ComplaintsforMaidenbaum Property Tax Reduction Group LLC

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  iMy wife and I sold our residence at ***************************************************************************. We had used Maidenbaum Property Tax to apply for tax reductions regarding real estate taxes. We received a bill in 2023 that they insisted we had to pay even though we notified them that we are no longer the owners of that property. After arguing wiht them we decided to pay that bill. During that process we notified them that we do not want the services going forward, do not own the house and to not bill us for any services because we do not own the house. Today, 1//26/2024, we received ANOTHER invoice, this time for services for 2023. I've tried to call them but there is no way to reach a human being by phone on their number **************. They are cheating us out of money by attempting to bill us. Again we do not own the home they are billing us for and have notified them in writing of that fact. There simply is no way to reach them to correct this issue. We need assistance to stop Maidenbaum from billing us.

  Business response

  02/20/2024

  ***** and his wife were clients of our company since 2016, and we had notified them many times that in the event of a sale, all that is needed is an assignment of our agreement for tax assessment reduction services to the purchaser.  This is the custom and practice of the industry, and it is included in our retainer agreement.  We assist our customers who are selling their property by providing all the forms needed to assign our agreement to the new property owners.  In this case, we gave our former clients the forms more than two-months prior to their closing, but they never sent them back to us with the purchasers signature.
  
  Given all their years of loyalty and business however, we are waiving our fee and we wish ***** and his wife all the best in their new home.
  

  Customer response

  02/21/2024

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
   
  
  

  Customer response

  06/03/2024

  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:

  We are following up on a complaint we made in January 2024 on the BBB system regarding invoices from Maidenbaum Property Tax Reductions Group (Maidenbaum). Maidenbaum responded to that January 2024 complaint and communicated that they were not billing us for 2023/24 tax reduction services as a result. Unfortunately, we received yet another invoice from Maidenbaum, this time dated May 2024, for the 2023/24 tax year. We seek this activity to cease. Background: We sold our home at **************************************************************************************. We have received an invoice for Maidenbaum services for tax reduction services AFTER we sold that home and paid that invoice for 2022/23 tax year. We also notified Maidenbaum that we no longer own that home when we paid that invoice (It was written all over the invoice that we paid at that time). We received another invoice in January 2024 for the 2023-24 tax year and filed our initial complaint with the BBB at that time (referenced above). The response from Maidenbaum at that time, which is recorded on the BBB system was that they decided to not bill us for the 2023/24 tax year (I paraphrased their response). Unfortunately, they have billed us once again for the 2023/24 tax year. We do not own the home involved, it was sold in 2022. We cannot reach anyone at Maidenbaum by phone **************, nor is there additional contact information on the invoices we have received. We once again seek resolution of this matter. We no longer own the home involved, do not need or want Maidenbaums services, and have notified them on the invoice for 2022 (which we paid) and when we received the initial invoice for 2023/24 in January 2024. Thank you in advance for any assistance in this matter.

  
  Desired Resolution:
  Billing Adjustment
  
  
   
  

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  Weve waived the fee and this time we made sure to hit the SAVE button. It is now successfully waived and amicably resolved with the client.

• Initial Complaint

  12/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am disputing the bill I received for the services rendered for the 2022/23 property tax reduction.The calculations are based on the Tentative value based on ****** . I never paid taxes based on this value. According to me this value should ne ****** as per SCAR Mediation which I negotiated with county.I tried to argue with ********** but they do not agree with my position.

  Business response

  01/02/2024

  We are pleased to have explained the actual assessment reduction we obtained to our client's satisfaction.  As our client now understands, Nassau County has a complicated assessment system where sometimes assessments are unchanged from the prior year, and at other times assessments are increased.  The 2022/23 tax year was not a year in which the County carried forward prior year assessment reductions.

  Customer response

  01/07/2024

  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 as per agreed revised payments( waiting for final payment values and statements ) and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Section 54 Block 346 Lot 317 ************ was successful in obtaining a reduction in our taxes which was great. We waited for several months to either see a refund in our tax bills or a refund check from Nassau County which is what the company told us would happen. Finally in January 2023 I went directly to the Nassau County Treasurer and to my surprise was told that this company picked up all the refund checks in late November/early December! I then went to the company personally to find out what was going on and was advised since we hired them to grieve our taxes they secure the refund check and then they forward a check to the client. We understand that a portion of the refund has to go to the prior owner. We purchased the house in August 2020. It has now been 4 months since this company obtained our refund and we are still waiting for them to forward a check to us. I appreciate the enormity of the job sorting out hundreds of refunds to their clients but holding money in I assume their escrow account for this amount of time seems like an excessive amount of time.

  Customer response

  04/10/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This has to do with a matter that occurred back in 2015 which is being billed to me in 2022. It appears that I had reached out to this company at the beginning of 2015 to represent me in property tax reduction service. Since I was not completely comfortable with this type of service, I recalled reaching out to the company to stop the matter as I was no longer interested. Of course, I did not put it in writing. I had no reason to believe that the company continued to represent me because I never heard from the company after that initial contact Early this month, June 2022 I received a **** for services rendered by this company . I immediately reached out to the company to let them know that there must have been a mistake since I was not aware they represented me on any matters. The company then sent me a signed contract from January 2015 and a copy of the tax reduction they secured on my behalf. My issue is that I was not aware they continued to represent me and truthfully I was not even aware I had gotten a Tax Reduction as my taxes are paid through my mortgage company. I don't feel I should be liable for services being conducted on my behalf when there was no communication and worst to not hear from company until almost seven years later. Why wasn't I informed when they had gotten the reduction. I thought that would have been good news to share with a supposed client.

  Business response

  07/28/2022

  We agree that when we obtain tax reductions for our clients, it is good news that we are extremely happy to share.  This is especially true here, where the reduction saved our client $1,438.50 in property taxes!
  
  When ****************** hired us in 2015, it was to challenge her 2016/17 tax year assessment.  We advised our client that our successful services would reduce the 2016/17 school tax **** (issued in October 2016) and the 2017 general tax **** (issued in January 2017), and that we would not issue our own **** until January 2017 when both the school and general tax rates were available.  As soon as we had all the tax rates, we promptly mailed our **** on January 9, 2017.  From March 2017 through June 2018, we followed up a dozen times by mailing our client another copy of the **** and many statements.  Our client did not respond to any of them.  We eventually found out that ****************** filed for bankruptcy just a few months after our last statement in October 2018.  Moreover, after her first bankruptcy case was dismissed, she filed a second one in October 2020.  Although the second one was eventually dismissed too, we were not allowed to send any further statements during all the years her bankruptcy cases were pending.
  
  ****************** mentions that she believed she canceled our services.  Nassau County allows homeowners to cancel contracts for tax assessment reduction services within three days, and we state that clearly in our agreements. We do not make the cancellation process difficult, and even a simple e-mail asking us to cancel will suffice.  ****************** did not cancel within three days nor did she send us anything in writing.  But this was actually a good thing, since she would have paid $1,438.50 more in taxes had she canceled our services.  Nevertheless, we are sympathetic that our client had financial difficulties, and we are willing to give her a financial hardship discount.  She may send an e-mail to ************************* if she wishes to amicably resolve this matter.

  Customer response

  07/30/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response from Maidenbaum  business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have reached the company to discuss a resolution to put this matter behind me. My contention remains that I have never heard from the company after the initial contact and was not aware I was being represented or even received a positive outcome to the matter.  I still feel blindsided with this **** and unfortunately do not have any record  other than the signed agreement presented by the company.  This **** was not expected or budgeted for after almost 7 years. 

  
  

  My dismissed bankruptcies i.e wage earner petition was withdrawn by me and have nothing to do with my contention here.  Creditors were addressed by the court and even at that time I was not aware of an outstanding matter with Maidenbaum    Apart from the signed agreement produced I dont have record of any contact or conversations with group. Having said that, I wish to put this matter behind me like all my other financial hardships. I applaud the company for attempting to amicably resolve. I have not heard from them up to the time of responding here. Thank you!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am filing a complaint against Maidenbaum over a tax grievance that was not authorized by me. I signed a contract in 2019 for 2020 tax years. I am not sure if I got a reduction for that year, but I paid the **** of ************************************************************************************** addition, I asked for a notification to stop was placed on the account and was told it was. Yet their in-house counsel further me two additional contracts for 2021/ 2022 and 2022/2023 that were electronically signed but not by me. I called the office after receiving another **** ******** and change for services that I cancelled, I was called a prostitute by their employee *** after I told her that her company was scamming unsuspecting homemaker who is unaware of the assessment process. The in-house counsel ********************* was very apologetic, but the damage is done. The two-addition year contract electronic signature were not done by me so someone in their office forge my signature. I would like an inquire into their practices.

  Customer response

  02/17/2022

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *** *****************************
  
  
   
  
  

*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. ↩