ComplaintsforReal Estate Investor Service

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My condo on the first floor was severely damaged by water from the unit owner above me. My laundry room had to be completely gutted to remove the mold in the ceiling and walls. Now the severely corroded and compromised gas pipes were revealed in the ceiling. My Association (****) is responsible for replacing the compromised gas pipes and they have dragged their feet for over 100 days so far! They keep promising they are going to do it - but they never do. I have been homeless for the entire time because: the gas pipes are not safe, I could not use my furnace and air conditioning all summer, and I have a health condition and can not be breathing in the debris that falls thru the above unit's sub floor. **** does not return my phone calls and rarely emails me back. The management talks down to me. I need my home back! If they would replace the pipes, I could start to replace my walls and ceiling and get back in my home. **** has been collecting my Association Dues for the past 3 months even though THEY are delaying my home reconstruction. Please help! - I just want **** to do the right thing. I want to move back into my condo a.s.a.p. I wish they could refund my association dues because it it ****** delay!

  Business response

  09/20/2024

  Dear Ms. **************** want to acknowledge the difficulties and frustrations you have experienced as a result of the water damage in your unit. While we understand that the situation has been challenging, we would like to clarify a few important points about the nature of the damage and the actions taken by the association and our company.
  
  Clarification of the Situation:
  First, the water damage to your unit was caused by a leak from your neighbors unit above, not by the association or the management company. The leak came from your neighbors air conditioner, which is not the responsibility of the association or the management company. Also, while we understand that you chose to gut your entire laundry room, this decision was made independently by you and was not authorized in advance by either the association or our management company.
  As the management company for the association, we act under the direction of the associations board of directors, which consists of volunteers from your community. We are not the association itself, nor do we provide insurance or repair/replacement services for the association. The board is responsible for directing how issues such as these are handled, and we follow their instructions accordingly.
  To date, the association has already engaged a licensed plumber to inspect the gas lines in the building and you also contacted the gas company to inspect as well. The gas company and plumber both confirmed that there are no leaks or immediate safety concerns with the pipes and no hazards were identified. As such, there has been no reason to vacate your unit or the building due to the gas lines.
  
  Timely Resolution:
  We want to reassure you that the association has been committed to addressing this issue in a timely manner. Upon notification of the situation, the association promptly filed an insurance claim and had a plumber on-site to inspect both the leaks and the gas line concerns. There have been no undue delays caused by the association or our management company. Any delays you have experienced are not the result of inaction on our part or that of the association.
  
  Clarification Regarding Dues:
  Regarding your concern about association dues, please note that our management company does not collect dues from you directly. As a member of a condominium association, you are responsible for paying assessments, which fund the operating costs and reserve funding for various components of the building. These dues are essential for the ongoing maintenance and operation of the association and do not cover the interior of your unit.
  Its also important to note that under the Illinois Condominium Property Act, the association is not permitted to refund or waive your assessments. These assessments are a legal obligation, and any refund or waiver would be in violation of the state law governing condominium associations.
  
  Communication:
  We understand your concern regarding communication, and we want to assure you that we have made every effort to keep you informed throughout this process. Our team has spent numerous hours in discussions with you, as well as with the association, its insurance company, and various vendors to address your concerns. We have also responded to your emails in a timely manner, including on several occasions after regular business hours, to ensure that your inquiries were addressed promptly.
  
  We hope this response clarifies the situation and the actions taken to date. We remain committed to working with the association to ensure that your concerns are resolved as quickly as possible. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
  
  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  06/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We using ***** as our service provider. We are paying high HOA fees. Looking at out Budget I have noticed few problems. Line where late fees and fine, they showed 200$ for the Year. That amount was stolen just from me. And no refund!!!! We have other 250 units. So many issues with paying our HOA fees. Wrongly collected data, and no transparency for what money is being spent! Parking rules forced on our community. Everyone was against those rules.This company should not be providing any services, because as a customer, I do not see what I am paying money for!

  Business response

  06/18/2024

  We have no records of any unit owners named LATVIJAS IEDZIVOTAJI Birnba.
  
  As a community Association manager our office does not set the Association fees or parking rules for any community. Those are set by and approved by the ****************** of directors made up of unit owners in the community.
  
  We have not collected any funds from this person and therefor have nothing to refund them. The claims of stolen funds are completely baseless, incorrect and libelous.

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  i have been living in my condo for 22 years every year i have to request the heat to be turned on,every year since ****, ive emailed **** the manage *********** texted ***** ******************, requesting the heat be turn on 3 days ago due the temp going below 50 degrees, in the rules and regulations on page 6 the heat is to be turned on as needed, the *** claims we / , control our heat, its only when the old furnace is turned on is when the thermostat works, I am retired and a senior citizen so am home the major of the day and for the last 3 days i have to turn on my oven and burners,a small room heater in my bedroom and a electric blanket to keep warm all day,

  Business response

  10/11/2023

  The ***** LIGHT COURT CONDOMINIUM ON HARLEM ************ **** approved to have the heat turned after boiler repairs were completed on the date of this unit owner's complaint. We had already advised the unit owner of this several times prior to their filing this.
  
  We had also informed the unit owner that our office does not receive text messages. Also we do not have anyone by the name ***** at our office. We also do not provide onsite management for the community.  The proper procedure to report heat complaints is to call our office and speak with the property manager who will then place a work order to have the issue checked by the association's contractor as quickly as possible.

• Initial Complaint

  09/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  New management company (Real Estate Investor Service) took over property management for the ***************************************** during my lease. The new management company is now imposing and enforcing new rules and regulations that were not outlined in my lease nor under previous HOA conditions, including fees for parking and move-in/move-out. The management company is threatening to tow vehicles without notice and going back and forth on policies without any clear directive. They are also telling me that my vehicle is subject to tow because of a grace ****** expiration, even though the parking policy that I agreed to stated payment for parking passes does not need to be provided until lease renewal.

  Business response

  09/18/2023

  The unit in question is part of the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION. ************************************** of directors who is made up of unit owners in the community recently approved new parking rules that cover the condominium units under the direction of the association's legal counsel. 

  ***** is a tenant of one of the owners in the association.  ***** is not a tenant of the association or our company. 

  Our office does not pass the rules for the condominium association. 

  Rules are approved by the board of directors who is made up of unit owners in the community and are designed for the safety and order of all in the community.

  Customer response

  09/20/2023

   
  Complaint: 20620251
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Per the business's response, I am a tenant of one of the owners in the association and not a tenant of the association or company. As such, the business should be coordinating parking regulation and fees through my landlord, not me. Instead, the business has repeatedly threatened to tow at every opportunity, despite me following all of the harsh policies they are threatening to enforce and continuously changing due to negative feedback from tenants. (see attachment). This business also was also demanding $24 from me for an annual parking pass, despite my lease ending next month. This was also not in the agreement I signed regarding parking because it said payment would need to be issued upon lease renewal, which I have not done yet. A pro-rated amount was not applied, despite the website indicating it should have been. ********************* in their office threatened to tow my vehicle if I did not comply with payment, despite this fee not being outlined in my lease agreement, the pro-rated amount not being applied to my account as it should have been, the business not communicating any issues to me or my landlord regarding my parking, and ****** not properly understanding parking policy herself (see attached attachment). As the business's agreement is with my landlord, the business should be requesting payment from her, not demanding payment from me under the threat of tow. I did finally pay the amount because of these threats. The business is also not properly notifying me of policy changes and updates regarding towing. While I am a tenant of a property owner here, I am registered in the parking portal and should be provided updates such as the "final notice" that was apparently sent out a few days ago, but I never received, despite my vehicle being the vehicle assigned as the primary vehicle at my residents. 
  
  ***** Quest

  Business response

  09/20/2023

  Our office does not pass the rules for the condominium association and cannot change them per your request. We do not have the authority to do so.

  Clear notices of the association's rules were and continue to be provided to the unit owner who is responsible to inform and work with their tenants to comply with the association 's rules.  If the tenant has an issue with the terms of their lease they need to reach out to their individual landlord as the association and our office are not parties to that agreement.

• Initial Complaint

  04/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Over the years we've had multiple management companies and Real Estate Investor Service is by far the worst, avoid at all costs. Past management companies have had representatives who take the time to understand the issues at hand and the latitude to help residents with small issues without citing a board decision or saying you'll have to appeal it at a meeting. But Real Estate Investor Service is completely unresponsive and seem to be about as useful as a simple AI, merely parroting past board votes rather than acting as an advocate and conduit for residents.They schedule universal "inspections" across all units, even for features your unit wasn't built with and couldn't possibly have due to the layout, and bury requests for information in emails with a lot of other info (or only email a link to their login portal, rather than a useful message), fining you exorbitantly if you miss the requests. They skip any logical fee progression, so you get hit with top-tier fees before you even get what should have been a bill for a low-level violation of missing their off-schedule paperwork requests (for info that they already have, and just want to make sure is up to date - not a good reason for aggressively fining residents and refusing to waive the fines even if you slightly miss the arbitrary deadline).In short, being managed by their company feels like having a malicious landlord, not fun when you have no recourse beyond wasting your time going to board meetings to beg the board to overrule them. I'm literally considering moving purely because they've made me aware of how little recourse I have over my own condo and finances, and as a homeowner that's a bad way to feel.

  Business response

  05/02/2023

  ***************************** is a unit owner and member of the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION.  The ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION has certain rules and policies that are set by the board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community) in consultation with the association's attorney.  Our office as the management company for the association does NOT set rules or policies of the association.  Our office is only tasked with enforcing the association's rules and policies which are all adopted by the board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community) in consultation with the association's attorney.
  The ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION has a rule that all unit owners must submit a census form providing the unit owner's contact info in a timely manner.  This info is vital to have on file in the event of an emergency.  ***********'s own admission in his email, he did not submit the form on time and therefore was subject to a fine per the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION rules.  All owners in the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION are subject to this rule.  Our office as management is not able to waive fines and ******* was provided the process to request a waiver of the fine from the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community).
  The ***************** CONDOMINIUM  ASSOCIATION board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community) also passed a requirement in consultation with the association's attorney that all units be inspected for certain items.  ******* was informed of this inspection in a timely manner and has been the only argumentative unit owner in relation to the inspection.  All unit owners are responsible to comply with the direction of the The ***************** CONDOMINIUM  ASSOCIATION board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community) for the safety of all residents in the community.
  In an association it is vital that all residents follow the rules for the association for the good of all residents in the community and most do. *******'s failure to follow the association rules is unfortunate and there are consequences for not following the rules which are set forth in the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION rules.  If ******* wishes to appeal these decisions he should do so with the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community)and not our office as we have no authority to waive fines for a violating unit owner.

  Customer response

  05/03/2023

   
  Complaint: 19996016
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  This Real Estate Investor Service response just condenses all the boilerplate level email responses from my attachments into one place, doesn't really show any willingness to understand or fix the issue.
  
  Yes, the board makes top-level decisions, but the way they are managed and implemented is down to the management company.  The web portal emails obfuscating information behind a login, important requests buried in letters or emails, lack of any personal thought or agency handling issues - claiming no authority when past management companies definitely had the authority and discretion, and the rote recitation of past board votes to defend the inaction - rather than taking the time to understand a logical thought and acting on it in a human way.  It feels like you're in an automated phone system trying to get a human representative on the phone.
  
  I'm not sure if it's the fault of a particular representative, or an automated-system approach to property management where the representatives are either discouraged from or unable to provide a human response to issues due to the framework of the system.  Either way it's very unpleasant compared to past management companies that had agency to resolve issues (including fines, contrary to what Real Estate Investor Service keeps repeating) rather than acting as a stone wall and presenting the inaccessible board as the only entity with agency.
  
  For example, when dealing with past property "census" requests (which are done at the end of each year normally), our previous management company would send out multiple reminder emails with a title indicating the single important topic and encouraging a response.  This year there was almost no communication except a couple lines in a letter about other things.  I almost missed it a second time since we had already submitted them mid-year, and would have been fined again (which I'm sure they would have levied again as an exorbitant $150 fine rather than starting from $50 as the infraction schedule normally functions).  
  
  Their BBB response indicates how robotic and out of touch they are, portraying these fines as an enforcement task to ensure "consequences for not following the rules", rather than trying to handle residents in a human way and realizing that fines have a real impact on resident lives and should be a slowly-escalating last resort that can be walked back on compliance, especially in the case of issues like updating paperwork that already exists.
  
  The management company should be guiding the board in making appropriate decisions as a representative for the residents, and having an explanation for the residents if the board makes a decision that will raise questions.  For example what rooms are being inspected in condos that clearly do not have washers and dryers and have no need for an inspection.  Not to mention the extra time/cost of frivolous inspections both to the inspectors and the residents.
  
  There were multiple opportunities for the representative to say "let me check on that for you" and act as a resident advocate/conduit, but the representative chose not to and just mindlessly offered rote recitation of a past board vote that was the very subject of the question.
  
  - what rooms would be inspected  
  - what the justification was for dryer-vent-inspecting condos with no washer/dryer availability  
  - if there was some way to install washer/dryer in originally not equipped units and what location  
  
  A simple answer to any of those questions would have provided a completely different support experience and conveyed that there was a plan on what to inspect or a reason for doing it.  Not being able to answer the basic who/what/why of an inspection seems irresponsible and covering the lack of information with boilerplate "the board decided" responses comes off as robotic and uncaring to the fact that you're demanding entry to someone's home.  These interactions - financial and otherwise - are all real world impacts on resident lives, and are not being handled with the care and understanding I'm sure the representatives would want if the roles were reversed.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business response

  05/06/2023

  Thank you for your response and feedback regarding the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION. We apologize for any inconvenience or frustration you have experienced, and we appreciate your input.
  
  We understand that you are dissatisfied with the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION rules/fine schedule and feel that the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION have not adequately addressed your concerns. We apologize if our previous communication did not meet your expectations, and we want to assure you that the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION takes all complaints seriously.
  
  To start as you have stated in previous communications these decisions are made by the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community) and not our office.  The ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION board of directors is accessible to all owners and holds regular meetings which all unit owners receive proper notice of.
  
  As we have informed you in the past our company does not have the authority to remove any fines from your account for noncompliance with the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION rules.  If you wish to appeal these decisions that will need to be done so with the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community) and not our office as we have no authority to waive fines for a violating unit owner. 
  
  Regarding your questions about the inspection of units we did review the notices sent by the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION on this matter and they clearly outlined that all units needed to be inspected per the direction and vote of the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION board of directors (made up of other unit owners in the community).
  
  We can not comment on what other past management companies may have done incorrectly in working with the ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION.  Our office was specifically brought in to resolve several issues caused by past management companies.  We have put in countless hours to resolve these issues and assist your community in moving forward on the correct path.
  
  Again, we apologize for any frustration or inconvenience you have experienced.  We do encourage you to attend the next ***************** CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION board of directors meeting and address the board (made up of other unit owners in the community)on your concerns.

  Customer response

  05/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 19996016
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  I just want to reiterate what I'm asking for, since this reply, although more polite than the original, does restate most of the same points.  I'm not asking for board policies to change, just the way Real Estate Investor Service guides the board and interacts with residents. I'd like **** to examine and put procedures in place that improve the communication and care when handling resident issues - here are some specific examples/suggestions:
  
  1. I understand you're trying to get paperwork and organizational issues put in place, but using heavy fines in conjunction with off-schedule requests and then placing the blame on the board is abrasive.  ********************** should be guiding the process to organize while also minimally interfering with residents.  Fees should be seen as an incentive to comply, not as punitive "consequences" as the first **** reply suggested.  
  
  Especially in this case when the only "rule" not being followed was a mid-year request for ******* paperwork that all residents had already filed with previous management.  Perhaps consider very light fines or multiple reminders for newly issued rules/requests in the first 12 months that the rule/request is implemented, to ensure violations are willing noncompliance and not just oversight of new regulations.
  
  2. Related, all communication regarding financial issues should be clearly stated on its own and not muddled in with other news or community issues. And if at all possible there should be multiple reminders - particularly electronic reminders that cost **** nothing - with the goal of maximum compliance without needing to levy fines as incentive.
  
  I mentioned this in my previous response, but past management companies have sent multiple email blasts over the course of a month or two reminding people that community "census" info was due for submission.  For ******* 2023 with **** I think the only communication I saw was a sentence in a physical letter about other stuff, and even then I only saw it because I went back to re-read it for another reason.  Anything that can cost the residents money should be clear, concise, and sent as an eye catching independent communication so it doesn't get mixed in with unnecessary community updates and news.
  
  3. ********************** should understand the what/why/where when requesting inspection of resident properties.  If there is any question about why an inspection is being done, what will be inspected, and where the inspection needs access to, then those questions need to be found out before the inspection request is sent to residents.  
  
  In the recent dryer vent inspection for instance, neither ****, nor the board at the latest meeting, could tell me why the ******* units were being inspected for dryer vents when everyone seems to acknowledge that they don't support washer and dryers, and the rules specifically prohibit them from having a washer/dryer due to plumbing not supporting it.  This is an area where the management company should be guiding the board to either inspect the proper units, or at least determining the answer to the what/why/where question for the residents who understandably want to know why their house is being accessed for something that can't exist.
  
  4. Guiding the board in making proper decisions and clarifications, not just blanket defense of decisions already made if there is a question about their legitimacy.  
  
  On the most recent board call another resident "*******" raised concerns about the legality of one or more fines that the board wanted to implement.  Rather than proposing to investigate further into his seemingly valid question about a specific fine, the **** representative just stated that an attorney had already reviewed it - not even considering that there might be an oversight on that detail that should be re-examined.  ********* then proceeded to pass the motion without any clarification that the issue at question would be given due diligence to confirm whether *******'s concerns were merited.  **** could have guided them to motion for an exception to the item in question to be passed later, for example.
  
  5. Responding to resident requests with a human response, not just acting as a brick wall that merely cites past rules and board decisions. If a resident asks a relevant question and the answer isn't known, the **** representative should attempt to find out rather than treating it as an inconvenience.
  
  For example my email chain about the dryer vent situation. I was persistent but never rude and never asked anything extraordinary, and yet the **** representative was unwilling to reach out to the board or even the inspection company to find out the what/why/where of the inspection. After raising the exact same question at the board meeting it is now being investigated, but residents shouldn't have to wait a month and sit through 2-3 hours of community issues for answers to simple questions that can be handled with a couple lines of an email.
  
  
  
  I think **** reviewing the procedures and implementing controls around those five points would substantially improve the resident experience, and would also result in less contention and better compliance with the rules as residents are reminded more and fined less, and are able to receive clear answers to requests that **** or the board make about their time or property.
  
  For example the dryer vent inspection which could have easily been one email back and forth telling me either that my unit type didn't require it and it was an oversight, or maybe that my kitchen wall needed to be "inspected" to confirm that my unit was a ******* without a utility room for washer/dryer (even though **** has a map of all Barretts already).  Instead it took seven frustrating emails, a morning tidying up my entire condo because **** couldn't tell me what rooms would be seen, 2 hours waiting for an inspector that never showed up, 2.5 hours on a board meeting call, and a few days later I still have no idea what will be inspected or when they'll be coming.  Seems like a severe breakdown of communication and planning that proper procedures should avoid.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  10/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This company manages my homeowners association. There was water after a storm coming out of an electrical face plate in my storage unit which had my fire alarm hardwired into it. My other fire alarms went off earlier in the evening, and the fire department was alerted. This one went off in the middle of the night so my tenant went downstairs and when he unscrewed it from the plate water came out.I have learned, and followed up every day with the management company who has promised that an electrician will come out. First, after following up three days, they connected me with a company who does not even work with that type of the unit. Then I had to go back to them again and have been promised an electrician all week. My property is not currently safe, nor is the property of the other unit owners, as the fire alarm is only battery operated, and would only be heard from anyone nearby .The electrician needs to be out there immediately, we are coming up on the weekend, this happened on 26 September. The ********** fire lieutenant told me they cannot do anything without knowing where a leak would be coming from and because the damage is somewhere within the walls of the building, I cant reinstall anything without an electrician, deeming it safe, therefore protecting the entire building. I have emailed them, citing the fire code regarding the alarms, needing to be properly in place and still have not gotten a call from the electrician.

  Business response

  10/10/2022

  Our office has been in ongoing communications with the condo unit owner at KENILWORTH PARK CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION and a work order was started immediately to have the alarm replaced per her request.  Please note the alarm is not connected to the building fire alarm system and the fire alarm system was working at all times at the KENILWORTH PARK CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION.
  

  The contractor hired to replace the alarm is not part of our company and has their own schedule which is not in our control as they are a contracted third party of the condo association (KENILWORTH PARK CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION) where the unit owner has a condo.  We try and get contractors to the site as soon as we can but we can not control their work schedules.  ******** work orders can take some time to completed due to the contractor's schedule, work load, and labor/parts availability.  We try and have these projects completed as soon as we can but patience is needed some times.
  

  The smoke detector she has request has been replaced already at this time and the work order has been closed.

  Thank you.
  

   

   

  Customer response

  10/12/2022

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩