ComplaintsforAmerican Community Management, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  05/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Recently purchased a condommiun on 4/17/2024at this complex that is managed by this company American Community Management. Company has not undated their policies on parking in the coumminty and have been giving me a problem about a visitors parking pass which I am entitle to because I am a owner in the community. Spoke with the management company via email and telephone and have not gotten anywhere as of today.

  

  Business response

  05/21/2024

  Dear BBB,
  We have reviewed this matter with our team that manages ******* ****** ***********. They advised that on April 17th, the resident requested parking passes. At that time, they were informed that a parking pass application would need to be completed and that copies of their driver’s license and vehicle registration card, both showing the address of the unit at the property, would need to be provided. To allow the resident time to make these updates, a temporary parking permit was issued.
  The resident contacted us again on May 13 to request their parking permits. They were reminded that they needed to complete the parking pass application and submit their driver’s license and vehicle registration showing the address of the property. We have attached a copy of the parking rules and regulations, which outline this process and its requirements, as well as the application form.
  The board has approved an extension of the temporary parking permit through the end of June to give the resident time to update their driver’s license and vehicle registration with the MVA.
  Once these items have been submitted to our office, we will issue the parking permits. The resident can submit the required documents via the community portal at www.*******.com or mail them to our office at ******* ****** ***** *** ***, PO BOX ***, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090.
  If there are any additional questions, please let us know.
  Sincerely, American Community Management

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  American Community Management/Columbia Park Condominium has, since inception of the hang tag policy, stressed that ****** Townhouse owners are to only have one hang tag as they have a ****** and driveway giving them three spaces. ******** Townhouse owners have two hang tags, one for their numbered space and one for an unnumbered space giving them two. The parking situation has always been a problem where all Newsletters furnished have stressed this policy and that “Any attempt to purchase additional parking passes under false pretenses, will result in a violation and vehicles towed at the owner’s expense.” A second hang tag was issued to a ****** Townhouse owner giving them the luxury of taking up two of the non-numbered spaces to leave their ****** and driveway free for visitors or customers. Most if not all open spaces are taken up by ****** owners too lazy to move their car from the driveway to allow the car in the ****** to get out leaving a hardship on the ******** Townhouse owners attempting to find a second space. I have questioned ACM as to why this was allowed and the only response I get is the board members approved and no further action will be taken. What I want is to know why this person has been given preferential treatment, and there may be more, and why this hasn’t been offered to everyone in the community. If they are offering this to all, then the ******** Townhouse owners should be given their extra numbered space as promised when this place was opened. As usual, they have stopped responding to me. At least the Board members in the past have been respectful to their paying customers where this regime is not.

  

  Business response

  02/22/2024

  Dear BBB,

  American Community Management works at the Direction of the Board of Directors for ******** **** Condo Association. The ******** **** Condo board has not issued additional parking tags to any owners within the community. 
  We would like to clarify that a fellow resident gave one of their hang tags to a neighbor to accommodate a new mother's parking need. There are no rules prohibiting a neighbor from sharing their parking permits with another neighbor. 
  It's important to note that while such arrangements may occur between neighbors, the board remains committed to upholding the principles of fairness and consistency in enforcing community policies.
  While we appreciate your persistence in seeking clarification, we must reiterate that the board has carefully considered the matter and determined that the current policy remains appropriate at this time.
  We encourage open dialogue and welcome suggestions for improvement from all residents. However, it's important to respect the decisions made by the board, which are based on careful consideration and input from the community.
  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention, and please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or suggestions.
  

  
  

  Customer response

  02/22/2024

  Can I edit my rejection to say:

  I am rejecting this response because: this is unfair to all the other "new mothers" in the development.  These people are taking up two of the unmarked spaces and leaving their driveway empty, two of which are in front of my next door neighbor who are senior citizens with a handicapped tag.   I would imagine a new mother would want to use the driveway.  In my "request",  We are told that we cannot share our numbered space so why is it fair to allow someone to share their tag?  I want to know how long will this "new mother" be using this tag?  

   

  

  Business response

  02/26/2024

  Dear BBB,

  
  As previously communicated, the Board of Directors for ******** **** Condo has affirmed that neighbors are permitted to share their parking permits with one another. There are no restrictions or rules prohibiting this practice, nor are there limitations on the duration for which someone may share their hang tag.

  If there is any additional information we can provide, please let us know. 

  Sincerely, 

  American Community Management on behalf of ******** **** Condo Association

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am a resident of the ***** ** ****** condominium complex that is managed by AMC. On May 11th, my household, with ******** ****** as the primary owner, submitted a complaint regarding broken stairs leading to our unit. The stairs have rotted and weathered and resulted in one of the stairs being opened and broken. This is a major safety issue not only for us but for our pet and the other residents of our building as well. Many of the other stairs are in a similar state so we fear that there is vast structural damage. No response to our claim was received from ACM to remediate this issue. This is the second time that we have had to take this action of reporting this company to the BBB for failure to respond to remediate safety concerns within and around our condo. This issue is in need of immediate attention. Additionally, we have two other safety issues with our condo that we have not submitted for because of the lack of response from the management company. We hope that reporting this issue will show the severity of our concern and result in a speedy and helpful response.

  

  Business response

  06/02/2023

  Dear BBB, 

  ACM received notice from the Board of Directors of ***** ** ****** to terminate our management agreement, effective May 31, 2023. As part of the termination agreement, the Board requested that ACM would not handle projects or work orders. The concerns from Mr. ****** were reported to the Board of Directors. Mr. ****** will need to address this matter directly with the Board of Directors to obtain an update on the matter. 
  
  All records and files have been transitioned to the new management company for this community. The new management company should be sending notices to the community with contact information so that Mr. ****** can follow up on the matter with them and the Board. 
  
  Sincerely, 
  
  American Community Management 

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  American Community Management(ACM) is the current HOA manager for my condo association and has been nothing short of challenging to work with. Over the last few years, they have dragged their feet on general community updates, but even more so with my unit-specific issue. Last year I embarked on a renovation of the finishes in our master bathroom. Upon removing the floating wood floor it was revealed that the concrete slab below was severely cracked and bowing underweight (see pictures). Upon a review of HOA bylaws and guidelines, it became clear that this repair fell under the responsibility of the HOA. On 11/29/22 we submitted a repair request through our HOA portal explaining the situation and requesting service. The following day we received a notification from the system for someone to call us to evaluate the floor. After a long wait, ACM's preferred contractor finally came out on December 21st to give an estimate. The workers claimed we would hear back soon, but that didn't happen. After an exhausting game of telephone tag well into the New Year with the contractor, I stopped hearing from them all together. Messages to the ACM Property Manager for our complex have gone unanswered as well as any responses to my inquiries via their portal. The one thing that has come through without fault is the requests for HOA fees with another one looming on the 15th. Since my initial request, I have paid well over $1000 in HOA fees apparently for nothing. It's truly disappointing that I am essentially paying people to ignore me and not consider that I've been without the use of my bathroom for four months. The problem grows even more concerning since there may also be cracked concrete under our bed as well. The new property manager promised to be more responsive, but that has been nothing short of a fantasy. At this point, I will need to seek legal counsel to address the issue.

  

  Business response

  03/15/2023

  Dear BBB, 
  ACM has reviewed this matter internally with our team that services this account. Below is a timeline and breakdown of what has transpired. 
  11/29/22 Request received from the owner about the damaged floor. 
  11/30 A work order was created and submitted to Contractor 1
  12/1 Contractor 1 contacted the owner directly to schedule an appointment to inspect the issue. 
  12/20 Response from Contractor 1 to ACM inspection scheduled for 12/21 @10 of the unit. 
  After the association's preferred contractor inspected the issue, the contractor advised the issue is with the Gypcrete. Gypcrete is common to cracking when removing flooring. This appears to be what is happening with this unit. The flooring company or the owner needs to skim the surface as part of the process for replacing the floor. 
  The above information was shared with the owner as well. 
  The board of directors have also advised ACM and the owner that they are responsible for the repair of the flooring as it is part of the unit. The owner may refer to the Declaration of Tiers of Walden, Page 4, subsection 5-Dimension of Units-Each unit consists of the space measured horizontally from and to the outside (unexposed) surface of the drywall enclosing the unit, and the space measured vertically from the inside (exposed) surface of the concrete or gypcrete flooring of the unit to the outside (unexposed) surface of the drywall ceiling of the unit…” 
  On page 7 of the declaration, Section 7, subsection b-Maintence By the Unit Owner-” Each unit owner shall be responsible at his or her own expense for the maintenance, repair and replacement of his or her unit and all parts thereof, including without limitation interior walls including as part of a unit, interior ceiling and floors and the finished interior surfaces of all perimeter walls, ceiling and floors, kitchen and bathroom fixtures…” 
  The Gypcrete is part of the unit and the flooring is part of the unit owner's responsibility to repair or replace. 
  When the BBB Complaint was received, ACM sent another contractor to inspect the unit to obtain a second opinion. Contractor 2, advised the same as Contractor 1. Contractor 2 suspects that the prior owner of the unit replaced the flooring and did not complete the installation correctly, which is part of the reason for the damage. 
  It is still the opinion of the Board of Directors that the flooring repair is the responsibility of the owner based on the two inspections conducted by the contractors. 
  ACM works at the direction of the board of directors and has followed through at the board's direction on this matter. 
  If there are any additional questions or information needed, please do not hesitate to contact me. 
  
  

  Customer response

  03/19/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because the communication that is being cited never happened. At no point has anyone from ACM, the board of directors, or either contractor followed up with me on any of the referenced instances. The only time I was contacted was to schedule the two inspections. At the end of each inspection both estimators informed us that they would inform their company and someone would get back to us. I would not have been requesting updates over the last several months if I had known that I would need to cover this expense. 

  While we are disappointed that it took this long to inform us that it would be our responsibility to repair their floor we do accept that finding. But what we can't accept is this lack of communication that has been happening amongst the HOA, ACM, and the contractors. They had several opportunities to convey this knowledge with me when I requested updates over the last several months, but it took reporting the issue to the BBB to find out what the deal was. We had no idea of the contractors findings because we were left in the dark.

  We have been truly inconvenienced by the lack of communication by all the parties that willing take our money every month. We communicated within the system that we were given and still got no responses. As can be seen in the screenshots filed in the original complaint. While I may no longer be seeking restitution for the floor, I am seeking restitution for the fees I had to pay while being ignored by ACM.

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

• Initial Complaint

  01/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I pay my monthly HOA fees and have since i purchased my home in 2016. I pay about $70 a month. Today, January 19,2023 at 1334 I received an email stating my motorcycle had to be moved from the visitor parking spot by January 27,2023. I was never made aware I couldn't park in visitor (tags, insurance, etc all current). I left work to move bike, arrived at 1415 to find my bike was gone. Checked my ring doorbell and found it was towed at 1030, four hours before sending the notification of moving the bike by 1/27. I contacted the tow company in which I was advised of outrageous fees and couldn't get the bike up until after the weekend so storage fees are going to add up. I am not paying for my bike tow fees when I was told in writing I had a week, and I showed up 45 min after the notification but the bike had been gone for 4 hours. That is unacceptable. I have included the email from the HOA, as well as the the email the tow company provided me with that they were sent. Which states the other vehicles were picked up due to expired tags, and no reason for the bike.

  

  Business response

  01/25/2023

  Dear BBB,
  
  We have reviewed this matter with the ACM Management Team. We regret that we had an internal clerical error, which resulted in two different dates being provided to this resident on when the motorcycle would be towed.
  
  A member of our senior leadership team is reaching out to the resident to discuss refunding the cost of the towing. This is a one-time refund and the resident will need to ensure they are parking the motorcycle in accordance with the community rules and regulations which can be found on the community portal by logging in at ***************
  
  We apologize for the error and hope this will resolve the issue,
  
  American Community Management

• Initial Complaint

  10/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am being charged for erroneous late fees, suddenly. My bank *** automatically sends my payments basically the same time every month. My payment was withdrawn and sent on August 2nd and received by American commmunity management within their lockbox on August 8th with no late fee, because it was received before the 16th. Payment withdrawn on and sent on August 31st and received by their lockbox on September 7th. Apparently sat in their lockbox for 9 days and charging me $15 for it sitting in their lockbox. Payment withdrawn on and sent on October 3rd and received by their lockbox on October 11th. Apparently sat in their lockbox for 5 days and charged me $15 for it sitting in their lockbox. Their response: "The payments you sent for September and October were credited to your account in a timely manner. Payments were not left sitting in a lockbox. The late charges on your account stem from an outstanding balance due on your account. After your payment on September 7th was credited to your account there was an outstanding balance of $156.66 thus a late charge. After your October payment was credited on October 11th your account still had an outstanding balance of $167.66. The late charges were added to your account due to these outstanding balances. The balance owed on your account as of Nov. 1 will be $438.66. Please pay this amount to avoid any further late charges." My response: "That outstanding balance has been there for a few years. I pay extra on my account every month to get that balance paid off. I have not ever had a late fee on that balance until now, SEPTEMBER and AUGUST. I am on disability from my employer... and have been paying extra every month. Their response: Your request to have late charges removed is denied.

  

  Business response

  11/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/11/02) */ Hello, We have reviewed the account and attached is the account ledger. There are no late fees applied to the account at this time. If you have any issues or concerns regarding your account balance, please contact our office at 410-997-7767 and request to speak to a member of our Accounts Receivable Team.

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