Focus Real Estate & Investments, Inc.

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/06/09) */
Ms*** lives in *** *** *** ***, a condominium associationWe have been the property management firm for *** *** since July
Ms*** is under the impression that we, the property management
firm, are responsible for the repairs to her unit, both interior and exteriorThat is incorrectThe homeowners association, not the property management company is responsible for repairs as enumerated in the CC&Rs, and not for repairs that are not enumerated in the CC&RsAll of the repairs which the association is responsible for have been addressed in a timely manner
All of Ms***' communications that were received were immediately sent to the Board of DirectorsThe Board of Directors, not the property management firm, is authorized to make expenditures of the association's funds for repairsThese decisions made by the Board of Directors have to be made at Board of Directors meetings which are scheduled on a bi-monthly basisAs the property managers, we only carry out the decisions made by the Board of Directors which have been authorized at a scheduled board meeting
Ms*** sometimes attends the Board meetings and if she believes that the repairs to her unit are not made on a timely basis, she should have brought this matter to the Board's attention at the regularly scheduled meetings which she has not doneIt should be noted that the damaged areas of the unit have been repaired, and the interior repairs due to construction are being done this week
It is and has always been our intention as a property management firm that all members of an association receive a prompt response to their issues, but ultimately it is the Board of Director's decision as to how these issues will be addressed
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/06/11) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I do understand how the association worksI ***'t believe Focus Real Estate and Investments communicates with me in a timely mannerThe CC&R state I get three days notice of entry into my homeI was notified on February 28, construction was staring on the exterior of my home March 2, This did not give enough time to prepare not did it give me enough time to order windowsThe Board didn't even have the color for the window trim finalizedI was not told the contractor was taking down my fence nor was I told they were using my electrical to power tools for the repairsIn November I notified the HOA I wanted to sell my home and needed the dry rot repaired (been waiting since 2011)The repairs were turned downThe dry rot to my home was so bad the two major storms we had caused water damaged to the interior of my homeI developed mold and lost three pieces of furnitureFocus Real Estate and the Board knew I was trying to sell my homeOn several occasions I have Focus Real Estate and not received a responseI have all my emails dealing with Focus Real Estate and the board of Directors that I am happy to supply
I reported raccoons living under my home October 30, no progress was made until January When they finally installed new vents a raccoon was locked under my homeFor hours I had to hear this poor animal cry and try to scratch it's way outI asked for a formal pest inspectionSomeone did show up but he could find my crawl spaceInstead they had the contractor send someone downHe found the insulation was pulled from under my master bedroom windowStill no other pest inspection has been done to determine any damageIt took over days to have a burnt out light on my building repairedI continually send emails communications to *** at Focus Real Estate and Investment asking for updates; she picks and chooses what message she will respond toI did mention it at one of the earlier meeting is she could at least respond "waiting to hear back"
I do not attend all meeting because I am recovering from breast cancer and multiple blood clots in my lungsboth the board and Focus Real Estate and Investment knew of my health issuesAdditionally the meetings are at 6:pm during the week and occasionally I have to work late and cannot attend
The Board and Focus Real Estate and Investment have received all of my communications to repair my home and my issues have been brought up at HOA meetings other homeowners can confirm thatI tried to use a mediator and Focus Real Estate did not respond to the request
I am happy to provide all email communications proving Focus Real Estate and Investment do not reply to my messages in a timely manner
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2015/06/25) */
We understand Ms***' frustration regarding repairs to her unit which she states began in Focus Real Estate took over management of *** *** in July of at which time the Board was setting priorities, establishing specifications and interviewing contractors for the work to be doneThe Board had previously looked at obtaining a loan and other methods of financing this work, such as a special assessmentIn order not to burden the homeowners with a special assessment, they elected to do the work over a period of years as reserve funds become available each year for repairs
As soon as the contract was finalized with the contractor, and there was clear weather, the Board had the work commenceMs***' building was the first unit to be repaired due to her request that it be done and due to the condition of the siding on one wall of her unitMs*** was present at the Board Meeting on December 8, 2014, at which time the contract was finalized, and she was present at the meeting on January 21, where construction was discussed and noted that it would begin as soon as materials were approved and obtainedShe had several months before the construction began in March to submit an architectural request for windowsThe Board had discussed window frame colorBasically they would not approve white, but if an application had been submitted, they would have let Ms*** know what color (bronze or black) was acceptable so that she could have new windows installed when the construction beganEven now, it is still possible to have new windows installed on her unit with the submittal of an architectural form
With regards to the mediation, the Board responded to the attorney that Ms*** had contacted for mediationThe attorney had emailed a list of issues and asked if the Board wanted to mediateThe Board responded to the attorney that they did not want mediation at that time, but would rather review the items in the list that Ms*** had provided for the mediation (which the Board did), and then responded to
It appears to us that Ms*** is unhappy with the way that the Board has handled her issues; however, as previously mentioned in our first response, the Board makes the decisions - management does notWe forwarded all of Ms***' emails to the Board and then responded as the Board requested after they made a decision
All of the issues mentioned in Ms***' complaint have been completed per the Board of DirectorsWe feel that we have acted within the guidelines of our management contract by forwarding any and all complaints registered by Ms*** to the Board for resolution, and then responded back to her with their decisions as soon as possible
If Ms*** has further issues, she should directly address the Board at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, or if she prefers, she may address the issues in writing, send to our office and we will present to the Board of Directors at the next meeting
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2015/06/26) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
First of all lets get one thing straightThe Board and Focus Real Estate do not understand my frustrationsOctober 30, I reported raccoons living under my homeIt wasn't until mid January that it was resolvedI had to continually e-mail *** for resolutionWhen the raccoon proof door was finally installed the raccoon was lock under my home and I spent hours listening to it try to claw it's way out of my homeI was promised a formal pest inspectionthe person hired couldn't find my crawl space so they asked the contractor to send and employee under my homeThe insulation was pulled down from the windowHe did not do a formal pest inspectionI developed mold because of the damage the raccoons didMy home smells of feces and the HOA refused to make any further repair
I did attend the meeting *** mention, however every meeting I was told "the worst" places would be done firstI was not formally notified that my home was the first to be worked on until February that construction was going to start in MarchNo specific date was givenI received a note on my door two days before construction was to beginthe window specification were never confirm so again I was not given enough time to order special windowsI requested a retrofit and the Board turned it downMy windows were inspected and there was not damage to the frameAny damage I received to my home was from the bad sidingwhen construction started the board and/ Focus Real Estate allowed someone to enter my home without permissionI blame this to the lack of communication from *** at Focus Real Estate and Planning
As per my CCR&R's I am entitle to mediation and was turned down
I gave my pest inspection showing all area of dry rotalthough they started repairs, they refused to fix all repairsYet the fixed windows for another unit and the president of the board is getting the most repairs done to his home
I may have issues with the decision of the boardBut *** at Focus Real Estate and Investment has a moral and ethical responsibility to community information to me in a timely manner and she does notShe will tell me work has been done when and it has not been doneI have to email her several times even before I can get a response and when she does respond the information is incorrectI have several emails from that that proves she does not work in the capacity of a manager*** has not understood the CC&R's and has allowed someone to enter my home without permission and use my electricityI was not give a 3-day notice of repairsSo regardless of the blame she continually tries to push off to the board none of it excises her lack of communication
I have sent a list of my concerns and they continue to refuseI have brought up issues at meeting and everyone just dances around my concernsThe HOA and Board knows I am trying to sell my home and because of their lack of response I have not been able to do so and it has cause a negative impact on my lifeI am in the process of gathering all information to move forward with a lawsuit again *** and the Board of Directors