of $20 a month rent in addition to the deposit. I went to her office and gave a deposit of $600 in cash, but didn't fill out an application because I didn't have all the information I needed with me. At that time she told me that they would try to negotiate down the cat rental fee, and that I would have 21 days to complete the application and return it, and pay the balance before moving in. Another person in the office named Michele said they could accept cash for the deposit, but that I would not be able to pay my rent in cash. I assumed she meant I would pay with a check. No one mentioned the credit card requirement.

They were rushing me to sign and grab the money, so I asked if I could take the application home to fill it out and bring it back.  I was told that would be okay, I could take as long as 21 days. I left the office with the application at around 2:30 in the afternoon. Later when my husband and I started to fill out the application, we discovered that it stated in writing that the rent was to be paid online, with a credit card. We went online to their website and found it said the same thing there. It was 7:00p.m., so the office was closed.

The next morining at 8:00 I called Terri Dodson and told her I did not have a credit card and that I wanted my deposit back, and to go ahead and show the house, because we were not going to complete an application with them. I told her I would be driving back to their office to pick up the money. She said that it didn't matter what the application or website stated, that people paid their rents with checks all the time. I told her I would not accept a verbal agreement that conflicted with the written one, I just wanted my money back. She started saying that I was going to have trouble renting anywhere with my credit, that if I rented a house from an idividual that the property might be in foreclosure, and made all sorts of other excuses why I should rent a house from her. I repeated that I wanted the deposit back and was coming to get it.

Some other person named Barbara called a little while later and said that I couldn't get my money back, and said that all they would refund was the "reserves" not the $60 application fee, even though I had not given them the application and called to cancel before they could have processed one anyway. She said they would refund the money if I was not approved!! She would let me know in a week. I told her this was wrong of them to do me that way, that I needed the money to find a place to live because I only have a week left to find a place.

A good business would have refunded the money on the spot. These people prey on renters with poor credit, and leave out important details of their operation until after they get your money. They rent out hundreds of homes for property owners, and don't give a shit about the tenants.