Update to Tasti-D-Lite fiasco: Bitch still has my money.

So I followed up and called these guys again, my former landlords, Mike and Mark. I called them during the day and only got both answering machines. So I gave their Park Slope Tasti-D-Lite location a call. What I got was some dude, sounding like it was Mike pretending to be someone else... Saying that they were on VACATION and wouldn't be back till the first of March. Fine.
So I write up a letter informing them of my intentions...
I want my deposit back, $1,850... and now the building owner wants January and February's rent back too ($1,300 each) seeing that, according to the building owner, Bill, the Tasti-D-Lite lease ended at the end of 2006, so that two months rent SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN COLLECTED BY M&M SWEETS TO BEGIN WITH.
Anyway, I left the letters, a copy for Mike and Mark, at their Park Slope place.
I get a phone call later, and it's Mike. He wasn't on vacation, after all...
He leaves a message that he wants to talk to me.
Fine.
I call him back and tell him about what he owes me 2 months rent and my security deposit.
He says he "doesn't know what I'm talking about" regarding the 2 months rent; and that he has "nothing to do with it" now.
He goes on to say that his lease had indeed ended in February, and that he made an arrangement with Bill, the owner.
Fine.
I say, "If I call Bill tomorrow, will I get the same answer?"
Mike says, "I don't know". And that he really couldn't give a shit about what Bill had to say.
I tell him that I'm just trying to do what's right. And that my trust level in him has been totally weakened due to previous statements that he's made.
I ask again about the deposit money. He says he doesn't know about it and that he needs to look at the lease to be certain about the amount.
I say he knows the amount.
I offer to go and give him a copy of the lease tomorrow so he can peruse it.
He says, "Don't bother" and not to "go out of my way".
I say it's not a problem and that when he's able to read the lease after tomorrow, I'll give him till Saturday to get me my money.
He starts to blow up.
"You want to play hardball?" and call your lawyers? "My dad's a lawyer" and "I'm not afraid of your lawyers"...
The conversation starts taking a turn for the worse. I redirect and state that I'm only trying to do what's right.
I don't think he likes me...

I'm going to call Bill and then drop a copy of the lease to their store again tomorrow.
I need to get to the bottom of this before I actually pursue legal action.
I think I'll get in contact with my legal representation tomorrow anyway just to see what I need to do in this situation...

Tasti D-Lite Update: the runaround

So recently I'm involved in playing phone tag with the M&M Sweets guys about the $1,870.00 they owe me and when they're going to pay it. I get the run around. It really pisses me off. You steal money from me by not paying back my security deposit for a slum of an apartment in Brooklyn, and now you give me lies and can't pay it back?
Irreconcilable.
I went today to the King's County Sheriff's office to file a collection form. So i filled out all the pertinent information and now I've got to wait around a couple months (60-90 days) for anything to happen.
Will I ever get the money?
Dunno.
At least now, I've done all that I can do and it's out of my hair, so I don't have to talk to those friggin' jack-holes: Mike and Mark of M&M Sweets.

Tasti D-Lite Park Slope:
808A Union St.
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 238-3969

Feel free to demonstrate your right to congregate outside their store.
Or better yet, do what I do.
Boycott Tasti D-Lite Park Slope.

'nuff said.

read more here.

Tasti-D-Lite Update: Lawyers to get involved.

So I sent out a call to my legal firm here in New York: Feldman, Kramer, and Monaco.
I got a receptionist who took down my Pre-Paid Legal membership number and other information about my case against M&M Sweets, my old landlords, and the issue about my deposit money.
I really hope this all works out, I was skeptical about this whole Pre-Paid Legal thing, and still am; but I'm hoping for a good outcome.
I was assured that a lawyer would call me back within 1-4 business hours...
So that's where it stands now.
Oh yeah, I dropped of a copy of the lease and my copies of the receipts for the security deposit at the Park Slope Tasti-D-Lite yesterday afternoon. Now they have no excuse.
If you missed any episodes, you can read more HERE.

M&M Sweets leaves a sour taste.

Holy Moley! Looks like I'll be in need of some legal services in the near future.
My duplex apartment is above a store front property and whoever runs the store downstairs is legally my landlord. I signed a one year lease agreement back in June 2005, for $1,100 per month with a $1,850 security deposit. A year later, this past June, they raised the rent to $1,300. No problem, I was expecting that.
Now, just yesterday, I get a call from the owner of the building, informing me that M&M Sweets, the franchise owners of the Tasti-D-Lite, my landlord, is evicted. This was due to the fact that M&M Sweets, a couple of fellows by the names of Mark and Mike, owe him over $3,000 and to top it all off, THEY HAVE MY SECURITY DEPOSIT.
That's $1,850 that's due me.
I saw them the other month, taking out some equipment and it looked like they were closing down.
I asked them, "Hey, are you guys moving out?" Mike responded with, "No, No, we're just closing it for the season."
Sounded fair enough, they were after all, an ice cream shop and nobody wants to eat ice cream when it's -5 outside.
But now, I feel betrayed, lied to, bamboozled, led astray.
Tasti-D-Lite has my money!
So what to do now... First off, I'm informing my legal representation service. Once I have them in place, then I'll make the call to Mike and Mark. They know what they did, and there's no rush for me to call them right now. When things are in place, then I'll start to put the heat on.

Tasti D-Lite Update: It's over.

See me smiling? I finally got my money from Tasti D-Lite! It's over!
I went to Park slope today and got the certified check from the fart-tards and deposited it immediately. Now I can pay for tuition.
It's been a long journey with these people. But I've learned a few lessons. So it won't happen again.
Trust me, the legal system is a complex maze of hoops and if you're not familiar or educated, then you're going to have a hard time getting anything done, and you'll probably lose alot of money in the process.
So kids, keep your noses clean.
And DON'T LIE.

Tasti D-Lite Update: Arbitrate This!

Ha! Had another day in court and after meeting with an arbitrator, the punks didn't even show up. So by default, I WON.
This doesn't necessarily mean that I can get my $1,850 in the near future, it just means that the Court of Kings County has found that M&M Sweets does, indeed, owe me the money.
So they have a reasonable amount of time to follow up with some payment. From my standpoint, I've got to wait for some mailing from the court, snail mail-style, and then that'll have some information on what my next step is and how exactly I can go after their assets.
Meanwhile, they have another Tasti D-Lite store in Park Slope and this is where I'm sending all my correspondence.
I looked it up online, according to the NYS Department of State, Division of Corporations, M&M Sweets has 2 entries, here and here.
718.623.7469 I'm just saying...

past entries here.

Tasti-D-Lite Update: Legal representation assembled.

So now, after dropping off a copy of the lease at the Park Slope Tasti-D-Lite location, I gave a call to my legal firm on Friday.  They instructed me to fax over some pertinent information along with a letter describing my situation.  I gladly did so, giving them copies of the lease, and deposit receipts, and a letter detailing the events of the past 2 months.
They said they would write up a letter for M&M Sweets and give them 30 days to respond.  So I guess, I'm in a hold pattern for now.  But I'm glad that something is going to get done about this.

Update to the Tasti-D-Lite fiasco

So I called my legal company last night to change my coverage plan, since I was formerly associated with Mattleman, Weinroth, & Miller in New Jersey, I had to get representation here in New York. I sent out an email detailing my change in residency and, surprisingly, they got back to me real quick this morning.
This transaction with the Tasti-D-Lite and my legal team will determine if I stay with Pre-Paid Legal or not. Just the other month, I was considering dropping their coverage, but now, this is the proving ground.

***Update: Just got associated with Feldman, Kramer, & Monaco, P.C. here in New York... let the phone calls begin!!!

Tasti-D-Lite Update: Time to wait.

So I called my law firm yesterday to see if they received my fax. I had sent them a letter detailing my situation as well as copies of the lease and all deposit receipts.
So they say they're going to write a letter for Tasti-D-Lite and M&M Sweets telling them how mad I am, and the only thing I gotta do now is wait 30 days.
30 days...
Well, I suppose I can give them that. At least that's what the lawyers think. So be it. I really don't want to have this go to court, I just want my money back.
This is just going to take awhile, huh?
If you missed any episodes, you can read more HERE.

Where's My Money Update: Tasti D-Lite has my money

So I went and changed the locks on the front door so the old landlords can't get in and piss on my sh*t. And I gave a little call to Mike of M&M Sweets, and asked him about my deposit. Predictably, he feigned ignorance and said he had to look for the lease, because all his stuff "was in boxes". I reminded him that it was $1,850.
He said to "give him a couple weeks", and said he made "a deal" with the building owner.
I think I'll keep calling him every week and record the calls and post them here. That would be friggin' awesome.

Tasti D-Lite Update: I'm in court!

Damn, I'm waiting in court now for my case to start. M&M Sweets might not even show up, they tried calling me last night and asked for a last minute settlement. Hell no.
You knew you had my money. WHY CALL ME AT THE LAST SECOND?
dumbass.
Thinking that I would accept a "half now, half later" installment plan.
Stupid.
I want my money.
And now I gotta go out of my way to go to court.
This sucks...


****UPDATE!!!!
Punks didn't show.
They filed for adjournment, which means I'll have to come back in June again.
Fuckers think I'll give up. Hell no, I want my money...
See you in June.