Business ProfileforRe/Max Preferred Associates

I moved from ******, **** to ******** in June. I owned a condo in ****** that I decided to list and sell. I called ***, whom I had dealt with for the previous couple of years as a buyers agent. She came over to the condo the week of June 20th. I showed her the features and we discussed the listing price. Based on her comps, *** wanted to list the condo for $149,900. I knew that it would sell for at least $160,000, if not $170,000 as it was completely upgraded, and the market is strong.

I moved on June 26th. When I moved, I left my car parked in the locked and closed garage which is attached to the condo. It had miscellaneous items in it which I was worried would get lost in the move and miscellaneous cleaning supplies from preparing the condo for sale after the movers left. I knew that it would have to be out by closing date for the sale. I had scheduled a car shipping company to pick it up the next week. They advised to leave the key in the car and to give them the code to the garage and they would be able to move it for me.

It is worth noting that my car is a very rare, special and irreplaceable car. It is the last year of production for a diesel car by Audi. When I purchased it, I searched for it for over a year and drove hundreds of miles to get it. Also, I intend to keep this car because as part of the Volkswagen diesel lawsuit, it is under warranty until 2031. I know that maintenance of ****** cars and diesel cars is of utmost importance when considering longevity. From the day I purchased this car, I knew I was keeping it for a long, long time and I have cared for it in the very best way possible. It has always been kept in a garage and has never been parked outside.

After I moved, I submitted the property disclosures from and finalized the listing information with ***. I told her to list the condo for $159,900 instead of her advised $149,900. She seemed reluctant to want to do this but abided by my wishes. 

*** scheduled a photographer to come take photos of the condo as part of preparing the listing as well. I told her that my car was in the garage and was concerned about my license plate being in photos and my car being in the garage with potential upcoming showings. She said it would be fine.

The car shipping company I had originally paid contacted me to say that they no longer had a driver that could drive that route for delivery. I knew that the car was locked up, inside, and was told that it was safe. I knew the car would have to be out by closing but I did not prioritize finding another shipper for the time being because I was busy moving.

The condo was listed and received several offers above asking. *** tried to convince me to take the first offer. While presenting the offers, *** was telling me things about one of the buyers’ agents which were inappropriate. She explicitly said, “not to repeat this or she could get in trouble.” Another offer came in that was a cash offer but the proof of funds that the buyer submitted was not able to be understood by *** and the buyer was from out of state, so she had her reservations about this offer, even though it was the best offer (cash). After many conversations, I advised her to accept the cash offer which she reluctantly did.


As part of the closing process, the inspection was scheduled for July 15th. *** asked me on the prior day if she could move the car so that the inspector could easily access the attic. She did not inform me where she was moving the car. I assumed that she would move it to the other side of the garage, and I did not think any more of it. I was very busy and during moving myself, into a place that I had to buy sight unseen as-is that had several issues that needed addressed as soon as I moved. The inspection was complete, and the closing was scheduled for July 26th.

I began my search for another car shipping company and was able to schedule the car to be picked up on July 22nd     . I informed *** that the car would be picked up that day so that she would know that it would be out by closing. Her response was that she would go over there and put the key back in the car and move it back in to the garage. I was completely unaware that my black car with black interior had sat outside on a blacktop driveway in a neighborhood known for break ins in 95-degree weather for over a week. I became irate thinking of the damage that could be done to my car and that it was not left where I put it or cared for in a reasonable way that someone would care for someone else’s property. I am aware that cars are meant to be parked outside but not in this temperature of weather and not with electronics inside.

After days of angst waiting for my car to be delivered and wondering what it’s condition might be, it was finally delivered to me around 11:00 PM on July 23rd. On July 24th, first thing I did when I woke up was open it up to assess its condition.

I had outdoor rubber floor mats on the top which had gotten so hot that they melted. I began emptying the car and saw that where an item was sitting on my back seat, the leather of the seat had gotten so hot that it bubbled up and stained. A plastic part in my dash the clear coating had separated and became wavy. All the electronics in my car that were battery operated no longer hold a reasonable charge.

After learning that I was upset with how my property was treated, *** failed to return any of my phone calls or messages. I reached out to the owners of the Remax brokerage and informed them of the situation. I told them I was not going to close the property until the car issue was resolved. Their only response was that they would have their attorney reach out to me for a potential settlement with several paragraphs that I should still close the property because if not, the seller can sue me. The only thing they seemed concerned with was that they get their commission from the sale; nothing in the letter indicated they cared in any way about the incompetence or damage caused by their agent.

Because I really had no other legal choice, I signed the closing documents with absolutely no help or communication from *** or the agency. I have not received any further communication from any of them, yet it’s a month later and still my car is damaged. I have been putting leather conditioner on my back seat daily to attempt to fix the damage, but the spot has only become rock hard. I do not feel safe or confident driving my car because I do not know what else could potentially be wrong with it or what items have a decreased longevity due to this excessive heat exposure.. I struggle with electronics that I use daily constantly dying.

I do not think it is right or fair to cause damage to someone else’s property. Unfortunately, by circumstance of the situation, we must sometimes trust realtors. Not only was *** incompetent in her work but she was supposed to act in my best interested but there were several actions that she did that made things worse for me and along the way caused damage to my personal property. I do not feel that she earned her commission or held up to her end of the deal. I also feel that I deserve to be compensated for the damage and items in my car which were damaged directly by her actions.