ComplaintsforFour Star Realty & Property Management, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The property management company, Four Star Realty in *******, has charged my account at ****************************************************************** with a $60 maintenance service charge for a service call that did not occur and was falsely attributed to the tenant (***************************). Four Star Realty has since sent a letter to myself threatening to tow my vehicle from the property, add late fees to the balance, and additionally threatened legal liability for the unpaid balance to include any of their attorneys fees. I have expressly contested this charge via email and phone to Four Star Realty on two separate occasions with no response or interest in addressing this. Four Star Realty, and the property manager assigned to my unit, ****** are attempting to extort the $60 balance from me with coercive tactics that are intimidating to a renter/tenant like myself who does not have the financial means to contest this erroneous charge with legal representation or a drafted legal response. Unfortunately, these property managers have found an unethical way to collect additional fees from the tenants of the small apartment complex by participating in a form of gouging that is not even supported in the Lease Agreement. I feel these landlords should be held accountable for breaching the terms of the Lease Agreement and engaging in intimidation tactics to retrieve money from tenants who most often are forced to pay these balances to avoid additional fees and the potential of eviction into a rental market that has very few options for budget conscious renters. The sum of $60, would be considered of little consequence, however the principal of holding these unscrupulous landlords and property managers accountable for unsavory and legally suspect practices would be beneficial to myself and others in similar predicaments.It would be my hopes that the $60 be credited back to my rental account and an apology issued for the time, trouble, and the disruption this has unnecessarily caused me.

  Business response

  02/23/2022

  ******,

  
  We are sorry to hear your frustrations, and we are aiming to rectify the situation. A representative will be reaching out shortly to communicate what has occurred at your place of residency and we are hopeful that we can come to a conclusion.  Again, We are sorry we were unable to give you the Four Star experience that you deserve.

  Customer response

  03/01/2022

   
  Complaint: 16788846
  
  I am rejecting this response because Four Star Realty has again proven to be unreliable and unwilling to resolve this issue in a timely manner. as suggested in their response.  Four Star's response suggested I would be contacted by them to resolve the matter, as expected this is another example of Four Star Reality not following through concerning the pressing matter of their price gouging.

  Four Star is currently under investigation by the ***************************************** for similar dishonest and illegal practices directed towards other tenants.  I have contacted the ************************ and will intend on joining the legal litigation towards Four Star.  This Property Management company needs to be held accountable for their deceptive practices and price gouging as illustrated by the legal action being directed towards them. 

  I will expect a $60 credit put in my rental account and a formal apology from Four Star.  Anything less will constitute another violation towards me (tenant) and warrant further punitive and legal action.

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

  Business response

  03/04/2022

  ******************:
  In regards to the $60 charged to your account, we feel that the charge back for the trip fee was warranted. The service request ****** submitted by yourself on 12/30/21 was for the upper receptacles of two separate electrical outlets in the living room not working.  A technician was dispatched and found that the outlets were working as designed and controlled by the light switches in the living room.  Since there was clearly no electrical or mechanical issue preventing you from operating the outlets, the trip fee of $60 was charged to your account.  This approach is commonly used in property management.  The understanding is also correct that if I called someone to my residence to assist me with an electrical issue and they demonstrated to me that it was user error, I would still have to pay for their service.  
  
  The $60 fee will not be reimbursed.  We thank you for your tenancy.

  Customer response

  03/09/2022

   
  Complaint: 16788846
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  Your analysis, or summary, of the events leading to this erroneous $60 charge posted to my account is replete with incorrect information.
  The original service request for the upper electrical receptacles I placed was not the service ticket not the active service call that the technician was performing when he knocked on the door and told me which particular switch on the wall was responsible for the electrical outlets.  As such, my service request did not actually occur.  The technician was on a break and happened to notice that in the service que in the future/different day was my address which happened to be next door to his current service call.  As such, and you have been told several times,the Technician was not dispatched to my apartment to look at or address the upper receptacles.  He was on break and took the opportunity himself to KINDLY notify me that it was a particular switch.   He noted this happens all the time out heresuggesting Four Star has know about these switches and has done nothing to label,or inform the residents, which switch activates the outlets.  This would actually serve as a good opportunity for Four Star to charge trip fees for a known issue that could be remedied with a phone call.  It was also not shown to me during my tour of the apartment prior to renting the unit.  This could have easily been pointed out, or much easier, labeled on the switches as to prevent this from happening to other renters.  However, Four Stars actions were predatory in nature and further highlight your dishonest practices of trying to ***** tenants when it is clearly not their fault.  And again, that Technician was not out there on my service call request.he was there on another one.  Therefore, by service call was never effectuated,this bothered Four Star, and you have attempted to capitalize on an error made by your Technician.  You already made your $60 service/trip fee on the call to another tenants residence, however you have used this opportunity to charge another fee in the hopes it would not have been challenged.  Your own Property ******** ****** even said yep, good catch on that and you are right.

  
  Since Four Star has clearly decided to continue on this path and not correct this mistake, the following other ******** ******************* have been notified and a complaint issued.  For further information please feel free to reach out to the following for more information on the additional complaint levied against Four Star Realty. 

  
  The ******** Housing and ***************** (HUD)
  ******** Housing ******************************** Commission
  ****************** (Housing Mediation)
  *****************************************

  
  This has also been made aware to the Boulder County ************************* who currently investigating Four Star for similar, or equally egregious infractions, against other tenants.

  
  The $60 will be credited back towards my account or continued legal action will be brought towards Four Star Realty.   Thank you for your continued cooperation as we navigate through these often challenging situations. 

   

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

• Initial Complaint

  12/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been attempting to work with Four Star since my lease ended with them four months ago. Outside of the crazy, ridiculous experiences I had living there, including drug addicts screaming at all hours of the night for months on end at this "luxury" apartment, now they are attempting to withhold my security deposit. They refuse normal, timely response and do not work with their tenants. Frankly, I'm not sure where they found the audacity to call themselves "Four Star".I saw crazy amounts charged for painting and cleaning without hourly invoices to support the charges. I also saw almost $400 worth of costs attributed to normal wear and tear, citing: turn punchlist. replaced bulbs. front door had weatherstripping. secured cover on bathroom fan. replaced drip pans. caulked bathtub. cleaned AC filter. tested detectors.Additionally, ******************* at the Denver location offered to "split the difference" with a $150 credit toward the $480 painting fee for which he cannot provide an hourly invoice. I don't know where he learned math or property management, but normal wear and tear is not legally charged to the tenant and $150 is not half of anything in discussion.Now, as I replied to him that this would require more discussion, he shared that the matter is marked as closed. **** says that because he offered a random number and I declined it in favor of continuing the conversation, that this is resolved.

  Business response

  01/03/2022

  Hi Kaley,

  We're sorry to hear that you've had a negative experience working with us, but we do appreciate your feedback. It sounds like you are not pleased with the handling of the move out process. If you'd like to discuss the situation, please feel free to give us a call, and I would be happy to discuss the issue(s) with you directly. ******************* - Property Manager
  
  
  
  Thanks,

• Initial Complaint

  11/08/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Four Star Property Management (CEO ******** ******** and company) failed to uphold their part of the lease agreement and return deposit from rental for 2020-2021 school year, four families provide $15,000 in security deposit for an apt at The Mansion, ********************************** from August 2020-5 August 2021. We vacated the apartment and hired a professional cleaner for the next student residents. Aside from a few holes in one hallway that needed patching- no damage or cleanliness issues remained. Four Star failed to provide a timely itemized list of damages and tried to keep a substantial portion of deposit to cover items beyond ordinary wear and tear. Four Star informed us they were returning less than approx $9000 because they were going to paint the unit and other misc work. I have owned a house that was painted for less than $3000- yet we had no recourse but to accept a preposterous amount total of $9500 for presumed repair/maintenance work. As of November 8th, 2021 neither parents/students have received a refund on the remaining security deposit. This is in direct violation of ******** Statutes Article 12- landlords and tenants- which states a refund will be issued within 30 days or 60 days as specified in our contract.. Four Star also violated the same clause by using our deposit for normal wear and tear and failed to provide us with a statement listing the exact reasons for retention of our deposit money. Overall Four Star failed to contact us and provide exact reasons for retention of security deposit, withheld security deposit for purposes other than actual damages and exceeded ***************** contract thus rendering our contract null and void and forfeiture of all rights to retain any portion of our security deposit under ******** statutes. We implore the BBB to make others aware of the discriminatory and predatory tactics employed by Four Star against college students and parents. We have retained a lawyer and will seek legal means.

  Business response

  11/09/2021

  Hi *****,
  
  
  We apologize for the miscommunication for the security deposit return. We understand that this process can be frustrating and hope we can resolve some of the issues that are stated in this complaint. If you would like to go forward with a formal dispute you can reach out to ************************************************* or go to the *** forms on our website www.FourStarRealty.com. I will be reaching out in regards to the original deposit that you still have not received as I do show it was mailed within the required time frame to the forwarding address provided by the residents. 
  
  
  Thank you,

  Four Star Realty

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company is trying to shamelessly keep my deposit over false claims of wall damage and paint. It was a small studio unit that I only use thumbtacks to hang things and $1200 in damages. I contacted old neighbors and the current occupant and they never even painted. They're also trying to charge $485 for two screens and two blinds. The cherry on top is I moved into a new unit with them that was literally unlivable for the first two days. It was disgusting and smelled awful, had doors missing the basement was full of junk, no windows had screens. The floors were disgusting and *****. and I had to get a hotel room my first two nights. It took about a week of maintenance to get the unit livable at all.

  Business response

  10/26/2021

  Hi ***** - Thank you for bringing this to our attention; I apologize that this was your experience moving out of one of the properties we manage. We are happy to work through any disputed items on the communication chain you started with us. I am confident we can come to an amicable agreement and understanding based on the move-out condition. Your Property Manager will be sending you follow up and looking to resolve this issue for you in a timely manner. As for your concerns with your recent move in, it sounds like you were accommodated fairly for the inconvenience of the move in. If you still feel like there is more that needs to be done in that regard, please do not hesitate to communicate your concerns with our office staff and we will be happy to work with you toward a resolution. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  10/08/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  back in 2020 i lost my job due to covid, and four star never filed an eviction or abandonment properly on the property i was renting at, and acted as if i lived on the property for the rest of the lease term. before i left the convinced me id be evicted and have 15 days to leave so i packed my stuff up and left. now a year later they are now trying to collect 8k in collections. i was effected by a natural disaster and they did not care. and never filed the correct paper work with judge or gave me any confirmation i was evicted. i have prof i did not live there and emails from them never declaring anything or sending me documents from court of eviction or abandonment.

  Business response

  10/26/2021

  Thank you for your submission, unfortunately we have not heard from you in 18 months regarding this matter. We are happy to have a discussion but you were legally obligated to this lease agreement and there were many paths that you could have taken at the time for assistance. We did not collect rent from you prior to COVID shutdowns (March 2020); however, a country wide eviction moratorium did not allow us to evict and take a standard process. You were notified in September 2020 of the collections process due to unpaid rent and communication failure. Please contact us directly to set up a payment arrangement.
  
  
  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  09/23/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The washer and dryer have been broken for 6 weeks (initial work order submitted on 8/15). I would like the landlord to repair the appliance in a timely fashion.

  Business response

  09/24/2021

  Hi Alex,

  We apologize for the inconvenience. The original replacement model was on back order until January, so we are working with our vendor network to determine the best course of action. In the meantime, you may utilize the on-site community laundry room as we continue to work toward a resolution.

   

  Thank you,

  *******

• Initial Complaint

  09/21/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My son rented an apartment, managed by Four Star Realty, with his two friends in *******, **. They were very prompt in collecting deposit etc. Within the first week or two, kitchen sink drain stopped working. As required, they filed a complaint with Four Star. No response, much less getting it fixed even after a week. These students in the meantime cannot use the kitchen and have to buy food outside. Their website has all such negative ratings and they seem to be quite well know for awful service. I hope BBB can do something about this to straighten them out and stop suffering by student tenants. Thank you. My calls too have not been returned!

  Business response

  09/22/2021

  Please accept our apologies for the delay. The maintenance request is showing to be complete at this time, so there should be no further issues regarding this item. We were a bit short on maintenance technicians over the past couple of weeks, and they prioritize work based on the urgency of the maintenance request. It appears the work order was marked as a lower priority as it was input at "Kitchen sink is draining very slowly, and disposal does not turn on". In the future, we would encourage a more detailed description of the item from the residents noting that the sink was not usable at all, so the work can be expedited for you. 

   

  Regards,

  Four Star Realty

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My housemates and I signed a lease for a property through Four Star and upon signing the lease were not informed we would have to pay for parking a month and a half after moving in. Included in my lease as well as the leases of my eleven roommates was a $0 parking fee. The tenants of this property were informed September 13, 2021 that we would need to begin paying for parking or we would be towed starting the evening of September 13, 2021. Upon inquiry about purchasing permits we were informed they are not ready to be purchased nor is there a set price yet and that we will be towed if we do not move our cars off of the property we are paying for.

  Business response

  09/14/2021

  Hi ***** ****** for reaching out,
  
  
  There are a few things to note here in regards to parking and your email.
  First off, upon signing the lease you and the tenant party should have been notified that permitted parking would be an option upon request; I am sorry if this was not the case in our communication at the time of leasing the property. Secondly, we do not enforce towing until a month or so after the lease agreement start date, we do this for a couple reasons; 1) to allow the tenant party to decide if they would like to add parking to their lease and begin paying for parking, and 2) so that the move in process of new vehicles and u-hauls and other logistics revolving around the move in process are not interrupted. 
  
  
  Furthermore, you are correct in stating that on the first page of the lease it reads; "Parking Fee: $0.00." This is because none of the residents on your lease at ************* are paying for parking, hence none of you have a parking permit that was issued by Four Star. Lastly, parking permits are certainly ready to be distributed, but the process of issuing a parking permit is not as simple as coming to the office and requesting one. If you or any of your housemates would like to park in the designated parking spots on the property you will have to request a parking permit and all tenants on the lease will have to sign off on an addendum stating that you (and/or others) will be paying for a parking permit. This is when you will see the first page of the lease update to read, "Parking Fee: $75.00", or whatever number reflects the amount of parking the tenant group chooses to pay for. 
  The set price per parking permit is $75.00. If you or any of your roommates are interested in adding parking and receiving a parking permit please send an email to ************************************************* (make sure the subject line reads your property address) with your request as well as some general information on your vehicle, make/year/model/color/license plate. We are happy to begin the process for you and send out the appropriate addendum.
  
  
  Towing is now being enforced. Whatever cars that are parked in the designated parking spots at the property without a parking permit will be towed.
  Please let us know if there are any other questions we can help answer for you!
  
  
  Best, 

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My name is **** ******** and I am a former resident of an apartment building *** * ******* *** I signed an 18 month lease with Cornerstone Management Inc in 2019. Around October 2020, I was notified via flyer that Four Star Realty would be taking over the lease agreement. When I signed my lease I placed a $800 security deposit, and a $250 Pet Deposit. I spent several hours cleaning the apartment to as good of quality as when I moved into the premises, including rental of a carpet cleaner. The new company waited the full 60 days to return to me a $15.83 refund on my deposit. Many items in the "Detail" they sent me are not tenant responsibilities to replace including rekeying new locks, replacing smoke detectors, etc. I sent an email on Friday Aug 6th to their office requesting a response within 3 business days demanding full payment sent to my new address. I have yet to hear anything from them. I have included a screen capture of the email to this formal complaint. Thank you BBB.

  Business response

  08/17/2021

  Hi ****- thanks for sharing your experience and that is obviously not the impression we want you to walk away with. I am happy to review your account and concerns regarding your security deposit return.  Please keep in mind we are a third party management company and not the Owner of this property whose ultimate decision it is.  Please reach out to me directly (at ************************) and I will review any discrepancies from your move-out. I'm confident we can come to an amicable agreement so that you walk away with a better experience from my office. Thank you.

  Customer response

  08/17/2021

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  I hope to receive professional, fair, and a reasonable resolution. Should I be unsatisfied with the resolution to be discussed, I maintain all rights to pursue full refund of security deposit through small claims court or other means. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ********

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Mid way through my lease, Cornerstone sold the property management company to Four Star. Four star charged me for normal wear and tear, upgrading locks, cleaning fees for an immaculate apartment, and for charges like fixing the medicine cabinet that was listed broken on my move in form, recaulking the tub which was listed on my move in form that it had chipped paint and soap scum all over, and repainting the walls that I never touched a nail, screw, or different paint to. I have attempted to be reimbursed for my deposit in the amount of $755.44 that was wrongly taken. I have reached out by email multiple times and they take weeks to respond and say we will let you know and then they never respond. They do not answer their phone and if they happen to- they will give you the run around and hang up. If nothing gets resolved- I will be filing a small claims court.

  Business response

  08/03/2021

  Hi ***** - thanks for sharing your experience and that is obviously not the impression we want you to walk away with. Please keep in mind we are a third party management company and not the Owner of this property. The charges you are referencing are never up charged and have no financial gain for my office, we are simply the middle management between our residents and the property owner. That said, I am happy to review your account and concerns regarding your security deposit return. Please reach out to me directly (at [email protected]) and I will review any discrepancies from your move-out. I'm confident we can come to an amicable agreement so that you walk away with a better experience from my office. Thanks, Kerry

  Customer response

  08/04/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I emailed her back and still have yet to get a response. Every single time someone from their office says we will work to find a solution- it is the same thing. No response, no solution, and if they sincerely cared about the issue and image of their company, they would respond within 24 business hours or at least follow up with a phone call to address the issues at hand. I still have no response 16 days later as well from my security deposit dispute email. With the amount of time I have taken to try to resolve this issue, along with the stress and frustration of poor communication- I will be filing my small claims court this week. I don’t need to deal with this any longer as they have lived up to exactly what their one star rating is. I will NEVER rent from this company in my life nor will I ever recommend anyone doing business with them. I will be submitting reviews anywhere I can to save however many people from having to go through this situation. I am truly dumbfounded by how unprofessional every single person I have dealt with is. It must be so easy to send an email and leave it as that and ignore any concerns brought to your attention. 

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

  Customer response

  08/05/2021

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I have been given for the past 17 days- the response was I will hopefully get back to you by the end of the week. I’ve heard that 3 times. That is not acceptable or a solution. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

  Business response

  08/06/2021

  A full response has been issued as of 8/6. Thank you.

*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. ↩