Integrated Property Management, Inc.

I am very taken aback by this owner's complaint. Upon returning from out of town to this complaint I have met with my staff and reviewed email correspondence between him and our staff.   We have managed this property since October of 2014 and his property is rented at...

$1400 per month and has been so since we took management. He takes issues and claims he has been charged "exorbitant charges for simple fixes" to his property and this statement could not be more false. In October 2014 owner contacted us for management services and the property was leased the same month.  He was charged the required expenses of rekeying the property as outlined by the Texas Property Code.  All exterior locks must be rekeyed between tenancy, and keyless deadbolts installed on all exterior doors and peep holes in all exterior doors that do not have a window.  This was explained at management signing, with pictures and estimates for what each of those items would cost.  The amount of hisrekey was $192.14 with services provided by a local locksmith with charges that run below those to the general public as we are able to secure good prices forour owners with the volume of rekeying we are required by the state to do.  The exact amount of that bill was what our owner was charged and this expense was reflected in his monthly statement as are all charges.  An example of what the statement looked like and how descriptions would be notated on the owner statement were included in the new management presentation. He also had not cleaned the property or shampooed the carpets as required and asked that we take care of that on his behalf.  We were happy to do that for him so that he could focus on his move.  In May 2015 the Residents turned in a work order stating that the toilet was constantly running and the kitchen sprayer was not operating.  A local plumbing company was contacted to address the two issues within the same service call and the exact amount of that bill was charged to this owner in the amount of $86.39.  Again, this cost would be less than the general consumer would have paid.   The lease does require that these types of repairs be completed. This expense was recorded on his monthly statement.Later in May 2015 after a storm the residents placed a work order that the gate to the backyard had been damaged by the wind.  Contractor was sent to repair at a cost of $80.This was included in his owner statement. In July 2015 there was a resident after hour’s call that the a/c was not nworking in their home.  Vendor was sent to assess and charged $128.04 to replace the thermostat (after hours) providing air for this family and relief from the heat.  July in Texas, we all know, is extremely hot.  We secure good rates for our after hour calls and both owners and residents reap the benefits of that. If this owner had been paying $1400 a month in rent and his a/c went out, he would not have been happy to be told he’d have to suffer through it until regular business hours. As shared with this owner,  this amount is only slightly higher than what it would have been during normal business hours -a credit to our efforts to secure the best possible rates for our owners.So in the past year not only have the residents requests been reasonable, the costs to address those issues has also been very reasonable and below what the owner, or the general public,  would likely have been able to secure as an independent consumer.  Again, the exact amount of the repair is what the owner is charged.  The management agreement outlines when the owner must be contacted for an individual repair- in this case when it is $250 or more for a single repair.  Furthermore, owner statements are available online for our owners and available 24/7.  While we do not send original invoices during the year ( they are all packaged at the end of the year and included in an end of year packet along with a 12 month role up review and all the required tax documents that owners simply need to provide to their accountants), invoices are sent when requested. This owner has been provided excellent management services, had a paying tenant within two weeks of his vacating the property, and shortly after signing his management agreement.  He was well informed to the processes involved in management services.  His residents have paid $1400 per month, on time throughout their tenancy and he has had a total of three repairs to the home in 10 months for a total of $294.43. I would not call that “exorbitant”. Yes, he is correct that the leasing agent made a typo on his street number, an honest mistake, easily fixed and not something that demanded such intense anger that it still lingers in each interaction with him, nor does it warrant a description of "gross negligence".  While it is always our goal to be timely with responses to all owners, we are a very large management company and we are in a heavy PCS Cyclle.  It is unrealistic to expect we will be able to provide him an immediate response at all times for a general inquiry. Again, expenses on his account were documented on his monthly statement and they were minimal expenses. He has been provided a copy of the invoices he requested and, at the moment, seems satisfied.  We certainly understand that it is sometimes difficult for owners to be so far away.  We also understand there are those that have a lot of stress they are dealing with in their own lives that unfortunately makes everything intense and magnified in their relationships and dealings with others. The steps this owner has taken has been extreme and unreasonable, having not only placed a Revdex.com complaint but an unfavorable review online in an effort to damage our company reputation. Had he not been able to get a satisfactory answer from our staff he needed only to contact one of the owners who has dealt with him in the past.  He has continued to be in contact with our staff since posting this complaint and has sent an email that he appreciated their actions and looked forward to working with them in the future. We regret that our owner felt he needed, or was justified, to take such extreme actions over this.  We have always tried to provide him very good service and feelwe have honored our commitments to him and done him a very good job in taking care of his home.

I have issued a written response via word document attachment along with supporting documentation to Ms. [redacted]'s formal complaint regarding the damage charges in the amount of $1190.00. The supporting documents includeitemized pricing from the vendor, and the original copy of the inventory...

and condition form the previous resident supplied at the time of move-in.  We have worked diligently in resolving any issues brought to our attention and made adjustments, where needed, in order to satiate the issues brought forward, unfortunately the tenant isn’t in agreeance. After several verbal threats of legal action and foul language, with several of our staff, we still attempted to work with her to assure we were treating her fairly. I offered to have Ms. [redacted] come into the office with any other documents via a third-party Wounded Warriors Advocate and she declined because she didn’t feel she could “control her emotions” enough to not become combative. After extensive research we, trust all documentation within our office justifies the charges and credits that were assessed to the resident’s account. If you need further assistance please contact our office.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I want Lone Star Realty to come out and remove the Satellite Dish from my property. As, I understood the message from the business, those finds are available, so I would like Lone Star to send out someone to remove the Satellite Dish. Also, it is my understanding that this work will be at NO CHARGE to me.
Regards,
[redacted]

We have attached the dispute response and have submitted the proper documentation on our previous Revdex.com response to validate all charges assessed to their account. All charges will stand and payment will need to be remitted through the collection agency overseeing their account. Tell us why here...

Customer Information:  [redacted]   Weekend of May 9-Resident called the after-hours emergency number stating that her a/c was leaking.  A third party vendor was dispatched to address the need and unclogged the drain line upon receipt...

of that call.   May 11th (Monday)- Resident spoke to our maintenance office stating her a/c was leaking again and the vendor was dispatched to go back out. May 12th (Tuesday) –Vendor sent over an estimate to replace the pan in the amount of $242.37.  Owner was notified for approval. May13th (Wednesday)- Owner approved bid at 4pm and approval was sent to vendor. May 15th ( Friday)- Maintenance called resident and left a message the part was on order. May 27th (Wednesday) Resident called upset, she had been told to expect the part would be in on May 27th and it did not arrive.  Vendor was contacted and our staff was told the part had not yet come in.  Resident was called back the same day to let her know they were still awaiting the part that was on back order.  As soon as the part arrived the vendor would call and schedule to come and install it.  Vendor instructed resident to keep a bucket there to catch the drip.  Vendor assured staff this was a minor leak and the bucket would prevent damage until the part arrived. May 30th (Saturday) the office manager called both the owner and the resident.  Resident claimed she would need a water extraction because of the delay.  Vendor states there is no way that should have been necessary if she had followed his instructions.  She must have removed the bucket.  Resident was told to bring in a copy of the water extraction she claimed to have hired herself without authorization and owner and staff would review for possible reimbursement.  To this date resident has not provided a bill.  Meanwhile, vendor had called the manufacturer to see if there was anything more to be done as they awaited the pan, he was told in this model they had reports of a small plug that was not installed at the plant and to search to see if that could be causing the issue.  Vendor went back over and was able to stop the leak.   Our office was in contact with the resident throughout the process and the a/c technician responded appropriately and timely.  She to date has never brought in a bill that she claims she has for extraction.  Vendor verifies that on his numerous visits he saw no evidence of damage and water extraction would never have been needed if she had simply left the bucket to catch the dripping.   We firmly believe that this complaint stems from a lease violation and pet fines that she was assessed during a semi annual inspection that was conducted on May 29, 2015.  A couple of days before this complaint was filed.  Attached you will see pictures of two dogs and two cats- 4 pets total that this resident was not authorized to have.  The pet fine is $100 per pet on the first day a pet or pets are found, and $10 for every additional day that the pet or pets remain on the property.   A copy of that Violation is also attached with the $400 pet fine, along with notations that the lawn needed to be mowed, she needed to reinstall smoke detectors that they had pulled down, the carpets were dirty and needed to be cleaned, there were four broken blinds she needed to replace and the house in general was excessively dirty.  We stand on our handlings of this situation and that of the company hired to address the issue.  This is a groundless complaint and retribution for her pet fines and lease violations she received.  Please be sure to post the provided lease violation and pictures to this complaint process. If these are too dark we are happy to send them in another format.  A picture speaks a thousand words.   While a member of the public can claim whatever they wish and not be held accountable for proving their accusations.  We as a management company spend a good deal of time and effort to document our actions.  We also use independent vendors for all maintenance issues so there is never a potential conflict of interest. We strive to address maintenance issues quickly for our residents but there are times when a part needs to be ordered and delays may ensue that are beyond our control or that of the business doing the repair.  Residents for their part, need to respect that they are leasing another family’s home and exercise due diligence to prevent damage when a system breaks down.  Furthermore, as managers we are charged with ensuring our residents are taking care of these homes, thus the reason why the semi annuals are conducted and issues addressed during their tenancy so the property is maintained.  She had numerous violations surrounding how she was keeping the home, she was also caught with four unauthorized pets that she was assessed fines for just three days before this complaint was made.  That is why this complaint was filed- and it is without merit.  Warmly, [redacted] Broker Lone Star Realty & Property Management, Inc.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I am rejecting this response because we provided multiple dates that we would be available prior to leaving the rental property. Each time we were told each time that we were not allowed to be at the final inspection. Lone Star knew in advance that we were leaving and that it is a busy season. If they only have three inspectors then priority should be given to move outs over the required inspections. Some of the pictures they sent us were not of our rental, as our fridge was not white. This issue was not addressed and they did not include that picture to the Revdex.com. The inspection was a week or more after we left. It was raining a lot at that time and things grow, especially weeds. A week is plenty of time for them to grow. They state that they try and have the property clean and ready for the next tenants, but it was not for us. When we moved in, it was not clean. There was mold in the dishwasher and bugs in the refrigerator. We brought the issue up when we moved in but it was not addressed. Regards, [redacted] 
Regards,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: I have sent several emails with photos showing the damages of the home before I moved in. The pictures show that the home was not painted before I moved in or cleaned. It also show damages that were done before I moved in that they are charging me for. I have a emailed them to Ms. [redacted] stating that. She said with the photos the would accept and I didn't need to come in because she had all the pictures she needed before and after of the home. She also emailed me about me filling a complaint against her office. Which I told her yes I didn't file a complaint with her office. How can I resolve any issue if they are not trying to allow me to come in and show them the damages and the photos. I have attached the conversation that to me appears she is not happy about the complaint. I have not see but four photos and they had charged me for damages to a toilet that they then turned around and took off. I do not see how you can charge me for one thing and then turn around and say it was a mistake. I also the cleaning team that I had clean the place took the microwave plate back to the home they the new tents have. I can get statements from them and also from the tents prior to me that will state that they floor in that upstairs room that they had fixed was already done. I have several photos but unable to upload them because you will only accept so many.
Regards,
[redacted]