My Family

Nancy Burton, now I know why you go by Nancy Honan when trying to rent your dangerous cottage to unsuspecting people!

-SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SEE PICTURES OF INSIDE THE COTTAGE -

I Googled you to research but since you gave me your "other" last name, I didn't see all the horrific things people said about you, Nancy Burton!

Here are a few pictures of my family.

My wife Katie, my 3.1 year old Daughter, and 4 month old Son, and I. To put the rest of this blog into context, please understand that these are the folks who you, Nancy Burton, rented the cottage to. Please read my short note to you below.


I'm looking forward to a refund of the $1,900.00 I paid you. Please contact me to discuss. I was recently surprised to see the email you send out, that you asked someone to circulate, that my aunt just made me aware of that says:

Hi ***,
Would you be kind enough to circulate this item:

Price Reduction! Rent 3-bedroom water-view cottage (sleeps 6) July or August ($2300 per month) or both months ($4,000). Honan Cottage, 6 Allyns Alley.

Thanks ***!
Bill & Nancy

Needless to say this is shocking since you told me on the phone the NORMAL PRICE for renting it is $3,500, so you required HALF of that for 12 days, and another $150 for a ramp. This is painful to see.









Dear Nancy,

To skip this text and just look at PICTURES of the cottage, just scroll down.

Obviously my grandmother contacted you because I was looking for a place to stay for 12 days with my family, and she noticed that "the Honan cottage" was available to rent. I contacted you at her recommendation and you turned out to be a very nice person. I felt comfortable working with a neighbor from Mason's Island.

When I told you I was paralyzed and used a wheelchair, I believed that you were very eager to help make it work by suggesting we have your handi-man build a ramp to get up the 4 steps in front. You even offered to pay for half of the cost of building it.

(To skip this text and just look at PICTURES of the cottage, just scroll down.)

I only had two requirements:

1. That it be wheelchair accessible (which you assured me it would be - and which I paid extra for, up front.)

2. That it be child and baby safe (and clean), as I told you I had a 4 month old son Lincoln Rowe, and a 3 year old daughter Maya Rowe.

I purposely over-explained the importance of this to you. Without wheelchair access, it was not very useful to a person who has half his body paralyzed, and if it's dangerous for kids, I told you it simply couldn't work.

No matter how many different ways I asked, no matter how many different ways I framed the question, you re-re-reassured me it would be fine.

(To skip this text and just look at PICTURES of the cottage, just scroll down.)

Furthermore, I explained (as we discussed the possibility of renting it - just days before our arrival) that if someone else is going to rent it, please just rent it out to them. I said this because I considered that, while you told me you are "sure it will be comfortable", it may not be, and therefore, told you you convinced me there was a 90% chance it would work. But would hate to come there and find it wasn't doable.

Obviously it was completely unsuitable for me (not only since it turned out there was no ramp provided but because of the layout itself), and it certainly wasn't suitable for children of any age. As you confessed that your own friends once told you, one could debate if it is suitable for anyone, but that's another story. I know you said you "fixed it up", but the fact is, a paint job is not all it needed.

Because of the fact that I was unable to stay due to fire hazards, safety hazards, health hazards, and no wheelchair accessibility, I requested a refund on August 11th. So far I have not received anything, and frankly, I'm growing concerned that you haven't responded to my last attempted communication - the email I send 4 days ago, Wednesday the 12th, requesting a check from you.

If you didn't have a ramp, ready as promised, what I wish you would have done is called and told us. I didn't have a chance to look at my Yahoo email as I explained that I wouldn't have the chance to. That's why I gave you my address that goes to my blackberry (remember). It would have made it easier on us if you would have told us that you booked us a hotel room for the night for the inconvenience as opposed to being there waiting when I show up at 9:30 at night with my family with the surprise.

As I'm sure you saw in my face upon arrival, I was utterly shocked when I saw the cottage that I had already mailed you a check for was loaded with insects, mold, stained dirty shower, rusty pick ax and buckets of paint where children can reach (right on the floor piled on top of each other) and more. That's why I did an about face and left. My grandfather, 87, who had to lift me up the stairs, was also tasked with lifting me right back down the stairs.

(To skip this text and just look at PICTURES of the cottage, just scroll down.)

I can see that you are a very nice person, and I'm sure you are just busy and unable to contact me for some reason, but I'm hurt that this is causing me to leave early, spend more money on flights as I'm charge $150 per change fee x3=$450.00 (virtually all of the credit (left me with about $40.00) and another $1,250.00 for new (earlier) tickets home. My 86 yr old grandmother who isn't supposed to walk up stairs has been doing so so that I can sleep in the downstairs bed.

If you didn't tell me it was kid/baby friendly and wheelchair friendly, I would have made other arrangements and spent the money elsewhere. But I couldn't even use the toilet and now you have my money so I'm stuck.

I hope that my concerns don't offend you, but instead help you to understand what to focus on that needs changing in the cottage before renting it out to others. I know if you put a few dollars into fixing it more, as needed, you will have no problem making it a profitable place for yourself, as well as a reputable place to have available.

As promised I have put just a few of the pictures that we took up on this blog so you can see what just a few of the problems were (besides the fact that there was no ramp to get up the steps in front when I arrived).

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The Refrigerator

(Click to enlarge photo)

Obviously you can see the refrigerator is not clean. In the top picture it's easy to see it isn't even wiped clean but in the bottom picture you can see some black stuff along the inside of the shelf.

I recall when you told me that you bought a new refrigerator and painted the place that you considered the place "fixed up", and that you did that after you asked your friend why nobody would rent it, when they replied "well have you seen the place?

But you have to understand that first of all, it needs more than a new fridge and a paint job. But also, even though the refrigerator was recently purchased, it still should be cleaned before new visitors come to stay there.
(Double Click to enlarge photo)

Swept?

Please understand that it's obvious that that you did sweep and you did scrub in many places as you mentioned. But you told - no, you assured me - it would be safe for a 4 month old boy. All a child or baby just needs to put his hand in an area like we see below and then in his mouth.

That would be a big problem.
(Click to enlarge photo)

"Child/Baby Safe"?

(Click to enlarge pictures)

Most of the cottage was not baby safe. In fact, it was extremely unsafe for kids or babies. In fact, the pictures I have look like what one might find in a pamphlet that describes what NOT to do when you have kids.

The chemicals and cleaning products that are left out, and in many cases piled on top of one another are in reach of children. If you zoom in to the top picture you can see that not only are there the cleaning products in reach, but they are filthy.

In the hallway there is not a closet door, but a curtain. And behind the curtain is lots of paint and chemicals laying right on the floor, and behind that is a rusty pickaxe.

You can see the third picture shows most of this closet. But the second one zooms in to the pickaxe and if you look at the lower left side you see some rusty metal thing with a screw sticking right out of it.

Also, and I only bring this up since you have not refunded the money we paid you even though 6 days have passed, but you can see in part of the lease agreement below that you sent me...

6. Lead paint disclosure: Housing built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Lead from paint, paint chips and dust can pose health hazards if not managed properly. Lead exposure is especially harmful to young children and pregnant women. Before renting pre-1978 housing, Lessor must disclose the presence of known lead-based and/or lead-based paint hazards in the dwelling. Lessee must also receive a federally approved pamphlet on lead poisoning prevention.

(Click to enlarge photo)

Kitchen Sink (where we wash dishes)

(Click to enlarge photo)

The place should be maintained. This is really just a suggestion. I mean if I saw this, and only this, then I would have to just accept it. I may not be as motivated to come back, and that's why I'm showing this to you. I told you if it worked out well, I'd be happy to come each summer and stay for a month. So that's a guaranteed good customer.

If you put a little money into it, you would probably make it back several times over.

Mildew or mold shows the place isn't maintained/up kept.
(Click to enlarge photo)

Bedroom Ceiling -Web/nest with insect eggs (spider eggs).

(Click to enlarge photo)

There were insects all over the entire place. You said that there were "no insects" in there the entire day when you were in there.

Then you said all those insects (the place was infested) "must have flown in when we entered the house".

But I'm pretty sure you have to open the door to enter the house too, so blaming me for the insect infestation is not really a fair argument. I don't think the spider (or whatever) came in and built the nest on the ceiling when we entered. And we were there for only a few minutes and there were seemingly thousands of bugs. My daughter had welts all over her the next day and she was there for only a few minutes. I had numerous bites after 5 minutes. I couldn't possibly have allowed my 4 month old, or 3 year old (or me or my wife for that matter) stay there.

The Shower Floor

(Click to enlarge photo)

I believe there was mold too (on the shower wall) but, this is the floor in the shower which has lots of crud all over it.

My advice is if you would like to make the place more appealing (for "repeat customers") you should have someone take care of this since this is where people go to clean up, which means it's the last place (besides the refrigerator or sink where dishes are washed) that a person wants to see this.

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