-------------------------------------------------------
Shortly after I bought the building in 2005, the existing lease / contract with Webb Intelligent Laundry Systems expired. I was contacted by Webb representative, Robert Bates, about entering into another contract with them for the provision of the laundry equipment for the building.
As part of the new contract, Webb was offering to replace the existing washer and dryer with 2 of each machine and to provide a one-time laundry room betterment payment of $800. to upgrade the laundry room's paint and flooring.
Negotiations eventually broke off between Mr. Bates and myself and the new contract was never signed nor executed by either party, leaving the existing contract in effect on a month to month basis, which I later discovered had been originally entered into by Kier in 1987.
At some point between 2005 and 2009, Webb merged with Mac-Gray Intelligent Laundry Systems and continued to provide and maintain the laundry equipment.
After taking over the building from Kier in December 2009, I contacted Mr. Bates of now Mac-Gray Intelligent Laundry Systems to inquire about having the contract placed into my name and having an additional washer and dryer installed for the tenant's convenience. He informed me that since our contract dated December 29, 2005 was about to expire...
HOLD ON....
WHAT 2005 CONTRACT?? I NEVER SIGNED ONE
When I questioned Mr. Bates about this alleged 2005 contract, he quickly recalled that we had never signed or executed the contract and that the room betterment fee had never been paid to me. He also discovered that although this supposed 2005 contract stated that rent payments were to be sent to me at my California address, payments continued to be made payable to Kier Property Management and sent to their address in Utah.
While both of us insist that we never signed this contract,
Mac-Gray apparently had a signed copy of it in their files.
Suspicious, I asked Mr. Bates to provide me with a copy of the alleged contract.
The following are copies of our correspondence on the subject, a letter from Mac-Gray's attorney and copies of the alleged contract that Mac-Gray provided to me.
In this email to Robert, I refresh his memory on the terms of our previous negotiations.
In this email to me, Robert discovers an "issue" with our existing contract
In this email, Robert states that he HAS NOT signed any contracts with Kier
In this email, Robert states that Mac-Gray does not have an original copy of the contract
In this email, I confirm that neither of us recalls signing the contract.
Email from Robert, delivering a letter to me from Mac-Gray's legal department
This is the letter I received from Mac-Gray's attorney
Below are the signature pages of the alleged 2005 contract
Note that the signature on this page does not touch the line.
An easy "cut and paste" for anyone with a little computer savvy and a need to get an expired contract renewed.
Also note the address. Payments were continually sent to Kier.
Note that the signature on this page differs significantly
from the signature on the previous page
A quick example of a "cut and paste" signature
Signature removed
Contract now signed by Mick E. Mouse
Signature removed
Contract now signed by Mick E. Mouse
Again, the signature on this page does not touch the line.
An easy "cut & paste" candidate
An easy "cut & paste" candidate
While I hesitate to accuse anyone at Kier Property Management of forging or otherwise placing my signature on a contract, that by all accounts never existed, the circumstances relating to the presence of my signature on this contract are somewhat questionable at best.
