Genesis Realty Group

[redacted] gave a copy of the rent adjustment promised by her removing the late fees.

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 and the matter...

has been resolved.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Review: I applied for a section 8 apartment using this management company. The company asked for a 1 month security deposit of $1545. I gave them 1 month security. Section 8 did not accept the apartment and decided that they would not work with that management office. I informed the company of what section 8 said for which they said they would not refund. This company goes by two different names on the NYCHA paperwork they are listed as Wiss Realty and on my receipt for the deposit Genesis Realty Group LLC. This company preys on non english speaking people and cons them out of money. I am a section 8 individual who relies on government assistance and these people took my money. All I want is my money and a thorough investigation of their business practices.Desired Settlement: I am a section 8 individual who relies on government assistance and these people took my money. All I want is my money and a thorough investigation of their business practices.

Business

Response:

We are writing to address the complaint referenced above from a former apartment applicant above. In this complaint, [redacted] alleges that she paid our company a security deposit that was not refunded because her Section 8 rental was denied and that the agency "would not work with our company.'' [redacted] also alleges that our company takes advantage of non-English speaking consumers.

Genesis Realty Group LLC is the contracted property management company for Wiis Realty LLC, which owns an apartment building at which [redacted] applied for a n apatment through another brokerage firm. [redacted] was accepted for tenancy on 03/**/13 and paid the required security deposit to Genesis upon acceptance equal to one months' rent ($1545.00). Note that the "salesperson" listed on the complaint is a fluent, Spanish-speaking individual and has held [redacted]'s hand through the rental process from start to finish. Our rental representative is fluent in Spanish so as to ensure a clear and smooth rental process for all parties involved, despite whether our applicants speak English or Spanish. Additionally, 97% of the staff at Genesis Realty Group LLC is fluent in Spanish (from the receptionist, to our administrative staff, to the rental representative, etc.) to accommodate the significant amount of Spanish-speaking tenants and applicants our company houses in the Bronx and NYC. Therefore, there has been no miscommunication due to a language barrier throughout this process.

The security deposit is required at imme diate acceptance to protect the land lord in the event that the approved applicant's rental falls through due to reasons un related to the landlord (for exa mple: the tenant decides she no longer wants the apartment after we have

already begun the rental process, her government subsidy is revoked, etc). This agreement was dually executed as such and fully explained to [redacted]. Furthermore, because of the protocol required by [redacted]'s government subsidy - NYCHA (not Genesis' protocol), the rental may take anywhere from 1-3 months. This time duration increases the Importance of the understanding that the owner is keeping the apartment off the market for the applicant a nd that the rental can not fall through to the fault of the a pplicant.

On 06/**/13, NYCHA provided her with a move-in letter and lease for the apartment.

Before she came into our office with this information, we received a call from a Leased Housi ng Manager at NYCHA' s Main Office. He explained that she would be coming in with the paperwork to move In, however, It Is not valid (hence, the asterisk next to her voucher number on the form ). It was explained to us that she Is a portability transfer from Rhode Island to New York and that she was Issued a portability transfer package as an error on the Rhode Island Housing Authority's (RI HY's) part. New York City's Housing Authority does not have the

government funding to absorb portability transfer's from out of state and has not taken out of state vouchers for quite some time and she is therefore, denied to transfer into a New York City apartment funded by NYCHA. Please note that Genesis houses 1000-1500 Section 8 families In the Bronx and New York City, therefore, [redacted]'s allegations that the agency "would not work with our company" is false. Because of our good relationship with the agency, we were directly contacted by a Leased Housing Manager to prevent the transfer from being executed.

Additionally, the RIHA advised them that she never should have received a portability transfer voucher because their records Indicate that she has was denied a release from her Rhode Island Landlord's lease, she did not provide the Rhode Island landlord with an Intent to vacate, and that they are still funding her Rhode Island apartment. Furthermore, all of this Information was explained to her by the RIHA and she understood that she is not to seek tenancy in New York. We requested this Information be sent In writing, as the landlord Is kind of caught In the middle of correspondence between both state's Housing Authorities and the

applicant's wrongful actions of pu rsuing an apartment despite her government subsidy's Instructions not to. This also has been the first time our company has ever experienced this type of a discrepancy and we wanted to ensure o r cancelling of the rental was accurate. This documentation is attached for your reference. Names of government employees have been concealed for privacy purposes. Because we hold ourselves to very high standards of professional ism on 06/**/13 when [redacted] came to us with her move in letter and we explained the call we received about the subsidy providers cancelling her rental, we conducted a call conferencing both housing authorities in our conference room with the rental representative from our off ice, a manager from Genesis, and [redacted] In person so that she could hear what was explained to us directly. This ensured that her actions, and the correspondence between both housing authorities, have caused her rental to be terminated. This was made very clear in Spanish to her in person while on the phone with both agencies.

Therefore, despite the understood instructions of the RIHA (funding [redacted]'s apartment) not to seek tenancy in New York City, [redacted] still attempted to utilize NYCHA, a federally funded government agency, to find a new apartment for her In New York, causing us to take an apartment off the market for over two months. We suffered significant monetary loss because of [redacted]'s procurement of an apartment with our company, despite RI HA's strict instructions not to and because of the security deposit we hold in advance for reasons like this, we a re able to protect ourselves for at least one of the lost two months. We have not referred this case to our legal department to pursue the second month that we believe to be owed to the land lord because of the multiple parties I nvolved and have accepted the loss.

Genesis Realty Group LLC conducts Itself to the highest standard of business practices, with extensive knowledge of all government funded housing programs, fluent Spanish, English, and Albanian speaking representatives , and a rental process that holds the hands of our

applicants on a regular basis from start to finish. If our rentals do not lead to executed move­ in's due to any fault of the owner, the security deposit paid at the procurement of the rental Is immediately reimbursed to the applicant immediately. In this situation, however, the

applicant's failure to comply with two federally funded agencies' regulations terminated this rental.

Thank you .

Sincerely;

Review: Well my rent [redacted] lie to me about about removing rent late fees if I would send a lump sum of $254.42 mailed on 2/**/15. She said just send me this amount and I will remove the late fees and you can continue to just pay your share of the rent which is $171.57. That was two months ago and all see is late fees and late fees. They will not let me speak to the [redacted]. Always lieing and I just will not let them rob me anymore. Now I just send my share of the rent and make this report. But, each month it goes up another $25.00.Desired Settlement: All late fees removed as promised by [redacted] on 2/**/15 by phone. I owe nothing and they just want more money I don't owe and won't stop harrasing me for it.

Business

Response:

[redacted] gave a copy of the rent adjustment promised by her removing the late fees.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved.

Sincerely,