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#10 of Top 10 Ways UDR is Illegally Cashing In on its OC Tenants & Making $75 Million A Year Doing It

May 30, 2009 6:24 PM ETUDR2 Comments
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#10 USES FAKE NAMES IN ITS LEASES TO AVOID TENANT-BASED LITIGATION

Did you know the Landlord, UDR, is a $500 million dollar publicly-traded company based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with apartments all over the entire United States?

Did you know that FIFTEEN PERCENT (15%) of its total annual revenue comes from one single county (not state, not region, but county) in all the United States? Orange County, California.

15% of $500 million = $75 million

75 million divided by 14 properties = average of $5.36 MILLION from each property.

How’s that possible? They’re just apartments. The economy sucks. Rental rates are taking a dive. This doesn’t add up.

That’s why we’re providing this consumer report series:

“TOP 10 WAYS UDR SCREWS ITS OC TENANTS AND MAKES

$75 MILLION A YEAR DOING IT"

So, here we go .. with #10

USES FAKE NAMES IN ITS LEASES TO AVOID TENANT-BASED LITIGATION

Not one UDR apartment complex in Orange County has the proper legal name of the Owner in its Lease.

Not one UDR apartment complex Lease in Orange County has the proper name, address and phone number of the place to serve a Complaint.

However, every UDR apartment complex Lease in Orange County DOES tell you that you CAN’T serve the leasing office.

But why would they do that?

To eliminate the possibility of lawsuits brought by tenants.

How do you think they make $5 million per property per year?

Hey! Legal Fees Are Expensive - It could Cut that $5 million in Half - Easy!

Think about it -- where would you look to find the legal name and address to sue your landlord? On your lease, right? If your lease states a fake name and you put that on your complaint when you file it with the Court, guess what will happen? The Court will kick it back to you and say, "Sorry, we can't accept this because you haven't properly identified the business you're suing."

Here’s an example. The Villa Venetia Apartments lease states that the legal name is “Villa Venetia.”

However, UDR has no affiliation with that name whatsoever. The name "Villa Venetia" is the correct legal name used by the previous owner of the complex, Essex Trust. But UDR has owned the complex since 2004 and uses it anyway.

They know it doesn't belong to them.

They know the name expired with the Orange County Recorder's Office on August 20, 2006.

They know that they should use their own legal name for the complex which is UDR Villa Venetia Apartments, L.P.

They just think they're above the law. But we can tell you for sure, that if a tenant at that property get sued by UDR for an unlawful detainer, "UDR Villa Venetia Apartments, L.P." is the name that appears on the complaint. ... of the time, that's the first time a UDR tenant ever gets to know the legal name of the complex where they’re living!

So, to help you out if UDR is messing with you, we'll post the legal names of all the properties in Orange County in our next post. The fact is ... if they aren't using the legal name - YOU DON'T HAVE A VALID CONTRACT. We'll get into that more later.

A Story to Illustrate

Ben is strapped for cash, so he decides to enter into a contract with a buyer, Joe, to sell his neighbor’s Jaguar XJS. Ben writes up a contract and fake pink slip both with HIS name on it. Joe signs the contract and hands over $3,000 cash for the brand new Jag. He has no problem towing it home as Ben told him the Jag’s got a little alternator problem. Ben thinks, “Who cares - no matter what – I just made one sweet deal.”

The next morning the neighbor comes out to go to work and “dude, where’s my Jag”? He calls the cops and reports the car stolen. Later that week Joe’s on his way home from his mechanic after fixing the alternator that didn’t exist (double screw) and the cops pull him over.

Joe thought Ben was the owner as Ben had a long and legal-looking contract and pink slip – what the …? Joe gets locked up, Ben comes and gets his car, and later when Joe explains, he goes home on the bus $3,000 poorer.

Who is Joe going to sue to get his money back? Who knows, the name on the contract was not the legal name of the owner! There was no address where he could serve a complaint! What’s his recourse? Nada.

Joe has no money left to hire an attorney and the $3,000 was a salary advance from his boss. Now he’ll probably get evicted too.

Do you think Ben cares about Joe? Not a chance.

Do you think Ben is worried about Joe suing him? Nope.

Why? Because Joe can’t find Ben.

UDR is Ben.

UDR’s tenants are Joe.

Do you think the court is going to care? Nope.

They’re just as criminal as Ben.

Stay tuned for the next post with all the names of the 14 UDR properties and the legal names.

If you’re a current tenant of UDR this information can really help you if UDR is messing with you.

If you’re not a current tenant – DON’T BE. Because this is just a small fraction of the intentional illegal activity and horrible way UDR treats its tenants. Here they are:

UDR Apartment Properties in Orange County

ARBORETUM AT LAKE FOREST
22700 Lake Forest Drive, Lake Forest, California 92630

CORONADO AT NEWPORT NORTH
880 Irvine Avenue, Newport Beach, California 92663

CORONADO AT NEWPORT SOUTH
1700 E. 16th Street, Newport Beach, California 92663

FOXBOROUGH
501 E Katella Avenue, Orange, California 92867

HARBOR AT MESA VERDE
2700 Peterson Place, Costa Mesa, California 92626

HUNTINGTON VILLAS
16761 Viewpoint Lane, Huntington Beach, California 92647

HUNTINGTON VISTA
21551 Brookhurst Street, Huntington Beach, California 92646

MISSIONS AT BACK BAY
1330 SE Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, California 92626

PACIFIC PALMS
2045 South Haster Street, Anaheim, California 92802

PACIFIC SHORES
7701 Warner Avenue, Huntington Beach, California 92647

PINE BROOK VILLAGE
1555 Mesa Verde Drive East, Costa Mesa, California 92626

ROSEBEACH
16124 Rosecrans Avenue, La Mirada, California 90638

VILLA VENETIA
2775 Mesa Verde Drive East, Costa Mesa, California 92626

VISTA DEL REY
1151 Walnut Avenue, Tustin, California 92780

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