Message-Id: <acdb904f00021004456c@[128.2.198.141]>
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Date: Fri, 24 Nov 1995 10:30:47 -0500
To: bovik@cmu.edu
From: Donald Green <greendc@ri.cmu.edu>
Subject: Zitelli Property Managment

I would recommend not renting from Zitelli Property Managment Co. Mr.
Zitelli is withholding my security deposit and appears to be in violation
of the consumer protection laws. He has been sued in the past for
withholding security deposits and lost. I am currently (11/24/95) pursuing
this matter with the Attorney General's Office. I know of some other cases
in regard to present tenants of Zitelli's, where it appears that he is in
blatant violation of consumer protection laws dealing with security
deposits.
        The story is that I had to give Zitelli 2 months rent when I moved
in. I have no lease and have made sure of this with a lawyer. When I gave
30 days notice Mr. Zitelli informed me that he was not going to give me
back my security deposit because I was breaking a lease. I went to a lawyer
and found out that, indeed, I have no lease. When I told Zitelli this his
response was 'Oh, you found out you have no lease huh...' as if he knew
this the whole time. I then did some digging and discovered that by Penn
law a landlord may only keep 2 months rent as a security deposit for 1
year, after 1 year they must give back 1 months rent. He did not do this
nor has he done it for other tenants I have spoken with. The approach I am
going to take with the Attorney General is based on this though I fully
expect to have to fight for the second half as well. I am not entitled to
the second half until 30 days after I move out so that fight will come
later. I had been a good tenant up to this point, always paying early or on
time, and had no serious complants about Zitelli. This trouble came as a
surprise to me but after my digging into his history there is no suprise
with the way he is acting now.

Donald Green