Residents of a Valderas Drive apartment complex in Montrose almost got a chance for direct negotiations with their new landlord at Tuesday's Glendale City Council meeting.
David Seiler of StarPoint Properties spoke to the council during the public comment period, introducing his firm and its investment program in converting real estate property to high-end rentals.
Seiler said the Beverly Hills firm purchased the Montrose property in March, and has been working on the site since then.
StarPoint had a less than favorable introduction to Glendale, being charged by tenants with illegal evictions, improper treatment during renovations and retaliatory rent increases.
The firm acknowledged that the eviction notices sent out violated city rules for eviction for cause, and rescinded them. Seiler told the council that rent increases just sent out brought the building to just below market rate rentals.
Seiler tried to show a PowerPoint presentation on his company, but could not because he had failed to register it before hand with the council.
He handed out before and after pictures of the property, and told the council his company prided itself on tenant relations.
A group of five residents from the building, led by Nancy Mills and Luis Madrigal, challenged the company's assertion that it was tenant-friendly, saying phone call complaints have been left unanswered.
The city has inspected the property for fire department and building code violations, and has issued a number of citations. The city attorney is also investigating at least one complaint of a retaliatory rent increase.
Council members were limited in their comments by Brown Act restrictions on discussing non-agenda items. Councilman John Drayman, who associated himself with earlier complaints by tenants, asked if pictures Seiler handed out of before and after views showed the same unit. He was told they did not.
Councilman Bob Yousefian, a contractor by profession, told StarPoint they had "left a lot to be desired" in the way they handle the project. He spoke of pictures he'd seen of open walls with exposed plumbing, and told the company representative he didn't think they had dealt effectively with their contractor.
Mills said the tenants plan to return in force to the council for another presentation. They had planned on coming on May 22, but were told the meeting was canceled because council members will be attending a shopping center convention in Las Vegas. The next council meeting will be on May 29.
