Pat Braverman via HomeAway, Patricia Braverman Security deposit Fraud Southampton New York

We have stayed at her property for a long weekend with a couple of friends. She was very pleasant in the begining. Planning and organization went smoothly, we paid everything that was owed including the deposit and she provided directions, keys and necessary supplies.

Our stay was not bad. The house had a few small flaws, a few things did not work or came out to be troublesome, but overall a good experience. We kept the house clean during the whole stay and nothing was dirtied or damaged. Additionally as per agreement we paid for a cleaner after our stay.

When the time came to get our deposit back she dissappeared for a while. Then she claimed there was irreparable damage to her carpet, which was untrue. When we asked to inspect the carpet, she refused and said she already bought new ones using the security deposit. Nothing was due to us even though it was a substantial amount of money, much more then what a simple area rug would cost. She refused to communicate further or provide receipts.

We tried to address the issue with HomeAway, but they were not interested in dealing with us on this and simply stated they are not responsible for tracking our deposit. Beware of this dishonest homeowner. It is very sad she has to step down to this and scam people to earn the extra buck.