A few years ago, I went with Gerald to visit his family in Everett, WA, just north of Seattle. Since Gerald booked a flight at the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m., we couldn't ride Trax to the airport, and instead drove ourselves and parked in economy parking. We left home at 3:30 a.m. (Ugh!), and by 4:15, were riding an airport parking shuttle to the terminal. Can we just stop for a half second and pay homage to a lady named Jenny?Jenny understands the importance of tone. She was the driver of that middle-of-the-night shuttle, and her welcoming tone made everyone happy, even at that ghastly hour. Really, if you have to get up at 3:30 a.m. for any reason at all, be sure you catch a ride on a shuttle driven by Jenny. She greeted us with a genuine "Good morning," and enthusiastically (though not over the top; it was 4:15 a.m. after all) explained that she would circle the parking lot, making a few more stops, then deliver us to the terminal at just the right place to easily "find the right airline and even grab a cup of coffee." As we departed, she wished us a good flight and thanked us for riding with her. And here's the thing; I believed her! I believed she cared about us.
Once we were back home, I immediately drafted a letter to Jenny's supervisor to express my gratitude for Jenny's service. I got a response soon after, thanking me and assuring me that my letter would be shared with Jenny, with her coworkers, and even with his own boss!
I tell you all this to be clear about how much I love to write positive letters to support people who are kind, who show respect, and who genuinely strive to help others. I've sent similar letters: for example after a server in a restaurant was particularly helpful or when a retail sales associate offered exemplary service. I think it's important to acknowledge people who do good stuff, and I really don't enjoy writing negative reviews. But sometimes, there is no choice.
In January, 2025, I received a letter from FCS Management, the company that manages the HOA in my neighborhood, regarding a billing issue. I went straight home and emailed them to request information. A few days later, it occurred to me that no one had responded, so I emailed again. Nothing. I tried calling their office and left voicemail. No response. For the next three months, I attempted to contact someone at FCS, through both email and voicemail, but was unsuccessful.
That was over a year ago. In that time, I've been through the most exhaustive, mind-numbing saga. When I say I feel like I'm starring in a horror movie that never ends, I'm not joking. I've lost sleep, felt both anxious and depressed, and as I write this, I'm not one step closer to resolution than I was back on that fateful day in January, 2025. Because the issue is still unresolved, I can't share the details, but here are some experiences I've had:
1. Being told to wait. After three months, I finally made the magic phone call that connected me with a live person at FCS, rather than just voicemail. She explained what she believed to be the issue (turns out it wasn't the issue at all), and told me to wait. Wait for the board to meet. Wait for the manager in charge of my neighborhood to look at my account. Just wait. Every time I managed to make contact with FCS, I was told to wait. And wait. And wait some more. But waiting didn't accomplish anything.
2. Lack of access, Part 1. This company is the least transparent, most inaccessible one I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. One time I couldn't get the manager in charge of our neighborhood to respond to my emails, so I tried calling her. Shockingly, my call did not go to voicemail, but rather to a receptionist. I asked to speak with the manager by name, and the receptionist put me on hold to "go check to see if she's available." I waited 10 minutes for the receptionist to return to the call. She told me the manager was not available, but she could take a message. I asked for the manager's voicemail, and guess what? She told me voicemail wasn't an option, that I'd need to leave a message with her. Really? Cuz I knew this company had voicemail; I'd left multiple messages there. Apparently, their managers don't have personal voicemail. It was 2025! Why don't they? Because they don't want to be accessible.
3. Lack of access, Part 2. Another time, unable to find any resolution with FCS, I wanted to reach out to the individual board members. There are only three who are involved with the townhomes, specifically. I happened to know one of the three, personally, but he represented only one-third of the group, so he couldn't accomplish anything on his own. I needed to contact the other two, and I didn't even know their names. I emailed our FCS manager to ask for their names and email addresses. She told me that was private information and not available to residents. Uh, I wasn't asking for their bank accounts, home addresses, or social security numbers; I just wanted a simple name and email. What are they hiding from? Residents, apparently.
4. Lack of access, Part 3. When I was denied email, I asked the FCS manager for a place on the agenda of the next townhome board meeting. She told me that was not possible, as the townhome board had decided to make all their meetings "executive session," so residents were not allowed to attend. Say what? You have got to be kidding! To be fully transparent, they eventually changed that policy, and I was allowed to attend a Zoom meeting, but it took a long time (see #1 above). The point is that when I needed to find access to them and when attending a meeting appeared to be my only option, I was denied.
5. Their bookkeeping system. Is bananas! It is a chaotic mess. They don't have a clue what people owe. One month I received three separate bills, in separate envelopes, all with differing amounts.
So here is my advice:
1. Never move to a property that requires you to join an HOA. This is my first experience with it, and it will be my last. This has used up hours and hours of my life and my brain space. Never again.
2. If you ignore that advice, make very sure you check out the company that manages the HOA for the property you are thinking about buying. If it's FCS Management, run the other way and don't look back.
NO PROPERTY IS WORTH WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH.
