Just a minor addition of an incoming from a reader and also please note that a better email address to reach me is: Harris2018@aol.com Thanks for reading!
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Sent: Sat, Nov 25, 2017 4:46 pm
Subject: aum Sucks Blog
Ms/Mr Harris:
I just saw your blog and wanted to say “Thanks!” for maintaining the information for the Internet population.
I recently moved into an apartment property using aum and I am glad to know what I will be up against.
I would like to pass along some advice I received from the office of a State Senator in Texas about a very bad apartment management company. I was advised to file a complaint with the District Attorney’s Office in Texas. Also, ask as many people as possible to do the same thing. Reasons, if enough people file a complaint with the DA’s Office about a single company, the DA’s Office will have to investigate the company. If only one person files a complaint, the DA’s Office will consider it an isolated event and the person is just mad.
I have filed complaints with the DA in my home state and the DA in the state where the company is headquarters, etc. The more people who know, the better to get the attention of someone who wants to be re-elected!
Good Luck with your Quest! It is tough, but keep in mind, the goal is to not let the bastards win.
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Attn: Blog Readers -
I have said about all that can be said about this bottom feeding bunch of crooks, have said it for years based on my own personal experience. I no longer update this blog for the simple reason that nothing has changed with this firm and probably nothing ever will change. They have found a way to rip off consumers and get away with it.
If you are buying a condo or renting an apartment you MUST first check and see if AUM is doing their utility billing. If they are then DO NOT buy that condo or rent in that apartment complex as you will be cheated and lied to by this company.
I've said this for years and I routinely send my blog site info to all the AUM email addresses I can come up with and so far they have not sued me for libel or slander, that alone should tell you all you need to know about this company.
The site will probably not be updated with any regularity but it is here and open so that anyone who googles AUM can find out about these crooks.
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Misc Note of 1/4/17:
I have added at the very end of this blog the US District Court for the Central Dist of Calif case of:
Nekole Rucker v. American Utility Management (2:12 CV- 9935-R-PJW) - filed 11/20/12, asking for 'class action' status, this case was settled and dismissed 8/12/13, might be worth taking a look at the basic complaint.
OR, it might be easier to use this link to go to another of my blog sites dedicated just to this case, use: http://americanutilitymgmtsucks.blogspot.com/
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5/30/16
Read up on how American Utility Management cheats condo owners and apartment renters out of thousands of dollars with bogus bills and unjustified fees!
Although as of Jan. 2013 I am no longer an owner at Nautilus Cove Condo in Panama City Beach, Florida, and have no current connection with AUM this blog site might be of interest to you if you have AUM as your utility billing firm. I have found them to be cheats and frauds and so have a lot of other people.
Consumers - Know your enemy:
Our AUM Team
"AUM’s Senior Management Team includes a mix of long-standing multifamily industry experts along with top-level talent from other businesses to ensure we provide the most innovative, holistic solutions for our clients. From our Account Managers and Invoice Processors to our Senior Executives, we are committed to being the premier utility management and energy services partner to the multifamily industry."
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KNOW WHO IT IS THAT IS SCREWING YOU!Ownership:
 |  |  |  |
| Michael Miller | Bob Malpasuto | Dave Carpenter | Dan Witte |
| President and Chief Executive Officer | Chief Financial Officer | Chief Strategy Officer | Executive Vice President |
Management
 | Mark Coffman Chief Operating Officer |  | Linda Alperin Chief Revenue Officer |
 |  |  |  | |
| Pat Ahern | Pat Bosi | Dimitris Kapsis | Jeffrey Peterson | |
| Executive Vice President, Finance | Executive Vice President, People and Performance | Chief Energy Officer | Executive Vice President, General Counsel |
List updated 7/25/17 - Why not give all of them the benefit of your opinion of their crappy company? I email them regularly and you should also.
Reach out for them at:
Reach out for them at:
malpo@aum-inc.com,
catherine.mason@realpage.com,
mark.zanders@realpage.com,
lauren.tauchen@realpage.com,
Rob.Traycoff@RealPage.com,
JKenneally@aum-inc.com, catherine.mason@realpage.com,
mark.zanders@realpage.com,
lauren.tauchen@realpage.com,
Rob.Traycoff@RealPage.com,
mcroce@aum-inc.com,
tnicholson@aum-inc.com,
dvintika@aum-inc.com,
kkielma@aum-inc.com,
gtito@aum-inc.com,
ikhan@aum-inc.com,
bricobene@aum-inc.com,
pflanigan@aum-inc.com,
cedwards@aum-inc.com,
mpiraino@aum-inc.com,
saderholt@aum-inc.com,
dmyrick@aum-inc.com,
Company Overview
2211 South York Road
Suite 320
Oak Brook, IL 60523
United States
Founded in 1994
Key Executives For American Utility Management Inc.
Compensation as of Fiscal Year 2016.
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UPDATE 1/3/17 from YELP
- Stephen B.
- San Diego, CA
- 5 friends
- 85 reviews
I agree with Don M. DO NOT move into a property that uses aum-inc.com. Obviously, if you are reading this, it is probably too late. People do not know anything about this company until they have to deal with a bill. BUT, please write another Yelp about your experience. This is sometimes the only way to put a spotlight on companies that gouge people with obnoxious and unjustified fees just because they can.
This is a company that hides behind lease contracts to gouge and rape tenants who live at properties that do business with them. Don't take my word for it, just check out the almost 100 single star, highly negative reviews below this one. The story is consistent. Here is another resource to educate yourselves on how these thieves do business. aumsucks.blogspot.com
Here is how it works. The owners of your property contract with AUM to bill tenants directly for shared utilities (water, sewer, trash) and in some cases for residential utilities. Within your lease (which probably looks like an imitation of War and Peace) is fine print that says you have to pay AUM or else. Since it is integrated as a contractual item within your lease, you are forced to comply with the terms or you will be in violation of your lease. That's right, you can actually be evicted because of this as I was threatened with exactly that.
AUM knows this, and they leverage this brutally, pragmatically, unfairly and in some cases probably illegally. Their late fee is $9 (which is typically 15-40% of the billed amount) and they charge $8 for the convenience of paying a bill online or over the phone with a cc or debit card. I believe the accounting behind the billed amounts are also inflated, but who audits/oversees these motherfu%^&*ers? I am going to find out, that is for sure.
+++Note: I paid my bill today, 12/1/16, and I only had to pay $2.99 for the convenience fee, which is still a scumbag ripoff, but not as bad as $7.99. Do not know if they were successfully sued to change this fee, or this is the amount that they charge through their contract with my particular property. This could also be a Cali thing. Do not know.
I mean, in my case, the braintrust at essexapartmenthomes.com have threatened me with EVICTION over a bill that amounts to about $200 at this point. This represents about 3/4 of a percent of the value of my 1 year lease with them. This also includes about $50 in late fees that I will never pay. I never paid the original bill, but my name was never in their system (AUM's) so I never actually got it.
In any case, I am trying to get the LA Times to do an investigation into this company and trying to find out whether they can be sued in a class action based on legal precedent here in Los Angeles. Will update this review with any news.
- Kristen D.
- Portland, OR
- 47 friends
- 18 reviews
This company is the worst. If you need a few days till you can pay your bill on time but don't have enough days to mail your check without it being late, your only option is to pay online. Paying online is great! Most companies have this option and its a win- win! Your bill isn't late and their payment is received instantly! BUT they charge $7.99 to do it?! EIGHT DOLLARS TO PAY THEM MORE EFFICIENTLY?! A dollar or two would still be ridiculous but not a big deal and wouldn't have so many angry residents. I pay so much more for my water bills than anyone else I know. This company is a disgusting example of price gouging and taking advantage of renters.
The first and only time I tried to pay online, after I realized it was my due date and I had forgotten to mail out my check, I was having trouble finding my account number so I called them but since they're based in Illinois and I live in Oregon their office was closed at 4pm pacific time and alas my payment was received late with a nice late fee along with it. With the amount they charge for online payments they can't afford to staff a few 24/7 customer service people in a phone room?!
- Sally H.
- NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA
- 3 friends
- 9 reviews
I also agree with EVERYONE else, if a building uses this company, DO NOT rent from them. Moved into my new apt and my bill was.. get this.. 180$. Um. What. And you have no option but to pay it otherwise you are in violation of your lease. I've dealt with these utility management companies before but these prices are GOUGED.
Now how do we report them to the BBB or file a class action, because their business practices are totally backwards. 7.99 processing fee, ridiculous rates, poor customer service and they make it very difficult to pay your bill. In 2016, I find these practices horrendous and they are ripping people off. Plain and simple.
UPDATE 5/15/16:
Here are a few of the newer YELP reviews about the scumbags at AUM.
There are now 72 YELP reviews, all one star, so be sure and go over there and add your own review to the site.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/american-utility-management-los-angeles
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Ian A.
Plymouth, MI 4/28/2016
From Plymouth, MI, and I'll add the same: DO NOT RENT AT APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT USE THIS CROOKED COMPANY! The complaints in this State about AUM are the same as everywhere else: you will be overcharged by them, your payments lost, and should you choose to pay online (like most companies allow for FREE these days), you will be price-gouged for it at a rate of $7.99 per bill payment! Really, it's only a matter of time before a class-action lawsuit is raised against these thieves.
As another person stated, ask each apartment complex if they use AUM before moving in, and if they do, RUN.
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Doggin L.
Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 3/15/2016
PLEASE ask the manager of an apartment you are thinking about renting if they use AUM - if they do then DO NOT RENT FROM THEM. As much as you want the place, tell them you will NOT rent from them because they support AUM. Known offenders who make you sign up for AUM are PAC properties in the valley. They dropped the fact we would have to pay AUM fees at the last moment.
Trust me, AUM is NOT the norm - it is a scam designed to STEAL your money.
If I could find a way, I would spend my entire life to shut down this company of scammers. The more research you do, the more you realize how sketchy and illegal this entire company should be. I haven't had to deal with AUM in years and if I do, I will go to court.
research, research, research - these criminals need to be shut down.
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Qiao S.
Evanston, IL 3/10/2016
I want to give negative 100 stars. This company is rubbish, I am not at home for one month, they still charges me 30 dollars for trash and 14 dollars for gas.
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Pedro O.
Atlanta, GA 1/27/2016
They charges an extra fee to pay online is alright, but 7.5 dollars extra? Really, around 15% extra just be able to pay?
