Atlantic Group USA, Inc.

03/05/2016
To Whom This May Concern:
I would like to file a formal complaint against an individual and a company that posed as a general contractor, insurance settlement negotiator and storm case manager.
My husband and I were married 2 days before Superstorm Sandy in 2012. We were on our honeymoon while the storm hit and came home to find our home and everything we owned destroyed. I have owned this home since 10/2005.
When we met [redacted] with Atlantic group USA he had negotiated a contract with us that stated he would negotiate a higher flood insurance settlement, he would work with [redacted] to apply for our grant funds and he would coordinate all parties involved that would contribute to the re-build of our home.
We thought this was a great company and a good person because we have been working 14 hour days almost immediately following the return of our honeymoon in order to earn the additional moneys needed to build a whole new home.
We entered into contract with this individual and company in August of 2014. I had signed the attached contract and had given a retainer payment in the amount of $5,000.00 to [redacted]. The check was made out to Atlantic Group USA.
On November 12th, 2014 I had informed [redacted] that I had completed the grant agreement and signed the Grant Agreement with [redacted] and the funds were on the way to me. [redacted] did not aid or contribute to any part of the process that it took to be awarded this grant in the amount of $97,355.19. [redacted] had requested I deposit the grant funds from [redacted] and then overnight a certified bank check in the same amount to his office located at XXXXX [redacted] Road, [redacted] Raleigh NC XXXXX. This check was sent via fed ex overnight on December 10th, 2014.
On Thursday September 10th, 2015 a meeting was held in my current residence. The people who were present were myself, my mother [redacted]), the new general contractor licensed in the state of NY who will be building my home ([redacted] from [redacted]) and lastly the architect who had drawn up the plans for the new home to be constructed ([redacted] from [redacted] Engineering). At this meeting it was decided and agreed upon that [redacted] could not deliver almost all of the services outlined and detailed within his contract professionally, legally and in a timely matter. It was stated and agreed upon that I would be severing my contract with [redacted] and Atlantic Group USA before concluding the meeting.



[redacted] stated to me before leaving my home that we would come to a mutual agreement where he would be paid for the services rendered to that point and he would return the rest of my grant funds (balance of what was left from the $5000 retainer + $97,355.19 grant check).
On September 24th, 2015 I received an email with an invoice from [redacted] stating he would keep $35,000 for consulting services and return a balance of $56,525.15 to me. I immediately sent [redacted] messages via phone text questioning this absorbent amount. His replies stated he would like to have known what I thought was fair before he sent the invoice. I have proof of all correspondence with [redacted] and many messages from him stating he would return my money.
On Septmeber 28th, 2015 I reached out to an attorney, [redacted] of [redacted]. Upon reviewing all of my documents, text messages and correspondence to and from [redacted] and his assistant, [redacted] Mr [redacted] informed me that [redacted] has no legal right to hold any of my funds as he is operating illegally without the proper licenses and can be in contempt of court.
After sending many messages to [redacted] with no response I received the attached letter from an attorney hired by Mr. [redacted] on October 23rd, 2015.
In response to this letter, My attorney, [redacted] issued the attached letter via email and certified mail dated November 11th, 2015.
There has been no response from Mr. [redacted] or his attorney after many attempts to speak with either of them. On January 22nd, 2016 a summons with notice was filed on behalf of my attorney [redacted] requesting Mr. [redacted] to appear In court.
Shortly after the issuance of this Summons, [redacted] had filed a notice of appearance (which was false) and he also filed what he claimed to be an "answer". Both filings have been rejected. Please see the attached most recent correspondence from my attorney, [redacted] regarding all notices/summons' filed.
It had been almost 4 years since hurricane sandy and since I have not been able to return home. It has been 1 year and 7 months since I started working with [redacted] and Atlantic Group USA and I am STILL homeless! There is almost nothing to show for any of the services performed by [redacted] or Atlantic Group USA for him to warrant keeping over $80,000 of the [redacted] grant funds that were awarded to me.
At this point I am willing to take

[redacted] started working with Atlantic Group in 2008 when Hurricane Ike came ashore thru Houston. Just to give you an idea of the scope of our holdings, we are the largest privately held owners of industrial property in Houston. We own distribution centers, hotels, restaurants, beach front homes, and numerous other commercial and residential properties. Given our considerable real estate portfolio, you can imagine that Hurricane Ike impacted us greatly. Atlantic Group came alongside our company in the aftermath of the storm and helped us rebuild. They renegotiated our insurance settlement, netting us more than 10 times the amount of money the insurance company had originally offered on certain damaged properties. As our construction management group, they opened offices here and stayed with us for over 5 yrs, rebuilding all of our damaged properties.

Atlantic Group and [redacted] have helped me with several projects over the years, and I will always value the contribution he has made to my company's success. Most recently, when our company wanted to open a business in North Carolina, we discovered that regulations and permitting requirements were much more stringent than in any of the other states where we had worked. It was obvious that local businesses had influenced government to keep out-of-state businesses from competing. The bureaucratic red tape alone discouraged us from doing business in North Carolina.

In one of our meetings with Atlantic Group, we briefly touched on our issues in North Carolina, and Atlantic Group offered to look into it. When they got back to us, they had figured out a way for us to do business in there and still comply with local ordinances. We negotiated an agreement with Atlantic Group and soon after, were on our way to North Carolina.

One day I'll never forget: We were hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project when someone complained to a city official that we did not have the proper licenses and were out of compliance with the law. Because no outsiders had successfully set up shop in their city since the more stringent requirements had been written into the books, it was assumed the complaint was valid and officers were sent out to shut us down. While we kept working, Atlantic Group met with the officers and after going over all the paperwork, helped the officers understand that the complaint had no merit. It was a false claim by a competing businessman who did not like "outsiders" taking business away from him.

Atlantic Group did the job that no one else could get done. They spent months doing the due diligence, filing all the correct documentation, getting all the correct licenses and permits and it all paid off. In the history of our company, the business we did in North Carolina has been, by far, the most successful venture in which we have ever participated. We are forever grateful to Atlantic Group and their staff. Without Atlantic Group's tenacity and relentless pursuit to find a way, our unprecedented business success in North Carolina would have never happened.

03/05/2016
To Whom This May Concern:
I would like to file a formal complaint against an individual and a company that posed as a general contractor, insurance settlement negotiator and storm case manager.
My husband and I were married 2 days before Superstorm Sandy in 2012. We were on our honeymoon while the storm hit and came home to find our home and everything we owned destroyed. I have owned this home since 10/2005.
When we met [redacted] with Atlantic group USA he had negotiated a contract with us that stated he would negotiate a higher flood insurance settlement, he would work with [redacted] to apply for our grant funds and he would coordinate all parties involved that would contribute to the re-build of our home.
We thought this was a great company and a good person because we have been working 14 hour days almost immediately following the return of our honeymoon in order to earn the additional moneys needed to build a whole new home.
We entered into contract with this individual and company in August of 2014. I had signed the attached contract and had given a retainer payment in the amount of $5,000.00 to [redacted]. The check was made out to Atlantic Group USA.
On November 12th, 2014 I had informed [redacted] that I had completed the grant agreement and signed the Grant Agreement with [redacted] and the funds were on the way to me. [redacted] did not aid or contribute to any part of the process that it took to be awarded this grant in the amount of $97,355.19. [redacted] had requested I deposit the grant funds from [redacted] and then overnight a certified bank check in the same amount to his office located at XXXXX [redacted] Road, [redacted] Raleigh NC XXXXX. This check was sent via fed ex overnight on December 10th, 2014.
On Thursday September 10th, 2015 a meeting was held in my current residence. The people who were present were myself, my mother [redacted]), the new general contractor licensed in the state of NY who will be building my home ([redacted] from [redacted]) and lastly the architect who had drawn up the plans for the new home to be constructed ([redacted] from [redacted] Engineering). At this meeting it was decided and agreed upon that [redacted] could not deliver almost all of the services outlined and detailed within his contract professionally, legally and in a timely matter. It was stated and agreed upon that I would be severing my contract with [redacted] and Atlantic Group USA before concluding the meeting.
[redacted] stated to me before leaving my home that we would come to a mutual agreement where he would be paid for the services rendered to that point and he would return the rest of my grant funds (balance of what was left from the $5000 retainer + $97,355.19 grant check).
On September 24th, 2015 I received an email with an invoice from [redacted] stating he would keep $35,000 for consulting services and return a balance of $56,525.15 to me. I immediately sent [redacted] messages via phone text questioning this absorbent amount. His replies stated he would like to have known what I thought was fair before he sent the invoice. I have proof of all correspondence with [redacted] and many messages from him stating he would return my money.
On Septmeber 28th, 2015 I reached out to an attorney, [redacted] of [redacted]. Upon reviewing all of my documents, text messages and correspondence to and from [redacted] and his assistant, [redacted] Mr [redacted] informed me that [redacted] has no legal right to hold any of my funds as he is operating illegally without the proper licenses and can be in contempt of court.
After sending many messages to [redacted] with no response I received the attached letter from an attorney hired by Mr. [redacted] on October 23rd, 2015.
In response to this letter, My attorney, [redacted] issued the attached letter via email and certified mail dated November 11th, 2015.
There has been no response from Mr. [redacted] or his attorney after many attempts to speak with either of them. On January 22nd, 2016 a summons with notice was filed on behalf of my attorney [redacted] requesting Mr. [redacted] to appear In court.
Shortly after the issuance of this Summons, [redacted] had filed a notice of appearance (which was false) and he also filed what he claimed to be an "answer". Both filings have been rejected. Please see the attached most recent correspondence from my attorney, [redacted] regarding all notices/summons' filed.
It had been almost 4 years since hurricane sandy and since I have not been able to return home. It has been 1 year and 7 months since I started working with [redacted] and Atlantic Group USA and I am STILL homeless! There is almost nothing to show for any of the services performed by [redacted] or Atlantic Group USA for him to warrant keeping over $80,000 of the [redacted] grant funds that were awarded to me. At this point I am willing to take","neg-1

[redacted] started working with Atlantic Group in 2008 when Hurricane Ike came ashore thru Houston. Just to give you an idea of the scope of our holdings, we are the largest privately held owners of industrial property in Houston. We own distribution centers, hotels, restaurants, beach front homes, and numerous other commercial and residential properties. Given our considerable real estate portfolio, you can imagine that Hurricane Ike impacted us greatly. Atlantic Group came alongside our company in the aftermath of the storm and helped us rebuild. They renegotiated our insurance settlement, netting us more than 10 times the amount of money the insurance company had originally offered on certain damaged properties. As our construction management group, they opened offices here and stayed with us for over 5 yrs, rebuilding all of our damaged properties.","pos-2

Atlantic Group and [redacted] have helped me with several projects over the years, and I will always value the contribution he has made to my company's success. Most recently, when our company wanted to open a business in North Carolina, we discovered that regulations and permitting requirements were much more stringent than in any of the other states where we had worked. It was obvious that local businesses had influenced government to keep out-of-state businesses from competing. The bureaucratic red tape alone discouraged us from doing business in North Carolina.
In one of our meetings with Atlantic Group, we briefly touched on our issues in North Carolina, and Atlantic Group offered to look into it. When they got back to us, they had figured out a way for us to do business in there and still comply with local ordinances. We negotiated an agreement with Atlantic Group and soon after, were on our way to North Carolina.
One day I'll never forget: We were hundreds of thousands of dollars into the project when someone complained to a city official that we did not have the proper licenses and were out of compliance with the law. Because no outsiders had successfully set up shop in their city since the more stringent requirements had been written into the books, it was assumed the complaint was valid and officers were sent out to shut us down. While we kept working, Atlantic Group met with the officers and after going over all the paperwork, helped the officers understand that the complaint had no merit. It was a false claim by a competing businessman who did not like "outsiders" taking business away from him.
Atlantic Group did the job that no one else could get done. They spent months doing the due diligence, filing all the correct documentation, getting all the correct licenses and permits and it all paid off. In the history of our company, the business we did in North Carolina has been, by far, the most successful venture in which we have ever participated. We are forever grateful to Atlantic Group and their staff. Without Atlantic Group's tenacity and relentless pursuit to find a way, our unprecedented business success in North Carolina would have never happened. ","pos-1