ComplaintsforKappes Miller Management LLC

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Kappes Miller was negligent in their managemenet of our condominium complex for 2+ years. Last year relations with them had become contentious because they consistently failed to respond in a timely manner -when at all- to multiple owners who requested help with concerns. As such, the condition of our property declined. In the process of requesting contract termination without penalty, I cited nine examples over 6 months where owners indicated that they never heard back from our comunity manager. Many of these I reached out to the General Manager about for help, and some of those still went unresolved. After citing those examples I heard from 3 more owners about issues they needed help with and hadn't gotten. I shared those with the ** and CEO and they held fast that we would owe a 2 month penalty for terminating the contract.The final straw was when an owner had reported on 12/29/22 that several natural gas leaks had been found in pipes leading to her home and that they needed to be replaced so that she could rent or sell the unit. The *** board immediately approved the work. On 3/13/23 the owner emailed asking for help because work still hadn't been completed. By that time the community manager it had initially been reported to was no longer with the company, so the legacy community manager (who we'd received so many complaints about responsiveness) didn't know about the issue and had to get caught up. On 3/24/23 she asked for the board's approval to move forward with work and we approved it - again. On 4/12/23 I -as the *** President- went to the office to sign a check for the 50% deposit. (Work finally began on 5/24.) Because of this safety issue that went untended to for several months, we simply had to terminate the contract for the health of our community.Our request for resolution is that the 2 month penalty be waived.

  Business response

  07/03/2023

  Hello,

  The responsibility of providing the necessary approvals/actions to the Management Company, acting as their agent, lies with the ***** of ********* of any association. However, the ***** of ********* at Broadway View has displayed unresponsiveness and a lack of regular scheduling for ***** Meetings. Their failure to attend confirmed ***** Meetings has resulted in the absence of ***** Quorum, leading to meeting cancellations. Moreover, the ***** of ********* has neglected to approve a new budget for multiple years. It is important to note that the Management Company does not possess the authority to approve budgets on behalf of the ***** of *********, this responsibility rests solely with the ***** of *********.
  
  The ***** of ********* has maintained low assessments, which has resulted in a negative cash flow situation. Additionally, they have not taken any action regarding a significant outstanding debt of over $250,000 owed by a delinquent owner. However, due to insufficient funds and the *****'s failure to authorize legal action or write off the debt, it remains on their financial records. As a consequence, the ***** is unable to secure loans to address their cash flow issues and deferred maintenance.
  
  The ***** and Management remained in constant communication and the items noted in this complaint were not brought to Management by the ***** for months. Resolving the gas leak issue involved multiple parties, including Northwest Natural, the **** contractor,and a plumbing contractor, as the source of the gas leak was not immediately apparent. Eventually, it was determined that the gas leak originated from the recently installed **** unit owned by the resident. However, confirming this required accessing the unit, which presented a challenge due to its location on a hillside that required scaffolding for proper inspection. The ***** failed to provide approval for any of the bids provided and instead on 4/6/2023, *********************** requested we obtain additional bids. Management pushed back and stated that due to the nature of the work involved, a third bid would not be easily obtained. It was only then, that Management received the green light to move forward with the work.
  
  It was stated to the ***** several times via email that the management agreement required a sixty-day notice prior to the Associations December 1st renewal. The termination notice was sent on November 2, 2022 @ 6:14 p.m. thus not fulfilling the termination requirements. Management advised the ***** that they had two options,  1. Pay off the balance of the terms of the contract, which would be 11 months of fees + a termination fee 2. Stay on with Kappes Miller through the next year. They were encouraged to seek legal counsel review if they had any questions or concerns which they did not seek.
  
  As a gesture of goodwill,Management extended an offer to the *****, allowing them to terminate the contract early with a two-month termination fee, which was deemed reasonable. 

  Thank you, 

  Kappes Miller Management

  Customer response

  07/03/2023

   
  Complaint: 20248425
  
  I am rejecting this response because most of the context is unrelated to the complaints, and prior to the current board.  The compromise on a penalty was appreciated, and we might have stayed long enough to avoid it however, when I polled the community I found out about even more unresolved owner concerns (than the 9 I presented to the **** and then came the severe delay in tending to natural gas leaks, which was not because I had requested information on scaffolding.  The board promptly approved action every time it was requested -starting in Dec 2022- because we knew there was no alternative. 

  Kappes Miller did/could not provide a consistent community manager in my time as a board member (2022) and since at least 2020, so information about our complex slipped through cracks and we lost confidence and trust in their ability to guide us through the improvements we needed.  This was never more present than them taking 4 months to initiate work, which was unreasonable, dangerous to our community, and it prevented the owner from renting, selling, or living in the unit.
  

  Take responsibility for your shortcomings and do whats right.

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

• Initial Complaint

  01/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Heat in the hallways and common areas are a necessity in our building. During this entire winter they have been pumping into our building nothing but cold air often colder than the outside temperature. Due to the construction of the building and the way air flows it makes it impossible to retain heat in the unit no matter how much heat is produced in the units. They refuse to get it fixed and it is affecting my health, job, and mental health adversely.

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