Sentinel Property Management - Arbor Ridge Apts Unethical business practices & billing Milwaukee Wisconsin

My roommate and I signed a year lease agreement to stay at this property - at the time it was owned by the Gorman Company. It was taken over by Sentinel Property Management just prior to our move in, which we were not notified of until the day we moved in. We were forced to quickly sign a new lease in the midst of move-in - important specific details of the lease were NOT pointed out to us.

A month before our lease was due to expire, we received a notice that our rent was going to increase - amidst numerous problems in the apt. (2am phone calls from maintenence, our cars being plowed in by maintenance crew, constant broken equipment on premises, etc.) we decided not to renew our lease. When we informed them of this - we were told that because we did not give 60-days notice, we were responsible for 2 additional months rent (which was $1,060/month) - they offered no attempt to try and re-let the apt. to a new tenant.

Being just out of college and unable to afford paying 2 rents, we were forced to stay for the additional 2 months. Now upon move-out we were charged a $75 fee for painting a wall in our apt. - at move in we payed a $100 non-refundable redecorating fee which we assumed covered any painting. We also paid a $200 refundable deposit and a $350 pet deposit, $150 of which was to be refunded upon vacating the apt. So, total, we paid $650 in deposits, and I have just been informed we are only receiving $200 back - but the only deductions cited for this reason are the painted wall ($75) and a "dirty" oven ($25) - not sure where the rest of our deposit has wandered off to... I don't have the time or patience to argue with these people further - the reason for my post is so that others are not taken advantage of by the reprehensible business practices of this company.

S.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
U.S.A.