Stuff-N-Balloons

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below I also work in the cus***er service business and know how important it is to keep stakeholders, customers and clients informed This is why I'm complaining about Helm's negligence I would very much like it to improve – especially if they continue to manage our HOA I think I’ve been very patient with our situation Timeline provided: *June – HOA President (not Helm) confirmed shipment of replacement solar panels She coordinated this, not Helm *July – received panels During the month of July, Helm tried to find another company to replace the panels *Aug – HOA meeting [redacted] said he couldn’t find another company to swap the existing panels and that [redacted] was the only one willing to do it My husband and I agreed that we just wanted the panels fixed and [redacted] would be fine After not hearing anything the entire month of August after the HOA meeting, my husband called [redacted] the first week of September inquiring about the repair *Sept – [redacted] emailed my husband to set up a time for repairs *Sept – [redacted] came out to replace some of the non-working panels I understand Helm wanted to do more research, but more than a month passed between our agreeing to go with [redacted] and Helm actually attempting to schedule the repair [redacted] didn’t have enough panels to replace all the bad ones on our house, so Helm worked to get more They did and, because we were unavailable, they repaired the other houses that were having similar issues We tried to coordinate to have our house completed, but Helm wasn’t responsive to our inquiries *Oct – next HOA meeting When we still didn’t have a helpful response, we asked the board at the HOA meeting to pay 1/of our electric bill (July-Sept) that would have been covered by our solar panels [redacted] said that was a “reasonable request” in front of all the board members After [redacted] said it would require an Executive Meeting, the HOA President dismissed the request At this meeting, another homeowner couple complained about Helm’s customer service – particularly Helm’s not returning phone calls *Nov – solar panel replacement finally completed Scheduling frustrations previously stated in initial complaints *Dec – latest HOA meeting We received no notification about the board having held an Executive Meeting, so we asked at the HOA meeting Apparently, they held one when my husband couldn’t make a separate board meeting (Nov 19) and didn’t feel it was important to notify us I would like official notification of which board members attended and actually voted [redacted] also said they inquired with an attorney and could draft a letter stating what was discussed and the reasoning the lawyer provided I would still like the offered letter from the attorney and a formal notice from the board that sufficient members attended the Executive Meeting and voted I do not thing an “oh-by-the-way” at an HOA meeting is appropriate If homeowners present something of this nature to the board, and the matter isn’t addressed at the meeting, then they should receive the courtesy of timely results They should receive notice of results Given that Helm’s initial response to my initial complaint held so many inaccuracies regarding dates and services proves the point of poor customer service They do not appear to properly take notes at meetings Nor do they appear to have their records in order I have emails from them backing all these dates Helm also has a discrepancy with their voicemail that they need to address The business cards they hand out don’t have the personal phone extensions listed Personal extensions only appear in the signature lines of their emails If you call and don’t know the person’s extension, your voicemail goes to a general voicemail that no one checks Calls are not returned This has been part of the scheduling frustration They scheduled repairs for the day I had surgery and we left several messages [redacted] didn’t receive I doubt we’re the only ones We’ve been very patient with Helm We’ve exhausted all other means to address these concerns Regards, [redacted]

Our office has updated the mailing address of the unit We apologize for any inconvenience, until the moment of this complaint, no record of an address correction has been noted for this owner

Complaint:
I am rejecting this response because:
The business owner conducted several unecessary tests, falsified information in his reports, refused to go over results with me Any reputable business will explain their charges and go over results not just expect a customer to blindly pay for things that haven't been explainedI have to come to a resolution with the business many times but the only answer I get in response is he is taking me to court The business owner is completely unreasonable and untrustworthy I do have copies of his reports that were given to me by my insurance company and I can prove my statements using his own reports I have not used the insurance money as I still have the check uncashed from the insurance company I am still willing to resolve this matter with the business if the owner is willing to be cordial and reasonable about it
Regards,
J*** ***

Here at The Helm we pride ourselves on going the extra mile, being honest in our dealings with Boards, homeowners, and vendors/contractorsWe always do our very best to provide excellent customer serviceUnfortunately with the business we are in, not everyone feels they’ve received the attention they feel they deserve
In this particular case, many facets have come into play involving not only the homeowner, association, management (two companies), manufacturers, developer, and attorneys creating a very complicated process to get to a satisfactory resolution All facts are absolutely pertinent and speak to the true issues Ms*** and Mr*** haveWe’ve addressed those in our previous response so we will focus now on their accusations of poor customer service and poor communication
In her statement, Ms*** gave a partial synopsis of the correspondence between our office and both Ms*** and Mr*** but it is incompleteCorrespondence via email and telephone happened with both of them at numerous times throughout this process as she has previously mentionedSometimes regarding scheduling of the initial replacement in September when they ran out of panels, sourcing the new replacement panels which are not in production, or scheduling with the installer especially with the time constraints given to us by the homeownersIt was our desire to resolve this as quickly as possible as wellClearly this couldn’t happen fast enough for them and we understood the frustration but during each call or email, we were very clear that we would contact them as soon as we had any new updatesWhen the response didn’t come at the time she desired or expected, she would call/email againOther than calling her every day towards the end with no new information, there is not much more we could have done
In regards to both letters from Ms***, and her request for The Helm to pay her $232.85, we are not responsible for payment of any lost electricityTheir solar panels are not the responsibility of the management company and had not been working long before we took over management in JulyWe have acquiesced to the homeowners desire to try to find a new installer (for three homes affected) which took time and we couldn’t even begin to try to schedule the first installation until August/SeptemberThe fact that the installation company was not available when it was convenient for the homeowner is also not the fault of the The Helm Management CompanyWhen additional panels were needed and there were no new ones left as the company went bankrupt and no longer existed, this again took timeAlso, this homeowner has concurrently asked the HOA to also pay the 1/of their electric costs which has been denied
We are very sorry for the homeowner’s frustration and we sincerely apologize if Ms*** & Mr*** felt that they were not given excellent customer serviceWe will continue to try to work with them on these and any further issues and hope for a fresh start now that their solar panels have been replaced

I am rejecting this response because the business the business owner is dishonest and unethical He faked some charges to get the maximum
amount of payout from the insurance company I offered to pay him for the legitimate items on his invoices but refused to accept payment I have reviewed his reports and there are statements in his reports of things he said he did that are inaccurate and flat out false
Complaint:
I am rejecting this response because:
Regards,
J*** ***

The guy is a lier he received a check from his insurance company to pay me and has refused to pay me in fact im in the process of taking him to court

You are a flat out liar your insurance company accepted my charges and paid my charges you have taken it upon yourself to keep the insurance money for your self and refuse to pay me, your problem is with Central Coast Restoration not with me your a crooked liar and control freak your controlling policeman tactics will not work on me I have your signature on my agreement I sent you the invoices if you feel CCCR cross contaminated your bedroom you should have gone after them for reimbursementYou lie and lie constantly I reject your statement we will just see what a judge thinks and let him decide I will see you in court you can count on it people like you should be ashamed of themselves I have been in business for years and never had a complaint by anyone only a controlling cop who thinks he has power over people because he wears a badgeGood luck you are a real piece of work

Mr*** request for resolution was as follows:Fully inspect the leak in the roof and around the window frameHave it tested for mold and produce a certificate showing the resultsRepair the leak ASAP before the problems get worse. We were successful in getting the appropriate maintenance
personnel to Mr*** unit This was in process prior to the complaint that was filed with the Revdex.com, but was not consistent with the timeline that Mr*** believed to be appropriate. The leak has been corrected, and as such any potential for bacterial growth has been eliminated. At this moment we are unable to provide a mold clearance as we have been waiting for significant rain to determine if the leak will reappear. Recent rains, including rain from last week did not result in a leak (at least not that we have been notified of by Mr***), and as such we are approaching the Association’s Board of Directors for approval to engage a vendor to test for mold

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below
Poor customer service and poor communication are valid
complaints against a business and those are the heart of my complaints with
Helm Management Co, not the HOA. I
had to repeatedly request updates for maintenance. Not all of my emails were answered. For a long-term, ongoing, sizable
maintenance situation like this, good customer service would involve Helm
contacting me with updates, not my having to pester them on a weekly/monthly
basis
The history of the solar panel problem is irrelevant to this
complaint. Every home in the
community, units, still has these solar panels installed. The initial replacement panels were
delivered to our house early July and sat in our garage until September 16,
when they were installed two and a half months later*** *** realized they didn’t have
enough replacement panels, so Helm got more. Helm’s statement that the initial repair took place in
October is incorrect. I have email
confirmation from Helm scheduling the first repair. In order to schedule the first repair, we voiced receipt of
the panels via email to the HOA President early July and again at the August
HOA meeting. We followed up with
phone calls and finally got a follow up email from *** September 4. After another email to her on Sept 6,
she replied Sept to schedule repairs for Sept
While our HOA President is reluctant to hold a property
management company accountable for their actions or inactions, that’s an issue
for the next HOA meeting and not part of this complaint. I understand she wants to support Helm
since she recommended them and arranged that they become the property managers
for our community
While *** fraudulently charged the HOA for the first visit
one year ago (when they didn’t do what they claimed they would), that’s a
problem we voiced with the HOA, who still paid for services not performed. This complaint is not about ***, but
Helm’s slow response to schedule repairs and keep us informed. We advised Helm of the *** issues,
but just wanted our panels fixed and agreed to go with *** since they were
the only company willing to perform the repair. The decision to go with *** was made far earlier than
October, when we got the first batch of replacement panels, which the HOA
President coordinated, not Helm
We never cancelled the morning of an appointment with ***
That statement is untrue. Once,
*** showed up unscheduled when they broke corner tiles on our roof during the
initial repair and weren’t forthcoming about it. They wanted to fix them without anyone knowing. *** and I were asked at the last two
board meetings (Aug 5, Oct 14) when we had availability and our responses were
always Friday afternoons, given that we both work full time. *** specifically asked October 14, at
the end of the last board meeting, in front of all the board members, including
the HOA President, when *** was available, and *** replied “Friday
afternoons.” Helm doesn’t seem to
check their voicemail regularly, nor return calls. Two homeowners came to the last meeting to complain
specifically about Helm not returning correspondence. This is why we notified them a week ahead of time when we
had two whole weeks wide open for scheduling. During this time, I emailed *** almost every day for an
update and received three vague replies that she “would have to check with
***.” Again, they don’t seem to
communicate well and cus***er service was very poor regarding this matter. At one point during the second week,
after inquiring with ***, I received a reply indicating he didn’t know if they
were going to fix the panels or not, which came as a surprise to my husband and
I. I do not trust Helm with access
to my house when I’m not home when they can’t provide a courtesy follow up
without several inquiries from me
The light between the garages of *** and *** *** *** *** is still tagged with a bright orange streamer and hasn’t worked for
the past three months. It was
tagged during the Sept panel installation
I have been attending the meetings for the past year as a
result of the solar panel problem and community nuisance that wasn’t part of
this complaint. Hardly any
information has been released about the lawsuit and that’s been a completely
separate issue from getting our panels fixed. The lawsuit does not pertain to this complaint at all
The board did not make a decision regarding the
reimbursement. They discussed
having an Executive Meeting, but that did not take place. The HOA President dismissed it and it
was not discussed. If an Executive
Meeting took place, we should have been notified of the result. We have received no notification. Again, that’s a complaint for the next HOA
meeting, not a complaint against Helm.
Helm has made another statement regarding the Executive Meeting
Poor customer service warrants a complaint to the Revdex.com when
reasonable attempts for resolution are ineffective. Perhaps Helm Management and *** *** need to re-read my
initial complaint. Their efforts
to dismiss this complaint emphasize their lack of professionalism
Regards,
*** ***

Our office has updated the mailing address of the unit.  We apologize for any inconvenience, until the moment of this complaint, no record of an address correction has been noted for this owner.

In order to respond to Ms. [redacted], we have broken down her complaint in several sections, and have offered a reply or comment to each.  Please see that below.  This response has been drafted with the help of [redacted], President of the [redacted] Homeowners...

Association. COMPLAINT: My daughter went to the last HOA meeting on May 18, 2015, she states that the representative from Helm Management recommended that the trees be cut down, no one was given a vote.  RESPONSE:  The Board, elected by the homeowners, voted to remove the trees based on arborist recommendations and visible damage to the sidewalks and floor in the entryway.  The trees were too big for the complex and the damage caused by the trees had been discussed at each quarterly meeting for the year preceding the vote to remove the trees.  Ms. [redacted] was absent from all of the referenced meetings.  The membership was given a vote by electing the Board of Directors in place to represent the membership and was given several opportunities to voice concerns of removing the trees at the quarterly meetings.  The Helm Management Co. is not tasked with approving work, but rather following through on the directives of the Board.COMPLAINT: The notice states that some of these trees are dying and are causing damage to the building structure, I am no professional however I do not see any damage as of yet.  RESPONSE:  There is documented damage caused by the tree roots.  If Ms. [redacted] had attended any of the quarterly association meetings she would have had the opportunity to see the damage.  Photos were also provided to Helm Management that would have been available to her upon request.  We are not aware of any such request.COMPLAINT:  The notice also states that we will have cameras installed around the complex, no vote on that either.  RESPONSE:  Again, the membership was given a vote by electing the Board of Directors in place to represent the membership and was given the opportunity to voice any concerns at the quarterly meetings that Ms. [redacted] did not attend.COMPLAINT:  I feel as though we are being taken advantage of.  RESPONSE:  This statement is unclear, however it should be noted that the Board is concerned with security of the complex.COMPLAINT:  I would like to say that I would like a say in what goes on around here.  RESPONSE:  Ms. [redacted] has the opportunity to attend the quarterly Board meetings just like any other homeowner or resident.   Notices of the meetings are posted in the lobby in advance and are sent in the mail along with the monthly dues invoice.   If she is a member in good standing (which has not always been the case in the past), she also has the opportunity to vote, annually, on the representatives for the Board of Directors.COMPLAINT:  I was also told by one of my neighbors that they have to choose their company to install the duel pain [sic] windows that some residences have already installed.  RESPONSE:  The rules and regulations clearly provide window replacement guidelines and were mailed to all homeowners in June of 2014.  They were also provided to the homeowners for comment 30 days prior to the vote to approve the updated rules and regulations.  The board does not require a certain contractor, only certain aesthetic and installation guidelines.  Ms. [redacted] is advised to review the rules and regulations that were provided to her before complaining based on poor or uninformed information from a neighbor.REQUEST/RESOLUTION:  I do not want the trees cut down or cameras put up in our complex. This complex has had no theft or burglaries since I moved here ten years ago.  RESPONSE:  The elected Board of Directors has decided to make the changes based on the needs of the complex, and homeowner input.  There have been several instances of theft (one to a Board of Director’s vehicle in mid-day just a few weeks ago), vandalism, trespassing, and teenagers smoking marijuana in the carport all in recent years and as recent as this morning, July 21st.  The elected Board of Directors recognizes this security concern and is acting appropriately on behalf of the homeowners.  Our records indicate that Ms. [redacted] has not been in attendance routinely at the meetings, and had she regularly attended the quarterly meetings of which she was made aware via posting in the building lobby, she would have heard many people voice concerns over security. Thank you,[redacted]Senior Association ManagerThe Helm Management Co.4668 Nebo DriveLa Mesa, CA 91941[redacted]619-466-6499 - FAX[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I also work in the cus[redacted]er service business and know how
important it is to keep stakeholders, customers and clients informed.
This is why I'm complaining about Helm's negligence.  I would very much
like it to improve – especially if they continue to manage our HOA.  I think I’ve been very patient with our
situation.  Timeline provided:
*June 27 – HOA President (not Helm) confirmed shipment of
replacement solar panels.  She
coordinated this, not Helm.
*July 6 – received panels.
During the month of July, Helm tried to find another company
to replace the panels.
*Aug 5 – HOA meeting. 
[redacted] said he couldn’t find another company to swap the existing panels
and that [redacted] was the only one willing to do it.  My husband and I agreed that we just wanted the panels fixed
and [redacted] would be fine.
After not hearing anything the entire month of August after
the HOA meeting, my husband called [redacted] the first week of September
inquiring about the repair.
*Sept 9 – [redacted] emailed my husband to set up a time for
repairs.
*Sept 16 – [redacted] came out to replace some of the non-working
panels.
I understand Helm wanted to do more research, but more than
a month passed between our agreeing to go with [redacted] and Helm actually
attempting to schedule the repair.
[redacted] didn’t have enough panels to replace all the bad ones
on our house, so Helm worked to get more. 
They did and, because we were unavailable, they repaired the other
houses that were having similar issues. 
We tried to coordinate to have our house completed, but Helm wasn’t
responsive to our inquiries.
*Oct 14 – next HOA meeting.  When we still didn’t have a helpful response, we asked the
board at the HOA meeting to pay 1/3 of our electric bill (July-Sept) that would
have been covered by our solar panels. 
[redacted] said that was a “reasonable request” in front of all the board
members.
After [redacted] said it would require an Executive Meeting, the
HOA President dismissed the request.
At this meeting, another homeowner couple complained about
Helm’s customer service – particularly Helm’s not returning phone calls.
*Nov 13 – solar panel replacement finally completed.  Scheduling frustrations previously
stated in initial complaints.
*Dec 2 – latest HOA meeting.  We received no notification about the board having held an
Executive Meeting, so we asked at the HOA meeting.  Apparently, they held one when my husband couldn’t make a
separate board meeting (Nov 19) and didn’t feel it was important to notify us.
I would like official notification of which board members
attended and actually voted.  [redacted]
also said they inquired with an attorney and could draft a letter stating what
was discussed and the reasoning the lawyer provided.  I would still like the offered letter from the attorney and
a formal notice from the board that sufficient members attended the Executive
Meeting and voted.  I do not thing
an “oh-by-the-way” at an HOA meeting is appropriate.  If homeowners present something of this nature to the board,
and the matter isn’t addressed at the meeting, then they should receive the
courtesy of timely results.  They
should receive notice of results.
 
Given that Helm’s initial response to my initial complaint
held so many inaccuracies regarding dates and services proves the point of poor
customer service.  They do not appear
to properly take notes at meetings. 
Nor do they appear to have their records in order.  I have emails from them backing all
these dates.
 
Helm also has a discrepancy with their voicemail that they
need to address.  The business
cards they hand out don’t have the personal phone extensions listed.  Personal extensions only appear in the
signature lines of their emails. 
If you call and don’t know the person’s extension, your voicemail goes
to a general voicemail that no one checks.  Calls are not returned.  This has been part of the scheduling frustration.  They scheduled repairs for the day I
had surgery and we left several messages [redacted] didn’t receive.  I doubt we’re the only ones.
 
We’ve been very patient with Helm.  We’ve exhausted all other means to
address these concerns.
Regards,
[redacted]