ComplaintsforCapital Square Living

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am the personal representative for a tenant (T) of ********************* Apts. (MRA) (owned and operated by Capital Square Living) whose monthly rental bills contain a charge of $204 for two separate "eviction fees", even though the Claim for Eviction had been withdrawn by its attorney much earlier. Also unresolved is a claim by MRA mgmt. that T owed $186 for various charges that had allegedly been incurred almost 1 year earlier under previous management. T had never been billed for these charges, some of which were clearly wrong, by either MRA or prior mgmt. This matter began when an Asst. ******* of MRA claimed that T owed back rent and late fees because of his failure to pay trivial amounts for trash service ( $9.75 - $12.43) for 6 consecutive months, and thereby incurred over $500 in late fees. This was nonsensical and would have qualified as the dumbest-ever protest of trash service. MRA records show that T always timely paid the full amount of his monthly bills, including amounts designated for trash.Despite this the Asst. **** signed another document "under penalty of perjury" that she had reviewed all the records and these false charges were correct. MRA's attorney then filed a Civil Claim for Eviction stating under "penalty of perjury" that these false underpayment claims were correct.The Claim for Eviction was withdrawn only after it was challenged. MRA stated it had done nothing wrong and at that point raised for the first time the allegation that T owed $186 for charges incurred, but never billed, under prior management. When these charges were challenged, there was no response from MRA's attorney.Four weeks after withdrawal of the Claim for ********* T's *** rental bill was amended at the last minute to include "eviction fees". T did not pay this illegitimate charge, and it was included again in his June bill. This matter involves malice, lying under oath, attempted fraud, vindictiveness and incompetence. Ownership should be informed and MRA audited.

  Customer response

  06/12/2024

  See attached clarification.

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  Good afternoon,

  Please see below the information pertaining to the customer's complaint. Please let me know if any further information is required to satisfy the response. 

  We currently have our attorneys involved in this matter as this resident has had a balance prior to takeover and refuses to pay it. He currently still has a balance.
  
  The balance is under his rent amount which is why we had not filed on him previously under BH, following their guidelines. We did file on him while under CS Living and this is where the complaint stimulates from. 

  At takeover, it was a balance of $187.03. He currently owes $212.03. He is a current resident.
  
  The difference is due to a insurance charge of $13 in October 2023.

   

  Customer response

  07/27/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [Provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.]
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer response

  07/31/2024

  I thought I responded on July 27th to Capital Square's non-substantive response.  I do not see it posted here.  I have left messages for ********************* of BBB on Monday and Tues. (29th and 30th) but have not received a reply from anybody.  Please inform me if I need to re-send my July 27th response to Capital Square.

  Customer response

  08/06/2024

  You have requested supporting records for our complaint after Capital Square submitted their response to our complaint. With one exception concerning the tenant's payments for private renter's insurance since 2018 (that is an attachment), all other relevant information is in the possession of Capital Square.  All records are Capital Square records, generated by them or their predecessor, and in their possession.

   

  Our complaint raised two issues.  The first concerns the continuation of Capital Square's charge for "eviction fees". Their reply to our complaint sent to BBB does not address that issue or even use the terminology "eviction fees". Nonetheless, attached is their most recent statement in July of "Balance Details" which lists the alleged "current account balance".  This includes two "Eviction Fees" of $126.15 and $62.00 dated March 11, 2024 - this is when their eviction action was filed in court (this was later withdrawn because all the alleged claims were fraudulent).  This July Balance Statement also lists Trash amounts due for April ($8.03), May ($8.05) and June ($7.80) which their records of monthly statements billed and Confirmation statements of amounts received show have been timely paid in April, May and June. Attached are bills issued and payments confirmed from March to July.

   

  Concerning the second issue of $187 allegedly due, attached are their attorney's e-mail and my response challenging the legitimacy of this claim. Neither their attorney or Capital Square has responded to my e-mail, and Capital Square's response to this BBB complaint does not address the issues and arguments raised in my e-mail on behalf of the tenant.  Among other things, the portion of their "ledger" copied in their attorney's e-mail shows that the tenant was being assessed a $13 monthly charge for "Liability Waiver" despite the fact he has paid private renter's insurance since 2018 (see attached statement).  An employee of prior management told him in 2022 this would be fixed, but it never was until current management dropped the charge in the fall of 2023. The tenant should receive, at a minimum, credit for these improper charges from the beginning of 2022.

   

  Our complaint filed with BBB would be resolved if Capital Square drops all claims that any amounts are due, and modifies their "Balance Due" statements to reflect that.

  Business response

  08/08/2024

  After reviewing the resident's ledger starting in 2022, the balance started to accumulate as of May 2022 due to insurance charges.
  
  In April, 2022 there were 3 different emails sent to all residents explaining ***** and what residents were required to do in order to show proof of their Renter's Insurance.
  
  From May - August of 2022, ************************* was charged $13 per month for liability coverage, totaling $52.00. On 8/12/2022 there was a credit of -$7.97 issued by ***** for "Policy Received ", leaving a remaining balance of $44.03. ************************* was not charged liability for September and October of 2022, leading us to believe that his coverage could have expired around this time because charges resumed in November of 2022 through December 2023. At this time the balance in insurance fees would total up to $226.03. On 12/4/2023, ***** issued another credit in the amount of -$39 for "Policy Received", leaving a remaining balance of $187.03.
  
  When our transition occurred in September 2023, any balance owed was updated and reflects as current charges instead of previous ones. This is why on the ** Living ledger, the balance reflected appears as utilities from August and September of 2023 owed.
  
  In April 2024, ************************* paid $1449.39 instead of the full balance due of $1474.39, the difference was $25 for valet trash.
  
  All late fees and eviction fees were credited back to ***************************** account.
  
  The current balance of $212.03 consists of previous insurance charges which now show as utilities due to transition, and $25 from April 2024.

  Customer response

  08/12/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  See attached memo. 
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am reaching out due to a maintenance issue with our Air conditioning unit in our apartment unit. On June 20, 2024 we noticed our apartment was not cooling down and filled a maintenance request. We received no timely follow-up which prompted me to take a day off of my job to physically go to the leasing office to notify them on June 21st. We were provided a portable A/C unit around 5pm after I waited an entire day and heard nothing but this does not cool down our entire apartment. It has been a constant 83 degrees inside our unit for 7 days now. We continued to reach out to the leasing office every single day and when their maintenance team finally arrived we were told there was no issue. There was clearly an issue because the A/C unit was still not coming on! The apartment has been unlivable due to this issue happening during the hottest days of the year so far. Our electric bill will now be significantly higher due to the constant running of the portable A/C unit. An outside vendor was FINALLY called on June 26th who indeed found an issue with required them needing to do repairs. We left several voicemail messages and sent an email to Capital Square Living LLC. and NEVER received a response. I am requesting that we received a billing adjustment to our monthly rent payment for the week that we could not even live in the apartment. The property management informed me that being without A/C during these extreme temperatures is actually considered an emergency but we were not treated with any care during this matter.

  Business response

  07/11/2024

  Good morning,

  Thank you for your sharing your concerns and allowing us the opportunity to address them appropriately. 

  As your original service request was input on the evening of 6/20, our service team responded on 6/21 and could not locate the root cause of the ** not cooling. The team went to the roof of the building and determined the pressure for the unit was acceptable and not leaking. At which point, we placed a call to a local HV** company to come and service the unit. Given that summer is high season for ** calls, the company informed us they could not service the unit until the following week. A portable unit was provided for in-unit cooling. On Monday our team came to your home and provided a a second portable unit for additional cooling. ******* visited the unit and initially thought it was the valve and replaced this part, but it still didn't rectify the issue. Ultimately, it was determined is root cause was the fan motor and that part was ordered the following day. 

  Given the provider troubleshooting and delays, we granted a $250 concession which was applied to the unit ledger as of 6/30. 

  This was communicated to the residents and find this a satisfactory solution. 

  Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  07/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am seeking compensation for a Energy bill due to failed maintenance by Capital Square Living. In early June I put a request in to have my HVAC unit serviced as it hadn't been cooling as it should. I don't have access to this request as company changed maintenance systems. Maintenance (*****) changed the filter & instructed me to keep blinds closed. Unit still didn't work after svc. Another request was put in on 6/20 w/no response. On 7/10 I received my 1st bill from *************** for $1434.37 including June and July. Immediately I emailed property mgmt (******) expressing concern for my safety in the unit, the *********** over the invoices. She said a contractor would come out to service the unit on 7/12, no one came. On 7/13 after no response to my email and no svc of the unit I spoke w/ ****** in office. She assured me the bill would be "taken care of" she just wasn't sure if the company would credit my rent, cut a check or pay w/ the credit card. ****** expressed concerned that crediting my rent wouldn't fully compensate me as rent was less than the bill amount. Same day ****** sent a maintenance tech (********) who said the control panel was burnt & that week they had a similar issue in another unit -the unit caught **************** came out which ratcheted my safety concern. A window unit was placed in interim. On 7/14 contractor fixed unit. On 7/21 I was made aware that the company now will only be compensating me $900 due to the delay in getting ****** the bill even though the timeline of billing and when I received the bill was made transparent to her when she agreed to pay the full ******** requested the unit be svc'd twice. Also, Dominion is not charging any late fees until 8/1 so the total bill does not include. ****** now denies assuring me that the company would pay the total amount of the bill. Prior to the unit being fixed the typical daily kwh usage was ******. Directly after being serviced the daily usage went down to *****kwh at it's highest.

  Business response

  07/26/2023

  Capital Square Living took over management of ******************** on 06/15/2023. Former Management (BH Management) received several work orders from ********************* in unit #****-09 regarding allgeged **** concerns. BH engaged their in-house Maintenance team as well as hired an outside Contractor to ensure all issues were resolved. When the Resident inquired about a concession for any electric overages as a result of the **** concerns, a partial credit of $300 per month X 3 months for a total concession of $900 was approved to add to the Residents ledger. The Resident is dissatisfied with this offer and feels as though she should not have to pay any electric for these (3) months while also requesting any monies be paid to *************** directly as opposed to the customary practice of adding to the tenant ledger. After reviewing the provided invoices from the Resident, we cannot determine any excess overages without seeing at least (3) invoices prior to the affected service dates. Additionally, it appears the Resident has not been staying current with her bills and is incurring late fees with a balance forward from previous months. 

  Customer response

  07/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  1.The concerns for the **** unit are not alleged as Capital Square Living(CSL) staff stated that the control panel for the unit was burnt as well as the heat structures were stuck in an on position causing the excessive energy usage (no fault of my own but, due to the unit not being properly maintained) please see attached email in regards to that. After CSL on site maintenance came out to service the unit initially, they assessed the unit and stated the issue was corrected by adding a new filter.However despite me stating it was still hot in the apartment maintenance asked me to close the blinds and give the temperature time to drop. Then, another request was put in for maintenance that was ignored. At least 30 days after my ignored request a contractor was dispatched to service the unit. 
  
  2.It was CSL property manager ****** who verbally agreed in office that the company would take care of it (In regards to the energy bill). Which is what led me to my conclusion of the bill being taken care of in its entirety. ****** stated that the company would either cut a check, use the companys credit card or credit my August rent. (which rent was less than the bill at the time) so she expressed concern for crediting the ledger. Those were the options that were given to me. I did not ask for them to cover the full bill. I did however make ****** aware that Julys bill was already at $500 and it was only July 12th at that point (Julys bill has been attached). None of the staff ever requested any other documentation besides the bills provided. Furthermore, per my previous conversation with The regional Director of Capital Square Living, ******** (which is attached) I stated that reasonably I know that personal usage would be deducted from concessions but, the company is honestly refusing to be transparent on how theyre determining said compensation. ******** said they were comparing the usage before the incident to the usage during the incident to determine concessions. When in actuality the hvac system has not worked for the entire duration of my stay at the complex so there wouldn't be a time before. I have provided in the complaint the documentation in the drop of usage from before my unit was serviced and directly after (which I offered to provide to ******** in email as well-see attached email) Now, CSL is requesting 3 months prior to the incident an impossibility as I have only resided in the apartment for 3 months. There is clearly a miscommunication between the staff and whoever responded did not bother to review the facts of the case. Im not trying to not pay my energy bill (as *** stated multiple times) but, it needs to be fair to BOTH parties as the unit malfunction is no fault of my own but, due to the negligence of the company. I am willing to pay my deposit amount that is rightfully, my responsibility but, why would I pay anything more when I was assured the company would cover the bill?
  
  3.Lastly, this fallacy about me being behind on my bills(s) is yet another indication that the individual responding to this has either not reviewed or doesnt understand the facts of the case. Yes, there is a balance  forward one because I didnt receive ***************** until June (which I made property management aware of) and there would be a forwarding balance because the bill has not been paid hence, the basis of this case. Dominion is not assessing any late fees and nowhere on the bill does it state late fees have been added. I am not nor have I ever requested any funds for late fees. It is unprofessional and negligent to make defamatory statements without a factual basis.  *********** is being intentionally difficult like theyre intentionally trying to cause emotional distress. *********** is outright ignoring all requests for further details in my response through email and solely focusing on moving me out of the complex (please see attached). I feel bullied and unsafe in this environment.
  

  I think a more fair and accurate assessment of my personal usage would be to ***** the time period after the unit was serviced which would be 7/15-8/21 to before service to determine compensation. Which that bill can be provided once it has generated.

  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************
  
  
  
  

  
  

*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. ↩