Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/25/2025

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We recently vacated an old rental home (20 yrs+) that we rented for 2 years. We did not expect to receive less than 50% of the refundable deposit back. When we asked multiple times for the business The Joseph Group for copies of receipts they or the homeowner had paid for the repair, cleaning or painting of the rental house they only provided quotes of the work or pictures. Based on the pictures I do not believe that they spent a tremendous amount of money on painting or cleaning hence why I would like to see the paid receipts. Think about it unless they did not spend that amount or the cost of the services in the quote they provided, I dont understand why its so difficult for them to send us screenshots or copy of the paid receipts. What are they hiding? Why cant they fully disclose the truth? This tells me that they are scamming people and will use all kinds of excuses to get away from refunding us. They are not honest, unethical and unprofessional! I just wanted to be treated fairly but unfortunately we rented from the wrong grouphuge ****** for us!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/14/2025

  Dear Ms. **************** you for your feedback and the opportunity to respond to your concerns regarding the return of your security deposit.
  We understand your concern that, because you received vendor invoices rather than receipts, you questioned whether certain work was completed and paid for. 

  While it is not typical for our long-term vendorswhom we pay multiple times per week over many yearsto issue a separate paid receipt for each job, invoices are only issued once work is completed. That said, to provide you peace of mind and assurance the work was completed and paid for, we have since obtained the paid receipts from the vendors for the repairs and painting referenced in your move-out statement, and they are attached here for your records. 
  I have also attached the previously provided invoices from the referenced vendor, so that you can cross reference the amount and invoice number. 

  To clarify the process and timeline:
  The move-out inspection was completed in accordance with Washington State law (RCW 59.18).
  You signed a move-in condition report at the start of your tenancy, and the damages at move-out were beyond normal wear and tear.
  All repairs, cleaning, and utility charges were completed and invoiced prior to issuing your move-out disposition.
  You were provided with full documentation at that time, including photos, inspection reports, and itemized invoices.
  The deposit statement and supporting documents were sent within the required 21-day period.

  Regarding the painting, while the home was originally built in 2002, it was fully repainted immediately before your tenancy began. The painting charges at move-out reflected repairs to walls where damage occurred during your tenancy.

  We have made every effort to communicate with you throughout this process, respond to your questions, and provide all appropriate documentation. We hope that by providing the paid receipts now, we have resolved your concern about confirmation of completed work. If this does not address your concerns or you wish to discuss further, please contact our office so we can continue the conversation.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/15/2025

   
  Complaint: 23652543
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. The invoices appear to be photoshopped! I have never seen paid receipts like these before. Very much like clip arts from ******. I need to see more details of the actual paid receipts. I would like to verify with the vendor who provided the services. Contact name and at least some signatory and payment details. Unless the only way to get the full details is by going the legal way.

  2. Again Im noting the facts that the home was old and was in satisfactory condition when we rented it for 2 yrs. It was not in excellent, very good or even good condition to begin with so how can you make a comment that we damaged the property beyond the normal wear and tear? Cleaning and painting the home should not cost more than $2k. I even paid $300 for carpet cleaning. I have rented for many years with different people/management and your company/business is the first I have ever experienced this unethical, unprofessional and so much lies!
  
  3. I hope we can resolve this without going to court but as I mentioned in a few of my emails to your company, I only want the truth and do not like to be taken advantage of. Treat your tenants/renters fairly and respectfully.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/13/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  SEE UPLOAD /BBBJoseph_Group_WA_.docx

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/17/2025

  As brief background, The Joseph Group was hired as Property Manager for the referenced property and resident by the property owner in mid December of 2024.  The property owner had managed the property themselves since the residents lease start date of September 1, 2024, but realized they were not able to provide the service and required care needed as non-professionals.  Many of the issues identified by the resident in their complaint are why the property owner hired us to help resolve, which we are happy to be in a position to do so.  

  After receiving the complaint forwarded through the BBB I was able to speak with the resident on the phone to better understand their issues and identify next steps towards resolution. 

  We have sent a recap email to the resident with those summarized items and next steps as attached and similar to below where I have attempted to break each complaint or issue by category.  

  Multiple maintenance issues that need to be addressed as recapped below along with next steps.  
  Maintenance:
   Heating: 
  The resident previously reported issues with the heating to the property owner who had sent a vendor to address the furnace system. While the furnace is functioning, it does not provide adequate heat for the spaces in the homes. We have opened a Work Order to a HVAC technician to assess and make appropriate recommendations as needed.
   Plumbing:
  Multiple issues identified as described below.  We have opened a Work Order to have a plumber repair.  
  -there is a sewage drain component that was previously repaired and appears to be functioning correctly now, however the ** and Resident are not sure what the component is.  Possibly it is a pump or grinder needed to move sewage from the home to the city sewage line.  While Plumbing vendor is onsite we will ask them to identify what the component is. This was the source of sewage smell identified in the complaint, which had been repaired and addressed as the resident confirmed via phone to me.  
  -   Leak under kitchen sink needs repaired  
  - main level bathroom tub faucet has a constant drip that needs repaired
  - Sink in the main level bathroom does not drain and needs repaired
      - upper level bathroom toilet leaks and needs repaired.  Water is currently turned off to it so it is not being used.
  
   Doors: 
  multiple doors in the home issues such as the door k*** were removed due to previous issues or unplugged holes where a deadbolt would have been installed.  To better understand the scope and details of the issues here we are scheduling to have a team member walk the home with the resident and take photos of each door and issue so next steps can be identified to resolve the issues.
  
   Electrical: lights not working on the third floor need to be repaired.  Electrical line on the balcony identified as being too low need electrician to assess and report back and will repair if issue is confirmed. Breakers frequently trip.  Electrician needs to assess and recommend accordingly.
  The resident  asked if the property was insured as an electrician shared with them that due to the k*** and tube wiring it may not be, yes, I can confirm back to you that this property is insured.  
   
   Yard debris: Several piles of yard debris have been left at the property, exacerbating pest issues. Will have the team take photos to identify specifically to best identify next steps to address.
  
   Pest Control: Ongoing pest control has been confirmed through Bulwark Exterminating. Vendor will be scheduling directly with the resident directly. 
  
  
  
  Ledger balance and collection; part of the resident complaint involved emails from ourselves to them informing them of a balance on their account.  As we took over management mid December the first charges populated and due were for January rent. Our accounting system sends the resident an automated email when charges are first posted, then a daily reminder email if there continues to be a balance after the due date.  The resident receives housing assistance to pay a portion of their rent, who was not able to update their payment address for January and sent the payment to the owner.  Once this was confirmed we adjusted our information noting the balance was received by the owner. Additionally the resident carried a credit balance with the owner which we now have reflected on our ledger to them. To ensure and confirm accuracy we will send a copy of our ledger  JG** and what the property owner has provided for the resident to review. Once confirmed no questions or discrepancies any credit balance will be sent to the resident as a check. Additionally we have turned off any alerts notifying of a balance so that the resident is not bothered by them. 

  
  Utility: The resident noted they paid a bill that the owner was responsible for to avoid shut off. As we started management in mid December we did not previously have visibility on any utility bills so contacted the provider for past copies.  No payment had been made since July of 2024 and we identified that previous to September 1 (the resident responsibility date) there was balance on the account of $290.38 which would have been the owner's responsibility.  This also incurred a penalty of $29.03.  We promptly paid those amounts directly to ****** Water on behalf of the property owner.  
  The resident did agree that utility charges from September 1 moving forward are their responsibility as outlined in their lease agreement, they feel they should not be responsible for the charges from  started on September 1 through September 27 as they did not take possession until September 28. The resident described the reason for this as the home being dirty and not prepared for move in.  We will ask the property owner if they would credit that amount and reply back once we receive their response. 
  
  During our conversation a few additional items came up which we noted we would ask the property owner if they would like to provide or address as accomodation. We will be following up on these items and provide the resident their response once received. 
   - would like carpets steamed cleaned  
   -Has the home been inspected?
  - Utility Credit as described above 
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/12/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I reached out to the Joseph Group about my Security deposit on December 14th 2023, and was told that they would send it. Its been a month and I havent received anything. *** tried contacting them, and they will not respond.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/18/2024

  Hi ******,
  
  Thank you for reaching out so we can get this rectified for you.
  
  Your security deposit refund check in the amount of $1,735.00 and rent overpayment in the amount of $480.89 were resent an January 12 and delivered via *** on January 16. We can provide the following tracking information: 1Z6V51R60131543918
  
  As a recap of the timeline of events I would like to provide the following:
  
  *********************** and **************************************** and turned over possession of the subject property on September 17, ************************************** **********, ** for their move out disposition.
  
  Move out disposition and security deposit refunds were sent via certified mail on sent on October 4, 2023. This was returned to our office on November 7 as the certified mail was unclaimed. We can provide the following tracking information: **** **** **** **** 5352
  
  November 8 - our property manager, Kat, called to inform the residents the move out disposition was returned and to get an updated mailing address.  We were unable to connect at that time.
  
  December 14 - resident advised they did not receive their deposit, and we corresponded to get a new mailing address.  The move out disposition and security deposit was resent to the new address.  Unfortunately a tracking number for this mailing was not recorded for that shipment and the mailing was not returned. 
  
  January 11  - residents reached out letting us know they still had not received their move out disposition and refunds checks. 
  
  January 12 resident was responded to, and advised they would like the mailing sent to the originally provided address in **********.  The refund checks and move out disposition letter we re-issued and sent via the tracking information provided above. At this time the checks are still not cashed, and we have reached out via phone and email to confirm receipt.
  
  Please let me know if we can be of any further assistance. 
  
  Thank you,

  
  **** Joseph
  Director of Operations
  The Joseph Group
  ***************************************************
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/13/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I rent. I have been renting for 6 years at this current location. I pay my rent on time, I report issues as soon as they come up. The property management company, however, does not respond in kind. a year ago I waited for 2 months for a new refrigerator at great cost to myself as I lost all food and was forced to essentially eat take out for my family of 4 for the duration of their complacency. I reported on 7/2/2023 that our microwave didn't work anymore. It is now 7/13/2023 ( NO one ever contacted me, they simply said there was a company coming) No one has been in contact with me except via the tenant portal on their website which they kept saying a vendor would arrive (whom never attempted to contact me). Needless to say, they did NOT arrive when they claimed they were, and I am still without. I would not be filing this complaint if they had not been so irresponsible at replacing the last appliance. I feel I am being wronged and for this I believe I am entitled to financial compensation. As a renter, I rent to not have to deal with the hassle, and the management company is taking advantage of me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/18/2023

  Hi *******,

  Thank you for reaching out regarding this issue so that we can assist in resolution.  I can see that a vendor was promptly assigned and from our records was emailing and scheduling directly with yourself, but appears that you did not receive that.  Additionally, I can see that they did not make their original appointment due to a technician calling out sick.  We're sorry that happened. 

  Generally, when an appliance does not work, the first step is to attempt a repair, which is what the original service appointment was far.  Given the age of the microwave and the delay in the service appointment, we did recommend that it is replaced.  An estimate was received and approved by your property owner and the vendor has been notified.  There is a note in the work order that the vendor has reached out to you to schedule the replacement.  Please contact them to schedule or let us know if we can provide any further assistance.  Thank you,