Complaint Review: Northpoint Asset Management

I would like to respond to tdb78 complaints and what we have tried to do to rectify the matter.

 - Left home unsecured after showing.

 I have followed up with the manager who worked with Mr. Boren and it appears that the alarm system was not engaged after the first showing. In the course of our working relationship we never left any of the doors unlocked when showing the property on the first showing or subsequent showings. 

- Overlooked significant damage to the house in move out inspection.

During the course of the move out inspection we missed water damage in a closet due to a leak in the roof. Mr. Boren found the leak and notified us. We promptly inspected the leak, contacted the tenants to inform them of the unreported leak, and kept enough money from the deposit to fix the damages.

 - Notified us of impending invoice 3 months after repairs and more than 1 month after contract ended

 We did not receive the mentioned invoice from the service provider until 1 month after our contract ended despite our efforts. Once received we forwarded the invoice to Mr. Boren for payment for work which he gave approval. I would also like to add that even though the bill was late, it does not relieve Mr. Boren of payment for work done in good faith. Work which was needed for the habitability of the home for the tenants, work which has added value to his property.

- Provided my contact information to a service provider (plumber) for collections call within 10 days of first notice and during attempted settlement discussion. I believe this is a direct breach of our contract because contract states that property manager will “pay bills” on our behalf and “all bills shall be paid before any proceeds are disbursed to the owner”

Section 3 paragraph E of our contract with Mr. Boren states the following;

 (e) Contracts/Services: Contract/hire, supervise, and/or discharge firms and persons, including utilities, required for the operation and maintenance of the Property. Broker may perform any of Broker's duties through attorneys, agents employees, and independent contractors, and shall not be responsible for their acts, omissions, defaults, negligence, and/or costs of same, except for persons working in Broke'rs firm.

 We reached out to Mr. Boren for him to send us monies to pay for the invoice but he refused. He feels that he has no responsibility for the invoice since it was billed 1 month after the contract ended. I spoke to him on the phone and informed him that he is benefiting from the work done, that it was done with his authorization, that we tried to have the bill sent to us in a timely fashion, and that we bear no responsibility or obligation to pay for work that enhanced his property. He has refused to send us any monies to pay for the invoice, and so we had to turn over his contact information to the service provider for collection of payment.

- Sent personal information from another client, including bank account information.

 I have not found any evidence to support this claim.

 - Communicated informally/unprofessionally throughout our relationship and was often not responsive.

 I do not believe that the communication style of a given manager is a good excuse to ask for payment/reimbursement of management fees. As corporate policy we communicate with our clients once a week while the property is vacant, and give periodic updates once the home is occupied. We also strive to return phone calls or emails within 24 hours. I asked Mr. Boren to provide me proof of this allegation to better our service and I have to receive any.

 I feel that tbd78 does not want to pay for a water heater that was installed in his property from which he is now benefiting. I spoke with him for over an hour on the phone, addressed his concerns and let him know that we would not pay for the water heater or refund any fees unless he showed me evidence of wrong doing on our end. He has not provided me with any proof as of today. The only thing he has provided me is a threat that unless we paid for the invoice or reimbursed him all management fees, he would take to the internet and post bad reviews and report us to you. We have sincerely tried to work with him. We provided him with a very good service and went out of our way to make him happy. In the end though it was not enough. I will also include an email I sent to tbd78.

--Email sent to tbd78 to see if could come to some middle ground:

Dear Mr tbd78,

 I appreciate the time to discuss your concerns with me.  I took the time to review our performance and have found the following:

 - Rent was collected on time and deposited into your account promptly

- The property was inspected according to our prescribed schedule

- Tenants were monitored to ensure they followed the terms of the lease agreement

- Monthly income statements were provided to you with all trust funds clearly conveyed

- The property was filled in under two weeks once the property was ready

 During our conversation you mentioned  Manager, your account manager, did not properly manage your property.  I would have to respectfully disagree based on what I have found.  Not that he is perfect or that any of our managers are perfect, but it seems clear to me that he did all he was required on behalf of your property.  Manager held back enough of the tenant's security deposit to clean the carpets, clear up the yard, and to repair a leak you found in a closet.  While we realize you would like to keep more than the amount we held, we are not legally allowed to hold back more than what is considered "normal wear and tear."  In Manager's evaluation, the amount held was commenserate with the work needed beyond normal wear and tear.  The house was not in excellent condition upon move in either.  We feel overall we did a good job.  I'm sorry you don't feel the same way but without material proof that we failed to provide property management services, we can't reimburse you for maintenance you feel is needed due to the tenant's occupancy.  If there is something you found wrong with your property that we did not see that the tenant caused, we are happy to work with you to gain a reimbursement from the tenant.  Please send me any such concern and I will work hard to fix it with you.  

We did our job by finding a tenant quickly, collecting all rent necessary, doing our inspections including the walk though at lease termination and held back what we felt was sufficient to pay for that which was beyond normal wear and tear.  Unless there is other information I am missing, I don't see how we did such an unsatisfactory job that a huge reimbursement is justified.  If you'd like a discount on future services or a small reimubrsement as a token of good will, I can perhaps accomodate that kind of reasonable request.

Thank you,

 Please let me know if you have any additional questions.

It was after this that tbd78 decided to report us.