Sara Schomp Schomp Design Sara's Oasis Predatory landlord misrepresents the quality of a vacation rental property on-line, fails to honor the rental agreement, retains the security deposit by deceiving and without justification. Sebastopol, California

Mr. Castillion asserts that I misrepresented the quality of
[my] vacation rental property on-line. That allegation is completely false.

Mr. Castillion states that Sebastopol is a sleepy town with
no tourist value whatsoeverfar away from true wine country. The house is
located in a quiet rural residential neighborhood, about four miles west of
Sebastopol, a small, vibrant, safe community thatyeslacks shopping malls and
chain discount stores. The house is within 15 minutes of at least 10 wineries,
and there are numerous vineyards in the area boasting the Green Valley and
Russian River Appellations.

Mr. Castillions opinion of the dcor is just that: his
opinion. The web site (http://www.sarasOasis.com) shows exactly what the rooms
look like and what is in the house. Most travelers who have stayed have said
the house is even more beautiful and comfortable than they expected.  

Mr. Castillion complains that I maliciously retained his
entire $1,000 security deposit. I did retain his security deposit, which was
actually insufficient to cover all of the documented damage he did to the
property. That is my right, under California law. If he wants to challenge it,
Mr. Castillion can file a Small Claims Court complaint; I am confident any such
complaint will be dismissed, for these reasons:              (1)
The Castillions caused considerable damage, well beyond the normal wear and
tear standard, and did not leave the premises clean. They left at least 450
gallons of rotting garbage stashed in a
closet. They left the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry filled with half-used
food and drink items. They damaged several furnishings. Mr. Castillion broke
his contract by smoking in my no-smoking house for a month; that behavior
necessitated extra cleaning.

(2)
I personally conducted a walk-through inspection of the premises with Mrs.
Castillion and other family members, on August 10, 2009, the day of their
departure, at 6:00 a.m.

  (3)
All of the charges against the Castillions security deposit were itemized, and
substantiated with estimates from professionals, in a registered letter I sent
him in full compliance with California law. The actual total in damages,
including long distance calls was about $500 more than the Castillions $1,000 security deposita lot of damage for a
one-month tenancy.

Mr. Castillion alleges that I opened mail containing
confidential medical records. I did open what appeared to be an advertisement
from the Mayo Clinic that did not have the Castillions name anywhere on the
envelope . As soon as I noted that the
packet pertained to him, I stopped reading the contents and immediately
delivered it to him, explaining what had occurred.

Mr. Castillion complains that I live (in a separate unit)
on the premises, and that I kept an eye on the facilities on a daily basis.
During their stay, I did observeunavoidablynumerous violations of the rental
agreement Mr. Castillion signed, all of which I brought to his attention, none
of which were ever remedied. These are some of the things the Castillions did:

           
Although I advertised the home as a self-catering vacation rental, Mr.
Castillion asked me to find him a full-time cook and daily cleaning service.
Though I did recommend such providers, the Castillions did not use their
services.

           
Though the rental agreement clearly prohibited it, Mr. Castillion constantly
smoked in the house.

           
I informed the Castillions that there would be weekly cleaning of the house,
that a pool service cleaned and maintained the pool once a week, and that a
gardener worked on the grounds one day a week. Though they knew when each of
those services would occur, the Castillions chose to remain in the houseand
poolduring those hours. The family left broken plastic toys and balloons in
the pool, which broke the filter, necessitating extra maintenance. The
dangerous chemical he refers to is sea salt, as the pool is a salt pool. We do
not add chlorine. Glass is prohibited at the pool, yet the Castillions
permitted their children to play with porcelain bowls as toys in the pool.

              
The Castillions had unregistered guests stay with them for a week, in clear
violation of the rental agreement.

           
The Castillions left their children unsupervised in the pool area, and
permitted them to run wild in the house. Their screams often alarmed and
alienated our surrounding neighbors.

            
As advertised, the swimming pool was kept at 82 degrees. The Castillions
demanded that the temperature be raised, after leaving the pool cover
retracted, which caused the temperature to go down to 81 degrees. The pool was
kept at 83-85 degrees for the rest of their stay.

            
the Castillions complained that the iron doesnt work, and demanded a new
one, after they had left the iron on and the automatic shut-off had turned it
off. I gave them a new iron.

The other families that have rented the home have enjoyed
their stay and complimented me on the service, cleanliness and aesthetics of
the home and gardens. I urge you to read the positive reports from people from
all over the world who have stayed in this house. The family who stayed just
prior to Mr. Castillions posted a review on July 10, 2009, on my HomeAway.com
page, the day the Castillions checked in to the house.

  http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p187949#propertyReviews   

I invite readers to read it and other reviews, and to make
their own judgment about the credibility of Mr. Castillions allegations. My
goal has been to offer an aesthetically pleasing, clean, safe, private and
comfortable retreat environment with lovely surroundings both inside, in the
garden and at the beautiful large heated pool.  Thank you for reading this and considering it.