To whom it may concern: I have reviewed this former resident's memos and history and concluded that this account has been paid in full The resident, during his tenancy, did complain of what he presumed to be mold issues, but the property manager, through over communications and memos, made every diligent effort to educate him on the things that he as a cooperating resident also needed to do to ensure that the bathroom and the apartment remained mildew free Properly airing the bathroom after use by leaving the door open for a few minutes, running a dehumidifier instead of a humidifier, and weekly cleaning and use of mildew killing after-shower sprays, were just a few of the logical suggestions given to the resident The property, a mid-century construction, unfortunately, was not constructed with today's challenges in mind Additionally, while we did have some heating issues as he complained, we took every reasonable step to accommodate all residents who were affected by providing alternate means of heat during the repairs that took place last winter The reason that the tenant was charged had nothing to do with the heating repairs that took place in the winter and were, frankly, out of the landlord's control The resident was charged because an inspection took place on or around July 20, which stated, "Walked unit after receiving keysBathtub was very dirty and mildewyFront door was banged into wall, evidently making hole and knocking down wall protectorPhotos taken and filedMB" There were housekeeping issues and that is the reason for the damage charge
In general, my experience with Horizon Realty at W Oakdale has been beyond disappointingThe building manager when I rented the apt, was very sweet, and I was so excited to live hereHowever, I soon found that she would take sometimes weeks and multiple calls and emails from me before responding to issues that should have been fixed before I moved inAdditionally, the apt was never cleaned or repainted before my move-inThere were holes in the wall, and it took months before the building finally painted itI had to clean it from top to bottom myself After that manager was promoted, a new manager took over, and she can take a week or more to respond to messages, not to mention her behavior when you speak to her is very rudeShe even turned her back on me to dismiss me when I asked about some laundry that had gone missing (after she had not replied to my previous attempts to contact her about the issue) Most concerning, though, is that two weeks ago I let the building know via email and the work order form that the vanity door on my medicine cabinet in the bathroom needed to be fixedIt was coming off the hingeThis was never addressed, just as my closet doors have not been fixed despite work order and email requests, and the vanity door came completely off the hinge and fell on my head when I tried to open it a few days ago When I called the Horizon office to explain what happened and to ask how they were going to rectify the situation, they never returned any of my three callsThe door was fixed but conspicuously without the requisite form dating when the repair was madeI requested the dated form and received a form but still undated
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2014/03/28) */ Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann Camacho Contact Phone: 773-529- Contact Email: [email protected] Horizon Realty Group manages over units in the Chicago land areaWe cater to thousands of tenants and we pride ourselves in providing excellent customer service to all of our residents Generally speaking, we are very pleased with Horizon's success in the satisfaction of our residentsOur management team is trained to acknowledge and prioritize which maintenance requests must be taken care of firstManagement and maintenance working together take the initiative to respond to maintenance requests in a timely mannerMost maintenance requests are taken care of within the allowable time by city ordinance (business days) without much adoIn fact, maintenance requests are acknowledged when they are received by either email or phone calls to the residents within a 24-hour periodHowever, some maintenance requests sometimes take an unexpected amount of time to resolve because some issues have to be troubleshotSome issues, on the surface, seem like an easy fix, and when further investigated require more time and more testing in order to resolveAnd sometimes, what seems like the fix for a problem only reveals a deeper issueThis is the case with the maintenance issue that MsMeyer is complaining aboutWhat on the surface may have been a "roof" leak as MsMeyer suggests, was actually defective drains and other plumbing challenges that had to be repaired- among other maintenance issues that occurred during the course of the repairsThe fact that MsMeyer is demanding detail step by step instructions as to what caused the leak, how it is being repaired and how it has been resolved is irrelevant and unnecessaryThe landlord is not required by any law to disclose the exact details and operation involved in order to fix or repair a problemWhen any landlord contracts a vendor to do a job, the landlord cannot by law dictate how the job is to be performed or what is required etcThe landlord hires out a professional company known for the specific task at hand and that is the extent to which the landlord is to be involved On the other hand, I understand the frustration that MsMeyer feels in having to wait for the problem to be correctedBut when the apartment leaked, my property manager took care to sanitize the apartment's carpet in a timely fashionThe property manager informed MsMeyer to the extent that management was informedMsMeyer needs to understand that things sometimes don't go as plannedThere are a lot of exterior factors that affect whether a job is done on time or notOne of the most crucial factors when dealing with outside repairs is the weather and this winter proved to be an enormous challengeThe weather made it very difficult to be expedient and this is very unfortunateBy the same token, the fact that my property manager scheduled a paint job for one day and the vendor did not show up for the job is unfortunate, but certainly not the landlord's faultAs Elizabeth, my property manager was informed, so she informed MsMeyerSometimes, management was unable to get MsMeyer all of the details, but again, there is not law requiring said disclosure to a resident MsMeyer also alleges that her apartment was not properly treated for pestsRose Pest Control is a professional company that we contract out to service our residentsWhen a resident places a request with the management office, Rose Pest Control will treat the apartment during the scheduled visitBeing a professional exterminating company, Rose Pest Control is highly regulated by the stateThey do not use any chemicals that are toxic to humans or animals when treating occupied apartmentsMsMeyer is welcomed to call the pest control company and gather more information if she so feels it necessary, but to allege and suggest that all Horizon Realty Group does by "treating" the unit is to put a trap behind the toilet is just not correctWe have provided all that MsMeyer needs to know regarding her tenancy in her lease agreementIf there is anything that she does not understand, I would be pleased to discuss it with her Furthermore, our policies and procedures, in so far as it relates to mold, are clearly outlined in the lease agreement as well Finally, MsMeyer is asking for a refund of rentI am unable to accommodate her requestI do not feel that it is merited since Horizon Realty Group took action to remedy all of the maintenance issues that occurredAs of today, the maintenance repair is finished and hopefully, this will lay this issue to restWhile we appreciate MsMeyer's tenancy and hope that she will change her opinion of us, we maintain that we did everything in our control to minimize the problem and as a good will gesture, I will approve a small token of appreciation to be emailed to her Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2014/03/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) If anyone from Horizon had taken time provide even a fraction of the information you provided regarding pest treatment in your response above - we would not be having this tet-a-tet nowI've never asked for a detailed, step-by-step explanation as to what happened with the roof or even the planned repairs for my apartmentAll I ask, and think I deserve as a person paying for this living space, is to get enough information to know that the problem is being handledAll I was looking for is a general acknowledgement that the building was aware of the issue and that my carpet would be cleaned with x days and mold testing/wall repair would happen within X weeksNot an unreasonable ask at allThe only reason I've gotten any information in the almost month since the leak occurred is because I escalated this issue to you and ultimately the Revdex.comI'd be happy to provide MrsCamacho the unanswered email correspondence if she'd like to see the extent of information I've requested along the way as well as the lack of responseCandidly I think this a waste of both her time, and mine given her clear stance in the above As of today (3/29), the wall where the damage occurred has been spackled but has yet to be sanded or paintedThe building manager was nice enough to let me know that the painting should be done by Monday (3/31) so I hope that this happens as planned I find MrsCamacho's response to be demeaning and dismissiveHorizon contends that they've provided excellent service along the way, and based on my initial report, I'd contend that is very much not trueIt seems apparent that my opinions, thoughts and concerns are not of value to Horizon so this appears to be a moot conversationThe least I can do in this situation is to ensure that this issue and lack of service is noted Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 9, 2014/04/04) */ At this time, we would like the Revdex.com and MsMeyer to know that while we can not please ALL of our residents all of the time, we stand firm with high rate of success in satisfied residents overallPutting things into perspective, we manage over residents and we've had a handful (if that) of complaintsIt is very unfortunately, that I am unable to satisfy MsMeyerI spoke with the property manager again today who assures me that she has been communicating with MsMeyer in regards to the issues that occurred in her unit and that these issues have been resolvedShe further assured me that as she was given information regarding the time frame for work to be completed, she relayed it to Ms MeyerI do apologize to MsMeyer if I made her feel demeaned in any way as that most certainly was not my intentionI value her opinions and will use her constructive criticisms to better serve our residentsI cannot change MsMeyer's perception of the facts, but I can assure her that we are not in the business of purposefully making anyone feel dismissed or demeanedMy goal was to shed light on the situation and hopefully help MsMeyer understand that sometimes things are out of the landlord's control and that by law, the landlord is not required to disclose details that she, in the prior complaint, alleges we failed to doFurther, the property manager maintains that she did keep MsMeyer aware of the issues concerning her and that she expeditiously (as best as she could given the circumstances) had the carpet cleaned, the walls treated, etc That is our position in this matter Sincerely, Grissette Almann Camacho Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (4200, 11, 2014/04/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Hello, While I appreciate MrsCamacho's stance and understand that she has a business to help run, I still contend that she has been mislead by the facts at some point along the way Attached please find a PDF of three separate messages that were sent flagging the issue to the onsite management staffAs you can see from my notes, I recognize that the weather was a hindrance but did want to proactively flag that the leak was increasingly becoming an issueYou can also see that at no time did I demand a step-by-step maintenance plan but was really just looking for acknowledgement that management was aware of the issue and looking into itI received no response to any of these emailsIn fact, the first response I received in regards to the roof leak was on February 21st when the leak have reached a serious level (carpet was soaked and the wall damage that was recently fixed occurred) and I only got this because I called the emergency maintenance lineThe following day (2/I believe) was the first time I received a direct response from Elizabeth via phone Those are the facts in my bookAt this juncture the wall is finally fixed which is greatWhile I appreciate MrsCamacho's offer to take my constructive criticism going forward, my stance is that there were serious issues with the communication from the management team around this maintenance issue and that I was treated very poorly throughout the process of trying to get the situation resolvedI truly hope that this whole incident does inform how they respond to maintenance issues going forward Best, Katherine Meyer
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2014/10/24) */ Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann-Camacho Contact Phone: 773-529- Contact Email: [email protected] It is my understanding that the complainant's issue has been resolvedOn October 14, 2014, I responded to Mr Powell's inquiry as to why the pet rent would still be due in a sublease situation as follows: "Hello MrPowell, I hope this email finds you wellI am sorry that you are feeling frustrated by the "pet rent" You see, the lease agreement is in full force and effect and the pet rider clearly states that you are still responsible to pay for this feeSince there has been no mutual agreement between you and the landlord to re-negotiate the lease agreement or alter it in any way, the rent is still due and the pet rent as wellIf indeed this is a sublease agreement, the landlord only approves the occupant for tenancy and the lease from its inception is not changed I am sorry about the confusion and I hope that this helps to clear up the issue." The complainant was not happy that our Assistant Manager made an error in conveying to him that the pet rent still had to get paidSince one of her emails alluded to the fact that she would give credit for the pet rent, I honored that mistake and credited the complainant's rental account for the month in question, but also told him that the pet rent would need to be paid moving forward per the leaseI emailed him on October 15, with the following explanation of the complainant's ledger, which clearly shows the charge of $30, followed by the credit in parenthesis to offset said chargeThat is a zeroing out of those two actions "Hello Mr_______________, Your monthly rents are: base rent: $ monthly heat flat rate: $ pet rent: $ Total rents are $ per month The other charges on your account are key fee of $There is a charge for a mini-blind replace on 9/The pet rent has been credited and that's a wash The transactions below show the charges and the payments made on the accountcurrently, I see a $balance 9/4/chk# :CHECKscan Payment - Rent 9/11/Blind ReplacementMB 9/22/Application Fee 9/22/chk# Visa01054B Venkatramana Gayam (r0003752) 9/27/:Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl # 9/27/chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment (294.00) 10/1/Pet Rent (10/2014) (264.00) 10/1/Base Fee (10/2014) 1, 10/1/Gas Bill Back (10/2014) 10/1/Concession On Pet Rent Per GC (30.00) 10/3/Replacement mailbox keyMB 10/4/:Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl # 10/4/chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment 472108" while I completely understand that the complainant was told that the pet rent would be credited ($30) for the month of October, I am not aware that there is anything in the Pet Rider and/or lease agreement that releases the complainant from this obligationIn fact, the opposite is trueThe pet rider specifically conveys that the additional rent of $per month is due for the entire contract whether a pet exists or does not exists on the premisesFurther, the contract also states that any modifications or changes to the lease must be made in writing and approved by the landlordThere is no such document in this case If the complainant is placing a request to have that additional rent removed from the lease, then a new lease would be negotiated and any or all terms of it may be subject to change With all due respect, Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2014/10/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) A Legal Agreement can be a verbal agreementI have three witnesses to that Verbal Agreement Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 9, 2014/11/13) */ It is in the best interest of both landlord and tenant to try to come to a reasonable solution MrPowell has to understand that while a "legal agreement can be a verbal agreement", the lease agreement specifically states that any modifications of the lease agreement must be in writing and signed in agreement by both landlord and tenant in order to be valid Horizon Realty Group still wishes to work with MrPowell to find a resolution that is beneficial to both landlord and tenantIf MrPowell wishes to continue the conversation and is open to an equitable resolution, he should submit a written request to the corporate offices located at Horizon Realty Group, W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL
The complainant claims that no one spoke to her regarding the refund status of her application. Our records show that my manager, Jean and Angela, did explain and that, Ms
"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">*** acknowledge by her signature on the application, refunds would occur in form of company check and would take up to business days to process. Ms*** was not pleased with that response. We have already refunded Ms*** for the application and document processing fees. The check was mailed out as follows:
Yes $was refunded via check # on 8/12/and mailed to the address we have on file of *** * *** Rd Pellston, MI
I am showing that the check was cleared and reconciled in Yardi as of 8/23/
We are in receipt of Ms*** complaint and are pleased to inform her that the refund that she was due was processed. We are very sorry for the delay in processing the refund and are auditing our department's processing systems internally.
Ms*** should have received her refund to the address that she reported on her initial application. If she has not received her refund as of today, she should call the corporate office at ***, dial for re-direction, and speak with the accounting department. Part of the delay may have occurred because Ms*** was contacting the satellite office instead of the corporate's accounting department. Again, we apologize for the confusion and delay and hope that this closes the matter
Tell us why here
To whom it may concern:
I have reviewed this former resident's memos and history and concluded that this account has been paid in full. The resident, during his tenancy, did complain of what he...
presumed to be mold issues, but the property manager, through over 40 communications and memos, made every diligent effort to educate him on the things that he as a cooperating resident also needed to do to ensure that the bathroom and the apartment remained mildew free.
Properly airing the bathroom after use by leaving the door open for a few minutes, running a dehumidifier instead of a humidifier, and weekly cleaning and use of mildew killing after-shower sprays, were just a few of the logical suggestions given to the resident.
The property, a mid-century construction, unfortunately, was not constructed with today's challenges in mind.
Additionally, while we did have some heating issues as he complained, we took every reasonable step to accommodate all residents who were affected by providing alternate means of heat during the repairs that took place last winter. The reason that the tenant was charged had nothing to do with the heating repairs that took place in the winter and were, frankly, out of the landlord's control. The resident was charged because an inspection took place on or around July 20, 2015 which stated, "Walked unit after receiving keys. Bathtub was very dirty and mildewy. Front door was banged into wall, evidently making hole and knocking down wall protector. Photos taken and filed. MB". There were housekeeping issues and that is the reason for the damage charge.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/03/28) */
Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann Camacho
Contact Phone: 773-529-7200
Contact Email: [email protected]
Horizon Realty Group manages over 2000 units in the Chicago land area. We cater to thousands of tenants and we pride...
ourselves in providing excellent customer service to all of our residents.
Generally speaking, we are very pleased with Horizon's success in the satisfaction of our residents. Our management team is trained to acknowledge and prioritize which maintenance requests must be taken care of first. Management and maintenance working together take the initiative to respond to maintenance requests in a timely manner. Most maintenance requests are taken care of within the allowable time by city ordinance (10 business days) without much ado. In fact, maintenance requests are acknowledged when they are received by either email or phone calls to the residents within a 24-48 hour period. However, some maintenance requests sometimes take an unexpected amount of time to resolve because some issues have to be troubleshot. Some issues, on the surface, seem like an easy fix, and when further investigated require more time and more testing in order to resolve. And sometimes, what seems like the fix for a problem only reveals a deeper issue. This is the case with the maintenance issue that Ms. Meyer is complaining about. What on the surface may have been a "roof" leak as Ms. Meyer suggests, was actually defective drains and other plumbing challenges that had to be repaired- among other maintenance issues that occurred during the course of the repairs. The fact that Ms. Meyer is demanding detail step by step instructions as to what caused the leak, how it is being repaired and how it has been resolved is irrelevant and unnecessary. The landlord is not required by any law to disclose the exact details and operation involved in order to fix or repair a problem. When any landlord contracts a vendor to do a job, the landlord cannot by law dictate how the job is to be performed or what is required etc... The landlord hires out a professional company known for the specific task at hand and that is the extent to which the landlord is to be involved.
On the other hand, I understand the frustration that Ms. Meyer feels in having to wait for the problem to be corrected. But when the apartment leaked, my property manager took care to sanitize the apartment's carpet in a timely fashion. The property manager informed Ms. Meyer to the extent that management was informed. Ms. Meyer needs to understand that things sometimes don't go as planned. There are a lot of exterior factors that affect whether a job is done on time or not. One of the most crucial factors when dealing with outside repairs is the weather and this winter proved to be an enormous challenge. The weather made it very difficult to be expedient and this is very unfortunate. By the same token, the fact that my property manager scheduled a paint job for one day and the vendor did not show up for the job is unfortunate, but certainly not the landlord's fault. As Elizabeth, my property manager was informed, so she informed Ms. Meyer. Sometimes, management was unable to get Ms. Meyer all of the details, but again, there is not law requiring said disclosure to a resident.
Ms. Meyer also alleges that her apartment was not properly treated for pests. Rose Pest Control is a professional company that we contract out to service our residents. When a resident places a request with the management office, Rose Pest Control will treat the apartment during the scheduled visit. Being a professional exterminating company, Rose Pest Control is highly regulated by the state. They do not use any chemicals that are toxic to humans or animals when treating occupied apartments. Ms. Meyer is welcomed to call the pest control company and gather more information if she so feels it necessary, but to allege and suggest that all Horizon Realty Group does by "treating" the unit is to put a trap behind the toilet is just not correct. We have provided all that Ms. Meyer needs to know regarding her tenancy in her lease agreement. If there is anything that she does not understand, I would be pleased to discuss it with her.
Furthermore, our policies and procedures, in so far as it relates to mold, are clearly outlined in the lease agreement as well.
Finally, Ms. Meyer is asking for a refund of rent. I am unable to accommodate her request. I do not feel that it is merited since Horizon Realty Group took action to remedy all of the maintenance issues that occurred. As of today, the maintenance repair is finished and hopefully, this will lay this issue to rest. While we appreciate Ms. Meyer's tenancy and hope that she will change her opinion of us, we maintain that we did everything in our control to minimize the problem and as a good will gesture, I will approve a small token of appreciation to be emailed to her.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/03/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
If anyone from Horizon had taken time provide even a fraction of the information you provided regarding pest treatment in your response above - we would not be having this tet-a-tet now. I've never asked for a detailed, step-by-step explanation as to what happened with the roof or even the planned repairs for my apartment. All I ask, and think I deserve as a person paying for this living space, is to get enough information to know that the problem is being handled. All I was looking for is a general acknowledgement that the building was aware of the issue and that my carpet would be cleaned with x days and mold testing/wall repair would happen within X weeks. Not an unreasonable ask at all. The only reason I've gotten any information in the almost month since the leak occurred is because I escalated this issue to you and ultimately the Revdex.com. I'd be happy to provide Mrs. Camacho the unanswered email correspondence if she'd like to see the extent of information I've requested along the way as well as the lack of response. Candidly I think this a waste of both her time, and mine given her clear stance in the above.
As of today (3/29), the wall where the damage occurred has been spackled but has yet to be sanded or painted. The building manager was nice enough to let me know that the painting should be done by Monday (3/31) so I hope that this happens as planned.
I find Mrs. Camacho's response to be demeaning and dismissive. Horizon contends that they've provided excellent service along the way, and based on my initial report, I'd contend that is very much not true. It seems apparent that my opinions, thoughts and concerns are not of value to Horizon so this appears to be a moot conversation. The least I can do in this situation is to ensure that this issue and lack of service is noted.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/04/04) */
At this time, we would like the Revdex.com and Ms. Meyer to know that while we can not please ALL of our residents all of the time, we stand firm with high rate of success in satisfied residents overall. Putting things into perspective, we manage over 2000 residents and we've had a handful (if that) of complaints. It is very unfortunately, that I am unable to satisfy Ms. Meyer. I spoke with the property manager again today who assures me that she has been communicating with Ms. Meyer in regards to the issues that occurred in her unit and that these issues have been resolved. She further assured me that as she was given information regarding the time frame for work to be completed, she relayed it to Ms Meyer. I do apologize to Ms. Meyer if I made her feel demeaned in any way as that most certainly was not my intention. I value her opinions and will use her constructive criticisms to better serve our residents. I cannot change Ms. Meyer's perception of the facts, but I can assure her that we are not in the business of purposefully making anyone feel dismissed or demeaned. My goal was to shed light on the situation and hopefully help Ms. Meyer understand that sometimes things are out of the landlord's control and that by law, the landlord is not required to disclose details that she, in the prior complaint, alleges we failed to do. Further, the property manager maintains that she did keep Ms. Meyer aware of the issues concerning her and that she expeditiously (as best as she could given the circumstances) had the carpet cleaned, the walls treated, etc....
That is our position in this matter.
Sincerely,
Grissette Almann Camacho
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2014/04/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Hello,
While I appreciate Mrs. Camacho's stance and understand that she has a business to help run, I still contend that she has been mislead by the facts at some point along the way.
Attached please find a PDF of three separate messages that were sent flagging the issue to the onsite management staff. As you can see from my notes, I recognize that the weather was a hindrance but did want to proactively flag that the leak was increasingly becoming an issue. You can also see that at no time did I demand a step-by-step maintenance plan but was really just looking for acknowledgement that management was aware of the issue and looking into it. I received no response to any of these emails. In fact, the first response I received in regards to the roof leak was on February 21st when the leak have reached a serious level (carpet was soaked and the wall damage that was recently fixed occurred) and I only got this because I called the emergency maintenance line. The following day (2/22 I believe) was the first time I received a direct response from Elizabeth via phone.
Those are the facts in my book. At this juncture the wall is finally fixed which is great. While I appreciate Mrs. Camacho's offer to take my constructive criticism going forward, my stance is that there were serious issues with the communication from the management team around this maintenance issue and that I was treated very poorly throughout the process of trying to get the situation resolved. I truly hope that this whole incident does inform how they respond to maintenance issues going forward.
Best,
Katherine Meyer
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/10/24) */
Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann-Camacho
Contact Phone: 773-529-7200
Contact Email: [email protected]
It is my understanding that the complainant's issue has been resolved. On October 14, 2014, I responded to Mr....
Powell's inquiry as to why the pet rent would still be due in a sublease situation as follows:
"Hello Mr. Powell,
I hope this email finds you well. I am sorry that you are feeling frustrated by the "pet rent".
You see, the lease agreement is in full force and effect and the pet rider clearly states that you are still responsible to pay for this fee. Since there has been no mutual agreement between you and the landlord to re-negotiate the lease agreement or alter it in any way, the rent is still due and the pet rent as well. If indeed this is a sublease agreement, the landlord only approves the occupant for tenancy and the lease from its inception is not changed.
I am sorry about the confusion and I hope that this helps to clear up the issue."
The complainant was not happy that our Assistant Manager made an error in conveying to him that the pet rent still had to get paid. Since one of her emails alluded to the fact that she would give credit for the pet rent, I honored that mistake and credited the complainant's rental account for the month in question, but also told him that the pet rent would need to be paid moving forward per the lease. I emailed him on October 15, 2014 with the following explanation of the complainant's ledger, which clearly shows the charge of $30, followed by the credit in parenthesis to offset said charge. That is a zeroing out of those two actions.
"Hello Mr. _______________,
Your monthly rents are:
1. base rent: $1095.00
2. monthly heat flat rate: $49.00
3. pet rent: $30
Total rents are $ 1174.00 per month
The other charges on your account are key fee of $25. There is a charge for a mini-blind replace on 9/11. The pet rent has been credited and that's a wash.
The transactions below show the charges and the payments made on the account. currently, I see a $0 balance.
9/4/2014 chk# 692 71748425 :CHECKscan Payment - Rent 424.00 0.00 467669
9/11/2014 Blind Replacement. MB 30.00 30.00 470919
9/22/2014 Application Fee 50.00 80.00 475608
9/22/2014 chk# Visa01054B Venkatramana Gayam (r0003752) 50.00 30.00 469515
9/27/2014 :Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl #469817 1.00 31.00 475205
9/27/2014 chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment 325.00 (294.00) 469817
10/1/2014 Pet Rent (10/2014) 30.00 (264.00) 474755
10/1/2014 Base Fee (10/2014) 1,095.00 831.00 474756
10/1/2014 Gas Bill Back (10/2014) 49.00 880.00 474757
10/1/2014 Concession On Pet Rent Per GC (30.00) 850.00 476722
10/3/2014 Replacement mailbox key. MB 25.00 875.00 475993
10/4/2014 :Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl #472108 1.00 876.00 476118
10/4/2014 chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment 876.00 0.00 472108"
while I completely understand that the complainant was told that the pet rent would be credited ($30) for the month of October, I am not aware that there is anything in the Pet Rider and/or lease agreement that releases the complainant from this obligation. In fact, the opposite is true. The pet rider specifically conveys that the additional rent of $30 per month is due for the entire contract whether a pet exists or does not exists on the premises. Further, the contract also states that any modifications or changes to the lease must be made in writing and approved by the landlord. There is no such document in this case.
If the complainant is placing a request to have that additional rent removed from the lease, then a new lease would be negotiated and any or all terms of it may be subject to change.
With all due respect,
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/10/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
A Legal Agreement can be a verbal agreement. I have three witnesses to that Verbal Agreement.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/11/13) */
It is in the best interest of both landlord and tenant to try to come to a reasonable solution.
Mr. Powell has to understand that while a "legal agreement can be a verbal agreement", the lease agreement specifically states that any modifications of the lease agreement must be in writing and signed in agreement by both landlord and tenant in order to be valid.
Horizon Realty Group still wishes to work with Mr. Powell to find a resolution that is beneficial to both landlord and tenant. If Mr. Powell wishes to continue the conversation and is open to an equitable resolution, he should submit a written request to the corporate offices located at Horizon Realty Group, 1946 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.
In general, my experience with Horizon Realty at 525 W Oakdale has been beyond disappointing. The building manager when I rented the apt, was very sweet, and I was so excited to live here. However, I soon found that she would take sometimes 3 weeks and multiple calls and emails from me before responding to issues that should have been fixed before I moved in. Additionally, the apt was never cleaned or repainted before my move-in. There were holes in the wall, and it took months before the building finally painted it. I had to clean it from top to bottom myself.
After that manager was promoted, a new manager took over, and she can take a week or more to respond to messages, not to mention her behavior when you speak to her is very rude. She even turned her back on me to dismiss me when I asked about some laundry that had gone missing (after she had not replied to my previous attempts to contact her about the issue).
Most concerning, though, is that two weeks ago I let the building know via email and the work order form that the vanity door on my medicine cabinet in the bathroom needed to be fixed. It was coming off the hinge. This was never addressed, just as my closet doors have not been fixed despite work order and email requests, and the vanity door came completely off the hinge and fell on my head when I tried to open it a few days ago.
When I called the Horizon office to explain what happened and to ask how they were going to rectify the situation, they never returned any of my three calls. The door was fixed but conspicuously without the requisite form dating when the repair was made. I requested the dated form and received a form but still undated.
To whom it may concern: I have reviewed this former resident's memos and history and concluded that this account has been paid in full The resident, during his tenancy, did complain of what he presumed to be mold issues, but the property manager, through over communications and memos, made every diligent effort to educate him on the things that he as a cooperating resident also needed to do to ensure that the bathroom and the apartment remained mildew free Properly airing the bathroom after use by leaving the door open for a few minutes, running a dehumidifier instead of a humidifier, and weekly cleaning and use of mildew killing after-shower sprays, were just a few of the logical suggestions given to the resident The property, a mid-century construction, unfortunately, was not constructed with today's challenges in mind Additionally, while we did have some heating issues as he complained, we took every reasonable step to accommodate all residents who were affected by providing alternate means of heat during the repairs that took place last winter The reason that the tenant was charged had nothing to do with the heating repairs that took place in the winter and were, frankly, out of the landlord's control The resident was charged because an inspection took place on or around July 20, which stated, "Walked unit after receiving keysBathtub was very dirty and mildewyFront door was banged into wall, evidently making hole and knocking down wall protectorPhotos taken and filedMB" There were housekeeping issues and that is the reason for the damage charge
In general, my experience with Horizon Realty at W Oakdale has been beyond disappointingThe building manager when I rented the apt, was very sweet, and I was so excited to live hereHowever, I soon found that she would take sometimes weeks and multiple calls and emails from me before responding to issues that should have been fixed before I moved inAdditionally, the apt was never cleaned or repainted before my move-inThere were holes in the wall, and it took months before the building finally painted itI had to clean it from top to bottom myself After that manager was promoted, a new manager took over, and she can take a week or more to respond to messages, not to mention her behavior when you speak to her is very rudeShe even turned her back on me to dismiss me when I asked about some laundry that had gone missing (after she had not replied to my previous attempts to contact her about the issue) Most concerning, though, is that two weeks ago I let the building know via email and the work order form that the vanity door on my medicine cabinet in the bathroom needed to be fixedIt was coming off the hingeThis was never addressed, just as my closet doors have not been fixed despite work order and email requests, and the vanity door came completely off the hinge and fell on my head when I tried to open it a few days ago When I called the Horizon office to explain what happened and to ask how they were going to rectify the situation, they never returned any of my three callsThe door was fixed but conspicuously without the requisite form dating when the repair was madeI requested the dated form and received a form but still undated
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2014/03/28) */ Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann Camacho Contact Phone: 773-529- Contact Email: [email protected] Horizon Realty Group manages over units in the Chicago land areaWe cater to thousands of tenants and we pride ourselves in providing excellent customer service to all of our residents Generally speaking, we are very pleased with Horizon's success in the satisfaction of our residentsOur management team is trained to acknowledge and prioritize which maintenance requests must be taken care of firstManagement and maintenance working together take the initiative to respond to maintenance requests in a timely mannerMost maintenance requests are taken care of within the allowable time by city ordinance (business days) without much adoIn fact, maintenance requests are acknowledged when they are received by either email or phone calls to the residents within a 24-hour periodHowever, some maintenance requests sometimes take an unexpected amount of time to resolve because some issues have to be troubleshotSome issues, on the surface, seem like an easy fix, and when further investigated require more time and more testing in order to resolveAnd sometimes, what seems like the fix for a problem only reveals a deeper issueThis is the case with the maintenance issue that MsMeyer is complaining aboutWhat on the surface may have been a "roof" leak as MsMeyer suggests, was actually defective drains and other plumbing challenges that had to be repaired- among other maintenance issues that occurred during the course of the repairsThe fact that MsMeyer is demanding detail step by step instructions as to what caused the leak, how it is being repaired and how it has been resolved is irrelevant and unnecessaryThe landlord is not required by any law to disclose the exact details and operation involved in order to fix or repair a problemWhen any landlord contracts a vendor to do a job, the landlord cannot by law dictate how the job is to be performed or what is required etcThe landlord hires out a professional company known for the specific task at hand and that is the extent to which the landlord is to be involved On the other hand, I understand the frustration that MsMeyer feels in having to wait for the problem to be correctedBut when the apartment leaked, my property manager took care to sanitize the apartment's carpet in a timely fashionThe property manager informed MsMeyer to the extent that management was informedMsMeyer needs to understand that things sometimes don't go as plannedThere are a lot of exterior factors that affect whether a job is done on time or notOne of the most crucial factors when dealing with outside repairs is the weather and this winter proved to be an enormous challengeThe weather made it very difficult to be expedient and this is very unfortunateBy the same token, the fact that my property manager scheduled a paint job for one day and the vendor did not show up for the job is unfortunate, but certainly not the landlord's faultAs Elizabeth, my property manager was informed, so she informed MsMeyerSometimes, management was unable to get MsMeyer all of the details, but again, there is not law requiring said disclosure to a resident MsMeyer also alleges that her apartment was not properly treated for pestsRose Pest Control is a professional company that we contract out to service our residentsWhen a resident places a request with the management office, Rose Pest Control will treat the apartment during the scheduled visitBeing a professional exterminating company, Rose Pest Control is highly regulated by the stateThey do not use any chemicals that are toxic to humans or animals when treating occupied apartmentsMsMeyer is welcomed to call the pest control company and gather more information if she so feels it necessary, but to allege and suggest that all Horizon Realty Group does by "treating" the unit is to put a trap behind the toilet is just not correctWe have provided all that MsMeyer needs to know regarding her tenancy in her lease agreementIf there is anything that she does not understand, I would be pleased to discuss it with her Furthermore, our policies and procedures, in so far as it relates to mold, are clearly outlined in the lease agreement as well Finally, MsMeyer is asking for a refund of rentI am unable to accommodate her requestI do not feel that it is merited since Horizon Realty Group took action to remedy all of the maintenance issues that occurredAs of today, the maintenance repair is finished and hopefully, this will lay this issue to restWhile we appreciate MsMeyer's tenancy and hope that she will change her opinion of us, we maintain that we did everything in our control to minimize the problem and as a good will gesture, I will approve a small token of appreciation to be emailed to her Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2014/03/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) If anyone from Horizon had taken time provide even a fraction of the information you provided regarding pest treatment in your response above - we would not be having this tet-a-tet nowI've never asked for a detailed, step-by-step explanation as to what happened with the roof or even the planned repairs for my apartmentAll I ask, and think I deserve as a person paying for this living space, is to get enough information to know that the problem is being handledAll I was looking for is a general acknowledgement that the building was aware of the issue and that my carpet would be cleaned with x days and mold testing/wall repair would happen within X weeksNot an unreasonable ask at allThe only reason I've gotten any information in the almost month since the leak occurred is because I escalated this issue to you and ultimately the Revdex.comI'd be happy to provide MrsCamacho the unanswered email correspondence if she'd like to see the extent of information I've requested along the way as well as the lack of responseCandidly I think this a waste of both her time, and mine given her clear stance in the above As of today (3/29), the wall where the damage occurred has been spackled but has yet to be sanded or paintedThe building manager was nice enough to let me know that the painting should be done by Monday (3/31) so I hope that this happens as planned I find MrsCamacho's response to be demeaning and dismissiveHorizon contends that they've provided excellent service along the way, and based on my initial report, I'd contend that is very much not trueIt seems apparent that my opinions, thoughts and concerns are not of value to Horizon so this appears to be a moot conversationThe least I can do in this situation is to ensure that this issue and lack of service is noted Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 9, 2014/04/04) */ At this time, we would like the Revdex.com and MsMeyer to know that while we can not please ALL of our residents all of the time, we stand firm with high rate of success in satisfied residents overallPutting things into perspective, we manage over residents and we've had a handful (if that) of complaintsIt is very unfortunately, that I am unable to satisfy MsMeyerI spoke with the property manager again today who assures me that she has been communicating with MsMeyer in regards to the issues that occurred in her unit and that these issues have been resolvedShe further assured me that as she was given information regarding the time frame for work to be completed, she relayed it to Ms MeyerI do apologize to MsMeyer if I made her feel demeaned in any way as that most certainly was not my intentionI value her opinions and will use her constructive criticisms to better serve our residentsI cannot change MsMeyer's perception of the facts, but I can assure her that we are not in the business of purposefully making anyone feel dismissed or demeanedMy goal was to shed light on the situation and hopefully help MsMeyer understand that sometimes things are out of the landlord's control and that by law, the landlord is not required to disclose details that she, in the prior complaint, alleges we failed to doFurther, the property manager maintains that she did keep MsMeyer aware of the issues concerning her and that she expeditiously (as best as she could given the circumstances) had the carpet cleaned, the walls treated, etc That is our position in this matter Sincerely, Grissette Almann Camacho Final Consumer Response / [redacted] (4200, 11, 2014/04/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Hello, While I appreciate MrsCamacho's stance and understand that she has a business to help run, I still contend that she has been mislead by the facts at some point along the way Attached please find a PDF of three separate messages that were sent flagging the issue to the onsite management staffAs you can see from my notes, I recognize that the weather was a hindrance but did want to proactively flag that the leak was increasingly becoming an issueYou can also see that at no time did I demand a step-by-step maintenance plan but was really just looking for acknowledgement that management was aware of the issue and looking into itI received no response to any of these emailsIn fact, the first response I received in regards to the roof leak was on February 21st when the leak have reached a serious level (carpet was soaked and the wall damage that was recently fixed occurred) and I only got this because I called the emergency maintenance lineThe following day (2/I believe) was the first time I received a direct response from Elizabeth via phone Those are the facts in my bookAt this juncture the wall is finally fixed which is greatWhile I appreciate MrsCamacho's offer to take my constructive criticism going forward, my stance is that there were serious issues with the communication from the management team around this maintenance issue and that I was treated very poorly throughout the process of trying to get the situation resolvedI truly hope that this whole incident does inform how they respond to maintenance issues going forward Best, Katherine Meyer
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2014/10/24) */ Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann-Camacho Contact Phone: 773-529- Contact Email: [email protected] It is my understanding that the complainant's issue has been resolvedOn October 14, 2014, I responded to Mr Powell's inquiry as to why the pet rent would still be due in a sublease situation as follows: "Hello MrPowell, I hope this email finds you wellI am sorry that you are feeling frustrated by the "pet rent" You see, the lease agreement is in full force and effect and the pet rider clearly states that you are still responsible to pay for this feeSince there has been no mutual agreement between you and the landlord to re-negotiate the lease agreement or alter it in any way, the rent is still due and the pet rent as wellIf indeed this is a sublease agreement, the landlord only approves the occupant for tenancy and the lease from its inception is not changed I am sorry about the confusion and I hope that this helps to clear up the issue." The complainant was not happy that our Assistant Manager made an error in conveying to him that the pet rent still had to get paidSince one of her emails alluded to the fact that she would give credit for the pet rent, I honored that mistake and credited the complainant's rental account for the month in question, but also told him that the pet rent would need to be paid moving forward per the leaseI emailed him on October 15, with the following explanation of the complainant's ledger, which clearly shows the charge of $30, followed by the credit in parenthesis to offset said chargeThat is a zeroing out of those two actions "Hello Mr_______________, Your monthly rents are: base rent: $ monthly heat flat rate: $ pet rent: $ Total rents are $ per month The other charges on your account are key fee of $There is a charge for a mini-blind replace on 9/The pet rent has been credited and that's a wash The transactions below show the charges and the payments made on the accountcurrently, I see a $balance 9/4/chk# :CHECKscan Payment - Rent 9/11/Blind ReplacementMB 9/22/Application Fee 9/22/chk# Visa01054B Venkatramana Gayam (r0003752) 9/27/:Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl # 9/27/chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment (294.00) 10/1/Pet Rent (10/2014) (264.00) 10/1/Base Fee (10/2014) 1, 10/1/Gas Bill Back (10/2014) 10/1/Concession On Pet Rent Per GC (30.00) 10/3/Replacement mailbox keyMB 10/4/:Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl # 10/4/chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment 472108" while I completely understand that the complainant was told that the pet rent would be credited ($30) for the month of October, I am not aware that there is anything in the Pet Rider and/or lease agreement that releases the complainant from this obligationIn fact, the opposite is trueThe pet rider specifically conveys that the additional rent of $per month is due for the entire contract whether a pet exists or does not exists on the premisesFurther, the contract also states that any modifications or changes to the lease must be made in writing and approved by the landlordThere is no such document in this case If the complainant is placing a request to have that additional rent removed from the lease, then a new lease would be negotiated and any or all terms of it may be subject to change With all due respect, Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2014/10/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) A Legal Agreement can be a verbal agreementI have three witnesses to that Verbal Agreement Final Business Response / [redacted] (4000, 9, 2014/11/13) */ It is in the best interest of both landlord and tenant to try to come to a reasonable solution MrPowell has to understand that while a "legal agreement can be a verbal agreement", the lease agreement specifically states that any modifications of the lease agreement must be in writing and signed in agreement by both landlord and tenant in order to be valid Horizon Realty Group still wishes to work with MrPowell to find a resolution that is beneficial to both landlord and tenantIf MrPowell wishes to continue the conversation and is open to an equitable resolution, he should submit a written request to the corporate offices located at Horizon Realty Group, W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL
The complainant claims that no one spoke to her regarding the refund status of her application. Our records show that my manager, Jean and Angela, did explain and that, Ms
"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">*** acknowledge by her signature on the application, refunds would occur in form of company check and would take up to business days to process. Ms*** was not pleased with that response. We have already refunded Ms*** for the application and document processing fees. The check was mailed out as follows:
Yes $was refunded via check # on 8/12/and mailed to the address we have on file of *** * *** Rd Pellston, MI
I am showing that the check was cleared and reconciled in Yardi as of 8/23/
We are in receipt of Ms*** complaint and are pleased to inform her that the refund that she was due was processed. We are very sorry for the delay in processing the refund and are auditing our department's processing systems internally.
Ms*** should have received her refund to the address that she reported on her initial application. If she has not received her refund as of today, she should call the corporate office at ***, dial for re-direction, and speak with the accounting department. Part of the delay may have occurred because Ms*** was contacting the satellite office instead of the corporate's accounting department. Again, we apologize for the confusion and delay and hope that this closes the matter
Tell us why here
To whom it may concern:
I have reviewed this former resident's memos and history and concluded that this account has been paid in full. The resident, during his tenancy, did complain of what he...
presumed to be mold issues, but the property manager, through over 40 communications and memos, made every diligent effort to educate him on the things that he as a cooperating resident also needed to do to ensure that the bathroom and the apartment remained mildew free.
Properly airing the bathroom after use by leaving the door open for a few minutes, running a dehumidifier instead of a humidifier, and weekly cleaning and use of mildew killing after-shower sprays, were just a few of the logical suggestions given to the resident.
The property, a mid-century construction, unfortunately, was not constructed with today's challenges in mind.
Additionally, while we did have some heating issues as he complained, we took every reasonable step to accommodate all residents who were affected by providing alternate means of heat during the repairs that took place last winter. The reason that the tenant was charged had nothing to do with the heating repairs that took place in the winter and were, frankly, out of the landlord's control. The resident was charged because an inspection took place on or around July 20, 2015 which stated, "Walked unit after receiving keys. Bathtub was very dirty and mildewy. Front door was banged into wall, evidently making hole and knocking down wall protector. Photos taken and filed. MB". There were housekeeping issues and that is the reason for the damage charge.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/03/28) */
Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann Camacho
Contact Phone: 773-529-7200
Contact Email: [email protected]
Horizon Realty Group manages over 2000 units in the Chicago land area. We cater to thousands of tenants and we pride...
ourselves in providing excellent customer service to all of our residents.
Generally speaking, we are very pleased with Horizon's success in the satisfaction of our residents. Our management team is trained to acknowledge and prioritize which maintenance requests must be taken care of first. Management and maintenance working together take the initiative to respond to maintenance requests in a timely manner. Most maintenance requests are taken care of within the allowable time by city ordinance (10 business days) without much ado. In fact, maintenance requests are acknowledged when they are received by either email or phone calls to the residents within a 24-48 hour period. However, some maintenance requests sometimes take an unexpected amount of time to resolve because some issues have to be troubleshot. Some issues, on the surface, seem like an easy fix, and when further investigated require more time and more testing in order to resolve. And sometimes, what seems like the fix for a problem only reveals a deeper issue. This is the case with the maintenance issue that Ms. Meyer is complaining about. What on the surface may have been a "roof" leak as Ms. Meyer suggests, was actually defective drains and other plumbing challenges that had to be repaired- among other maintenance issues that occurred during the course of the repairs. The fact that Ms. Meyer is demanding detail step by step instructions as to what caused the leak, how it is being repaired and how it has been resolved is irrelevant and unnecessary. The landlord is not required by any law to disclose the exact details and operation involved in order to fix or repair a problem. When any landlord contracts a vendor to do a job, the landlord cannot by law dictate how the job is to be performed or what is required etc... The landlord hires out a professional company known for the specific task at hand and that is the extent to which the landlord is to be involved.
On the other hand, I understand the frustration that Ms. Meyer feels in having to wait for the problem to be corrected. But when the apartment leaked, my property manager took care to sanitize the apartment's carpet in a timely fashion. The property manager informed Ms. Meyer to the extent that management was informed. Ms. Meyer needs to understand that things sometimes don't go as planned. There are a lot of exterior factors that affect whether a job is done on time or not. One of the most crucial factors when dealing with outside repairs is the weather and this winter proved to be an enormous challenge. The weather made it very difficult to be expedient and this is very unfortunate. By the same token, the fact that my property manager scheduled a paint job for one day and the vendor did not show up for the job is unfortunate, but certainly not the landlord's fault. As Elizabeth, my property manager was informed, so she informed Ms. Meyer. Sometimes, management was unable to get Ms. Meyer all of the details, but again, there is not law requiring said disclosure to a resident.
Ms. Meyer also alleges that her apartment was not properly treated for pests. Rose Pest Control is a professional company that we contract out to service our residents. When a resident places a request with the management office, Rose Pest Control will treat the apartment during the scheduled visit. Being a professional exterminating company, Rose Pest Control is highly regulated by the state. They do not use any chemicals that are toxic to humans or animals when treating occupied apartments. Ms. Meyer is welcomed to call the pest control company and gather more information if she so feels it necessary, but to allege and suggest that all Horizon Realty Group does by "treating" the unit is to put a trap behind the toilet is just not correct. We have provided all that Ms. Meyer needs to know regarding her tenancy in her lease agreement. If there is anything that she does not understand, I would be pleased to discuss it with her.
Furthermore, our policies and procedures, in so far as it relates to mold, are clearly outlined in the lease agreement as well.
Finally, Ms. Meyer is asking for a refund of rent. I am unable to accommodate her request. I do not feel that it is merited since Horizon Realty Group took action to remedy all of the maintenance issues that occurred. As of today, the maintenance repair is finished and hopefully, this will lay this issue to rest. While we appreciate Ms. Meyer's tenancy and hope that she will change her opinion of us, we maintain that we did everything in our control to minimize the problem and as a good will gesture, I will approve a small token of appreciation to be emailed to her.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/03/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
If anyone from Horizon had taken time provide even a fraction of the information you provided regarding pest treatment in your response above - we would not be having this tet-a-tet now. I've never asked for a detailed, step-by-step explanation as to what happened with the roof or even the planned repairs for my apartment. All I ask, and think I deserve as a person paying for this living space, is to get enough information to know that the problem is being handled. All I was looking for is a general acknowledgement that the building was aware of the issue and that my carpet would be cleaned with x days and mold testing/wall repair would happen within X weeks. Not an unreasonable ask at all. The only reason I've gotten any information in the almost month since the leak occurred is because I escalated this issue to you and ultimately the Revdex.com. I'd be happy to provide Mrs. Camacho the unanswered email correspondence if she'd like to see the extent of information I've requested along the way as well as the lack of response. Candidly I think this a waste of both her time, and mine given her clear stance in the above.
As of today (3/29), the wall where the damage occurred has been spackled but has yet to be sanded or painted. The building manager was nice enough to let me know that the painting should be done by Monday (3/31) so I hope that this happens as planned.
I find Mrs. Camacho's response to be demeaning and dismissive. Horizon contends that they've provided excellent service along the way, and based on my initial report, I'd contend that is very much not true. It seems apparent that my opinions, thoughts and concerns are not of value to Horizon so this appears to be a moot conversation. The least I can do in this situation is to ensure that this issue and lack of service is noted.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/04/04) */
At this time, we would like the Revdex.com and Ms. Meyer to know that while we can not please ALL of our residents all of the time, we stand firm with high rate of success in satisfied residents overall. Putting things into perspective, we manage over 2000 residents and we've had a handful (if that) of complaints. It is very unfortunately, that I am unable to satisfy Ms. Meyer. I spoke with the property manager again today who assures me that she has been communicating with Ms. Meyer in regards to the issues that occurred in her unit and that these issues have been resolved. She further assured me that as she was given information regarding the time frame for work to be completed, she relayed it to Ms Meyer. I do apologize to Ms. Meyer if I made her feel demeaned in any way as that most certainly was not my intention. I value her opinions and will use her constructive criticisms to better serve our residents. I cannot change Ms. Meyer's perception of the facts, but I can assure her that we are not in the business of purposefully making anyone feel dismissed or demeaned. My goal was to shed light on the situation and hopefully help Ms. Meyer understand that sometimes things are out of the landlord's control and that by law, the landlord is not required to disclose details that she, in the prior complaint, alleges we failed to do. Further, the property manager maintains that she did keep Ms. Meyer aware of the issues concerning her and that she expeditiously (as best as she could given the circumstances) had the carpet cleaned, the walls treated, etc....
That is our position in this matter.
Sincerely,
Grissette Almann Camacho
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2014/04/13) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Hello,
While I appreciate Mrs. Camacho's stance and understand that she has a business to help run, I still contend that she has been mislead by the facts at some point along the way.
Attached please find a PDF of three separate messages that were sent flagging the issue to the onsite management staff. As you can see from my notes, I recognize that the weather was a hindrance but did want to proactively flag that the leak was increasingly becoming an issue. You can also see that at no time did I demand a step-by-step maintenance plan but was really just looking for acknowledgement that management was aware of the issue and looking into it. I received no response to any of these emails. In fact, the first response I received in regards to the roof leak was on February 21st when the leak have reached a serious level (carpet was soaked and the wall damage that was recently fixed occurred) and I only got this because I called the emergency maintenance line. The following day (2/22 I believe) was the first time I received a direct response from Elizabeth via phone.
Those are the facts in my book. At this juncture the wall is finally fixed which is great. While I appreciate Mrs. Camacho's offer to take my constructive criticism going forward, my stance is that there were serious issues with the communication from the management team around this maintenance issue and that I was treated very poorly throughout the process of trying to get the situation resolved. I truly hope that this whole incident does inform how they respond to maintenance issues going forward.
Best,
Katherine Meyer
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2014/10/24) */
Contact Name and Title: Grissette Almann-Camacho
Contact Phone: 773-529-7200
Contact Email: [email protected]
It is my understanding that the complainant's issue has been resolved. On October 14, 2014, I responded to Mr....
Powell's inquiry as to why the pet rent would still be due in a sublease situation as follows:
"Hello Mr. Powell,
I hope this email finds you well. I am sorry that you are feeling frustrated by the "pet rent".
You see, the lease agreement is in full force and effect and the pet rider clearly states that you are still responsible to pay for this fee. Since there has been no mutual agreement between you and the landlord to re-negotiate the lease agreement or alter it in any way, the rent is still due and the pet rent as well. If indeed this is a sublease agreement, the landlord only approves the occupant for tenancy and the lease from its inception is not changed.
I am sorry about the confusion and I hope that this helps to clear up the issue."
The complainant was not happy that our Assistant Manager made an error in conveying to him that the pet rent still had to get paid. Since one of her emails alluded to the fact that she would give credit for the pet rent, I honored that mistake and credited the complainant's rental account for the month in question, but also told him that the pet rent would need to be paid moving forward per the lease. I emailed him on October 15, 2014 with the following explanation of the complainant's ledger, which clearly shows the charge of $30, followed by the credit in parenthesis to offset said charge. That is a zeroing out of those two actions.
"Hello Mr. _______________,
Your monthly rents are:
1. base rent: $1095.00
2. monthly heat flat rate: $49.00
3. pet rent: $30
Total rents are $ 1174.00 per month
The other charges on your account are key fee of $25. There is a charge for a mini-blind replace on 9/11. The pet rent has been credited and that's a wash.
The transactions below show the charges and the payments made on the account. currently, I see a $0 balance.
9/4/2014 chk# 692 71748425 :CHECKscan Payment - Rent 424.00 0.00 467669
9/11/2014 Blind Replacement. MB 30.00 30.00 470919
9/22/2014 Application Fee 50.00 80.00 475608
9/22/2014 chk# Visa01054B Venkatramana Gayam (r0003752) 50.00 30.00 469515
9/27/2014 :Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl #469817 1.00 31.00 475205
9/27/2014 chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment 325.00 (294.00) 469817
10/1/2014 Pet Rent (10/2014) 30.00 (264.00) 474755
10/1/2014 Base Fee (10/2014) 1,095.00 831.00 474756
10/1/2014 Gas Bill Back (10/2014) 49.00 880.00 474757
10/1/2014 Concession On Pet Rent Per GC (30.00) 850.00 476722
10/3/2014 Replacement mailbox key. MB 25.00 875.00 475993
10/4/2014 :Convenience Fee for Receipt Ctrl #472108 1.00 876.00 476118
10/4/2014 chk# :ACHWEB Online Payment - EFT Payment 876.00 0.00 472108"
while I completely understand that the complainant was told that the pet rent would be credited ($30) for the month of October, I am not aware that there is anything in the Pet Rider and/or lease agreement that releases the complainant from this obligation. In fact, the opposite is true. The pet rider specifically conveys that the additional rent of $30 per month is due for the entire contract whether a pet exists or does not exists on the premises. Further, the contract also states that any modifications or changes to the lease must be made in writing and approved by the landlord. There is no such document in this case.
If the complainant is placing a request to have that additional rent removed from the lease, then a new lease would be negotiated and any or all terms of it may be subject to change.
With all due respect,
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2014/10/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
A Legal Agreement can be a verbal agreement. I have three witnesses to that Verbal Agreement.
Final Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2014/11/13) */
It is in the best interest of both landlord and tenant to try to come to a reasonable solution.
Mr. Powell has to understand that while a "legal agreement can be a verbal agreement", the lease agreement specifically states that any modifications of the lease agreement must be in writing and signed in agreement by both landlord and tenant in order to be valid.
Horizon Realty Group still wishes to work with Mr. Powell to find a resolution that is beneficial to both landlord and tenant. If Mr. Powell wishes to continue the conversation and is open to an equitable resolution, he should submit a written request to the corporate offices located at Horizon Realty Group, 1946 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.
In general, my experience with Horizon Realty at 525 W Oakdale has been beyond disappointing. The building manager when I rented the apt, was very sweet, and I was so excited to live here. However, I soon found that she would take sometimes 3 weeks and multiple calls and emails from me before responding to issues that should have been fixed before I moved in. Additionally, the apt was never cleaned or repainted before my move-in. There were holes in the wall, and it took months before the building finally painted it. I had to clean it from top to bottom myself.
After that manager was promoted, a new manager took over, and she can take a week or more to respond to messages, not to mention her behavior when you speak to her is very rude. She even turned her back on me to dismiss me when I asked about some laundry that had gone missing (after she had not replied to my previous attempts to contact her about the issue).
Most concerning, though, is that two weeks ago I let the building know via email and the work order form that the vanity door on my medicine cabinet in the bathroom needed to be fixed. It was coming off the hinge. This was never addressed, just as my closet doors have not been fixed despite work order and email requests, and the vanity door came completely off the hinge and fell on my head when I tried to open it a few days ago.
When I called the Horizon office to explain what happened and to ask how they were going to rectify the situation, they never returned any of my three calls. The door was fixed but conspicuously without the requisite form dating when the repair was made. I requested the dated form and received a form but still undated.