Draper and Kramer Condominium Management Draper & Kramer , DK Condo Several violations and citations from each of the City of Chicago departments listed below against Harbor Point Condominium, located at 155 N Harbor Drive, Chicago, Illinois

Draper and Kramer manage Harbor Point Condominium and they do NOT do a good job. There are several citations from each of the City of Chicago departments (listed below) against Harbor Point Condominium, spanning several years. Draper and Kramer allowed them to happen.  

For the long version: http://draperandkramer.blogspot.com/   ;; 
(and) - http://draperandkramer.blogspot.com/2012/01/draper-and-kramer-big-complaint-against.html     ;;;
(and) - http://draperandkramer.blogspot.com/2012/01/draper-and-kramer-dont-do-good-job.html     .   

Otherwise, here is what happened. T here are several citations from each of the City of Chicago departments listed below against Harbor Point Condominium. 

Dept of Public Health (CDPH), 333 S. State Street, Room 200, Chicago, IL 60604, Ph: 312.747.9884
Dept of Environment, 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60602, Ph: 312.744.7606
Chicago Fire Dept, District 1, 55 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654-4804, Ph: 312.744.5742  

Citations ranging from blocked fire escape doors to inadequate filtration systems for car exhaust fumes emanating from the parking garage.  

Dangerous public health and safety citations written for violations in the Health Club. Most notably, the entire floor underneath the wooden slats in the sauna was covered with baseball sized dust balls of hair and filth.  

Contact the departments for a complete list of citations. The information is open and available to the public.

Draper and Kramer, aka Draper & Kramer and DK Condo, manage condominium properties. They don't do a good job. Recently I found out ... see .... http://www.yelp.com/biz/draper-and-kramer-chicago-3

Several violations, often repetitive, spanning several years ... I have also found out there were 4 lawsuits against Draper and (&) Kramer and .... The City of Chicago Clerk of the Court has all the court records from the trials. 

I have tried speaking with and emailing Draper and (&) Kramer on numerous occasions. Draper and (&) Kramer responded to my first email letter with mock, and have not responded to my second email at all. When I call, the Exec VP slams the phone down. Every subsequent call I make goes to voice mail.

The Atty Gen's office said (in short) there are no laws governing condo management companies. The city's Dept. of Consumer Affairs gave the same answer: there are no departments, laws, etc., that govern condo
management companies.

So when something goes wrong, there is nothing to be done about it and nowhere to turn to. Which may explain why we have soooo many problems.

I could go on, citing one Draper and (&) Kramer Condo Mgmt incompetence after another. I think the most important thing to take away from this review is: proceed with caution. You never know what you're going to get.

Here is the exact email letter I sent to Draper and Kramer corporate

Draper and Kramer Condominium Association Management
Attn: Anthony F. Kramer
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Upon reviewing your response to my complaint letter dated August 2, 2011, which in detail provided an articulate account of the circumstances surrounding the loss of a favorite scarf, I find that you have intentionally missed the point. 

In the first place, my complaint was addressed to you and the complaint was about the management and staff hired by you to manage Harbor Point Condominium. Yet the response to my complaint came not from you, but from the subject of the complaint; signifying a lack on your part to take my complaint seriously, and your intention to stand behind the conduct and actions of management and staff.

Clearly your obtuseness renders you incapable of grasping important matters; and it has placed me in a position of having to present my case ad vox populi as there are no legal bodies or governing city departments that regulate Condominium Management Companies.

Since August 25, 2011, the date of your property managers response, I have posted my complaint either in part or whole on the following: complaintsboard.com, ripoffreport.com, consumeraffairs.com, apartmentratings.com, yelp.com, chicago.craigslist.org, yp.com, and etc.

Here are some direct links :
http//www.yelp.com/biz/draper-and-kramer-chicago-3

Furthermore, I have also, within a week of your response, spoken with my banker, which led to a conversation with the mortgage banker (of that branch), which led to a conversation with the regional branch manager, which led to a conversation with the main headquarters officers of my bank.

At each stage, my original letter of complaint to you accompanied my conversations, along with documentation of the citations for violations against Harbor Point Condominium by the several city of Chicago Departments listed below :  

the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), 333 S. State Street, Room 200, Chicago, IL 60604, Ph: 312.747.9884 ;
the Chicago Department of Environment, 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60602, Ph: 312.744.7606 ;
the Chicago Fire Department, District 1 Headquarters, 55 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654-4804, Ph: 312.744.5742 .

Citations ranging from blocked fire escape doors to inadequate filtration systems for car exhaust fumes emanating from the parking garage. As well as, dangerous public health and safety citations were written for violations in the Health Club locker room. Most notably, baseball sized dust balls in the sauna - the entire floor underneath the wooden slats in the sauna was covered with baseball sized dust balls of hair and filth.

And then, the Draper and Kramer response.

Not a single person in the entire chain agrees with your response and your obvious attitude on the matter. To have so many violations against a building, spanning several years over half a decade -, shows a breakdown in management ability and conduct, which is the likelier reason for the loss of my scarf. Rather than the reason provided by your management and staff which was, a neighbor took it.

There is agreement on this point not only from my bank, but from all the banks I have spoken to, (supplying each with the original complaint sent to you, as part of our conversation): from the individual branch level through to the main corporate officers.

The same is true for property appraisers, and lately, insurance brokers that insure condominium properties. I have not as of this date spoken to (and sent all written correspondence to) every banker, property appraiser, and insurance broker in Cook County. But I hope to do so by the end of February 2012.

None the less, I have thus far received over 100 emails from industry professionals (that means bankers, appraisers, insurance brokers), and from respondents to my posts on the various web sites. All agree with my point that you are responsible for the loss of my scarf because of the obvious breakdown in your management team and staff.

You are responsible because of the several, often repetitive violations, spanning over several years, from numerous City of Chicago Departments.

In addition, although not cited as violations, there are other examples of management breakdown such as using Go-Jo shower gel and shampoo in the shower areas, and not making the Important Notice labeling which is clearly marked on the box packaging, available to all who use the product children, elderly, daily users.

The Important Notice states that direct sunlight should be avoided for 7-10 days after use of the product. This product was used by Harbor Point residents for 10 years without their knowledge of what they were using.

Also, all the chemicals used to treat our indoor swimming pool, were chemicals meant to treat outdoor swimming pools. And this went on for 10 years, at least. I could go on, and on, and on., citing one Draper and Kramer Condominium Management incompetence after another.

It is plainly clear Draper and Kramer Condominium Management is responsible for the loss of my scarf.

Honor your responsibility. If the building were functioning well, as stated in my previous correspondence, the issue would not be with Draper and Kramer management and staff. But this is not the case. Replace my loss. You have had the receipt sent to you on two separate occasions by the manager of an internationally prestigious and reputable establishment. The replacement cost of the scarf with sales tax is : $526.80. 

I will, naturally, post this response on the various web sites, just in case you lose or misplace it. And I will include this response in my continued efforts to reach out to all bankers, property appraisers, insurance brokers in Cook County.

Please do not suffer everyone with another absurd response. It is not seen by anyone as professional and responsible, nor does it follow acceptable business ethic practice.
 
CC Harbor Point, Board of Directors


Draper & Kramer Condominium Association Management
Attn: Anthony F. Kramer
Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer

Monday, August 8, 2011

My complaint is against Draper & Kramer, Condominium Association Management, and Property Management staff hired by Draper & Kramer to manage and maintain Harbor Point Condominium (Harbor Point), located at 155 N. Harbor Drive, Chicago, IL 60601.

On Monday, February 07, 2011 at approximately 7:55 pm, I took a shopping cart from the shopping cart coral reserved for condo resident use, and brought it up to my unit door. I parked the shopping cart just outside my door and placed a brown shopping bag inside the cart to signify its use.

My intended use for the cart was to transport my laundry to the laundry room located on the concourse level.

I then went about my condo collecting and piling laundry. I also answered the phone and prepared a sandwich for a quick dinner while you work - as it was growing late and I still had not eaten.

In short it was a typical evening of chores after a long days work.

At 8:40 pm I opened my front door, laundry ready for the laundry room, and found the shopping cart gone. 

This was very unusual. Leaving a shopping cart outside your door while you unload and put away, or visa-versa, gather up to transport away, is a very common thing.

Never have I opened my door to find a shopping cart I had parked there gone. The same is true for the neighbors on my floor, and neighbors on other floors. Furthermore, this was a Monday evening. And on Monday evenings, the shopping cart coral is always full of shopping carts, as indeed it was on this Monday evening.

The length of time I left the cart outside my door was not unusually long. About 30 minutes. As a matter of fact, shopping carts sit outside neighbors doors all day long and even over night. Shopping carts used by maintenance staff, are parked outside owners units while work ticket repairs and work is performed.

What makes the disappearance of my shopping cart that Monday evening especially upsetting, and the reason for my complaint to the Better Business Bureau, is the shopping cart was not empty. As I have mentioned. I placed a brown paper shopping bag from either Trader Joes or Bloomingdales, inside the shopping cart.

Not only was the shopping cart gone, but the brown paper shopping bag resting inside the shopping cart was gone as well. I was truly shocked. Never has this happened to me, to my neighbors, or anyone else in the building. Theft in the building just doesnt happen. I know. Ive checked.

The only thing I could think of was that the doorman, who had just finished his rounds on my floor, saw the cart and mistakenly took the cart to bring back to the shopping cart coral.

I can hear the hollow sound of the outer stairwell door as it closes behind the Doorman when he goes about his rounds. Especially these past few years since the carpet was changed and the carpet padding was taken out, but not replaced. 

Doormen and Harbor Point maintenance staff return shopping carts left in common areas, such as service elevator bays or concourse level, to the shopping cart coral. And that is why I placed a brown paper shopping bag in the shopping cart. I wanted to make double sure the cart would not be seen by personnel who might assume, because of the late hour, that the shopping cart was no longer needed and taken to be put away.

Ordinarily I would place a brown paper shopping bag (taken the utility room) that is filled with things to recycle, into a shopping cart. But my focus was on the long day and the few chores still left to do, so when I quickly reached into the utility room for my stand-by bag, I grabbed the wrong brown paper shopping bag.

When I opened my door that night and saw the cart was gone, I immediately called the doormans console and requested the return of the shopping cart, or at the very least, the brown paper shopping bag, which had within it the past few days mail and an orangewhite silk scarf. 

Although I was a little miffed that the cart was gone, I fully expected the Doorman to apologize and return the cart right away. Imagine my surprise when the Doorman said with a retort that no one from staff had taken the cart, and that one of my neighbors probably took it.

Wow! Where did that come from? I replied that I doubted very much a neighbor would take my cart. That, more than likely, a member of staff had taken it. Then I repeated that I would like to have the cart returned along with the brown paper shopping bag that was within the cart.

The Doorman responded that if I thought a member of staff had taken the cart, then I would have to prove it. 

A very unsettling revelation on the work ethic of the Doormen at Harbor Point, or any staff employed to work at Harbor Point. 

Obviously, at this point, I thought the matter should best be taken up with management. The next morning I called the management office and left a detailed message asking the Property Manager, ___ ___, to contact me as soon as possible. I never received a response. 

A few days later, I called again. This time I spoke with the Assistant Property Manager, and asked to be put through to the Property Manager. The Assistant Property Manager said that she saw no need and that probably a neighbor took the cart. And, that was that.

I responded that I disagreed, and asked again that the Property Manager call me. 

She did not. So once again, a few days later, I called the management office and left another message for the Property Manager. Then a few days later, I left another message.

For well over two weeks I called and left messages for the Property Manager. Finally, in the end, I spoke with the Assistant Property Manager once again. She was very rude and asked me why I kept calling. She said the shopping cart was taken by a neighbor, and that was that as she had already told me.

I insisted the Assistant Property Manager put me through to the Property Manager. As it turns out, the Property Manager was no better in handling this situation. She said that while staff take shopping carts away from residents doors because of fire regulations, I would have to prove it was staff that took the shopping cart. 

She then reiterated what the Doorman had said : I should ask one of my neighbors to find out which one of them took my cart. To which I responded again that it was highly doubtful a neighbor took my cart.  

I actually did ask my neighbors over the next few evenings, if they took my cart, (and revealed management said it was a neighbor that took it). My neighbors responded that it was impossible on both counts. 

This leaves a member of staff, I continued in my discussion with the Property Manager, since the cart could not vanish by itself.
 
To this the Property Manager said : Oh, yeah. Well call the police and see if theyll write a report. And she hung-up the phone.

This base level of professionalism is truly abhorrent enough, but there is more.

First, I would like to say that I have enclosed in this complaint photos of neighbors leaving their shopping cart outside their door with mail thrown loosely in the cart. 

While on reflection this is a dumb thing to do, if you arent an idiot and still leave your personal and valuable things in your cart while you go inside your unit to do whatever , arent you doing so because your are comfortable knowing nothing will happen to the contents of your cart?

Does this sound like a neighbor taking things from a neighbor? I dont think so.

Second. I have a Case No. from the Postal Inspection Dept, which provides Federal Law Enforcement for the USPS. The Case No. is : CA104354922.  My bank requires a Case No. as part of the alert placed on my accounts, since one piece of my mail was from my bank.

Third. Harbor Point Property Manager and Management Office has a long list of citations from :

the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), 333 S. State Street, Room 200, Chicago, IL 60604, Phone: 312.747.9884
the Chicago Department of Environment, 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60602, Phone: 312.744.7606
the Chicago Fire Department, District 1 Headquarters, 55 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654-4804, Phone : 312.744.5742

There are several, several, citations from each of the City of Chicago departments listed above, against Harbor Point.

Citations ranging from blocked fire escape doors to inadequate filtration systems for car exhaust fumes emanating from the parking garage : (there are 4 levels of parking at Harbor Point, and all the car exhaust settles in the concourse level and more than likely migrates to the upper floors), because the correct filtration systems did not exist.

And just as dangerous to public health and safety were the citations written for violations in the Health Club. Most notably, baseball sized dust balls in the sauna. The entire floor underneath the wooden slats in the sauna was covered with baseball sized dust balls of hair and filth.

For a complete list of the citations written for all the violations, please contact the departments listed above. The information is open and available to the public.

Fourth. The silk scarf in the brown paper shopping bag came from ____. The manager of the Oak Street store faxed my receipt for the scarf, three times. Each time a fax was sent, I called to follow-up and the Harbor Point management office said they never received it. 

How is this possible? A transmission report is generated for every fax that goes out, and each transmittal report showed the transmission was successful to the Harbor Point management office. 

This complaint isnt about the day the Harbor Point management office had a bad day.

This complaint is about the chronic instability and misuse of responsibility entrusted to Draper & Kramer management, via an annual contract for over $250,000.00 to manage Harbor Point, with a Property Manager, Assistant Property Manager, Doormen and support staff.

I would like the receipt honored for the replacement of my scarf.

I have already been greatly inconvenienced calling my bank to change accounts, calling and reporting to the Postal Inspection Dept the missing mail, speaking to neighbors, as the management office suggested, for the return of my brown paper shopping bag and its contents, and the repeated follow-up calls to the management office.

Not to mention the rude handling of this matter by property management, and rude phone hang-up by the property manager.

Most importantly, the inconvenience of being put out by Draper & Kramer management staff that would rather state a neighbor is at fault when they should take responsibility for their own mis-management style.

The (original) cost of the scarf was $385.00, plus tax, bringing the total to $422.54.