More from The Connor Group complaints with the BBB.
The Connor Group sez:
This resident signed the utilities addendum explaining all utility fees associated with her apartment. This includes the pest control that is at the property EVERY Thursday and the resident has the option to ask for the apartment to be sprayed EVERY Thursday upon their request.
Pest Control is at Alexander Place every Thursday. Pix or it didn’t happen.
…pest control is here every Thursday (I have the invoices to prove it). As far as bed bugs go, they are brought in by people and are not a bug found in nature…
They have invoices. Go get yourself a copy. It would be interesting to see what is paid to the pest company versus what is billed from the residents. And bed bugs are not found in nature. They are manufactured in a factory in Asia.
My unit was flooded by a broken pipe in another unit, and minimal repairs have not resolved the issue. Now I’m waiting to have my contract nullified. On Saturday, March 30, 2013 my first floor unit of ************************ was flooded by a broken pipe in a third floor unit, while I was out of town.
Whose doing is this that the apartment name is blanked out. Who doesn’t want the name showing up in Google searches? Which apartments currently for sale doesn’t The Connor Group want to make public?
First Billing Services, is a third party company that handles the billing, processing, and collections of utility charges. The resident will not be reimbursed for any utility bills for the month of April. Utility payments are the resident responsibility and are not a part of the monthly rent. The Connor Group 6485 Centerville Business PKWY Centerville, OH 45459
Why do they still insist on promoting this lie that First Billing is a separate company and The Connor Group has no control over them?
Today’s vocabulary word is brought to you by the letter…
…from these assholes.
Tortious Interference is
A) The reason star Louisville guard Kevin Ware’s bone broke during the NCAA tourney.
B) The old knight who keeps cock-blocking Daenerys Targaryen.
C) The measure of force upon Wile E. Coyote between a rock and another rock.
D) The attempted threatening douche-baggery of Higier Allen & Lautin
The correct answer is: D
Don’t feel bad if you didn’t that question correct. It was a hard one unless you are an arm-chair attorney and Monday-morning magistrate like myself.
Tell us a story, Uncle Rentn.
OK. One story…a short one…and then it’s time to drink your Benadryl and go to bed. Once upon a time, there lived a princess who lived in a “luxury” castle with several hundred horses that she rode to work every day. Her horses had tags and registration and stayed in their assigned, covered parking (which probably cost extra).
One day, an evil witch came down from her viperous lair and put a spell on the horses and said she was going to have the rendering truck turn them into glue because they weren’t pretty enough. The princess said…
…or something like that. She then told her local barrister and local minstrels. The evil witch called Lord Sidious. Lord Sidious called his Evil Monkeys at Higier Allen & Lautin to pull some bullshit threatening letter out of their ass.
Why is it bullshit, Uncle Rentn?
Because any moron that can copy, paste, and Google, will turn up three top search results that say it is bullshit. The princess would have to do something wrong first in order to be interfering with Lord Sidious’s business. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. The letter doesn’t really accuse her of doing anything wrong either. The Evil Monkeys just beat their chest and say they are “advising” Lord Sidious of all the terrible things he might be able to do to the princess.
Did the princess live happily ever after?
She was a lot happier after putting that castle in her rear view mirror, but you still feel a little dirty afterwards.
How do they sleep at night, Uncle Rentn.
Sharks don’t sleep, but children and old men do. Good night.
Sometimes these posts are far apart, but it’s not for subjects to write about. Sometimes it just deciding on which one to write about.The last post about the BBB has devolved further into residents being locked out of their apartments and forgery of a lease, but that’s a story for another day. If you remember from that post, the seemingly psychotic property manager wanted sympathy because she only had about $1500 bucks for 240+ apartments. Poor baby. Poor residents.
I asked someone who would know if this sounded correct. They responded ‘Yes’. He had about the same ratio of dollars/apartments. There were constant reminders every day and when orders were place that he was over-budget. After being over budget for a time, his ability to order things was taken away and the apartment manager has to order anything needed….or not order it.
WTF? That can’t be right! No place would piss off residents like that. They’d leave.
The Connor Group couldn’t give two shits about their residents. TCG is only interested in cooking the books to make their property look good when they sell it. That is why you read two types of reviews for their properties. One is kind of nice. “I moved in and my apartment is spacious with lots of storage. The few problems I had, maintenance came and fixed them right away.” This is probably true. The resident has only lived their a couple months and any problems they had did not cost any money beside labor.
The other reviews go something like this: “I moved in and a week later I had no <blank>.” where <blank> equals AC, heat, hot water, etc. Those things cost money. Those things aren’t in the budget. Those things would damage all the pretty little spreadsheets we dance in front of buyers.
This post is pretty long. Here is a little music while you read. From the BBB files:
Complaint Category: Improper or inferior service
Complaint: Apartment Complex: Park Gates of City Place
The manager of Park Gates of city place in Dallas,Texas is the most unprofessional person I have ever come acroos in my entire life!!!!
My experience at Park Gates of City Place has been a stressful nightmare!!! On 4/10/13 I received a notice in my door stating that this was a final reminder of my bill being delinquent when I never received any notice before hand. I went into the office with the notice and a copy of my money order. I had already paid it on the day it was due on 4/1/13. I asked for a copy knowing that the manager is very unprofessional and things of this nature happen all the time. *********, the manager, said, “she doesn’t keep up with everything.” This woman continues to put notices on everyone’s doors without proper research or even a courtesy call. She got angry with me, got into my face, and screamed for me to sit my ***************** down and threated to call the cops on me. I left and she called the cops claiming a spit in her face. She was only center meters away from my face when she got in my face screaming at me so my thought was that if something got on her it was because she was in kissing distance while she was screaming at me to sit my ***************** down. I’m only too grateful that my good friends are very successful attorneys in Dallas and informed me to not worry and to contact them immediately when anything happens. The unprofessionalism does not stop there!! On Monday, April 1, we received notice that they would be inspecting the apartments beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, April 3, 2013, through Friday, April 5, 2013. They never arrived as stated on the notice and they came entering the following week on Tuesday, April 10 without notice. The nightmare doesn’t stop there!! Every time that I have had maintenance issues they never come to fix the problem. My sink has been clogged up with dirty water for a week now. They just had an incident where they didn’t fix a sink and it flooded the 3rd floor all the way to the 1st floor apartments across the hall from me.
Consumer Response
********* filed a false police report adding that I am a day drinker when this woman doesn’t even know me at all and to make such false accusations is insane and she claimed I pushed her on top of her claim of me spitting in her face. This company needs to be investigated!! They have denied ever receiving our $500 payment for our pet deposit and thank god I kept my receipt because then we would have been out of $500. Several neighbors and myself have asked for contact info for a superior and ********* told us that we need to stop wasting our time trying to get ahold of her superior because filing a complaint online on the Park Gates website just gets redirected back to her. We need help!!!
Sent from my iPhone
What? OK, hold on….there you go.
Business Response
This is not a lease holder on our property or an authorized occupant. The work orders listed in the complaint are not on record in the office however we will be happy to address them. They will be resolved no later than 4/19/13.
The Connor Group
6485 Centerville Business PKWY
Centerville, OH 45459
937-434-3095
Consumer Response
The residents at Park Gates at city place are all being told that deposits are missing and not accounted for. I’m just happy that I was one of the residents that keeps records of receipts. If your property managers would do their jobs and do a monthly check then these things would not occur. I directed residents who have come to me for assistance to send a letter certified mail to the office of all problems and issues, file a complaint with BBB, and petition for relief under section 92.0563 of the Texas property code. I have already contacted the district manager of code compliance and provided him with pictures and violations numbers because I have done my homework and have had it with this company. This company does not care about its residents so I advise everyone to take legal action!
Consumer Response
Property manager ********* blames all maintenance issues on the company and is telling residents she is only given a budget of $1,500 a month to fix over 200 units and that is why nothing is getting done.
Consumer Response
This again is a example of this company not keeping proper records because we have records showing that I am on the lease and am a occupant. I am more than happy to show records to this really unprofessional company.
Consumer Response
This company is full of it in more ways than one. I have the lease agreement in front of me because I keep proper records and I am clearly on it. I have in closed a picture. Thank you because this is a perfect example of the unprofessionalism of this company and now this is more proof for my records that this company is not professional from the BBB. Here is a copy of one and we renewed and I’m on the second one as well. This company is full of liars!!
Document Attached
************************
I provided a copy of the lease in my last email and I am clearly on it. I sent a copy of the last one because it is still active.
**************************
If I wasn’t on the lease agreement or a authorized occupant than ********* wouldn’t have had my information on file to provide the police with my birthdate and information per her false police report.
Consumer Response
Please let this company know that it’s obvious that they are not sorry or want to take responsibility. I have already given written notice on April 1, 2013 and they did not comply so I contacted BBB and code compliance. I have copies and records of everything. I pride myself on being thorough. I also gave another written notice sent certified mail and its obvious that they don’t want to do anything for me so they will be hearing from their service agent CT Corporations in Dallas soon. Thank You
Consumer Response
I looked into if it was legal for the property manager to give out my personal information to the police and was told it is not legal without a warrant. I have proof ********* gave out my personal info to police without a warrant.
Business Response
All open work orders for this apartment have been repaired. We have communicated with the lease holder to verify there is nothing left to be done.
************
The Connor Group
6485 Centerville Business PKWY
Centerville, OH 45459
************
Consumer Response
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
I live with the lease holder and there has been zero communication except one email saying our door was locked one day last week so that is another lie. I would be more than happy to supply our records to BBB to show yet another lie by the Connor Group. Your company did not comply in a timely manner which is breach of contract. I’m already having to sue for time lost from work and attorney fees from the court date per your property manager’s false police report. Is there someone of intelligence at the Connor Group who has sense enough to verify things before corresponding more lies and what about the other issues? It is ok for your property managers to tell residents to sit their ***************** down and lie about being so called assaulted. I maybe weigh 100lbs which is like claiming a deer shoved a rhino. Its ridiculous! ********* already admitted to ******************* that she dropped the “f” bomb. The police already said her story has holes and looks like lies. What about the fees and notices you are charging us claiming we are delinquent but yet we have a copy of our payment signed and dated for the 1st. Connor Group needs new employees because ************ wants them to get sued. She sure isn’t doing anything to avoid more B.S. correspondence when she already really missed up the first time claiming I wasn’t on the lease. We want out of our lease with our deposit because this company is in breach of contract and very unprofessional! We do not want to live in a place where the company doesn’t care that the property manager is harassing residents and its ok to tell residents to sit their ***************** down! Please notice ************ only addressed maintenance issues so I guess the property manager is a reflection of the company.
Consumer Response
************ please show us your records that you have been in communication with either myself or ******************* on the lease because we’d be more than happy to supply our one email we received one day last week stating our door was locked and that’s way past your notice of April 1, 2013. Please be professional when corresponding and wasting our time.
Consumer Response
I live with the lease holder and there has been zero communication except one email saying our door was locked one day last week so that is another lie. I would be more than happy to supply our records to BBB to show yet another lie by the Connor Group. Your company did not comply in a timely manner which is breach of contract. I’m already having to sue for time lost from work and attorney fees from the court date per your property manager’s false police report. Is there someone of intelligence at the Connor Group who has sense enough to verify things before corresponding more lies and what about the other issues? It is ok for your property managers to tell residents to sit their ****************s down and lie about being so called assaulted. I maybe weigh 100lbs which is like claiming a deer shoved a rhino. Its ridiculous! ********* already admitted to ******************* that she dropped the “f” bomb. The police already said her story has holes and looks like lies. What about the fees and notices you are charging us claiming we are delinquent but yet we have a copy of our payment signed and dated for the 1st. Connor Group needs new employees because ************ wants them to get sued. She sure isn’t doing anything to avoid more B.S. correspondence when she already really missed up the first time claiming I wasn’t on the lease. We want out of our lease with our deposit because this company is in breach of contract and very unprofessional! We do not want to live in a place where the company doesn’t care that the property manager is harassing residents and its ok to tell residents to sit their ***************** down! Please notice ************ only addressed maintenance issues so I guess the property manager is a reflection of the company.
Consumer Response
Stop insulting our intelligence! When you refer to the lease holder I’m assuming that you mean the white person who resides here also because you don’t want to acknowledge me as being on the lease as we already experienced. You have not been in communication wirh either of us because if you were then there wouldn’t have been any problems. The so called “lease holder” and I am sick of your unprofessionalism and lies!
Consumer Response
The Connor Group advertises on the website to feel safe in a gated community. The gates have been broken and not working since before the beginning of this year and you want to increase our rent when that was one of the items addressed and you still haven’t fixed it. Breach of contract!!! We want out now!!!
Consumer Response
The so called “lease holder” and myself (the individual who is black and therefore not considered on the lease) would like to take the time out of our day to relay the definition of “communication” to ************. Communication- a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior . ************ please let us know when this so called “communication” with the lease holder took place. We would love to know your a answer. Do not waste our time with anymore correspondence full of lies. Our time is precious and all we want to hear are resolutions. The resolution here is to let us out of our lease due to obvious breach of contract and lack of professionalism.
Consumer Response
———- Forwarded message ———-
*********************************************
Date: Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 2:07 PM
Subject: Work Orders
*****************************
*****,
My maintenance techs went to your apartment to address your work orders this morning. They were not granted access to the unit and the privacy bolt was locked. They will come again tomorrow morning. If they are not granted access to fix the issues the work orders will be closed. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
*********
Property Manager
Park Gates at City Place
*****************
****************
************
**************************
www.parkgatesatcityplace.com
Here is the only “communication” we recieved dispite our written notice April 1st, code compliance coming out, BBB complaints, and a letter sent certified mail. You mean to tell us that you finally send a email threatening that if we are in the shower and our door is locked again then all that we have gone through to finally get them out will not be taken care of. This is the only “communication” we have recieved!! So from April 1- April 17 is finally when they attempt to fix things. Not all things were addressed and they plan on increasing our rent $100. This is ridiculous and we want out of our lease!! With our deposits!!
Consumer Response
************ all you do is lie! You don’t acknowledge me as a authorized occupant or lease holder because I’m black? Which is why you haven’t bothered to address our repair issues or everything else you have put us through in a timely manner. You did have records in your office of our issues! I have phone records showing our many attempts to get you to comply, emails to the Connor Group reaching out for help, more calls, code compliance, BBB complaints, and written notices per lease agreement sect.30. You do not have a leg to stand on! Your lies may hold up here but it will not in court! Mark my words!
Consumer Response
We noticed you took down “feel safe in a gated community” off your website…..hmmm…..wonder why that happened suddenly…..good thing we kept records of it
Consumer Response
Still waiting to hear when you communicated with the lease holder and verified everything was fixed?????
Consumer Response
I now understand why this company is lying and doesn’t care about residents. Please check out these links
Consumer Response
The next response we receive from this company should be a apology and letting us out of our lease with our deposits or I will seek legal action on soooooo many levels!!
Consumer Response
We would also like a refund of the $30 each, which we were charged for gate keys when gates have been broken for months, back payment for being over charged for water when you have PVC pipes that gush water and are a violation of code compliance, watering guidelines, according to the city of Dallas, sect. 49-21 (b)(c), and the late fee we were charged on our first billing bill when I have a copy of the payment paid in full dated and signed the day it was due. We would also like our pet deposit and other deposit refunded.
Consumer Response
This link shows that we aren’t the only ones going through this mess with the Connor Group
http://rentn.org/connor-group-complaints/
Consumer Response
Utilities are probably the #1 complaint with residents unhappy with a The Connor Group (TCG) property.
Complaint #1: Nobody told me about them!
Even though the utilities can add 15% to the cost of living at a TCG complex, they’re not mentioned in the 50 craiglists ads they post a day. They’re not mentioned on any of the ?award winning’ websites. They aren’t mentioned by the sales associates or they are not mentioned in the depth that they need to be mentioned. When a normal person asks about utilities, they are thinking gas, water, electric and maybe trash. They are definitely not thing cable, internet, pest, gate charge, etc. etc. Despite what current staff says about how they’re working hard to make buyers aware of the utilities, former employees will tell you they’re trained to breeze over utilities or diminish their actual cost. After you read the ad, viewed their website, filled out the application, and given them $250-$350 in application fees and deposits, then at the lease signing they will spring the utility costs on you and a document that says you were told and understand the utilities agreement. If there have been complaints about this since 2005, why isn’t this disclosed before hand?
Complaint #2: What is up with the forced cable\internet?
Listen: Cable Profitability
What is up is this: TCG is able to negotiate bulk rates for its units. They purchase cable for every unit in a complex at one price (ex. $40/unit). They force the tenant to purchase it at a higher price (ex. $90/unit). Other non-TCG complexes may offer it “free” and just build the cost into the rent or they may pass along the cost plus a small administration fee. This is the idea that the FCC had when they ruled that bulk billing, as this is called, would be allowed. The idea was that complexes as a group could negotiate a better rate than individual tenants on their own. TCG has twisted this logic. They jack up their discounted price as close to the “market rate” as they can. A penny’s difference means they are still saving you money, while pulling in millions for themselves.You still end up having to pay a separate cable bill if you need a box for any high-definition channels. I guess Hi-Def is a luxury item.
Consumer Response
Complaint #3: What is Common Electric and why am I paying for it?
Any electric used by the apartment complex is split among the tenants. You pay for the electricity to heat and light the common areas: hallways, garages, fitness center, pool. These costs are passed through to you simply to eliminate overhead, make more cash for the company, and make the books look good when it comes time to sell.
Complaint #4: What is the Pest Control Charge?
This is a good question. Nobody really knows the answer to this. Either a property has bugs or it doesn’t have bugs. The fee doesn’t seem to make a difference except in your wallet and their bottom line. Do the math. Take your pest fee and multiply it by the 17,000 units the company claims to have. Wouldn’t you like to have an extra $175,000 bucks coming in a month? Don’t think about it too much though. Otherwise, every little Administrative Fees and Gate Charge will start dancing around your head as individual million dollar windfalls going to those that treat you with such disdain.
Isn’t First Billing / Heartland Water just a Connor Group shell company?
Yeah, pretty much. Will pull that info together in the near future. For now:
****************** of First Billing Services (circled in red)
For what it is worth, here is the Better Business Bureau link for TCG. You can file a complaint for violating the BBB Code of Advertising:
#6. Extra Charges
Whenever a price is mentioned in advertising, any extra charges should also be disclosed in immediate conjunction with the price (e.g., delivery, installation, assembly, excise tax, postage and handling).
Consumer Response
Agent for service for Connor Group
CT Corporation System
*********************
*********************
Consumer Response
In advertisements for The Connor Group jobs, they state that the applicant does not have to have any experience in the multi-family unit housing industry. ************ gives speeches on how they built a $1.4B company with people who had no experience. Why, you ask. Why would a person trust property worth millions to someone who didn’t know what to do? Why would you hire someone who didn’t know what to do in their job?
Answer: ***** isn’t hiring people who don’t know what to do in their job. ***** is hiring people who don’t know what NOT to do in their job. If you hired someone from the industry and asked them to do what The Connor Group does to its residents, they’d probably balk at the notion. But if you hired someone from retail and ask them to do something, they may not know that what they’re doing is illegal, immoral, or unethical. If you hire someone from Unique Designs Floral Studio, Lone Star Steakhouse or Starbucks and throw more money at them than they’re used to seeing, they may likely to continue behaving badly even after they discover that these are shady business practices. The hours are better than Cub Foods and you get to wear clothes from Express instead of sell them. You may have served plenty of dinners at Chipolte, but the company never took you to dinner in a limo. You may have given hundreds of airplane rides to the kids, but the daycare never flew to Chicago in the company jet. That’s the carrot. What’s the stick?
The Connor Group is an investment firm. They buy under-performing properties. They cut expenses by 40%. They sell the property. When you sign on to The Connor Group, your job is going away. There is no question about that. There may be another job somewhere else, but you’re going to have to fight for it. You’re going to have to sell to keep your job. You’re going to have to stick to the budget to keep your job. If you don’t want to go back to working nights and weekends, you’re going to have to do whatever it takes to maintain your current lifestyle. If you have to lie a little to make a sale, you’ll do it. If you have to drum up late fees to pad revenue, you’ll do it. If you have to deny or post-pone fixing someone’s kitchen, bathroom, or air conditioning to make budget, you’ll do it. You need to keep the books looking like they want for the refinance or the sale or you’re going to be renting cars again.
Consumer Response
The Connor Group does not care about all the recent BBB complaints from this complex because they are trying to sell it.
Luckily every anti-Connor group blogs and websites recieved this information
Business Response
All work order requests that were listed in the original complaint have been fixed. We attempted to go in on April 17 and could not gain access so we sent an email. We went in again on the 18th and completed all items that were requested as well as taking pictures of the work that was asked to be complete before we started- I have included some of those. There is no evidence of an unlivable situation and we have responded to all requests; the resident will not be let out of their lease. We ask that any additional work orders that are needed be brought to the office directly and that this complaint be closed by the BBB. We have responded to the many items communicated from this resident timely.
The Connor Group
6485 Centerville Business PKWY
Centerville, OH 45459
937-434-3095
Documents (Photos) Attached
Consumer Response
Is this legal???
Document Attached
Consumer Response
Park Gates has already been sold to John Krieg and this is why the Connor Group no longer cares!!
Consumer Response
We called their 24 hr line on Friday and it is now Monday and they still haven’t came out to do anything for us and its over 80 outside
Sent from my iPhone
Consumer Response
Instead of worrying about our health, the Connor Group is more concerned with threatening us last minute for $17 dollars and some change
Consumer Response
You are again in breach of contract with these last minute notices by email. Our Lease agreement in section 30 says all notices shall be in writing and given personally, mailed by registered or certified mail, or in the case of notice given by management to Resident, tacked to Resident’s door. You are again in breach of contract!!
Consumer Response
No I’m not satisfied and there was no resolution. I have contacted BK Funds who bought this property to see if they will be allowing residents out of their lease. That was three items off of a whole list. Just like the Connor Group failed to address the many other issues. You are in breach of contract. I gave written notice on April 1,2013 and you didn’t attempt to come out until 17-19 days later. My complaints on BBB and code enforcements were on the 10th. The Connor Group is full of it and if I have to go to court I will!! You don’t have a leg to stand on!
Complaint Resolution: BBB determined that despite the company’s reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied.
There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.
It is a dimension as vast as avarice and as timeless as false witness. It is the middle ground between perjury and prevarication, between myth and mendacity, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his greed. This is the dimension of fabrication. It is an area which we call “The Connor Zone”.
Cobblestone Grove Fairfield, OH
Clifton Apartment Homes Atlanta, GA
The garbage man who makes that route deserves a 50% raise!
Park Gates at City Place is seemingly on the auction block. A reader of this blog left a comment that the listing from Jones Lang LaSalle says that the 228-unit residential community in a class A+++ location is assailable…er, available for purchase.
The Connor Group is trying to sell this complex and is why they don’t care about all the BBB complaints from my complex. I thought this might be useful to your blog.
Thanks to this Texas tipster and everyone else sending in information.
Advice for current residents: If you have any maintenance problems that require $$$, you can forget about getting them resolved in a timely manner without going through Code Enforcement. The most important thing to The Connor Group during a sale is sticking to the budget. Keep the rent-roll high. Keep expenses down. The Associates who fail to do this will find themselves without a job after the sale. The BBB complaints won’t result in much in resolving your problem, but it does force The Connor Group to respond publicly and on the record to complaints.
No, it’s not a new house coming on Games of Thrones. If they add any more characters to the story, they’ll be able to apply for a seat at the UN.
Graydon Head is a law firm in Cincinnati, OH. They were lucky enough to be the one millionth visitor to the site and will receive a free full-day spa visit! No. Just kidding again. They’re probably looking to help with the housing problems with a little pro-bono work.
No! I kid you again. Very funny, yes? Graydon Head is legal lap dog to The Connor Group. Graydon Head is the firm who defends the people who do this.
Graydon Head has a Facebook page. Go over and leave a comment or Like them. I did.
Edit: Seems Graydon Head has turned off the ability to comment on their Facebook page. Like The Connor Group, they seem to subscribe to the “anti-social” media philosophy. Now, it is just advertising. What are the Bar’s rules on ads? Disclaimer time.
Here is a copy of one and we renewed and I’m on the second one as well. This company is full of liars!!
