Fred T Riesman And Associates

Dear FightBigBusiness

Re: Fred T Riesman & Assoc

If you are thinking of leasing or renting from this "so-called" developer, you better have your lawyers ready. Fred T Riesman & Associates are a bunch of fucking vultures that prey on small business owners with predatory and questionable tactics. Before I get into why these assholes are a bunch of con artists here is some background:

Fred T Reisman & Associates
4800 Sheppard Ave E Scarborough, ON , M1S4N5
(416) 297-6616

Suffice to say that I myself am a small business owner, that had the grueling misfortune of being trapped in a lease with Riesman & Assoc, for the worst 3 years anyone could imagine.

It all started when I was searching high and low for a small unit to set up shop. Previously I had operated out of my home, but found it very inconvenient after a while and was looking into expanding. Also, I was in the process of moving, and where I was moving to was inadequate as far as any sort of business operation. Cheap was pretty much my only prerequisite, when I stumbled onto a business realty website advertising a small unit [1000 sq ft] for a pretty decent price.

So I got a hold of a company called Starland Realty, as they were the agents acting for Riesman and associates. [I came to find out that this Realty company pretty much a front for Riesman & Assoc, but more on that later.] I met up with the agent and he pretty much glossed over the 10 page leasing agreement, and even agreed to give me a month free rent! Wow, I thought. That seems like a pretty good deal, so I signed the lease.

Now I must pause at this point and kick myself in the ass. Signing that lease was a huge financial mistake. Yes I should have had someone from the legal profession look it over, yes I should have shopped around for something better, etc. Not that I am making excuses or anything, but I was under a lot of pressure at the time, and opening up a shop was very exciting to me.

With that being said, let this be a lesson to you, and always make sure you have a lawyer on your side when signing any kind of legal agreement [like a lease], especially if it seems like it is too good to be true.

So I ponied up the first and last month's rent, [or so I thought] ]the security deposit as well as the $50 deposit for the key to the mailbox and took possession of the unit.

Misplaced Cheques

A few weeks went by and all was good in small business land. One sunny day I received a rather condescending call regarding the rent I hadn't paid.

"What are you talking about, I haven't even been here three weeks??"

How could I have even been here without paying? I was threatened with being locked out of my brand new shop by a bailiff, plus I was informed there would be a lot of fees to get my shop re-opened, as I would have to pay the bailiff fees.

"Surely there is some sort of mistake. Let me sort this out and call you back."

As I went online to see if my cheques had cleared, I received another call from the office of Fred T Riesman. I have to admit the tone was a little more respectable, and so was the news. Apparently there was some sort of an accounting error and they had located my payments and that I had actually overpaid. At that point, I corrected them saying I was looking at the amounts in my banking records and they all added up properly to what I had expected in the leasing agreement. They told me they would look into it and follow up with me, and I never heard another word of the matter.

Increased Rent
Approximately 3 months[less than 90 days] into my stay in "Fred T Reisman Hell", I recieved an updated invoice for my rent for the upcoming year. It was increasing 21% the next year! Ok, this has to be another error I thought. 21% of what I was paying at that time was a fair chunk of dough. Nevermind the fact that it totally blew my budget for the upcoming year.

Nope. I was rudely told that it was all in the lease I had signed, and sure enough it was. "Increases due to upkeep of common areas" or some bullshit.

I suspected that the increases were to cover the cost of one of their units that had suddenly erupted into flames after an accident occured in the meth lab that was operating out of it. Seriously - one day I go to get my mail, and a team of police in hasmat suits have roped off the entire area. Fire trucks, cop cars, hasmat trucks you name it. I found out why later on the local news broadcast. It was far enough away from me that it was not a big deal, although I could only imagine what I would be inhaling over the course of the next few days and weeks. I also wondered when we would receive information regarding the incident from the landlord, we never did.

Special Delivery

When the office of Fred T Riesman has to get in touch with you, they call you, and if you do not answer them within a period of their liking they use their special delivery service, which I will describe for you.

This is a hand written note on a scrap of paper, taped to your door. The tape of choice is apparently duct tape or electrical tape. The handwriting on the notes leaves quite an impression on the reader, as it is obviously is the product of a struggling illiterate or a person who has mastered the talent of writing with their feet due to the fact that both of their hands were broken.

I inquired about a notice once, and was informed that they were probably put there by the maintenance crew at the request of the landlord, Fred T Riesman & Assoc. Once I even sent one of thier notes back to them as an attachment to my rent cheque. I don't think they liked that very much.

Labels: Fred T Riesman and Associates, Property Management, Real Estate Developers