Fox Management Group and the BBB Part 1 (94179735)

Missed the Board meeting, so I didn't see or hear from Kommissar Krengelis. Will find out what happened in a week or so when the usually-censored minutes are sent with the next assessment billing.

In the meantime, here's Part 1 of a recent complaint made by A under "Customer Service Issues" to the Better Business Bureau against Fox Management Group in general and Mara Feldman-Fox in particular listed...

Case Description:
I requested, in writing, from Fox Management...
4/29/08
1) We would like a listing (Excel datasheet or chart) of gardening expenses (including payments to the gardening services vendor and supplies used by residents and reimbursed by the Condo Association for the past three calendar years. The reason is for discussion at the Board meeting in August of gardening expenses as well as cost of correcting violations of the Building Code. This request is made under...Sec. 19. _RECORDS OF THE ASSOCIATION; AVAILABILITY FOR EXAMINATION._(a)(9) & Municipal code of Chicago, IL 13-72-080. This is the second time this information has been requested in the last 180 days. We are also reserving the right to ask for copies of the actual bills.
2) We would like a listing (Excel datasheet or chart) of the monthly billing for electricity usage for the condo common areas from 2000 thru 2004 inclusive. The reason is for discussion of common area usage at the Board meeting in April. This request is made under...Sec. 19. _RECORDS OF THE ASSOCIATION; AVAILABILITY FOR EXAMINATION._(a)(9) & Municipal code of Chicago, IL 13-72-080.This is the second time this information has been requested in the last 180 days.

5/1/08, I received 5 double-sided pages of information plus...
an invoice for $30.60 (thirty dollars and sixty cents) and a letter from Mara Fox...
3) Enclosed is an invoice for copy costs and my time to accumulated (sic) requested information. Please make check payable to Claremont Condominium Association.
I had never previously been charged a fee for "time", just copying costs (about 5 cents a page).
I responded by e-mail...
I am in receipt of your letter of 5/1/08, and am puzzled.
You list "an invoice for copy costs and my time to accumulated (sic) requested information."
The "actual cost" of 5 sheets of two-sided print-out which you bill at $.60 plus the $0.41 for postage would come to an entirely-reasonable total of $1.01, which I am happy to pay.
In addition, you billed $30 on invoice #1808 for the "administrative time to accumulate documents and correspondence" without listing either the actual time spent or the per-hour rate. ($10-$15 per hour is the standard pay rate for a clerk with a BS in accounting, according to a temp agency [my employer] uses.)
Please provide the time and rate information for the $30 charged on invoice 1808, and a confirmation that others at Claremont Court Condominiums who have requested information from Fox Management have also been billed at the same rate.
If I am the first, or only one, to have these charges imposed, I am curious to know..."why?"

Mara Fox responded by e-mail...
The cost is for my time to run the reports, print them and send you a letter. My hourly rate is $75. If you do not agree with this fee, I would suggest you discuss this with your attorney.
As I have stated in the past, you have never given the Board of Directors specific reasons as to why you need this information. This is becoming a waste of my valuable time and will charge you for it accordingly.

I responded by e-mail again...
You stated that I didn't give you "specific reasons" as to why I need this information.
REASONS: (see my request above)
Your monthly fee from Claremont Court Condominiums would not enable you to do more than half a days' work per month at $75 per hour!
Thus, you are charging the Association one rate (or flat fee), and me another!
Why?

The "desired resolution" (required by the BBB) provided by me was...
1) Written explanation for suddenly charging (without advance notification) $75 per hour for a service which has previously been billed only for materials cost. (As I understand it, a company cannot change rates for established services without advance notification, to allow customers to opt out of the service to avoid paying new fees.) and how the new policy doesn't violate 605/19(9)(f). If there is such a provision (or legal interpretation allowing "billable time"), could Fox please point it out?
2) Written explanation from Fox of difference in billing between myself and literally everyone else in the condo. (No one else has been charged $75 per hour for a service which has been part of the fee paid to Fox by the Condo Board.)
3) Written apology on company letterhead.
4) Retraction of the $30.60 fee and a new invoice issued for the correct amount. (around $1.75 or less)

Tomorrow: The Empress Strikes Back! Fox counterattacks!