Targa Real Estate; Whitney, Ariel, Tammy non-compliance with the law RCW 59.18.280 Federal Way Washington

I vacated the apartment unit on September 23, 2016 and called the apartment manager Ariel on September 29, 2016 to ensure that everything was taken care of and my keys were received. I was told I would be contacted shortly with information on the deposit return.

On November 14, 2016 I received an invoice that was postmarked for November 9, 2016 asking for more money than my initial deposit. The apartment inspection sheet was not filled out and there was no attached statement explaining why I owed money or why my deposit was not being returned.

According to Washington State Legislature: RCW 59.18.280, Targa has a legal obligation to provide either the deposit or a specific statement of the basis for retaining any of the deposit within 21 days of the tenant vacating the premises. No portion of any deposit shall be withheld on account of wear resulting from ordinary use of the premises. If the landlord fails to give such a statement together with any refund due the tenant within the time limits specified above (21 days) then he or she shall be liable to the tenant for the full amount of the deposit.

I called Targa and was instructed to reach out directly to my apartment managers. I got in touch with Whitney and her assistant and was told that there was nothing they could do because they were only covering for Ariel while she was on maternity leave. When I asked her to review my file so she could see that I legally followed the timeline she told me that was not her responsibility and that the only way to avoid paying additional money on the deposit was to file a small claims report.

I told her I would rather settle outside of the courts and she told me that my options are; small claims, pay the invoice or go to collections. I asked if she could direct me to Targa's corporate office and she said, no she doesn't have their number but that she would forward my request to someone else. I asked when I would hear back from them and she abruptly hung up the phone.

When I called back to get information on when I should hear back from Targa's corporate offices, she told me I was harassing her and not to call them back again. Then she proceeded to hang up on me a second time. I have not called back and instead am reaching out to alternative resources for resolving this dispute outside of the court system. However, according to the JAG offices of the Northwest and the Thurston County Mediator Solutions, Targa is in non-compliance with the aforementioned law. So if I do go to court, the legal proceedings would rule in my favor.