Complaint / Review
Hamel Real Estate
Bill Hamel, William Hamel Scam Property Management, Does Not Return Security Deposit, Ignore Court Orders, Ignores calls

Stay away from Bill Hamel... He's dishonest and will "yes" you to death without ever meaning a word he says. If you do HAVE to work with him, make sure you get everything documented on paper.

I've been fighting to get my money back (which he agreed to and I have written proof) for over a month after he falsely advertised an apartment online and on the phone. He has a glossy website for the Albany Real Estate market and I mistakenly trusted him to move in without seeing the place. He claimed it was in great condition, had a washer & dryer and a dishwasher.instead, it had a dishwasher that was broken for a year and no W&D, not even W&D hookups! It was also filthy - covered in dust/dirt, with a prior tenant's gross furniture still in the unit when I moved in... Another surprise. The pictures were about 5 years old on his website.

After 5 days of complaining, he decided I was too much of a nuisance. Bill Hamel agreed (in writing) to have me move out and he promised to return my deposit less the 5 days I spent in the apartment. Like another complaint here, he offered to transfer me to another apartment but I rejected that offer and wanted my cash back instead.

For 4 months, I was told the cash was on its way. He claimed it had been mailed several times, never actually meaning it. He knew I was located in Albany for a short period of time and he was obviously trying to wait me out. Fortunately, I kept escalating my issue and sued him in Small Claims Court.

I then ended up spending 2 months chasing Bill for the security deposit after the court ruled in my favor. He constantly ignored my calls, would hang up if he picked up, or would promise me it's "in the mail" - this guy is a joke and he has no ethics.

After 6 months of dealing with Bill, I involved a lawyer, contacted the Better Business Bureau, and had the Albany Small Claims court rule in my favor. I received my 2 month security deposit ($1600) back only after I filed a report with the Albany Police Department following the court ruling.

Do yourself a favor and avoid this man!