The ED-iot Strikes (#0g) & Fox Management Group (#88)

All quiet on the ED-iot front.
Putting the signage in a frame seems to have stopped ED-iot's vandalism.

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...winding up the year at $187.66, from an original $75! (No billing for New Years' Day, but Friday will be billed.)
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#0e & 0f) & Fox Management Group (#86 & 87)

All quiet on the ED-iot front.
Putting the signage in a frame seems to have stopped ED-iot's vandalism.

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$183.96, from an original $75!
Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$185.80, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#0d) & Fox Management Group (#85)

Day after Christmas. No activity from the ED-iot.

Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$182.14, from an original $75! (No billing on Christmas, of course!)
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

Merry Christmas!

It's doubtful the ED-iot will learn his lesson even as Scrooge did...

The ED-iot Strikes (#24) & Fox Management Group (#84)

I encased the poster in a plastic box frame and mounted it on the door.
If the ED-iot tries to remove it, he's in for a surprise!
Well, he removed it, but since it was inscribed "stolen by Eddie Foss" on the back of the frame, he just left it in the hallway on the floor!

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$180.25, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#0c) & Fox Management Group (#83)

Nonetheless, he has a surprise waiting if he tries to remove any more of them...
I encased the poster in a plastic box frame and mounted it on the door.
If the ED-iot tries to remove it, he's in for a surprise!

Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$178.47, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#21,22 & 23) & Fox Management Group (#82)

The ED-iot struck thrice, Saturday and Sunday morning, then Monday between 1-2pm.
After stealing 23 posters, you would think even an ED-iot would have the brains to realize his tactics are ineffective...
Nonetheless, he has a surprise waiting if he tries to remove any more of them...

Mail has come and we're still waiting on the assessment bill for January, 2009, with the 5% increase the Board voted to impose so their buddy, art therapist Eddie Foss, could retain his $10 a month basement living space instead of renting it to us for $150 a month (an income increase of over 1,400%)...
I believe Mara Fox is using the same tactic as the credit card companies, sending the invoice late so that payment is received late, thus allowing her to impose a late charge.
(Plus, I think it likely that the invoices are arriving late so as to prevent people from noticing that the assessments have gone, up until after Christmas, at which point, the billpayers will be so frantic to get bills paid they won't even notice the increase!)
Of course, we send payment via Priority Mail (with Delivery Confirmation) before the 1st of the month, whether we receive an invoice or not. (The postage is tax-deductable.)
For the record, Mara Feldman-Fox tried this trick on us once before, and had to retract the late fee and apologize since we had documentation of on-time payment!
She won't get away with it, with us at any rate!

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$176.70, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#20) & Fox Management Group (#81)

The ED-iot struck early this morning. By 6:30am the poster was gone. Of course it was replaced...

Now waiting on the assessment bill for January, 2009, with the 5% increase the Board voted to impose so their buddy Eddie Foss could retain his $10 a month basement living space instead of renting it to us for $150 a month...

Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$174.95, from an original $75!

I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#18 & 19) & Fox Management Group (#80)

The ED-iot struck twice, removing posters as he was leaving in the morning, and again after he returned in the afternoon.

Now waiting on the assessment bill for January, 2009, with the 5% increase the Board voted to impose so Eddie could retain his $10 a month living space...

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$173.22, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#0b) & Fox Management Group (#79)

No poster removal for the past couple of days.
It's probably because the ED-iot's entered and exited thru the back, and hasn't passed thru the lobby area.

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$171.51, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#0a) & Fox Management Group (#78)

No poster removal so far, even though The ED-iot is home.
It's probably because he's entered and exited thru the back, and hasn't passed thru the lobby area.

Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$169.81, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#16 & 17) & Fox Management Group (#77)

The ED-iot struck again, before 8 am on Sunday morning and 7am on Monday morning, both times just as Eddie Foss was in the hallway.
Interpret as you will!

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$168.13, from an original $75!
Will they top $200 before the end of the year? Probably not.
I don't count weekends or holidays. So Christmas is a no-bill day. However, I do count Christmas Eve and Boxing Day after, which is a Friday...
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both? Hmmm...

The ED-iot Strikes (#15) & Fox Management Group (#76)

The ED-iot has not learned his lesson.
He struck again, before 8 am on Saturday morning, just as Eddie Foss was in the hallway.
Interpret as you will!

Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$166.47, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#0) & Fox Management Group (#75)

Posters were not removed as of blog-posting time (about 6pm).
Perhaps the ED-iot has learned his lesson.
Personally, I wouldn't bet on it.

Considering a new poster.
Perhaps a tie-in with Frost/Nixon...

Asked "Isn't what you did illegal?", who said...
"When the President does it, it's NOT illegal?"
Was it
President Richard M. Nixon?
Board President Eddie Foss?
...or BOTH?

I like that...

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$164.82, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#14) & Fox Management Group (#73 & 74)

The ED-iot didn't strike until today, coinciding with Eddie Foss' arrival.
Interpret as you will.

Intend to use the Blagojevich arrest for a new poster comparing George Ryan, Rod B, & Eddie!
How about...

George Ryan--GONE!
Rod Blagojevich--GOING!
Eddie Foss--SOON TO GO???

Needs work, but the concept's valid...

Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$161.58, from an original $75!
Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$163.19, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#11, 12 & 13) & Fox Management Group (#72)

The ED-iot struck three times over the weekend, each time coinciding with Eddie Foss' arrivals and deapartures.
Interpret as you will.

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$159.98, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#11) & Fox Management Group (#71)

6pm. The ED-iot has struck again.
Eddie Foss' blue Toyota is out front.
You do the math.

Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$158.40, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#9 & 10) & Fox Management Group (#70)

12/3 UPDATE 4pm...Eddie's car is gone and so is the sign on my door! (I'll add it to tomorow's total. I don't want to change the header.) A new poster has already gone up.
Poster removed before 6am this morning, and of course, Eddie Foss' blue Toyota is gone...
Interpret as you will...

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$156.83, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#0) & Fox Management Group (#69)

Not, it's not a typo.
Eddie Foss is home. His blue Toyota sits just outside my window, yet the signage on my door is still intact as of 3:15 pm! So the #0 numbering in the header is correct, so far!
Has the Ed-iot learned his lesson?
We'll see...

UPDATE 4pm...Eddie's car is gone and so is the sign on my door! (I'll add it to tomorow's total. I don't want to change the header.) A new poster has already gone up.
In other news, the FOX-XX SUV is here as is Kommissar Krengelis with an elderly, but distinguished, white-haired man. Could he be Stuart Fox? (The number between 50-75 could be his age!)

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$155.28, from an original $75!
I'm undecided as to what to do at year's end; take it as a write-off loss on my taxes, sic the Better Business Bureau-suggested collection agency on Mara, or...both?

The ED-iot Strikes (#7 & 8) & Fox Management Group (#68)

The ED-iot struck twice more.
Monday evening (after Eddie Foss came home), then before 6am Tuesday morning, (which is when Eddie Foss left)!
Interpret as you will...

Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$153.74, from an original $75!

The ED-iot Strikes (#5 & 6) & Fox Management Group (#67)

The ED-iot struck twice, Saturday morning, then late Sunday night/early Monday morning!
Curiously, it seems that Eddie Foss was not home between Saturday morning and late Sunday night!
Interpret as you will...

Happy Cyber Monday! My online store is offering FREE shipping until midnight, Pacific Time!

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$152.22 from an original $75!

Fox Management Group (#66)

Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$150.71 from an original $75! Just over double the original amount!

The ED-iot Strikes (#4)

Despite the fact that it's Thanksgiving, the Ed-iot doesn't take a day off.
He struck again before 7am...

Despite that, we graciously say "Happy Thanksgiving" to all turkeys, especially Fox Management Group & the Ed-iot!

No increase today to Fox Management's unpaid bill. Unlike the Ed-iot, we don't work on Thanksgiving.

The ED-iot Strikes (#3) & Fox Management Group (#65)

Yesterday afternoon, I put up a poster on our unit's front door about the BBB ruling against Fox Management.
It remained untouched after the Ed-iot returned home later in the afternoon.
At 1am this morning, I replaced it with another copy of the original poster about Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space.
As of 6am, the Ed-iot has left for work and the poster is gone.
Interpret as you will... ;-)
(And yes, I replaced the poster. We'll see if it survives the Ed-iot's return home!)

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$149.22 from an original $75! It'll be double the original amount right after Thanksgiving (a holiday, and not billable)

The ED-iot Strikes (#2) & Fox Management Group (#64)

A sign about Fox Management's wrist-slapping by the Better Business Bureau has gone up on the front door. Let's see if the Ed-iot (who ever it is--wink wink) removes it...

Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$147.74 from an original $75! It'll be double the original amount right after Thanksgiving (a holiday, and not billable)

The ED-iot Strikes & Fox Management Group (#63)

As you remember, I posted on Friday...
I took an excerpt from the (Board Minutes) sheet and "translated" it for a poster which I placed on our unit's front & back doors.
What they said...
“The Board reviewed the proposal submitted by A&B
requesting to dismiss the current renter of the '58 storage areas (sic) and rent to A&B at a higher rent .
The Board has not had any problems with the current renter, so the decision was made not to change the current situation at this time.”
What they meant...
Our friend, Board Member Eddie Foss, currently rents the over-200 square-foot room (behind the mailboxes of '58) for $10 a month as a living/work space.
Instead of renting it as storage space for $150 a month (15 times the present rent) to A&B, we will raise the assessments of EVERYONE by 5%. (which works out to less than or barely equal $150 per month!)

Well, some Ed-iot has taken down the posters from our front door not once, not twice, but three times in three days! (The only reason the Ed-iot hasn't taken down the back-door posters is that they're behind a locked storm door!)
Besides being an inconvenience, it's a criminal misdemeanor (vandalism) under local law!
Who do I think did it?
Personally, I suspect the Ed-iot named on the posters!
1) The timing of the posters' disappearances coincides within 15 minutes of his comings and goings at times when no one else in the building would be around! (Edward Vincent Foss works as an art therapist early morning to mid-afternoon. The posters disappear before 6:15 am and between 2:30-4 pm in the afternoon.)
2) No one else even cares what's on the posters except the Ed-iot named! (and since the information written on them is true, the Ed-iot can't get a court order to remove them on the basis of libel!)
Luckily, we have plenty of paper and toner!
I'll keep you appraised...

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$145.98 from an original $75! It'll be double the original amount right after Thanksgiving (a holiday, and not billable)

Fox Management Group (#62)

Received the assessment and minutes of the October meeting.
To her credit, Mara didn't try to falsify the billing from the Unknown Man.

As to the minutes...
I took an excerpt from the sheet and "translated" it for a poster which I placed on our unit's front & back doors.
What they said...
“The Board reviewed the proposal submitted by A&B
requesting to dismiss the current renter of the '58 storage areas (sic) and rent to A&B at a higher rent .
The Board has not had any problems with the current renter, so the decision was made not to change the current situation at this time.”
What they meant...
Our friend, Board Member Eddie Foss, currently rents the over-200 square-foot room (behind the mailboxes of '58) for $10 a month as a living/work space.
Instead of renting it as storage space for $150 a month (15 times the present rent) to A&B, we will raise the assessments of EVERYONE by 5%. (which works out to less than or barely equal $150 per month!)

They also repeated the lines Mara inserted into her response to the Better Business Bureau about my billing. (The BBB found the billing valid and actionable!) A poster responding to that item will go up Monday.

Speaking of the billing...
Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$144.54 from an original $75! It'll be double the original amount right after Thanksgiving (a holiday, and not billable)

Fox Management Group (#61)

Still waiting on the assessment billing & minutes from the October Board meeting...even though they were due today (so timely payment could be made without sending it via Delivery Confirmation, which we do anyway)!

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$143.11 from an original $75!

Fox Management Group (#60)

Waiting on the assessment billing & minutes from the October Board meeting...

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$141.69 from an original $75!

The Unknown Man (#4) & Fox Management Group (#59)

One last note on the Unknown Man Affair...
In the future, if I see someone unknown to me hanging around the building for more than 1/2 hour, I'll simply call the police and let them handle the person.
Let the chips fall where they may...

Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$140.29 from an original $75!

The Unknown Man (#3) & Fox Management Group (#56, 57 & 58)

Sorry about the break in posting. Christmas has come early online and business in my online store is booming! Lots of work to do on my customized products!
When last we left our hero...
Faced with unethical threats, I made sure my doors were locked, and went shopping...
I returned to find the FOX-XX SUV parked in front of the building (but no Mara Fox in sight) and the Unknown Man working on the door buzzer to '58. I recognized the voice on the intercom prompting his adjustments as unit owner Ana Garcia, an airline customer service rep.
Apparently, he had been called to repair the buzzer. (Why he didn't identify himself as a repairman to me is beyond human reasoning.)
I went inside, and stowed my groceries.
I noted that both his (unmarked) car and the FOX-XX SUV were gone about 1/2 hour later.
I'm now waiting for the assessment billing (to see if Mara Fox's threat of what I interpreted as false billing is carried out) and minutes from the October Board meeting (to see how they list the vote on Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space [which they claim was taken at the previous meeting but not recorded] and their statement about my billing of Fox Management, which the Better Business Bureau found valid), both of which are due about the 20th, so the assessment can be paid by the 1st of the month.

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$136.17 from an original $75!
Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$137.53 from an original $75!
Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$138.90 from an original $75!

The Unknown Man (#2) & Fox Management Group (#54 & 55)

He glared at me. I glared back.
Seeing I wasn't backing down, he growled, "Well?" I responded, "You tell me."
After exchanging those pleasantries, he grunted something about "I belong here!" which in his feeble mind was supposed to persuade me not to observe him lurking around.
I didn't move.
(All this time I was at least 15-20 feet away from him and made no hostile movements or gestures.)
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a cellphone and dialed.
When he reached his party, he commented that he was being observed, that he had identified himself (which he hadn't) and then described me to the other person.
You could hear the scream emanating from his phone from where I was standing.
He lurched over to me, grunted "She wants to talk to you." and handed me the phone.
As I expected, it was Mara Feldman-Fox.
She screeched something about my "interfering" with the man, even though he hadn't begin working, since his client (Either Carol Krengelis or Ana Garcia) had not arrived home as of yet!
She then told me to leave since the man billed by the hour. I asked what that had to do with me and she said he (Unidentified Man) would bill "extra time" which she (Mara Fox) would then "pass on" to my wife as a punitive measure against me.
I took this to mean that Mara, the still-unidentified man, or both would falsify their billings and file a false bill against my wife!
Faced with unethical threats, I made sure my doors were locked and went shopping...
More tomorrow!

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$133.49 from an original $75!
Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$134.82 from an original $75!
(Tuesday was Veterans' Day, a legal holiday. Billing is suspended on weekends and holidays)

The Unknown Man & Fox Management Group (#53)

On the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 4th, I noticed an unfamiliar man sitting in an unmarked car in front of our condo, watching our building for over an hour.
As a New Yorker, I had three thoughts.
1) Policeman observing criminal activity.
2) Burglar casing the place for criminal activity.
3) Friend or relative waiting for someone. (admittedly a long-shot)
I walked up and enquired politely as to whether he was in distress and needed assistance. He said "no", got out of his car, went up to the gate, rang the bell of a unit owner I knew to be at work at the time, pulled out an enormous keychain , opened the gate, and went thru to the entrance of '58, when he used the key to go in.
As a precaution, I immediately took my trusty digital camera (which I always carry) and photographed his car & license plate from various angles. Thus, if anything did happen, I'd have a record of his presence that could be traced. I noticed an assortment of tools in his front seat including wire cutters, pliers, and other potential burglar tools.
He came back out and stood at the inside of the front gate. I took up position about 15-20 feet behind him. He did not speak, nor did I.
He then shifted his position, moving to the gate on the other side. I followed to a position 20-30 feet from him.
He glared at me. I glared back.
Seeing I wasn't backing down, he growled, "Well?" I responded, "You tell me."
Monday: the Confrontation, and threats by Mara Feldman-Fox!

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$130.86 from an original $75!
Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$132.17 from an original $75!

Return of the BBB & Fox Management Group (#52)

The results of the most recent complaint filed against Fox Management Group...

Case Description: Performed work at the request of Fox Management Group's authorized representatives (contact information on invoice).
Billed Fox. (Delivery Confirmation information available upon request)
Fox failed to pay or even respond within billing timeframe. (Contact information and my request that, if there were any questions or problems with the bill are included on the enclosed invoice itself.)
Since Fox Management Group failed to take ANY action, Fox Management Group gave tacit approval to the terms of the bill and, due to their nonpayment are now in default.
Payment of the bill and late charges as specified in the terms listed on the invoice....
Desired Resolution: Payment of the bill and late charges as specified in the terms listed on the invoice.

The complaint was received by the BBB on October 22, 2008 and has been assigned case # 94205306 in our files.

Below are Mara Feldman-Fox's unverified assertions, as well as my verified responses from parties involved...

You may be interested in the BBB's resolution of Fox Management Group's currently-unpaid bill to me. It's at the bottom of the page.

Fox: It is Ms. A's practice to send her monthly assessment payment by certified mail.
Each month along with the assessment payments there are copies of past correspondence. Apparently, the July 28, 2008 certified mailing included an invoice from Mr. B.

BB: 1) There were three other sheets and a check along with the invoice. Four pages total!
2) We have cut down on the volume of paperwork to accommodate Ms Fox's "special needs", notably her claimed inability to read long documents. (A curious condition for a property manager, whose job requires reading long documents!)
3) Fox Management had the bill in hand, and failed to respond, question, or pay within the deadline.
Their failure to perform proper clerical functions, while indicative of a poorly-run office, are not my concern.

Fox: This was inadvertently overlooked until we received a second copy...

BB: It's the first time I've heard of incompetence being used as a defense for not paying bills!
If they tried this with the power company, they'd be sitting in the dark!
But note: they do acknowledge receiving it!

Fox: On September 15, 2008, Mr. Stuart Fox, President Fox Management Group sent Mr. B an e-mail that stated in part:
"I was not aware of any invoice that was mailed from you until this e-mail. I did not realize that you staple it to the back of the renewal proxy that also included copies of previous letters. I do not recall requesting you to provide any services for Claremont Condominium Association or for Fox Management Group. Please let me know when that request was made and to whom you spoke."

BB: See 1, 2 & 3 above. And it wasn't stapled, just loose in the envelope.

Fox: Mr. B's response was in part:
"While you, Stuart Fox, personally, did not request my services, your authorized vendors did request my services to help perform work contracted for by Fox Management Group.
Their names, contact numbers, and work performed for Fox Management Group are all on the invoice, as they were on the previous two hardcopies in your possession.
Fox Management Group had the opportunity (and contact information) to question the invoice, but failed to do so before payment was due (8/19/08)."
The vendors that Mr. B is referring to are The Security Shop and Fox Valley Fire and Safety. There was a call placed to Security Shop for service call to make some necessary repairs to the back gate. Security Shop has been servicing this Association for almost 10 years with out any need for unit owners or residents to assist with their work. After speaking with Security Shop I was informed that they did not request Mr. B's assistance nor did they ask for any. Mr. B volunteered his time to apparently oversee their work.

BB: In a phone conversation on 11/3/08, Seth Strong, the Security Shop worker who performed the work on-site, disputed this version of events.
He confirmed that he had NOT spoken to Mara or ANY Fox Management personnel about this matter and then corroborated my statement that he solicited my advice & knowledge of the history of the lock and that I did NOT volunteer it without his asking for it.

Fox: There was a call placed to Fox Valley Fire and Safety to complete the annual fire extinguisher maintenance. Fox Valley Fire and Safety has been servicing this Association for 6 years with out any need for unit owners or residents to assist with their work.

BB: A Unit owner or resident is needed to allow access to the locked building, since Fox Valley doesn't have a key. A Board member (Judith Lea Marrs, who moved out) previously performed this function.

Fox: After speaking with Fox Valley Fire and Safety I was informed that they did not request Mr. B's assistance nor did they ask for any. Mr. B volunteered his time to apparently oversee their work.

BB: In a phone conversation with Fox Valley's Jeanette, ( Ellen the field agent's dispatcher) on 11/4/08, Jeanette confirms my sequence of events and states that no one from Fox Management had spoken with Fox Valley since the request to check the building in July!

You'll note that Mara does NOT provide dates or names of people she talked to at those companies for verification. Hard to provide names of people you haven't talked to, eh?
(Mara did the same thing on her resume. I vetted it, and you'd be astonished how much of it doesn't check out!)
I, on the other hand can provide phone numbers & phone records (from the phone company) for verification of my conversations.

Fox: The Board of Directors met on October 21, 2008 for the regular quarterly Board of Directors' meeting. Mr. B was present at the meeting. The matter of his invoice and payment thereof was addressed at an open meeting. The Board of Directors stated in part: "The Board of Directors reviewed an invoice presented for services rendered by Mr. B. The Board denied payment and expressed their disappointment that there was an invoice at all.

BB: The Board's opinion is irrelevant since the Board is NOT being billed, ONLY Fox Management.
The vendors were Fox's agents, not the Board's.
If Fox want to be reimbursed by the Board, that is between them & the Board.

Fox: "The Board of Directors is a volunteer position. Unit owners and residents from time to time also volunteer for the betterment of the Association."

BB: I am a resident, NOT an owner OR Board member.
Legally, I am NOT obliged to do ANYTHING that a tenant in an apartment house wouldn't be required to do.
That includes doing the landlord's/super's/Board's job for them (and for free, yet)!
If I do their job for them, it's for pay.
Without my aid, requested by the vendors, the work would NOT have been performed, and in the case of the fire extinguishers, would've rendered the condo in violation of the law!

Fox: In conclusion, there was never any implied or expressed request to have Mr. B assist the vendors that were requested to perform service work at the building.

BB: See above responses from the actual workers involved, not Feldman-Fox's delusions. Work was solicited by the vendors, and they've verified it!
And, the key is that Fox HAD the option to question the validity of the bill BEFORE the due date, but FAILED TO DO SO!
Mind you, I've been able to disprove EVERY "point" made by Fox.
Even if I hadn't (though I obviously did), the letter of the law is clear.
They FAILED TO ACT within the billing period!
They defaulted.
Fox Management owes the money due.

The BBB's response...
We regret to inform you that the BBB can not process your complaint as it is our policy to process only those complaints that fall under the scope of the BBB's activities.
The case has been reviewed by one of our Complaint Specialists and was found to contain issues that are out of the BBB's purview.
The Bureau does not handle matters of collection as we are not licensed...to be a collection agency. We suggest you contact a private collection agency...

Apparently, the BBB considers this a billing situation. (ie; a legitimate attempt to collect payment for work performed!)
Unless payment is made for both the original amount and late fees (as of today: $129.57, total), I'll follow the BBB's suggestion...at a time of my own choosing.

Extra: the BBB's listing for Fox Management Group!

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$129.57 from an original $75!

Return of the BBB & Fox Management Group (#50 & 51)

We WIN!

The Better Business Bureau has stated...the BBB can not process your complaint as it is our policy to process only those complaints that fall under the scope of the BBB's activities. The case has been reviewed by one of our Complaint Specialists and was found to contain issues that are out of the BBB's purview. The Bureau does not handle matters of collection as we are not licensed...to be a collection agency. We suggest you contact a private collection agency...
This, I feel, legitimizes the billing since the BBB itself considers it to be valid, and thus, not reviewable under their rules since they consider me a businessman trying to collect a debt for services rendered!
(Mara Fox has desperately been trying to claim that the bill was NOT valid!)

I'll be posting the transcripts once I download them! You'll be amused by Mara's ridiculous claims about my volunteering to assist her vendors, and her admission that, while Fox Management did receive the bill, due to their incompetence, they never read it!

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$127.02 from an original $75!
Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$128.29 from an original $75!

Happy Halloween from the Claremont WhistleBlower!

Return of the BBB & Fox Management Group (#47, 48 & 49)

No response from Fox Management Group to our most recent BBB complaint.
They have 10 days to respond, 3 have passed. Response must be posted by next Friday, Nov. 7th.

The FoxMobile SUV was at the building on Thursday night.
Mara Fox didn't stop by or drop off a check for their overdue bill...

An interesting addition to the reviews of Fox Management Group on MerchantCircle.com...
FOX MGT/ S. BRODSKI (sic) & STAFF
The greatest accomplishment our condo association has compleate (sic) was to contract Fox Management Group. Thier (sic) are to (sic) many reasons to give in this limited space so only a few will be noted.
1 Works well with board members and members of the condo.
2 Always available and returns phone calls as soon as possible.
3. Up to date on IL. CONDO ACT. as well as IL.OPEN MEETING LAWS (Note: Illinois has NO "open meeting laws" There are rules within the Condo Act, but no stand-alone laws. Sounds like Al and Mara went to the same law school. Oh, that's right. Mara Feldman-Fox has only a Bachelors in Accounting and no legal training, whatsoever...)
4 A great responce (sic) to questions and gives options to choose from.
5. Vast knowledge of vendors for upkeep / repair of property
6. Concerned about the environment.and will make suggestions about recycleing, (sic) CFL's for lighting and etc..
Thank you Stephenie (sic) for being thier (sic) when we need you.
Al G (October 26, 2008 by Al Goelz in Libertyville, IL)

Makes you wonder how old "Al Goelz" (if he really exists) is, if he knows grammar, or even knows how to use spellcheck...

Why is it the few responses praising Fox Management read like they're written by illiterates, except for Eddie Foss' response, which is factually inaccurate? I guess $10 a month living spaces make one too complacent to fact-check!

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$123.29 from an original $75!
Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$124.52 from an original $75!
Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$125.76 from an original $75!

A Stalker? 3

On an interesting side note, the "lock stalker" has returned...
As reported here and here, the lock on our basement storage space was flipped open and the note naming Eddie Foss was nowhere to be found.
As I said before...If it wasn't Eddie, I believe whoever it was would've left the paper on the ground where it fell. Why would they have cared what it said, if they weren't the person named on the paper?
Draw your own conclusions.

Return of the BBB Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#45 & 46)

Received this e-mail from the Better Business Bureau this morning (10/28)...
Complaint ID#: 94205306 Business Name: Fox Management Group
Thank you for contacting the BBB. Your complaint was received by the Bureau on October 22, 2008 and has been assigned case # 94205306 in our files.
The case has been reviewed by one of our Complaint Specialists and has now been forwarded to the business for their response. The business is allowed ten days to respond. If we do not receive a response from them after ten days, we will send them a second notification. You will be informed once a response has been received.

I contacted them about Fox Management Group's failure to pay their bill, from me, for services rendered, which, as of today, is $122.07.
Needless to say, you'll be informed (win or lose) of the outcome.

Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$120.87 from an original $75!
Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$122.07 from an original $75!

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#44)

Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$119.67 from an original $75!

More on the Board meeting...& Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#43)

Interesting side note:
I've discovered that Carol Krengelis, one of two Board members who voted to allow Eddie Foss' Secret Apartment to remain at $10 instead of $150 is a Certified Business Analysis Professional!
She voted to turn down an $1,800 per year offer for a space currently rented to her friend, Edward Vincent Foss, for only $120 a year!
Then, she voted a 5% increase in assessments, instead!
Geez, that certification course must be pretty damn easy if someone with this total lack of business acumen could pass it!
(Let's not even go into the alreadt-extant violations of the state Condo Code, and probably Building Code this vote enabled!)
Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$118.49 from an original $75!

More on the Board meeting...& Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#42)

Kommissar Carol Krengelis again brought up her delusion of my turning on the basement lights while she was lurking in the darkness with the lights off, said it was "11am on a Saturday in July." (and let's not even discuss why she was in the basement with the lights off!)
Of course she didn't say this before the meeting, when I asked her several times for date and time she claimed the incident occurred.
After the meeting, in reviewing my schedule for July, I noted that of the four Saturdays, I was at the building at 11am only on one of them.
One Saturday I was in an ASPP tour group which I had to log in for!
One Saturday, I was at a Borders (and have a receipt to prove it)!
One Saturday, M & I were in transit on Amtrak (and have a ticket to prove it! You have to show ID on Amtrak now!)
How much do you want to bet that Carol Krengelis' addled brain can't pick the one date I WAS home?
It's a 1-in-4 chance!

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$117.32 from an original $75!

Board Meeting results...

In the "News to Us" category...
The Board voted the 5% assessment increase, then informed me that they had voted against our $1,800 per year offer for the Secret Apartment at the last meeting, but had failed to mention it in the minutes!
So Eddie Foss gets to keep his $10 a month living space...for now.
Once I have the minutes confirming the vote, the next step will be taken.

My impressions...
Mara Feldman-Fox did an excellent impression of Joe McCarthy, waving around documents hysterically, without letting people actually look at them, claiming all sorts of things, including that she HAD answered questions put to her (when she in fact hadn't) and that I was harassing her by even asking such questions!
She also pointedly refused to pay the bill for services rendered and repeated the erroneous assumption that she had the right to bill $75 per hour for her services without notfication of the change in cost (from $0 to $75).
Carol Krengelis foamed at the mouth as well, blaming me for things like her bike's tires being deflated (even though my bike's were deflated as well!) and my turning on the lights while she sat in a darkened basement!
I was beginning to think an exorcist was needed...

The Startling Saga of the Secret Apartment (3) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#40 & #41)

Surprisingly, Fox Management Group responded swiftly, providing a copy of the rent rolls, which showed the living/work space as "storage", and a copy of the "lease", which was neither signed by any parties (including the Board [neither of whom live here any longer], Eddie Foss, or Mara Fox), nor dated!

More tomorrow, as well as the results of tonite's Board meeting, where I'll be pushing for a vote on the rental of the '58 space which has been on the Boards' back burner since January!

In the ongoing billing situation...
Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$115.01 from an original $75!
Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$116.16 from an original $75!

The Startling Saga of the Secret Apartment (2) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#39)

Carol Krengelis' response...
B,

Only unit owners are entitled to information regarding the '58-60 condominiums.

The owner of your unit, M, in entitled to information regarding the condominiums. If she would like information, she needs to make the request to the management office and please copy me.

So, M contacted Fox Management Group directly...
According to Carol Krengelis, I must ask for this information thru the management office, so here's the official request:
Dear Carol Krengelis and/or Mara Fox:
I need some info from you in your official capacities for the Condo at '58-60.
Specifically I need print copies of the following...
The repair bills for the water damage reported in the Garden Room (former Party Room) of '58 in 2004.
The rent rolls for the Garden Room (former Party Room) of '58 from 2002-present (July-Aug 2007)
Shouldn't be more than 4 pages or so.
B or I can do the copies myself if you don't have the equipment to do so.
Respectfully,
M
Note that this request was originally made over a week ago. Jul 28, 2007 8:52 PM

What was the response? Did they stall further? Find out Monday!

BTW, there's a Board meeting this Tuesday, the 21st, at which I'll be requesting a vote be taken on the proposal for M to rent the space (presently used as living space by Eddie Foss for $10 per month) for $150 per month! The pitch was made in January and STILL has not been discussed and voted upon!

In the ongoing billing situation...
Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$113.87 from an original $75!

The Startling Saga of the Secret Apartment & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#38)

To give you an idea of the secretive mindset (such as it is) of the Board about the Secret Apartment...
After discovery of the Secret Apartment, I tried to go thru "official" channels with the Board and management company...

Hi, Carol (Krengelis, who at that point was the Treasurer of the Condo):
B from '60, here.
I need some info from you in your official capacity as Treasurer for the Condo.
Specifically I need print copies of the following...
The repair bills for the water damage reported in the Garden Room (former Party Room) of '58 in 2004.
The rent rolls for the Garden Room (former Party Room) of '58 from 2002-present (July-Aug 2007)
Shouldn't be more than 4 pages or so.
I can do the copies myself if you don't have the equipment to do so.

Her response:
Just curious as to why you would be asking for this particular information.

My response to her non-response:
I'm curious as to why you're curious.
I'm asking for specific financial (income and expenses) information on a specific Common Area of the condo within a specific time frame.
Any and all residents of a condo are entitled to such information regarding any common areas under the condo law (I downloaded it off the Internet.) and your own charter.
Would you be asking if I wanted to know how much the condo paid for the new washing machine?
However, to keep this on a friendly basis, I'll tell you.
I intend to sublet the empty half the of the Common Area space at '58.
I want to be certain that the present occupant is indeed a legal tenant, how long the lease is (bi-annual, annual or month-to-month), that he is current on his rent, and exactly how much the rent is.
After all, if you wanted to sublet half a space would you want to pay the whole rent for the space?
There is no matter of "privacy" attached since I (and you, and everyone else in the condo, including the presumed renter) are, technically, the landlord(s) of the space. We all have the right to this information.
If, as an officer of the condominium association, you are unwilling or unable to provide the requested information, it will be duly noted and recorded.
I'm hoping you'll be reasonable.

Were they reasonable?
What do you think?
Find out tomorrow! Same Condo Time! Same Condo Channel!

In the ongoing billing situation...
Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$112.74 from an original $75!

News & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#37)

1) Adam Kroshus, who moved back to the building a couple of weeks ago from out of state, has apparently been holed-up in his apartment, and apparently didn't see the new signs saying there was no parking on Wednesday so streetcleaners could come thru. His out-of-state-plated SUV was ticketed. Helluva "Welcome Home", eh?
2) It appears a second unit in the complex is headed for foreclosure.
One unit is already "Lis Pendins".
The second has missed assessment payments, and the people are there only sporadically.

Been busy with Halloween-related/tight-deadline graphics projects, so unable to post more about Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space. Once deadlines have passed, will continue with some interesting correspondence between him, Mara Fox & me.

In the ongoing billing situation...
Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$111.62 from an original $75!

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#36)

Been busy with Halloween-related/tight-deadline graphics projects, so unable to post more about Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space. Once deadlines have passed, will continue with some interesting correspondence between him, Mara Fox & me.

In the ongoing billing situation...
Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$110.52. Monday was Columbus Day, a holiday!

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#34 & 35)

Been busy with Halloween-related/tight-deadline graphics projects, so unable to post more about Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space. Once deadlines have passed, will continue with some interesting correspondence between him, Mara Fox & me.

In the ongoing billing situation...
Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$108.35.
Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$109.43.

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#32 & 33)

Been busy with Halloween-related/tight-deadline graphics projects, so unable to post more about Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space. Once deadlines have passed, will continue with some interesting correspondence between him, Mara Fox & me.

In the ongoing billing situation...
Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$106.22.
Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$107.28.

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#30 & 31)

Had to work on a tight-deadline project and couldn't post Friday.

Today there was mail (a padded envelope that didn't fit in the tiny lobby mailboxes we have) for "Mike Foss" with Eddie Foss' address.
An alias, perhaps?

Tomorrow: more correspondence about Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space...

In other news...
Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$104.13.
Monday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$105.17.

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space (8) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#29)

In response to posters (put up in the condo common areas) containing the information you've been reading in this blog for the past week or so, I received an interesting email supposedly from one of the absentee unit owners...
Mr. R, (yes it was addressed to "Mr. R" not me, B, more about that below)
I am a unit owner at North Claremont and I want to make this short. I have absolutely no problem with Ed Foss renting the extra room. He has been an excellent Condo President and his using that space is not causing undo financial hardship to the association. In fact, his renting it has helped the association when he noticed water leaking into it a couple of years ago and addressed it immediately. I have owned a unit at the building for four and a half years and I have no complaints against Fox Management. They have been an excellent managment (sic) company and are one of the selling points of the condo. I would appreciate it if you would take those flyers down and quit making problems where none exsist (sic). Thank you!
Adam K

My emailed response:
Mr. K:
Since no rational being can make an informed decision with only one side of a debate presented (and I believe you are a rational being), I respectfully request that you allow me my to present my point of view.
Let me show you the evidence I have amassed (which disproves a number of the points you mention) and then you should make an informed decision.
I can either do it in person, or I can e-mail you a link to a password-protected website with the information.
Please note that since Fox Management has slapped a restraining order on me forbidding me contact in any way with Fox or the Board, sharing any of the information from the site or presentation with the Board or Fox is a breach of the order and actionable by me.
(I enclose a jpeg of the Gag order letter FYI.)
I can also send you jpegs of the various posters so you will have a better grasp of the situation. (There have been seven different ones so far. Five more are in preparation.)
And, I can forward the e-mails between Eddie Foss, the board, and myself that have lead to this situation.
An informed decision is the best decision!
The problems do exist, and need to be addressed and corrected.
Sometimes even a comedian needs to be dead serious. This is one of those times.
Respectfully,
B
PS: Since you emailed me at this address instead of the one posted on the fliers, I'm curious as to how you got this e-mail addy, not to mention the fact you addressed me as "Mr. R".
I ain't "Mr. R" ! My e-mail addy is a tribute to the multi-media character.
My name, "B", is on most of the posters. And everyone knows me on sight as "B"...
PPS Please jog my failing memory. I don't remember seeing you at any of the recent Board Meetings. Which apartment are you in? ;-)
PPPS to Fox, this is a follow-up to an email you received from Mr. K, thus this is not a violation, since he initiated the process.

I never received a response, which makes me wonder if the email was legit.
In person, he seemed like a relatively-intelligent person, unlike the writer of the letter whose priorities seem skewed.
It's entirely possible the email addy was faked.
If it was, indeed, from him, it was most likely in response to a desperate phone call or email from Eddie Foss, who had trouble generating sympathetic response from the on-site owners when the Secret Apartment matter was revealed, and presented a somewhat-warped version of events to the out-of-the-loop Adam K.

Now, according to his tenant who moved out yesterday, Adam K is moving back to his condo, just in time for the Board meeting on October 21st.

Since Adam K was a regular attendee when he lived here, I'll be asking him, in person, if the email was from him and what prompted it.

Mr. K's MySpace or FaceBook page (I forget which) says he's read State of Denial.
Let's hope he's not living in it, as well.

It's gonna be an interesting meeting...

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$103.10.

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space (7) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#28)

Interesting notes: The silver-gray SUV with "Fox-XX" (numbers redacted, but between 50-75) was back Tuesday night for a couple of hours, then left. Fox couldn't just slip the check under the door?
Thus: Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's still-unpaid bill...$102.08.

Back to our narrative...
I said yesterday: Fox Management Group to me: "You have the right to remain silent! We suggest you exercise it!" (it's a paraphrase, but not far off from the actual letter...)

What the letter to my wife (who is the owner of our unit) actually said...
"Please be advised that under the...law, Mr. B has no voice in issues regarding running the association. He is not an owner, but a resident of the property. We have requested a legal opinion regarding the rights of non-owners at an association and were told, that non-unit owner residents do not have the same rights as a unit owner... M, based on this information, Mr. B will not be able to address the board in the future. All communication with the board, either verbally, by letter or by email must be discontinued immediately. Any future violations or harassment may result in fines on your account." (My emphasis)

A standard tactic of a dictatorship is to instill fear of retribution to any who speak out against it.
Mara Feldman-Fox and the Board (Carol Krengelis, Judith Lea Marrs, & Eddie Foss) thus decided to abridge the First Amendment of the Constitution by forbidding me to even say "Hi" if we passed in the hallways!
(At this point in time, a Board member's parent had just died, and, under the notice, I was forbidden to even offer my condolences to her, lest I be fined for verbal communication!)

Curiously, Eddie Foss showed up at my front door shortly after we received this notice (by certified mail) demanding to know how I acquired my information. I simply told him, "you have a gag order on me, thus I can't talk to you!" and slammed the door in his face.

To avoid a bogus fine, M & I simply filed a proxy to permit me to speak as her representative at Board meetings. It was easier to go thru the formality than trying to argue logic with these people which, as you can see, is futile.)

One additional note: when I contacted the Better Business Bureau about how the Board & Fox Management Group had failed to correct a potentially-dangerous issue, Mara, in her response, told the BBB that I had no right to speak for M, even though Mara Fox herself had (unwillingly, no doubt, but legally-obliged) helped M craft the proxy letter.
In addition, she told the BBB that she "encouraged" my participation at Board meetings! (Sending the BBB a pdf of the gag order letter corrected that misrepresentation quickly enough!)

More fun tomorrow!

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space (6) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#26 & #27)

At the May 2007 Board meeting (after my discovery of the Secret Apartment), I asked Mara Fox about who was using the '58 basement common area. I was told Edward Vincent Foss rented it.
I requested copies of the rent receipts and lease.
Then-Treasurer Carol Krengelis was extremely hesitant to provide the info, demanding to know why it was wanted. Once she was told, she refused to provide the info at all. (Fox, surprisingly, provided the material in record time when asked)
The "rent" listed is only $10 per month, and hasn't changed from 2002 to 2008! Todd Stroger doesn't have that good a deal!

Interestingly, the invoice says the space is leased for "storage"!
Storage? Storage of what?
It's obviously being used as a living/work space, a violation of the stated purpose according to Fox Management Group's own records, and, I believe, a violation of Chicago's Condo & Building Codes!
Plus, Mara Feldman-Fox is well aware of the useage, having been shown the pix you've seen on this blog at several meetings! So much for "plausible deniability", eh?

In the Fox Management records the only "lease" on file is a document which states..."I Edward V. Foss agree to rent the front room with the glass block window in the '58 building basement for a fee of $10 per month, made payable to Claremont Condominium Association. I have the approval of the other Board members and will lease the space so long as it does not interfere with the interests of the Claremont Condominium Association."
The document is undated and unsigned by Eddie Foss (as the leasee) or any of the Board members.
Why didn't the Board members (one of whom was a lawyer) sign it? Could it be they knew it was not valid?

We interrupt this narrative again for more mundane matters; Monday's total for Fox Management Group's unpaid bill...$100.07. (they broke the $100 barrier only one day later than I predicted!) Tuesday's (today's) total is $101.07!

Tomorrow: Fox Management Group to me: "You have the right to remain silent! We suggest you exercise it!" (it's a paraphrase, but not far off from the actual letter...)

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space (5) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#25)

Now, you may be wondering, how large is this $10 per month living space...
Would you believe over 400 square feet (424.65'...19'x22.35")?
True!

Besides the main room, Eddie has sole access to the kitchen area and the adjacent empty room, which make up the total area in red on the diagram. That's almost 2/3rds the size of the condo units on the line above him!

And the electricity for his space heater, stereo system, antique non-energy-efficent dehumidifier, lights and other assorted goodies is FREE! (Actually, since it's leeched off the basement's common-area line, the other owners & residents, including myself, end up paying for it to the tune of $30 per condo unit per year!)

We interrupt this narrative again for more mundane matters; Friday's total for Fox Management Group's unpaid bill...$99.08.

Monday; Like Indiana Jones, we uncovered the Secret Apartment of Foss, now follow as we excavate the Paradoxical & Perplexing PaperWork of Fox Management!

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space (4) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#24)

I then moved up to the stairs leading to the '58 lobby...


...turned, took this shot of more shelving with equipment and chemicals and the inside of the exit door to the 58 lobby, which you'll note has only ONE lock...


...and finally took a shot from the '58 lobby looking into the previously-secret apartment! I later learned that the room was once designated the "Party Room" and was used by ALL residents for various functions...until 2002, when Eddie Foss appropriated it for personal use.


On August 24th, 2007, Ed added new locks to the doors of his $10 per month living space. When he saw that I was photographing the process, he called the police. After I showed them the material you've just seen, they just laughed at him and left.

We interrupt this narrative again for more mundane matters; Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's unpaid bill...$98.10.
And we finally received the assessment bill for October, along with the notification of the next Board Meeting. Payment, of course, had already been sent. This leads us to suspect that it was deliberately sent late in order to incur late fees. The envelope was postmarked Sept. 23rd. (It should have been here on September 20th!)

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space (3) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#23)

Light streamed thru another room's glass block window. I followed the light into the large front room filled with furniture, including an easel and a drawing table with an space heater and an antique dehumidifier under it! (explaining the noise I constantly heard from the 58 lobby. I had thought it was the boiler, since I thought this was part of the Boiler Room!)...


...other assorted furniture...


...a large couch...


...shelves containing paint, thinner, and other liquids (which beggars the question how were dangerous chemical fumes properly-ventilated with only two tiny windows in the glass-block front?)
The area was obviously being used as a living/work space, not as storage space, as I had been previously-told by Carol Krengelis!

We interrupt this narrative again for more mundane matters; Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's unpaid bill...$97.13.
And we still have not received the assessment bill for October, along with the notification of the next Board Meeting. Considering the High Holy Days are upon us and Fox's office schedule is about to become irregular as a result, it behooves them to get the bill to us ASAP so we can pay it on time. We'll probably send payment tomorrow (Delivery Confirmation, of course) without the late invoice, so it'll arrive by the 30th. (We know the value of meeting deadlines. even if Fox Management Group doesn't.)

Tomorrow: Out the Secret Exit and Back to Reality!

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space (2) & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#22)

When last we left our hero, he had discovered a hitherto-unknown living space in the basement common area of '58, where almost all Claremont unit owners and residents (those who moved in after 2002) believed only community storage space and the building's boiler room existed!
Having passed thru the tiny boiler room into the kitchen area, his eye is drawn to light coming from a glass block window in an adjacent room...


To my right, light streamed thru yet another room's glass block window. I followed the light into the large front room filled with furniture, including an easel...


...a drawing table with an old dehumidifier and space heater under it! (The antique dehumidifier explained the noise I constantly heard from the 58 lobby. I had thought it was the boiler, since I had thought this was part of the Boiler Room!)...


...other assorted furniture...

We interrupt this narrative for more mundane matters; Tuesday's total for Fox Management Group's unpaid bill...$96.17. And we still have not received the assessment bill for October, along with the notification of the next Board Meeting. Considering the High Holy Days are upon us and Fox's office schedule is about to become irregular as a result, it behooves them to get the bill to us ASAP so we can pay it on time.
(Or don't they want us to pay them on time?
They tried to impose a bogus late charge at least once! It's an old credit card company trick. If the consumer doesn't catch it, it's "free" money for the company.
Of course, we had USPS Delivery Confirmation proof they received our payment on time and Fox Management Group had to withdraw the late charge.)

Tomorrow: A Frightening Sight!

Eddie Foss' $10 a month Living Space & Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#21)

In early May, 2007, I passed by the normally-locked and inaccessible Boiler Room and noticed a plumber working on the Boiler. We chatted and he told me the total heating system for both buildings was in this small room! Wondering what took up the rest of the common area/basement space residents and owners had no access to, I saw, to the left, an unlocked door with no warning signage (above), so I went thru it.

Once I entered the room beyond the boiler room, I saw a kitchen area and yet another, empty, room with no windows. Foolishly, I didn't take a picture of the room at the time because it was empty. I did notice there was a big hole in the ceiling of the empty room. I did not know at the time it was water damage from a leak (which occurred in 2004) for which condo association money had been allocated, but the damage had obviously had not been fixed! So why was the money paid out? Note: this photo is from the kitchen area facing the boiler room door.

To my right, light streamed thru yet another room's glass block window. I followed the light...

On a more mundane matter; Monday's total for Fox Management Group's unpaid bill...$95.22.

Tomorrow...down the rabbit hole...

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#20)

Friday's total for Fox Management Group's still-overdue bill: $94.28. It'll be $100 in a week or so!

Starting Monday: the multi-part Startling Saga of Eddie Foss' $10 a month living space. (It's NOT a typo! Ten Dollars a month!)
With pix aplenty! (and a few graphs & charts)

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#19)

Having not heard back from Stuart Fox, I'm hoping he does the intelligent thing and sends a payment check with the condo assessment notice which should arrive on the 20th. (He does sound like the more rational of the Fox pair.)

Thursday's total for Fox Management Group's still-overdue bill: $93.35

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#18)

Wednesday's total for Fox Management Group's overdue bill: $92.43

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#17)

Tuesday's new total for Fox Management Group's overdue bill: $91.52

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#16)

Heard from Mara Feldman-Fox's hubby/business partner Stuart Fox, whom I've never seen in person.
He claims to be "unaware" of the bill Fox Management owes. (Fox Management Group received the bill at the end of July, and had every opportunity to respond to it before it was due. They failed (A word synonymous with Fox recently). It came due, and is now racking up late charges.)
Personally, I think he's stalling for time, to, at the very least avoid the late charges.
I'd advise him to pay up, but that's just me...

Monday's new total $90.61

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#13,14,15)

It's Saturday, and I haven't posted in a couple of days due to working for a living (with clients who, unlike Fox Management Group, actually pay their bills.)
Billing update of money due from Mara Feldman-Fox's company (late fee of 1% cumulative added daily):
Wednesday, Sept. 10: $87.94
Thursday, Sept. 11: $88.82
Friday, Sept. 12: $89.71

It'll be over $90 on Monday (From a $75 bill Mara failed to pay)

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#12)

No payment received from Mara Fox's Fox Management Group.
New total owed: $87.07

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#11)

No payment received from Fox Management Group.
New total: $86.21

A Stalker? 2

Normally I don't post on weekends, but I went down to do laundry this morning, and found the lock on our storage space flipped open, again, and the note to Eddie Foss missing, again.
I replaced the note in the cover and it hadn't been flipped as of last night...
Interpret as you will.

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#9&10)

Update for both Thursday & Friday.
No payment received from Fox Management Group either day.
Thursday total: $84.51
Friday total: $85.36

A Stalker?/Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#8)

Over the past few weeks, I've noticed that the padlock on our storage space in the basement of '60 has been tampered with by "persons unknown"
It's an Ace padlock with a weather-proof flap. I leave the flap up.
Some idiot (or should I say "Ed-iot") has been flipping the flap open, usually very early in the morning.
Since Edward Vincent Foss (with whom I've been having a great deal of trouble due to my exposing what I believe is his misuse of a condo common area as personal living space, more about that in a couple of days) leaves very early in the morning, and has a habit of exiting the building down the back way, past the basement storage space, it seemed likely the culprit was him.
To test my theory, I placed a note saying "Ed-iot Foss opened this lock!" on both sides of the paper and placed it inside the lock's flap so that, when the flap was opened, the paper would fall to the floor and unfold.
When I looked in the storage space this evening, the lock's flap was open, and the paper was...missing!
If it wasn't Eddie, I believe whoever it was would've left the paper on the ground where it fell. Why would they have cared what it said, if they weren't the person named on the paper?

In other news: New total for Fox Management Group's unpaid bill: $83.67

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#7)

No check in the mail today. so Fox Management Group owes me $82.84! (The original $75 bill plus 1% per business day cumulative late charges.)

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (#6)

Fox Management Group's new past-due total: $81.21!
Tomorrow it'll be $82.02, then no additional fee until Tuesday, Sept. 2nd, since I don't bill for non-business days, and it's the Labor Day "3-day weekend".

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (Real #5)

Fox Management's new past-due total $80.41! I wish they'd pay their bills.
Finally received the assessment billing. No false "late fees". No additional charges.
Curiously, did NOT receive the minutes from the Board meeting on Aug. 6th. Will enquire of other residents (or owners) if they did, and if I can copy theirs.

I committed a "Fox"

From the Dictionary of Claremont:
A "Fox" (noun) is an accounting error. Based on the fact that Fox has made several obvious accounting mistakes in recent billing.
Now that we've covered that...
As I said, I committed a Fox.
In trying to be nice to Fox Management, I did two things I normally don't do in billing.
a) I gave them three weeks (specifically fifteen business days, not counting holidays or weekends), not my usual two calendar weeks (fourteen days).
b) I specifically-stated that the late fee would be applied only to "business days". Again, not counting weekends or holidays.
So my previous calculations don't apply to Saturday & Sunday (and will not apply to Labor Day). They DO apply to Monday & Tuesday. So, as of today, Fox Management is in arrears to the total of $79.61!
My bad...
Still no assessment invoice or Board minutes as of Monday's post. We've sent payment (w/Delivery Confirmation, of course) in order for it to be there before Sept. 1st.

Kommissar Krengelis violates her own rules..

Caught Kommissar Krengelis with a basket of laundry coming out of the '60 laundry room about 11am.
Not a big deal except for the fact that she claims that the residents are not supposed to use laundry rooms of buildings they are not residents of. (She's a resident of '58, not '60 and by her own rules shouldn't be using the '60 laundry room.)
Guess, like the Kremlin, she believes one set of rules applies to the Party, another to the Proletariat!
It's good to hold the moral high ground... ;-)

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (4&5)

As regards the money I'm owed by Fox for services rendered...$78.82 due as of Saturday. $79.61 as of Sunday.
It's curious that no mail has arrived from Fox Management Group.
Besides the assessment notice, we're eagerly awaiting the minutes from the Board meeting I unfortunately missed.
Makes you wonder what went on...
On the other hand, their failure to send an assessment bill is also worrysome.
What if they voted a special assessment, due on Sept. 1st?
Fox had tried a what appears to be a stunt similar to the one credit card companies have done; charging a late fee even though the previous payment had arrived on time. If the payee doesn't question it, it's gravy for them. If the payee can prove there's no reason for the late charge, they retract the charge.
Luckily, we send everything to Fox with Delivery Confirmation so Post Office records show when things arrive! (...and it's deductible as a business expense!) Fox, of course, had to retract the late charge and apologize...
More to come...

Fox Management Group still unresponsive...

$78.04 due as of today since no check was in the mail...

Still nothing (in any sense) from Fox Management Group

Mail came...
No assessment invoice.
No Board meeting minutes.
No payment for my services rendered.
Due from Fox Management Group as of today; $77.27 Due tomorrow: $78.04.

Curously, Mara apparently was here, at the building, on the evening of the 19th.
(Unless someone else has a brand-new humongous SUV with a FOX-XX [number redacted, but I presume it's the year she was born, not her age] license plate.)
Didn't stop by to say "hi" or drop off payment. Wonder why?

Still no payment from Fox Management Group (1)

Normally, my wife receives the monthly assessment (which we carefully review for mistakes) on the 20th. Plus, if there was a Board meeting, we'd get the heavily-censored minutes.
Neither item, nor payment from Fox Management for my bill, were in the mail.
Day 2 of non-payment by Fox. Today's amount was $76.51 + $.76= $77.27 if payment isn't received tomorrow!

Turnabout IS Fair Play...

If you've followed the recent Fox Management/BBB thread, you know that Mara Feldman-Fox is now charging us (and only us) $75 per hour for a service (information requests) that previously did not incur a fee for time expended.
She did so without advance notice as to allow the consumer (us) to avoid the fee by not utilizing the service (which, in fact, is her intention)!
Taking a page from her book, I billed Fox Management Group for concierge services/assistance I performed (as requested by Fox's representatives/contracted vendors) on site at the condo, at the same $75 per hour rate.
I had previously done so for free. But, the same principle she believes applies to her, applies to me.
Payment for the bill was due today, August 19th, 2008.
Mara, of course, had the option of challenging the bill, by contacting me by mail, e-mail or phone. (She did not offer my wife or me the same option with her bill, which legally she had to do! In fact, she listed the bill, which was paid within 30 days, as being "31-60 days overdue"!)
Mara did not respond or challenge the bill. (And even if she had, any legal argument against my charging a fee would apply equally to her!)
And now, she has not paid the bill!
The mail has come, and Mara's payment for my services rendered is not among the envelopes!
The bill has a 1% cumulative daily late charge. That means that each day the bill isn't paid, 1% of the previous day's total is charged. (Hey, BlockBuster Video legally charged a 50% daily late fee, so my 1% fee is quite reasonable, and payday loans [legal in this state] easily exceed the rate.)
So, as of today, Aug. 19th, Fox Management Group owes me, not $75, but $75.75!
Tomorrow, if the bill isn't paid, it'll be $76.51 ($75.75 + $0.76) and so-on-and-so-forth, until it is paid...
I'll keep a running total on this blog, posted daily.

Problems between Fox Management Group and ANOTHER client!

Surfing the net and came across this...
There's another group (whom I previously mentioned) with apparent ongoing problems with Fox Management Group!
Just had to share this with you...
Burr Oaks & Fox Management

You can't make things like this up!

PLUS: MORE unfavorable reviews about Fox Management, this time on Yahoo!

Ed, Edward, & Eddie...

To give you an idea of the limited mindset I'm dealing with at Fox Management...

From: foxmanagement@hotmail.com
To: B
B,
Please stop using the name Eddie, Ed Foss uses the name Ed.
I am sure if you were called Bri or Red you would find it offensive.
As is all walks of life, please treat others as you would like to be treated.
Thank you,
Mara

From: B
To: foxmanagement@hotmail.com

Mara:
My wife, my family, and my friends do call me "Bri"!
Since seeing Beowulf, several of them now call me "Wiglaf" (That's a pop-culture in-joke. You probably won't get it. Ask your kids.)
And, at my recent gig, several co-workers called me "Red" (actually "Red B"), since there was also a "B" in the same office, and the two names obviously sound the same. (The other B was called "Big B", since he was even bigger and heavier than me!)
"Eddie" is a friendly version of "Ed" or "Edward" (both rather formal-sounding).
Friendly people use diminutives and nicknames.
Why you're uncomfortable with them is a matter for speculation.
Curious, that you take offense at my attempt to be friendly.
Judith Marrs has no apparent problem with "Judy".
Either way, if "Foss" has a problem with it, he should tell me.
Respectfully,
B

Apparently befuddled that anyone would address others in a friendly manner, Mara responds...

From: foxmanagement@hotmail.com
To: B

B,
Maybe before you use a nickname, you should ask the person if it offesive (sic) to them. I named my children particular names, although there may be common nicknames for them. I expect and demand that they be called by their proper names.
In all the years that I have know Ed - I have never heard anyone call him "Eddie" therefore I can not imagine that it is an attempt to be friendly or just merely annoying. Just my thoughts at large - enough on this issue.
Mara

She doesn't seem to even know how to use spellcheck. "Offesive"?
Mommy "expects and demands that they be called by their proper names"? Hoo Boy!

From:B
To: foxmanagement@hotmail.com

Mara:
Most creatives have no problem with nicknames.
Most non-creatives do.
Your belief that Foss would be uncomfortable with them is an interesting comment on your opinion of his character and creativity (or lack therof).
We each have our opinion on the matter, and we're both entitled to them.
You can't convince me,
I can't convince you, nor would I try.
Just my thoughts at large - enough on this issue.
B

And thus it ended...

What OTHERS have to say about Fox Managament

It's not just us...
Merchant Circle
You'll note the listing has their office address, not their PO Box.

The Better Business Bureau official file on Fox Management

Name: Fox Management Group ID: 87001918
File Open: July 2000
TOB Classification: Real Estate Services
BBB Accreditation: This company is not a BBB Accredited business.

The BBB has requested basic information from this company. The BBB has not received a response. Without this information, the BBB may not have current information concerning such things as the company's management or its nature of business.

A file was opened on them only a short time after they began operations (early 2000).

Fox Management has failed (a word that crops up with alarming frequency in relation to them) to provide information to the BBB, or to join (as most legitimate businesses do)!

Interpret as you will...

Fox Management Group and the BBB Part 6 (94179735)

When last we left our heroine...
In an ongoing conflict with the decidedly-nasty Fox Management Group and the insidious Mara Feldman-Fox, A has gone to the Better Business Bureau to complain about Fox's poor customer service skills, specifically, her sudden billing for "time" (at $75 per hour)!
After making a potent argument and refuting Fox's irrational rant of a response (all of which are available in the previous blog entries), it appeared A was on the verge of victory!
But, strange forces are at work.
A second complaint against Fox about a totally-different matter from B, A's husband, was mysteriously combined with A's complaint! (see previous entry)

I contacted the BBB about their combining of the two totally-different complaints against the same company.
Within 24 hours, the second unrelated complaint was deleted from my complaint and assigned a case number.
Without explanation, my complaint was "administratively closed"!

On June 18th, I contacted Nicole Tooks, Assistant Manager, Financial Services whose e-mail informed me of the closure that day, asking for an explanation of the error and the reason for the closing of the case.

Ms. Tooks:
I'm curious as to why you (or one of your staff) combined two separate situations from two separate complainants (myself and my husband) against the same company into one and listed the first matter as "resolved" when neither matter was, in fact, resolved?
(Body of B's complaint. See previous blog entry for text)
Why was this done?
And how was the matter "resolved" since you hadn't received any response from Fox Management?

I'm still waiting for a response from Ms. Tooks.

Curiously, when I added this new information to the complaint database on the BBB website, it was deleted within 24 hours of posting!

How very Orwellian...
Is Big Sister watching?