ComplaintsforJ. Wasser & Co.

• Initial Complaint

  06/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Management has been consistently difficult to get ahold of no matter the number of follow **** It took 2 months to get them to fix my bathroom sink. And Im worried theyll make me wait just as long to address the literal mushrooms growing in my closet. I refuse to wait so long when this can become hazardous for my health. I started emailing them and submitted a ticket about the problem almost exactly a week ago and have not gotten a response despite following up.

  Business response

  07/02/2024

  Good afternoon,

   

  As mentioned via direct communication, we will continue to work on rectifying this issue. We have brought in many professionals, and are not ignoring the issue at all. It has proven far more difficult to resolve than we initially anticipated. As mentioned via direct communication, we are looking to work with you. We will continue to do our best to mitigate the discomfort, and resolve the issue in full. We have not spared any expense to remedy this issue, and hope to have a resolution soon. 

  We sincerely apologize for your frustration.

  Customer response

  07/09/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  This issue is still on going and there is no clear timeline as to when it will be fixed.

  We have to wait for rain for someone to come look at the ceiling to see how the water is coming in but there has been absolutely no discussion the removal of the mushrooms.

  I have not been living here very long but I first reported this issue back in November. it is only through my repeated requests/emails that there is any communication from the company at all. 

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Customer response

  07/24/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  The statement that management has "been in constant contact with the resident" is markedly untrue. I have been emailing asking for updates on a nearly daily basis and most of my emails go without a response. It's only after numerous follow *** that I will get a vauge description of what/if anything is happening. 

  In fact, management's note here in re ripping out the roof drains was never communicated to me by managment. 

  I do not intend to close out this complaint until the repairs are complete. 

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  I am not looking to argue for the sake of arguing. I have spoke to my staff and they have informed me that there was communication, your claim is that communication was not clear and or responsive enough. We manage a sizable portfolio and we rarely get complaints of this nature, or about our communications. Regardless, I have instructed my staff to pay special attention to this matter and be as clear about it as possible. We will continue to work to resolve the issue. I know it is frustrating, and we are frustrated too. I can't guarantee the repair in a specific timeframe since the professionals we brought in are having a difficult time with diagnosing the issue. But I can say with certainty that we will continue to work towards a permanent solution, and do our best to maintain communication. Our goal is to provide service, and if this has not been up to your standard, we will work to rectify it. We are not looking for fights, we are looking to provide service, and we will do our best to resolve this issue as fast as we can.

   

  Regards.

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Business did not pay their utility bill for several months, resulting in loss of power throughout the building and loss of hot water for all apartments. We have now been without hot water for over 24 hours, and the hallways and stairwells without power for the same amount of time. We as tenants deserve better than unanswered phone calls, short emails with promises that it's getting fixed in just a few minutes (and then not getting fixed), and misdirection from the company. It is illegal to not provide hot water and is illegal to not provide electricity in the building. We as tenants demand better and deserve better, and the BBB has a right to know what kind of businesses they are accrediting.

  Business response

  09/29/2022

  Good morning,

   

  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience here. While we have tried to have the utility company update their records, they have repeatedly failed to do so. Because of this,there was no notice provided to us that this was being considered.This should never have happened. The power was restored as soon as we were notified. Unfortunately the incident occured during a Holiday, which precluded us from resolving the issue instantaneously. As soon as we were made aware of the issue, we had it resolved within 12 hours. We are deeply sorry for this inconvenience, and are in touch with the utility company to ensure they know how to contact us, so this never ever happens again. It's terrible that a simple miscommunication should cause this much hardship to our residents. Please be advised that the issue has been fully resolved.

  Customer response

  09/29/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  While I am also Jewish and understand that this happened during the New Year, I also know that ConEd was not closed during this time. How do I know? Because I called them. And if you are so unreachable during an emergency because of a holiday, then that is concerning. What if something happens over Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or any other holiday? Will you be unwilling to fix a problem immediately because it is a holiday, leaving residents to live in conditions that violate the warranty of habitability because you're busy celebrating?

  Additionally, according to the account of several neighbors, a Con ****** notice of potential shut off was put on the front door of the building prior to the holiday. You knew about this and simply did not care. Additionally, Con ****** has the ability to turn utilities off and on instantaneously. You still waited over 12 hours (by your own admission) to fix it. if it were an account problem, then how come you didn't pay the bill and get the lights turned on, and then deal with the account issue?? That is 12 hours without hot water, 12 hours without lights on in the building. Would you live like that? Would you accept this answer if your building managers did this? Or is this a *********** extended to your tenants?
  

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  11/03/2022

  Hi,

   

  We understand your frustration, and we apologize for that, sincerely. We are glad that the issue was resolved as soon as we were informed.

   

  That said, we did not make any claim that Con ** was closed.

   

  We also would like to disregard any hearsay as to whether or not there were notices on the building. The fact of the matter is, that there was a communication issue which we acknowledge, and that has been resolved. We do not foresee this being an issue moving forward.

   

  We also acknowledge the discomfort this caused, and we apologize. We have an emergency line that is followed 24/7, and this has been reliable since the inception of our company 15 years ago.

   

  The issue has been resolved, and we do apologize. We appreciate you taking the time to provide feedback.

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  J Wasser did not pay our apartment complex's utility bill for the month and so for the last 24 hours, the hallways have been pitch black (photos attached), which is a huge safety risk for older folks, and everyone has been without hot water. ConEd confirmed that the utility bill had not been paid.This blatantly violates the warranty of habitability that was agreed to in the lease and it is beyond outrageous for a management company to not pay a utility bill.

  Business response

  09/29/2022

  Good morning,
  
  We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience here. While we have tried to have the utility company update their records, they have repeatedly failed to do so. Because of this,there was no notice provided to us that this was being considered.This should never have happened. The power was restored as soon as we were notified. Unfortunately the incident occured during a Holiday, which precluded us from resolving the issue instantaneously. As soon as we were made aware of the issue, we had it resolved within 12 hours. We are deeply sorry for this inconvenience, and are in touch with the utility company to ensure they know how to contact us, so this never ever happens again. It's terrible that a simple miscommunication should cause this much hardship to our residents. Please be advised that the issue has been fully resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Instead of living in safe and healthy housing, many tenants are forced to live in units that have mold, dirty water from aging pipes, and a variety of dangerous structural issues. Furthermore, every single unit is experiencing frigid temperatures due to faulty heating. In addition, we are all facing a rampant rat infestation. Not only are rats in individual units, but because the building is infested, tenants can hear rats between the walls, and are frequently forced to confront rats and their droppings in building common areas. Our unsafe living conditions are only made worse by the fact the front doors to our building are broken, and so are the cameras and intercom, which allows frequent package theft. Despite the attempts of the Saint ******** ************* to reach out to management to make the appropriate people aware of whats occurring, we have not received a response or acknowledgment from J Wasser to rectify the issues.

  Business response

  03/23/2022

  We are in receipt of this complaint from our tenant at ********************************************************, the items in the tenant's complaint have at one point been true in this building which needed to be addressed, and have been addressed by us since we have taken over management of this building, as of September 2021. As soon as we took over management of this building, we have taken every possible course of action to remedy the items listed in this complaint. We have spent a lot of money in doing so, and fortunately, we have seen the situation improve dramatically.
  
  
  Since taking over management, we have cleaned out the basement of the building of all garbage, hired more full-time staff to clean the building daily, and have a property manager take daily trips to the building to ensure things are clean and improving in the building. We have closed up all the holes in the building to keep rodents out, and since doing so, we have seen a drastic improvement in this area. It is not perfect yet, but it should be very soon. This kind of issue dos take time unfortunately. We have ensured that the glass to the front door of the building has been repaired, and all garbage in the hallways of the building has been removed. We monitor the hallways daily to ensure that if any further garbage is placed in the hallway it is removed the same day.
  
  
  Should any tenants have any further questions, or any specific items they feel are not being addressed, they can call our office or email us and we will ensure that any specific needs are taken care of immediately.
  
  
  

  Customer response

  03/23/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

  Security problems: broken doors to the front of the building and packages being stolen in the lobby. While the front door has been temporarily fixed to close, the intercom system is still broken and the cameras in the lobby are not working. This is a key concern of tenants due to major package theft issues.

  Rat Infestation: There are still rats in the building - there were rats in the trash chute actively eating garbage. The trash was piled to nearly the first floor. We have video documentation but are unable to share on BBB due to the file types the platform accepts. Additionally, there is a door with a large hole that has been "fixed" by placing a brick in front of it.
  
  Heating issues: All apartments are experiencing cold temperatures below the required *** standard of "68 degrees when outdoor temperatures fall below 55 degrees during the day. Indoor temperatures must also be a minimum of 62 degrees overnight, regardless of outdoor temperatures." Please see photo from 3/17.

  
  Building cleanliness and maintenance: Tenants have not been advised of newly hired maintenance staff members nor property manager ensuring cleanliness. Please see photo of garbage in basement today - 3/22. Many units are also experiencing increased flies in units. Additionally, there is an alarm that goes off multiple times daily that needs to be fixed - we have video documentation of the alarm as well that cannot be uploaded due to BBB's platform file support.
  

  
  Apartment Health Concerns: Multiple units have structural issues, mold, and unclean water - these have not been addressed to tenant's knowledge.
  
  Ongoing building issues and poor communication with management: The BBB response is the first acknowledgement we've received from management after multiple tenants have sent emails - myself included. We are seeking to arrange bi-weekly meetings with representatives of the tenant union to discuss progress of building improvements and ways to improve living conditions.

  
  

   In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business response

  03/24/2022

  To Whom it May ********************** response to the updated notice we received from the tenant, please see our specific answers to each item below.
  
  
  Security: The cameras in the building are now up and running, and the intercom should be up and running in short order. Unfortunately, there was a bigger internet issue in the building which has taken the technician we hired a few trips to fix, but the work is almost complete which will allow the intercom to be fully functional.
  
  
  
  Rat Infestation: The extermination company has told us that approximately 80% of the work here is done, but as these things take time, it will take a little longer to finish the extermination in the building. We have seen a drastic improvement and will continue to have the extermination treat the building regularly until all rodents have been removed from the building.
  
  
  Heating Issues: I am not sure why the tenant mentions that "all apartments" are experiencing heat issues. We have been in touch with all tenants in the building, and the majority of our tenants have been content with the heating in their units. The specific tenant submitting this complaint has only recently brought to our attention that the heat in her unit is subpar, and we have made sure to address it right away.
  
  
  Building cleanliness and maintenance: The tenants have indeed been made aware of this additional hired help. If any tenant has a specific issue, as previously mentioned, they can certainly reach out to our office and we will be glad to assist.
  
  
  Apartment health concerns: No tenant has given us specific notice of mold in their unit, nor any specific structural issue. If a tenant has a specific issue, they can reach out to our office to schedule a repair.
  
  
  Ongoing building issues and poor communication with management: We have been in touch with a majority of the tenants in the building, and they recognize the progress that has been made. to our knowledge, only 1 or 2 tenants other than ******* have any interest in joining any tenant union. We are always here to help tenants, and have been very communicative all throughout receiving notices of outstanding repairs needed in this building. We are committed to continued strides and improvements in the building, to provide a healthy and safe living environment for all residents.
  
  
  Tell us why here...

  Customer response

  03/28/2022

  Better Business Bureau:

  Since submitting the initial complaint, management has been responsive and helpful to resolving the issues raised, and I appreciate it. While some issues are still on-going, such as building heating issues, management is responding and making the appropriate fixes. I am satisfied with the current progress, but continue to stress the importance of regularly communicating the updates and progress to all tenants in the building, as many in our building group text were not aware of new staff hired or work undertaken in response to the issues raised. We ask management to continue to maintain the prompt responses to emails so we dont have to resort to public complaints to have issues taken care of. 

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

  
  

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