Echelon Property Group LLC

Tell us why hereGood Morning, I apologize for the experience you had here at *** ** ***I can understand how inconvenient this must have been for you and your family I can assure you that we are doing our best to handle and rectify the situation As soon as we
are made aware of any pest situation we handle each case accordingly We are currently on working on checking and sealing all areas of concernThe heating vents will also be checked , if need be it will be sealed without disrupting the heating ventilation system I do believe with all the construction in this area it is causing a dismay in our property with rodent issues We are tackling all pest control issues with our pest control company and being followed up by either myself the property manager or the *** ** *** maintenance supervisors Please let me know if you have any other concerns or questions again I do apologize for this unwelcoming experience

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: When I originally came into *** ** I was looking to relocateWhen I finally spoke to someone on Nov I adviced them the address on the application was my prior addressI gave the manager my current up to date addressI called *** ** again the beginning of this week wondering where the refund was and I was told the check(refund) was sent to my past addressSo yet again, back to the waiting board to see if the mail forwarding forwards it to my current address or to see if a new check needs to be issued.
Sincerely,
*** ***

***, We made every attempt to repair the issues at hand, and responded to your concern within hours and followed all our company guidelines We extended an offer to let you out of your lease, transfer to a larger apartment with no additional cost, fix the issues, and offer you
$as a customer service gesture for the moving costs. At this time, you have moved out but did not accept the $offered. We have agreed to not hold you to your lease agreementIn addition, the mold in reference was surface mold. We are still willing to extend out the $to you, if you agree by July 7, 2017. We apologize for the stress and inconvenience this has caused you, and tried to rectify the problemRespectfully, *** *** ***

In response to this complaint I reviewed the past resident file along with previous correspondence notes that were documented between the consumer and our community office team membersThere was not a completed notice to vacate in the file, but correspondence notes show
that on January 4th an email was sent to the office responding to our inquiry on the upcoming expiration action requiredThe consumer stated a notice had been turned into the officeDue to this immediate response to the matter, and the inability to validate any of the actions made by a previous employee we will be reversing the Insufficient Notice Fee that the consumer was chargedThis outstanding balance was not reported to any credit bureau, and the account has been removed from the agency who assists in the collection of balances owedContact has been made with the consumer in regards to these actions, and what the next steps would be to close out the accountOur goal is to stay true to the highest ethical standards and principles through our community management operationsIf we have made a mistake or have not communicated clearly enough we take action to rectify the situationThank you

Hello I have reviewed this situation with all parties and we have come to a resolution. I do apologize for the way you were treated while in our rental office. It is not our standard to mistreat residents or make them feel belittled. We understand towing is never a pleasant experience, and parking...

at the property is a real concern. Especially during construction it is important for all of us to do our best to work together with an understanding of the proper places to park. Because I feel that we failed to give you proper notice before towing your vehicle, we have decide to refund your towing expense. The detail will be per what we discussed in our meeting 4/19/17. Please let me know if any other concerns can be addressed, ** [redacted] or via phone at [redacted].Thank you

The amount refunded was for the amount paid for an Application Deposit and not a Unit Security Deposit. I have explained to the complainant through multiple correspondence that the two are completely different. The statue she is referencing is for a Security Deposit paid for an apartment that was occupied by the individual which also states that any refund would need to be received within a maximum of 60 days if stated in the lease, which ours does. A lease was never signed so this deposit was not a Security Deposit for a unit, but as mentioned previously an Application Deposit. This individual did not receive a refund of the application fee because she acknowledged by electronic signature that it was non-refundable at the time of application. This fee is not only for the applicant screening, but also for the work completed by the office staff in getting verifications, and items needed for a recommendation. I feel that we were more than generous to refund the Application Deposit since the previous management company had a policy in place that this Application Deposit would be forfeited if the applicant cancelled after 48 hours from the time of application whether an approval had been received or not. The complainant applied for the apartment on 7/27/16 and cancelled on 8/24/16. Since we were not the management company during this time period I only have notes recorded on the processing record to go off of. The record shows three attempts to obtain sufficient income verifications which were never received. I can not speak to what was considered sufficient verifications by previous management, but I can see work was completed to process the applicant. I hope the complainant finds this response acceptable, and understands why the $45 application fee was not refunded, but satisfied that the Application Deposit was refunded in full as a gesture of goodwill.

[redacted] leased an apartment home at [redacted] unfortunately the screen came back as denied on 10/27/16.On Monday 11/7 an email was forward to me from my leasing consultant that he had received on Sat. 11/5/16.I processed the refund at 10:27 am on Tuesday 11/8/16, I then  sent her an...

email to inform her that refund was processed.I did get a voice message, I even went through every indatus message we have logged since the time [redacted] leased.She mentioned  when she called she got a busy signal or it would just ring. I proceeded to have our phone serviced and found they were not rolling over to line two when we are on line one.I have since spoken with [redacted] and she is aware that she is being refunded the holding deposit and that it can take up to 30 days to receive it.

Thank you for sending us the complaint and feedback from Miss [redacted].  After researching the situation between Miss [redacted] and our on-site team at [redacted], we determined that there may have been a misunderstanding between our leasing representative and Miss [redacted].  It...

is our understanding the fees were reviewed with Miss [redacted] prior to her submitting her application and she signed documentation which stated the application fee is non-refundable.  We strive for excellence and integrity in our business practices and have decided to refund Miss [redacted] the $50.00 she paid for the application fee.  Thank you,[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2015/09/18) */
We have reviewed the residents file and we have credited the $75.00 late fee and the $20.00 service fee. Resident should not have been charged as per the lease agreement that was signed prior to the take over of new Management.
We sincerely...

apologize for the misunderstanding and inconvenience this may have caused you.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 9, 2015/10/01) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
The credit was applied to my October statement. Thank you.

[redacted] was very accusatory and claimed that maintenance entered her home without permission, my Leasing Consultant Jeremy then asked what he looked like, she then stated well I don’t think it was maintenance and gave us the description of a White male - with suit and tie – between the ages of...

20-30.   Jeremy then suggested she file a police report (Casey, my Service Supervisor asked later if she had and she stated no). We immediately checked our logs and show no key was ever requested let alone checked out for her apartment home. She spoke with Casey that day and told him she did give a key to her brother - Casey, my Service Supervisor went and changed her locks and she has not been charged the typical $50 for a lock change.

Our company strives to provide an exceptional experience to each of our guests. When [redacted] informed us he was unhappy with his apartment home after move in he requested to transfer to a non-smoking building. As outlined and acknowledged by [redacted] in the signed lease agreement...

(attached) our community is not designated as a nonsmoking community and does not offer nonsmoking buildings. Nevertheless, in an effort to provide exceptional customer service we offered to release [redacted] from his lease agreement under our 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee clause. This clause simply requires that the resident provide a 30 day notice to vacate, that they pay rent and utilities through the end of the required notice period, that they repay any discounts received as a move in incentive, and that they pay for any damages or repairs needed upon their move out to make the apartment ready for move in for the next resident.     [redacted] moved in on 9/11/2017. He gave his notice to vacate on 9/13/2017, and moved out and returned his keys on 9/20/2017. Although [redacted] failed to provide the required 30 day notice to vacate to be released, he was charged rent only through the date on which he moved out 9/20/2017 as a courtesy- a discount of $782.79 along with waiving the balance of the move out repairs of . We do not refund rent for days that the resident occupied an apartment home and [redacted] was charged rent and utilities for the his dates of occupancy 9/11/2017-9/20/2017. [redacted] made a rental payment of only $393.33 at move in which was applied as follows to rent and utilities for 9/11-9/20. Move Out repairs:     The funds that [redacted] is requesting be given to him (of almost twice the amount paid at move in) is a move in discount received of $600.00 given in good faith and contingent upon completion of the agreed upon 14 month lease term. Pursuant to the lease, this discount must be repaid with any early move out. Because of his dissatisfaction as a resident, we have agreed to waive all monies owed by the resident as a customer service measure and to bring his account to a $0.00 balance. As explained to [redacted] refund is not owed to him in this circumstance.  Sincerely, [redacted]

I have reached out to [redacted] to see if we can meet and discuss their troubles in person.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: The $400.00 was offered to me only if I would sign a legal documentation release form basically stating that if health issues arise Echlon property group are not liable for it even though it was caused by the black mold infestation, as well as stating I need to keep the mold confidential and not tell anyone about it. OF COURSE I will not sign this release form! Black mold was found in TWO different apartments. This is ridiculous! The [redacted] was rented to me when the managers previously knew there were mold issues. I know this because there were bleach stains on the corners of the carpet when I moved in which I have dated pictures from the time I moved in. Your staff members have admitted to cleaning up mold and confessed that the previous tenants “blew the mold issues” out of proportion. I have a witness as well to this conversation who will testify in court if needed.Over the last six months I have documentation from my doctor about the many respiratory issues my children and I have had due to living in the mold infestation conditions. Including my son who has asthma. During the last six weeks, I’ve taken pictures of black mold in both bedrooms, all corners of the living room, all of the closets, kitchen, pantry, and bathrooms. According to Susie and Alberto, the mold issues have been resolved using chemicals and bleach to kill the mold but preventative action has not been taken to prevent further mold growth. The mold continued to grow after the windows were sealed and chemicals were used. For example, I have pictures taken weekly of the broken downspout along side the wall of my apartment of which the mold kept returning. Your managers have neglected to repair this downspout leading to the water settling into the foundation. I have pictures of four buildings in various areas where there are not downspout extensions or Flash Blocks for prevention. I have pictures of black mold growth in the toilet that obviously indicates airborne black mold. Also, there were not work orders for any of the black mold cleanup.Over the last five weeks I have endured extreme stress due to the black mold infestation. My family and I have not felt safe sleeping in the apartment due to the extreme black mold growth and odor of the chemicals. My two boys and I had to make other living arrangements due to this problem. I had to pay movers twice to move due to the black mold issue in the second apartment. The management should have made sure there was not mold in the second apartment rented of which I never lived in. The letter I was given by your management to release me from the lease, stated that I needed to give a 30 day notice. Your management expected my family to sleep in black mold infestation for 30 more days. This has been a mental and financial burden that I am not taking lightly. My experience at Stone Mountain has been a living nightmare!   
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I sent in the required paper work to process the refund, a statement was sent to [redacted] informing her of the amount of the refund.A check has been cut on Wednesday 11/29/16 and mailed out to the address provided on the application on Thursday 11/30/16.I have keep in contact by phone with [redacted] regarding this matter.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I did receive a check, that was less than what I had expected. It would take weeks for me to get a response. I do not think that is a in a timely fashion. The check I did receive was dated 10/3. I did receive the check on 10/5, Which is well after the 30 day statute.  
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/10/26) */
As we discussed on the phone, you will receive your entire security deposit less any final charges such as prorated rent of October and your final utilities.
We apologize for your negative experience here at Vista Park and appreciate you...

bringing your concerns to our attention. We continue to improve the property and living standard and welcome you back in the future to view the tremendous progress made.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 13, 2015/11/09) */
The business called me and issued a formal apology. They said they would be voiding our lease, returning all the money, and sending paperwork.
I have received NOTHING from them, except a bill.
They are still being deceptive and not following through with what they said would do.
I am still waiting for paperwork as proof that they have voided the lease agreement and a full refund of my security deposit of $1686.00
Final Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2015/11/16) */
As discussed on the phone, you are receiving a refund of $1,234.58. This is your security deposit minus final utilities as well as the 4 days of prorated rent for the month of October.
Your refund check was issued on 11/5/15 and sent to the address you provided the Vista Park Office. If you have not received it yet, please call the office and we can look into the check for you.
Again, we stated that the check can take up to 45 days to receive. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/02) */
Dear Consumer,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding your deposit disposition. I would like the opportunity to discuss your concerns further. Please contact me at our office at XXX-XXX-XXXX so we can come to a resolution. Thank you...


Community Manager

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:the manager of the apartment complex never spoke with us. I told Casey we wanted a meeting, we agreed to Tuesday because the manager is so busy. We never heard from them. No email, no phone call, no letter. My brother had my keys because he borrowed my car which had my house key on the chain. At no point has management tried to speak with us over our concerns. I just wanted to speak with a manager about this and I was not afforded that opportunity. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
I strongly recommend that Echelon Property Group develop a better method for offering the 30-day satisfaction guarantee in the future. A typed out policy that highlights all requirements such as required notices, paying back concessions, and any other details that would impact the renter. How Ms. Walker and the Echelon Property Group handled this situation was stressful. I was offered a way out of the lease without pentalty and a promise my prorated rent would be refunded and weeks later I was issued a bill for $760.14 because of miscommunication. Knowing that before I agreed to use the 30-day satisfaction policy.I do greatly appreciate the fees being waived and apologize for escalating the issue to this level. I now have an understanding why I am not receiving prorated rent back. Thank you again.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

[redacted] [redacted] reached out to the corporate office around mid March of this year enquiring on their ability to ‘sublease’ their apartment home and concerns regarding their utility billing. [redacted], their Community Manager had previously communicated with [redacted] [redacted] that subleasing their...

apartment was not allowed and in some respects she was correct. She was abiding by our subleasing policies but also by previously policies we operated under where we required at least 1 original resident to remain on the lease. That policy was no longer in effect when [redacted] [redacted] reached out to myself in mid March. At this time did have an opportunity to speak with them both about how a roommate additional and removal process would proceed to have two additional residents ‘take over’ their lease for the remaining 2 months of their lease term. [redacted] was kept in the loop during this whole process and assisted [redacted] [redacted], along with the two new residents with the paperwork and processes. At that time, we also started to complete our due diligence into resolving their excessive water bill. We did resolve the issue with their water billing and credited their account back the difference in their bill compared to comparable apartments in the community with equal residents. We communicated that we resolved the issue with their billing and [redacted] [redacted] expressed gratitude for doing so. After resolving these concerns, I did not hear from [redacted] [redacted] until June. A note to keep in mind, when [redacted] [redacted] reached out to myself in June, they were no longer residents or on a lease at [redacted] at [redacted]. They have given up their rights to the apartment and their rights to the deposit upon signing our Leasing Separation of Roommates Addendum. The current residents did give us permission to speak with [redacted] [redacted] regarding the move out process. The new residents never reached out to complain regarding the move out process or have any further discussions with myself or anyone else at the Corporate level. [redacted] did not inform me of any dissatisfactions they expressed to her either. Around the beginning of June, [redacted] [redacted] then reached back out to myself regarding move out fees. They had spoken to the office staff and wanted to verify the information they received regarding the property providing them with paint and a ladder along with any fees that would be associated with their painted accent wall. We did include [redacted], the Community Manager and [redacted], the Maintenance Supervisor within the conversation to ensure accurate communication. We communicated that the residents were able to purchase their own paint and provided [redacted] [redacted] with the information needed to ensure they purchased the correct paint through [redacted] also provided a very detailed breakdown of the charges that could be incurred for partial and full paint. We also informed them that we could not allow them to borrow a community ladder due to liability reasons. I let [redacted] [redacted] know that myself and the Regional Manager would also review photos the community takes upon move out to ensure the moveout charges are justified as [redacted] [redacted] had repeatedly communicated their lack of confidence in [redacted] to charge the correct amounts. I also suggested that [redacted] [redacted] take their own photos as we always promote documentation. [redacted] [redacted] did provide us with a [redacted] link to review their photos and we also received the photos from [redacted], the Community Manager during the walkthrough. We did provide [redacted] [redacted] will all 43 photos that [redacted] had on file from their apartment at the time of move out. [redacted] [redacted] were charged for a full clean, a pro-rated carpet cleaning, as well as a full paint for the apartment including the accent wall. The total cost for the paint was already outlined by [redacted], the Community Manager in a previous email conversation and the paint charges matched to the penny from the email to the actual charges. I personally discussed the charges with [redacted] [redacted] on a conference call. I explained that based upon the photos we received, myself and well as the Regional Manager do feel as though the charges were justified. I have included some photos for reference that clearly show the damages related to the apartment. I did even touch base with the Regional Manager again after my final phone conversation with [redacted] [redacted] to review once again and it was decided that the charges were valid. We do understand that [redacted] [redacted] were not satisfied with the level of service they received from [redacted] while they were residents at the community and from myself after they were residents. They clearly expressed this personally to me and felt as though the security deposit should be refunded in its entirety due to this reason. I did attempt to explain that I could understand their frustrations but unfortunately the damages charges were not excessive and based upon the documentation we have on file, justified. The majority of the security deposit did go towards their final utilities. We do understand there is always an adjustment period when a Community Manager position is changed and we did communicate the concerns [redacted] [redacted] expressed during their initial contact with myself to the onsite team. We also provided them with more information than after their residency at [redacted] at [redacted] as the deposit was not to be refunded to them, but to the residents that had taken over their lease. The damages were not charged to them, but to the residents that had taken over their lease.  Sincerely, [redacted]