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Investors, Tenants, Potential Tenants, Contractors - BEWARE - this company and it's ownership should be avoided if you value your investments, good credit and personal or business security. Here are a few reasons, please feel free to do your own research - JUST BE SURE YOU DO - Lance Puig and York Street Properties, York Street Homes, York Street Investments and the numerous LLC's this organization operates under have caused 100's thousands of dollars of loss, 100's of wasted hours and countless heartaches for good people:
1) Debts and returns on investment are not honored in a timely fashion, if at all.
2) If you're tenant don't believe if you rent a home expecting to buy it that you ever will. It's a false promise - ask existing tenants.
3) If you're an investor; don't believe you are getting a safe, reliable, well maintained investment - ask past investors.
4) If you're a contractor; don't give this company or Lance Puig any credit - he does not pay.
5) Don't believe what you read on the website(s), in blogs or on radio shows. Icons are unauthorized, statements are false & exaggerated.
6) Don't believe mortgages (in your name) will be paid or debts for services will be paid - they won't be.
Here's a few examples of fact:
a) There are numerous lien filings, small claims filings and court filings against this company and Lance Puig. The subjects are wide
ranging (non-payment, fraud, etc). He gets contractors to remodel houses, then doesn't pay them - $1 Mil of examples cab be given
b) Investors have lost their investments due to non-payment of mortgages.
c) The BBB has not been paid and the "Online Accredited Business" icon is misleading at best.
d) The numerous bank links on the website are being used without authorization.
e) The claim that Lance Puig comes from 3 generations of real estate investors is pure embellishment.
f) Lance Puig hires people in the Philippines to write comments and compliments in blogs. They are not real.
g) An leading figurehead of the company and personal advisor to Lance Puig is an federal ex-con:
http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=MICHAEL+& Middle=&LastName=BACHER&Race=U&Sex=M&Age=&x=79&y=8. This shows in everything they do, Lance Puig just hasn't been
imprisoned - yet.
h) Lance Puig/York Street Properties is not a member of the TAA or local apartment assoc. That makes all leases signed with the TAA
lease agreements invalid. According to law, the tenant has a right not to honor agreement/no legal protection for investor.
i) A majority of properties remain vacant because they're in bad, un-leasable condition. The company is broke.
j) Houses are purchased at REO prices (50%), then sold to investors for 90% with minimum remodeling to justify that price.
k) Resale, should the investor be faced with that, is impossible at 90% - not to mention the probable liens on the property.
l) The 40% profit (j, above) is used to support Lance Puig's unjustified lifestyle and foreign online labor (paid at $5/hour).
There are many cases of fraudulent and/or misleading business practices utilized by Lance Puig and York Street Properties, et al. Do you homework before doing any sort of business with this man or his companies. Better yet, why take the risk? In today's economy it's difficult enough to make your hard earned dollars and credit work for you - why add dealing with a broke, unscrupulous and unethical partner to the mix? Don't believe what you read - Lance Puig is a professional at making things look one way, when his representations don't paint the real picture. Last reports have he and his family hiding in their house to avoid process servers.
Do your homework - there's too much to list here - don't leave any stone unturned if you need to prove to yourself that investing with Lance Puig/York Street Properties is a bad move. Don't leave any stone unturned before deciding to do business of any sort with this man and his companies - and if you do; get your money in advance - get your own attorney to verify all contracts - be sure you are protected to minimize loss when the "good faith agreements" are inevitably broken.
I am a Dallas based investor who also works full-time to support my family. I see opportunities all over town and began looking into companies/persons that I could partner with. In my initial searches; Lance Puig, York Street Properties and York Street Homes came up frequently. So I started looking into the company.
My research included the BBB, banks, appraisers, court filings, looking at York Street Properties houses for rent, talking to a couple of renters/aspiring buyers, company employees (they like to talk - disgruntled, earnest or otherwise), County Sheriff's (process servers), a few of the individuals that had posted complaints on the internet, amongst others.
What I discovered motivated me to publish a few of the things I found out. Perhaps then, any hard working investor or company thinking about providing services to Lance Puig and companies would have a place to start their own research (so that an informed opinion and decision could be made on their own). The facts are easily verifiable.
Would I like to reveal my name in this forum? NO THANK YOU. After my first posting I was able to confirm that Lance Puig had allowed homes and investments of friends, business colleagues and family (including his mother) to be foreclosed on due to non-payment of mortgages. That's in addition to the numerous people he has already destroyed. Disregard for the lives, security and well being of people doing business with Lance Puig seems to be a recurring theme. Would I like to subject my family, home personal security to potential harm needlessly - NO! - my finding do not warrant that sort of trust in Mr. Puig. What I found was chilling.
Perhaps an earlier poster, Reidar Klaumann, has a good idea. It's possible that the State Attorney General would be interested in the financial affairs of Mr. Puig. I, however, do not have an actionable claim as I made a decision to stay away from his dealings. Here's contact information for those interested. There seems to be a lot of people harmed or mislead, perhaps a group effort would offer some protections or satisfactions:
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/
Attorney General Greg Abbott: greg.abbott@oag.state.tx.us
Main agency switchboard [protected]
Consumer Protection Hotline [protected]
I'm an above average earner, family man and hard working person trying my best to cope (if not profit from) the bad economy our nation, state and community faces. It's a time to work together, not work against one another. This also includes sharing information that could help fellow community members avoid a potentially hurtful situation. There are numerous credible facts available (as stated in my first post) and the focus of attention should be on those facts, not attacks on yours truly - which is what several of the above posters have decided to do (or perhaps one poster - Lance Puig using different names). Check the facts; check with BBB, check with TAA, talk to numerous service suppliers, contact tenants in York Street Properties homes, verify county records, speak with banks, there are many channels for credible information.
Our country is a beautiful place; we can express our opinions and make decisions freely. The internet and regulatory agencies make it possible to discuss, interact and take appropriate action. For me, I am walking away from Lance Puig and companies. For the parties already harmed, they may like to "band together" and act as they see fit. I hope this forum and my postings help somebody.
Good Luck and Best Regards,
Dallas Investor
READERS HAVE ASK "WHAT IS A PONZIE SCAM ?"
A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to separate investors from their own money or money paid by subsequent investors, rather than from any actual profit earned. The Ponzi scheme usually offers returns that other investments cannot guarantee in order to entice new investors, in the form of short-term returns that are either abnormally high or unusually consistent. The perpetuation of the returns that a Ponzi scheme advertises and pays requires an ever-increasing flow of money from investors in order to keep the scheme going.
The system is destined to collapse because the earnings, if any, are less than the payments. Usually, the scheme is interrupted by legal authorities before it collapses because a Ponzi scheme is suspected or because the promoter is selling unregistered securities. As more investors become involved, the likelihood of the scheme coming to the attention of authorities increases.
Amigo Air can count themselves as one of the very fortunate ones. That leaves more than $600, 000 to go, just with debts to contractors!
Got questions on how HVAC contractors are paid? Contact Mr. Cool, American Mechanical, United Mechanical and many others that have registered complaints with various court systems in the Dallas Metroplex. Their contact information and complaints are readily available... better yet, contact York Street Properties for that information - they have 100's of pieces of correspondence from these companies... though probably discarded, just like investor, tenant and aspiring buyer complaints.
I was asked to re-post the prison record link of Michael Bacher. I hope this works for you:
http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=MICHAEL+&Middle=&LastName=BACHER&Race=U&Sex=M&Age=&x=79&y=8
For all who don't know, Michael Bacher is a long time employee and adviser to Lance Puig.
A BLOG POSTED BY SCOTT LEONARD ON http://themaxonshow.com/2009/01/13/lance-puig/:
QUOTE...
Scott Leonard
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
September 1st, 2009 at 2:32 pm
BM,
That’s very nice that you would stick-up for your boss. Fact is, however, the man is crooked and these statements are about the VERY REAL sums of money that he’s swindled. These aren’t empty accusations, these are facts.
If you’ve been a party to the scam of York Street Properties, you and your family should know that you/they are eating while others are suffering and not eating because of the actions of the company you work for.
I know, you must think we’re rich Americans and can afford it. But we can’t. We also cannot survive and prosper when our credit ratings have been ruined by you scam.
As far as talking is concerned – that’s a joke – victims of the scam including investors, tenants and service providers have send 100’s of emails and left countless telephone messages, which have never been returned.
If the company you work for is honorable it will pay its bills. It’s as simple as that. Touting what a great company this is and what a successful business plan it has doesn’t work with an intelligent audience. Look at your REAL accounts payable, look at the investors properties that have been foreclosed on, look at your boss cowering in his house to avoid process servers, talk to the tenants that have bursting sewage pipes in their house, talk to the tenants that were promised they could buy their homes (not a single promise fulfilled).
If Lance Puig is going to go on radio talk shows, he should expect recourse from all the folks that have supported him in past, but lost. You, ultimately, will lose too. If you care about your family, you’ll lead your life honorably and begin looking for a new job.
There’s nothing false in what’s been said. If what you think is true, then get an AUDITED financial report for your company(s) and present it! If it’s REAL, you’ll be startled at what you see.
...UNQUOTE
In response to a post made by BM:
BM
August 28th, 2009 at 2:04 am
I have been working for YSP for almost 2 years now. Before YSP I been dealing with a lot of outsource company and most of them don’t pay and if ever they do the salary is really low. We are getting a lot of bonuses here and YSP is very generous to us. So I was shocked when someone is saying that YSP is not paying – that is so untrue. There might be a delay for other vendors cause there is a process they need to do before releasing money but they still get their pay.
Without YSP I will not be able to support my Family. We are 8 kids in the family and imagine how YSP can help me to survive our everyday expenses. We help people we make their dreams happen it cannot happen overnight but still we make it happen.
I am not saying all these because I am working for YSP, I am saying this because this is really what is happening. Almost every day I talk to Lance, I can see how he wants to make things better for other people. I know his intentions are all good… he also have a family don’t forget that. He cannot please everyone here but he doesn’t deserve all this bad comments. If you have problems with YSP it’s much better to talk to us and solve the issue than spreading false accusation.
BM
I would agree with point 3 of the Investors comments above. It's highly unlikely that Puig has enough liquidity to pay his bills and with lawsuits that have already been filed and will be filed, it's highly unlikely he will ever pay anybody back.
What's intriguing are the "empty threats" he's making by saying "if you speak up in public I can guarantee you'll never get any money". It's really a silly comment to make, for obvious reasons. (A) If he wants to shut somebody up, just pay them. (B) The courts will decide who gets paid the way things are going, not Puig and his "machinery" (C) As Reidar Klaumann said (above), if the press releases are true and York Street Properties is "strong", then why doesn't Puig hire somebody who can successfully negotiate with the parties who claim injury and debt?
Lacking an action similar to point C, above, Puig appears to have nothing to say and no place to go. Bankruptcy will not quell the criminal complaints. Indeed that will just throw gasoline on the fire. He and his convict "ex" have gone too far.
For what it's worth, I got the same letter from Joseph M. Nathan by email. It went into my spam box and will stay there. What a waste of time.
Michael, I'm really sorry to hear about the troubles you and your family have gone through as a result of York Street Properties. Please know that there are scrupulous investors doing business in Dallas. I have need for a good HVAC Technician from time to time. Please send me an email and I'll contact you next time the need arises.
I have contacted the Specialized Crime Unit and explained the investment scheme that was presented to me. The Dallas County DA's office need more information - please contact them directly or through your legal representative !
I thought the newsletter was excellent. I especially liked this part:
ILLEGAL PROPERTY FLIPPING; is the most common form of mortgage fraud, involving false appraisals and other fraudulent loan documents (US Attorney General, quote)…
ILLEGAL PROPERTY FLIPPING EXAMPLE:
• Perpetrator/house flipper buys a house for $40, 000.
• House flipper has the house illegally appraised for $160, 000.
• House flipper sells house for $160, 000 to a straw buyer who obtained a 80% loan of $128, 000 giving the perpetrator a profit of $88, 000.
• House usually results in delinquency, default, or foreclosure.
• The bank/financial institution is left with a $128, 000 mortgage on a $40, 000 property for a loss of $88000.
• Please see comment by Kendra Appraiser: Lance Puig + York Street Properties — False Representations + Payment Scam
Wade - thanks very much for that post! A particular post by "Tom Burris | FHA VA & Conv. Texas Mortgage Loans (DallasLoanGuy.com)" caught my attention. He said " I haven't seen any of these lately. But at a prior place I worked, we had a couple. Both were averted with a lender field review of the appraisal".
It's my opinion (and a respected local Attorney), that Lance Puig went to specific Lenders that wouldn't do a review of the appraisal. If one Lender disageed with the value he would go to another. We also feel that Lance Puig started to have serious troubles with his scam when Lenders began requiring an "appraisal review" or use of their own Appraisers. Until then, "fraudulent operators" like Lance Puig could more easily manipulate all parties involved to facilitate the scam and mortgage fraud.
Investors definitely didn't have control and evidenced by:
1) Lance Puig chose Lender who wouldn't scrutinize the loan documents [for honesty] too carefully.
2) Lance Puig chose Appraiser (whom he controlled or colluded with).
3) Mortgage payments not made by owner.
4) York Street Properties is not a Property Manager and collected all funds illegally.
5) Tenant leases falsely showed York Street Properties as the owner rather than the "Investor/Straw Buyer".
6) There's much more, but those facts should be revealed in Court rather than here, in public.
Thank you "Wise_Broker" for your input. Your remarks actually give credibility to statements made previously and also in this weeks newsletter.
To summarize; the majority of Investors and others were swindled prior to regulatory and lending institution processes being revised. To combat escalating cases of mortgage fraud more vigilance was necessary to protect financial institutions, as referenced in the efanniemae article you provided.
Points 1 & 2 are actually correct. However, as sited in the newsletter, the new controls (referenced in the article you provided) have greatly reduced mortgage fraud and ponzie scams perpetrated by people like Lance Puig. As testament to that fact, severe cash flow problems for operators such as York Street Properties began in early to mid 2009 (as Investors, Lenders, Service Providers, Tenants and others have testified).
Thank You for your input and the positive information that action is being taken to avert future financial disasters at the hands of operators like York Street Properties. As many very wise people have stated "self regulation by industry has not provided enough controls in past, obviously". The new thinking - increased controls combined with prosecution of past and future offenders is welcomed - particularly by members of this group !
I was contacted by a very nice young lady this afternoon. She told me about all the websites, lawsuits, conversations and latest news.
More to the point, she asked if I needed help with filings or anything else to deal with Lance Puig. I thought that was absolutely fantastic and I offered all the information I could provide. I don't know York Street Properties investors but I'm happy to hear that somebody is looking for them and planning to put together a teleconference soon. Thanks for doing that, I really got a lot out of the conversation !
Wade, your comment on page 8 looks like it will be coming together. I was asked to send an email to yspvictims@gmail.com and identify whether I was and Investor, Tenant, Service Provider or Other in the subject line. It would be a great idea if everybody reading this blog could do the same thing - it would make it easier for the organizers to sort the mail.
Again - Thanks !
THANKS FOR THAT. YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE TO READ THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE (/URL removed/) ... AFTER GIVING FAIR WARNING AND ALL THE REASONS WHY A LAWSUIT AGAINST [redacted] IS SILLY:
Comment: I Know the CDA (Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 230) Protects [redacted], But I Am Going to Sue Anyway!
If you have read all of the above information and still want to file a lawsuit against us, there are some other points you need to know.
First, Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and each state court's rules, generally require that all pleadings, including initial Complaints, must be presented in good faith, after a reasonable investigation into the facts and the law, and not made for an improper purpose such as harassment. What this means in plain English is that if you file a lawsuit which you know contains false claims, or if you sue without first conducting a reasonable investigation as to the law as it may pertain to the facts of your case (such as determining the identity of the author of the report(s) you are concerned about), you and/or your attorney can be subject to serious sanctions at the judge's discretion. Many who have sued settled with us and some have paid some or all of our attorney's fees. Other times we have defended the cases for years running up large legal bills for both sides. Either way, we never paid out a dime in settlement or damages to anyone who has sued us.
In addition to penalties a judge may issue, those who would threaten us need to be aware of another law which imposes civil liability on anyone who files a frivolous lawsuit. This claim is known as "wrongful use of civil proceedings" and it is defined by § 674 of the Restatement (Second) of Torts as follows:
(a) he acts without probable cause, and primarily for a purpose other than that of securing the proper adjudication of the claim in which the proceedings are based, and
(b) except when they are ex parte, the proceedings have terminated in favor of the person against whom they are brought.
Because [redacted] is immune from liability under the CDA for defamation-based and related claims, any suit that seeks to impose liability for the speech of our users is, by definition, an action brought "without probable cause". We encourage the prompt and fair resolution of disputes between [redacted] authors and those who are the subject of [redacted]s. However, [redacted] wants to be clear that it accepts no liability for the speech of its users, and it will vigorously defend any litigation brought against us which seeks to circumvent the CDA. In addition, any suit filed against us without probable cause may subject the complaining party and/or their attorneys to liability in the State of Arizona for wrongful use of civil proceedings. We don't mean to sound harsh, but if you knowingly file a frivolous lawsuit against us, regardless of where your case is filed, you and/or your lawyers can be subject to a lawsuit in Arizona in which a jury could, if appropriate, award both substantial compensatory and punitive damages against you.
Finally, you need to be aware that if you file a lawsuit simply to harass us, not only will this not work, it will very likely end up being EXTREMELY expensive for you. Due to the number of meritless cases we have had to defend, [redacted] has adopted a very strict policy about lawsuits -- once [redacted] is forced to appear in a case, it will not stipulate to a dismissal of the case unless the party who filed the action agrees to pay [redacted]'s attorney fees. There will be no exceptions. If you conduct a thorough investigation BEFORE you sue and you believe you have a valid case despite the CDA, it is your right to pursue your case and prove it in court. However, once you file a lawsuit, be prepared to either take it all the way to a decision on the merits or pay [redacted]'s attorney fees because [redacted] will not stipulate to a dismissal without compensation.
Terri - great question. It's highly unlikely that [redacted] will release the information and will also fight the lawsuit with the typical zeal they are famous for. Pushing this to a "higher level" as Lance Puig has done will only increase pressure on him and cost legal fees (money he could be using to pay people).
It's really a rather silly effort. There are over 1000 readers, with over 7000 hits on the complaintsboard blog now. It appears that many people are making comments on numbers of other websites + other real estate fraud websites are beginning to reference this case on their sites. Does Lance Puig really believe he can "quash" the huge number of victims from speaking freely on every website in the US (and world)? If so, then he's a lot less intelligent than even this group gives him credit for.
His disagreeable efforts only increase the level of complaints voiced and written. Agreeable efforts on his part - REAL ONES, BACKED WITH REAL MONEY - is the only way to get what he wants.
Great job by all who have or will send letters to the attorney! That list of claims that Lance Puig made is amazing... he's actually refuting that; he's been robbing Peter to pay Paul, he's paid all legitimate debts, hasn't frustrated debtors, his remodeling isn't substandard, investors haven't lost money or credit, houses have been lost to repossession, vacant properties are in poor condition, his repair and reimbursement system is substandard and York Street Properties investments are unreliable?
Semantics... and a vision that's purely the fantasy of Lance Puig's mind.
Chin - all investors should be as thorough as your firm. Perhaps there would be far fewer unscrupulous operators in business.
As you may know, this Group has approached numbers of citizen action committee's, media and other victims groups. One of there is called TexasVox "The Voice of Public Citizen in Texas": http://texasvox.org/. It's a good group doing meaningful things for Texans.
Tonight they're having a "hoe-down" at the Barr Mansion in Austin. If you're close you might like to stop by. See you there!
MOTION TO COMPEL RELEASE OF NAMES OF ONLINE AUTHORS DENIED.
Lance Puig has been telling everybody that "his lawyers" will take care of the authors on sites like /link removed/ complaintsboard.com and others... yeah right ! When facts are published why would the courts side with a cheap tactic put together by York Street Properties?
In a decision dated November 18th, 2009 the Honorable Edward O. Burke of the Maricopa County Superior Court stated "Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel Third-Party to Disclose Identity of John Doe is DENIED IN ITS ENTIRETY". CV [protected].
Lance you lost and this is a sign of things to come for you. The sad part is that you used other peoples money to file this lawsuit rather than just dealing with people openly and honestly. Your efforts to hurt people that say negative (and true) things about you is not the honorable approach to solve your problems. Paying people the money you owe them is !
Our "hats are off" to David Gingras and /link removed/ - they fought for our 1st amendment rights and won!
Bankruptcy of York Street Properties will not protect the personal assets of Lance Puig when Mortgage Fraud and other acts of fraud are proven.
To all vendors and ex-employees: Please send proof of fraud to: yspvictims@gmail.com
This is a great way to get the ball rolling again. Lance Puig has performed criminal acts and deserves to have his ill-hearted actions follow him for a lifetime. We are here to see that it does, no matter where he is.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
A VICTIM OF YORK STREET PROPERTIES HAS AGREED TO SHARE THE FOLLOWING ANONYMOUSLY (PER ADVICE OF HIS LEGAL COUNSEL, WHO IS FILING LAWSUITS ON HIS BEHALF). THIS MEMBER AND HIS ATTORNEY HAVE EXCEPTIONAL SUGGESTIONS WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED/FOLLOWED:
1) I wonder if the ACLU would take a look at Puig and his attorneys' attempt to abrogate our 1st Amendment rights?
I'm limited on what I can publicly say or do per my attorney's instructions.
2) Why hasn't your group considered filing charges against Puig/YSP with the Dallas District Attorney's office? They will take a much more aggressive approach than the Texas Attorney. General. I have the name of an excellent attorney that used to be a prosecutor in the DA's office if anyone is interested.
3) I don't believe that Puig can afford to pay anyone. I believe that he's just too far in debt. If he wasn't, I believe that he would make that effort.
Having said that; I don't forgive him for some of the stunts that he's pulled...as everyone has testified.
My suggestion is that you or your group contact Joann Hurtekant: hurtekant@sbcglobal.net . She is an exceptional criminal attorney (an ex-DA prosecutor).
Put together documentation on every bit of damaging evidence as experienced by members of the group, and have your spokesman contact her. She should agree to meet with you and go over your testimonies for no legal fees on the first visit. (You'll need to verify with her).
If you can come to terms with her, and you should be able to, she can prepare charges in their proper order and take to the DA.
Once you have a conviction (can you say "Ponzi Scheme"), your civil damages should be a walk in the park.
Good luck!
TODAY, WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING FROM AN ATTORNEY THAT LANCE PUIG HIRED. IT WAS DIRECTED TO THE GROUP EMAIL, SO IT WILL BE SHARED WITH THE GROUP.
THIS INTIMIDATION ATTEMPT WOULD BE LAUGHABLE, IF IT WEREN'T SO SAD. THE RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY AND FREE SPEECH HAS BEEN UPHELD IN EVERY COURT OF OUR NATION. ASSEMBLING AND SPEAKING FREELY ON SITES SUCH AS COMPLAINTSBOARD, [redacted] AND OTHERS IS THE MODERN VERSION OF EXERCISING THOSE RIGHTS IN A LEGAL ELECTRONIC FORUM. THIS LETTER (AND ANY CONTINUED THREATS OR HARASSMENT BY LANCE PUIG) TO IMPEDE THE PROCESS OF ASSEMBLING VICTIMS AND INFORMATION IS AN OUTRAGE TO SENSIBILITY AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS. FURTHER, IT WILL BECOME PART OF THE PACKAGE THAT PROSECUTORS HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSAL. PERHAPS MR. PUIG OUGHT TO STEP BACK AND REMEMBER WHO THE REAL VICTIMS ARE. HIS FEAR OF THE MOUNTAINS OF EVIDENCE THAT IS BEING ASSEMBLED SHOULD BE A CONCERN TO HIM, THEREFORE THIS COMMUNICATION (AS WEAK AS IT IS) IS UNDERSTOOD FOR EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
SHOULD ANY INVESTOR, LENDER, TENANT, SERVICE PROVIDER OR OTHER PARTY WISH TO BE REMOVED FROM THE MAILING LIST, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US WITH AN "UNSUBSCRIBE REQUEST" - YOU WILL BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. MR. PUIG, IF YOU WISH TO TEST THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF FREELY POSTING EXPERIENCES AND VIEWPOINTS ON WEBSITES DESIGNED FOR SAME, YOU MAY CONTACT THE WEBSITES DIRECTLY - THEY HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS OF YOUR TYPE.
MEANWHILE, MULTIPLE LAWSUITS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED BY MEMBERS AND THERE WILL BE MORE. WHY? BECAUSE MANY VICTIMS HAVE LOST SO MUCH AT THE HANDS OF MR. PUIG. THESE ARE NOT ARBITRARY EXPERIENCES AND UNFOUNDED POSTINGS DESIGNED TO DEFAME AN UPSTANDING MEMBER OF THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY.
MEMBERS AND INTERESTED PARTIES - KEEP POSTING, EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS !
BY THE WAY MR. PUIG, WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ASKED CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS TO POST POSITIVE COMMENTS ON YOUR BEHALF - THEY ARE WELCOME TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWPOINTS. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO STOP THE FACTS FROM BEING REVEALED PUBLICLY, THEN YOU SHOULD TAKE HONEST STEPS TO REVERSE THE DAMAGE TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HURT AND ARE NOW SHARING THOSE EXPERIENCES ABOUT YOU AND YOUR COMPANIES WITH OTHER AMERICAN CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS.
SINCERELY,
YORK STREET PROPERTIES VICTIMS GROUP
bcc: 2
=======================================================
To Whom It May Concern:
Our law firm has been retained to represent York Street Properties Inc. and Mr. Lance Puig (together, “Mr. Puig”). Several posts on various websites, including, but not limited to [redacted] (/link removed/ and Complaints Board (http://www.complaintsboard.com/) (the “Message Boards”) clearly impugn the honesty and integrity of Mr. Puig and imply that he has committed crimes and ought to be prosecuted and imprisoned. Such remarks are false, malicious, defamatory, libelous and insulting and were made with the intent to injure Mr. Puig’s reputation and interfere with his business relationships. We believe that you are involved in not only making such Message Board postings, but also widely disseminating and publishing such libel through mass-emailing Mr. Puig’s investors, clients and customers with, among other things, the attached document.
As a result of these postings and disseminations Mr. Puig has suffered humiliation, embarrassment, mortification, shame, vilification, ridicule, exposure to public infamy, disgrace, and scandal, injury to his reputation, financial loss, and has been hampered in the conduct of his business and affairs. Much of this injury will endure permanently. We would, therefore, demand that you immediately cease making further Message Board posts and sending such communications of this nature and that you post and email a recantation for any material already posted.
The Courts have defined defamation as any false publication causing injury to one’s reputation exposure to public hatred, contempt, reticule, shame, or disgrace, or adversely affecting one’s trade or business. These posts targeting Mr. Puig clearly fall within the legal definition of defamation. Mr. Puig does intend to hold those responsible for publishing and republishing the defamatory material civilly liable for the damages sustained by him.
Sincerely,
Joseph M. Nathan
Attorney-at-Law
...
2100 Ross Avenue, Suite 2700
Dallas, Texas 75201
P 214.981.3802
F 214.981.3839
www.lynnllp.com
LynnTillotsonPinkerCox, LLP
...
The information contained in this communication is confidential, may be attorney-client privileged, may constitute inside information, and is intended only for the use of the addressee. It is the property of Lynn Tillotson Pinker & Cox, LLP. Unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication or any part thereof is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by return e-mail, and destroy this communication and all copies thereof, including all attachments.
I haven't really been inclined to get involved with any of the dialogue here until today, but that letter from Joseph M. Nathan pushed me over the edge.
I will be joining the YSP Victims Group and suggesting that others do to.
My employment was terminated with a local HVAC contractor because of the uncollectable debts they had to take as a loss. Chiefly, because of approximately $30, 000 owed by York Street Properties. My life, and that of my family, have not been the same since. I worked on the houses we did repairs to and I know it was done right. In fact, I once went back to a jobsite on my own time to make sure a tenant was taken care of for a simple issue York Street Properties should have fixed and paid for (or should I say, promised to pay for), but refused to do either.
I have read every single post here as well as a few found through a google search. Granted, some were worded strongly but none appear to be lies. Only warnings to rightfully watchout for York Street Properties bad business practices and others explaining their experiences with the company.
I consider myself to be very fair in anything I do and lead an honest life. I worked hard to become a Certified HVAC Technician and planned to work with my company for a very long time - they too are good honest people. Unfortunately, they just could not afford to absorb the York Street Properties debt and keep me on the payroll at the same time.
Fortunately my family has good friends and a church that has helped my wife and 2 children survive the difficult times.
Perhaps I've been too timid about my feelings towards York Street Properties in past, but that letter absolutely infuriates me. If Lance Puig is such a good guy, why has he caused my family to worry where the next meal is coming from for months? Why is he so worried about a reputation he deserves rather than worrying about the people who undeservedly have to struggle just to survive because of him? Who does he think he is, trying to suggest to the good people of Dallas that he has honesty and integrity? Mr. Puig, its because of you that I had to explain to my 5 year old daughter that we couldn't afford a dentist to fix her infected tooth or pay for her class field trip. Do you realize how important those things are? Do you know what that does to a child's sense of worth? Do you understand what that does to a parent's sense of worth and self esteem? I am honest and very proud of that fact. Can you say the same? Do you sleep at night? Is your wife proud of you? Is your family proud of you? If they are, you probably have not told them the truth about who you are and what you've done to people in our community.
I'm not going to be timid anymore. I hope this letter hasn't caused anybody to be that way either.
Courteously Yours,
Michael, thank you for making me aware of this complaint board.
I've made company ownership aware of it to. When I told them what was in the letter written by Joseph M. Nathan, they were livid. It appears they will now discuss re-opening the case with an attorney and possibly join other contractors with similar experiences, through the group called York Street Properties Victims.
May God bless you and your family.
Michael,
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. With God all things are possible. I pray that you will be able to find a job soon. My husband is also unemployeed so I know how hard it can be at times.
This is slightly off-topic, however, I believe it's applicable for most parties directly or indirectly.
I was speaking with the Mesquite City Attorney's office and Building Code officials. Both offices agree that their city and most others in the Dallas area have minimum standards set for rental housing and require a "Certificate of Occupancy" for same. To quote them, "these are very aggressive standards to insure the quality of rental housing in our City, both inside and outside the property".
The officials were very eager to help, did some research in their records and contacted several officials of other cities to look in their records as well. Several very interesting things were found and brought to my attention:
1) If a property manager is going to lease or list real estate, or negotiate or attempt to negotiate to perform any of those acts, or if he or
she holds herself out as engaging in any of those activities, he or she will need a broker's license. No license was found for York Street
Properties, York Street Homes, York Street Financial, We Buy Homes USA, Bradstreet Green 27 or Lance Puig.
2) It appears that none of the above are property managers, so who is dealing with the Certificates of Occupancy or how is it being dealt
with? That was the first question that came from their inquiries.
3) Further research revealed that York Street Properties has submitted a document called a "Contract For Deed" to numerous City
Officials. Essentially, this claims that the occupant of the house is a buyer and not a renter. The impression that most Renters
are under when they do business with York Street Properties is that they will be able to buy the house after 6 months of timely
paying rents. For that reason, renters sign the Contract for Deed. Some Cities will accept that document as a waiver of the
Certificate of Occupancy requirement, others will not.
4) At this point Mesquite and other City Officials became quite interested.
5) Research was done to find out how many of the houses (they received Contracts for Deed for) were actually sold to the occupant. It
turns out that NONE were sold to occupants and none of the houses were owned by York Street Properties. This raised some serious
questions; (A) Why doesn't Lance Puig or any of the operating companies have a license to operate as a property manager?, (B) Has
the Contract for Deed been use to circumvent Building Code Regulations?, (C) If promised, why haven't any of the houses been sold
to occupants (as the York Street websites promise and claim)?
6) The City Attorney's office will be contacting other city officials concerning these and more questions that came from this talk.
The Code Enforcement Manager has asked his inspectors to make note of all properties with any signs involving the above
companies and report the addresses back to him - it appears officials in other Cities will be doing the same.
7) I directed the people I spoke with to this website for reference. They were thankful for your comments.
8) They recommended that all tenants with repair and maintenance problems in houses rented to them by York Street Properties,
York Street Homes, etc contact their City Building Code Enforcement Office.
The City Officials cannot keep me "officially keep me in the loop" on their investigations but I will be checking back with them regularly. He also mentioned that they may speak with the Dallas District Attorney and Texas AG's office for more background information.
Two things I forgot to mention in the above:
1) Penalties and further actions can be issued by Cities; for Building Code, business practice and other violations.
2) TREC (Texas Real Estate Commission will be contacted by the Cities. Actions can also be taken by this agency.
3) In addition to current (and past tenants), Investors may also like to contact TREC. http://www.trec.state.tx.us/complaintsconsumer/default.asp
Information is key to any investigation, so your individual complaints are important.
Great Information Nelson. Thank You.
I looks like another component of the scheme can be added to the list: Property Management Violations
Are there any investors in the group that would like to share a copy of their Property Management Agreement? I'd like to bring our consulting attorney up to speed on this, with a real sample of the document.
How can York Street Properties enter into a property management agreement if their are not licensed to do so? I would think that TREC has some interest in that question also!
I wonder if that's one of the reasons contractors for York Street Properties were asked to do jobs that fall below the normal quality standards? I don't mean to say that recklessly [perhaps another contractor can back me up here], there were very specific instructions given by York Street Properties that did not follow normal standards required by Certificates of Occupancy (or common sense in many cases).
Personally, I did not like the standards and felt like it was going to do nothing but cause trouble in the long run, but a smart contractor follows the instructions of the person that pays them ... ooops, did I say pays them?!
I'm not sure about the other investors but York Street never had me sign a property mgmt. agreement with them the whole year they rented out my houses. They of course did have the tenants sign one and I do have a copy that I will forward to YSP victims group. Also, I do have a copy of one that YSP tried to get me to sign when I told them I no longer wanted them to manage the properties for me. I do know that I received a code compliance letter in the mail last year and this year for the rental permit that I had to sign with my tenant info. for Garland and I had to pay a $55.00 fee but I didn't receive anything on my other two properties. It does ask on there if this is a contract for deed. I can forward a copy of this to if the group would like it.
Several Tenants have contacted us since the above postings and we now have lease copies that show "York Street Properties" as the Owner of the properties when they clearly and lawfully were not, nor were they the registered agent, property manager or other legal designate.
INVESTORS, it appears that York Street Properties have collected deposits, rents, late fees and other fees unlawfully. You may wish to examine this aspect in your lawsuits. Further, it would be wise to contact your property tenants and have them make all payments to you directly. There is a group of contractors and others in this group who can help you with property management, repairs, etc. should you need assistance.
TENANTS, it appears your lease agreements are invalid unless York Street Properties actually owns the property you live in. This can be verified by looking-up your property owner at this website: http://www.dallascad.org/SearchOwner.aspx
Because York Street Properties has a track record of not paying either the actual property owner or mortgage companies you are in jeopardy of losing your home to foreclosure. Payment of rents and fees to York Street Properties should be discontinued and notices received from York Street Properties should be viewed as deceptive and invalid unless proven otherwise. Contact your Property Owner for more information - they may be victims too and are anxious to convert win/loss situations to win/win situations.
Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) offers a website for you to lookup Licensed Property Managers: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/newsandpublic/LicenseeLookup/search.aspx . This site will also explain who has to be licensed. As Nelson Crandall suggested, getting a complaint into TREC is a very good idea (http://www.trec.state.tx.us/complaintsconsumer/default.asp)
Disclaimer: The above and below information is published for your convenience. It is strongly recommended that you contact your attorney or a knowledgeable agency for independent information and advice. Other useful consumer protection information:
The Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA): http://www.peopleslawyer.net/consumerprotection.html
Texas Tenant's Union: http://www.txtenants.org/
Texas Real Estate Commission: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/complaintsconsumer/default.asp
Tenant Consumer Protection Division, Dallas: [protected]
Tenant Rights: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/tenants.shtml
Great Information for Investors & Tenants. It strengthens your case by adding another illegal act !
Be sure to get that complaint filed: http://www.trec.state.tx.us/complaintsconsumer/default.asp
Honest Property Managers play a vital role for investments. Dishonest people who claim to be legitimate Property Managers are very bad for all concerned, including Local and State Regulators. That means every correspondence they've ever written in a Property Manager capacity is Fraudulent !
I'm a new member. Hello
Until now I have been watching what's been going on. The most recent revelations that Lance Puig is threatening people just astounds me! The poorly written letter by that law firm was the icing on the cake. If I'm reading this correctly, here are a few key issues that appear to be documented against Lance Puig/York Street Properties (not all-inclusive):
1) Investment Fraud (both money and credit ratings)
2) Reprimand by the SEC for falsely guaranteeing investment returns
3) False Property Valuations (or at least valuations procured as a result of blackmail)
4) False Sale Representations to Metroplex City Officials (phoney Contract for Deed)
5) Procurement of Contracting Services and Materials with the Intention of Not Paying (Fraud)
6) Falsely Representing and Documenting Themselves as Property Managers
7) Falsely Representing Themselves as Property Owners on TREC contracts and Other Official Documents
8) Collecting Money on from Tenants but Never Paying Investors or Mortgage Companies (some call this embezzlement)
9) Charging Investors for Work That Was Never Done
10) Threatening and Extorting Service Providers
11) Use of Foreign Labor to Avoid US Labor Laws, Legal Issues Arising from Illicit Activities and Process Service.
12) Representing Themselves as A Financially Secure Entity in Many Recent Press Releases When Evidence Proves Otherwise
13) Failure To Pay Court Judgments and Arbitration Agreements
14) Failure to Honor Debts. However, use of vendors unfamiliar with their legal rights seems to be a recurring theme
In General; all of the adjectives in that law firm's letter appear to be true and objectionable only to the the single person who now has to answer for the years of "high life" while he lived on other peoples money.
The bad economy is only a convenient excuse for Mr. Puig - investors around Dallas have never been in a better position to profit.
I would like to join the mailing list, find out who I can write to and anything else to "get this slime bucket back on the straight and narrow or off the streets". Dallas does not need this kind of reputation !
Thank you to all for your kind words and thoughts.
2 days ago I was given a job by "Dallas Investor". To help, he paid for all of the materials and labor up-front. We finished at 7 o'clock tonight and it really went well... PLUS... I just got another job for tomorrow! You are the greatest and thank you from the bottom of my family's heart.
Federal District Court Filing:
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-txndce/case_no-3:2009cv01655/case_id-189424/
Plaintiff: Katrina Novikova
Defendant: Lance Puig, York Street Properties Inc and Bradshaw Green Twenty-Seven LLC
Cause: 28:1332 Diversity-Breach of Contract
A RE-POST FROM PAGE 4 SEEMS APPROPRIATE:
Our firm filed suit against Mr. Lance Puig, York Street Properties, Inc. and Bradshaw Green Twenty-Seven, LLC this past week in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas on behalf of our client (investor). We are seeking persons with knowledge of relevant facts regarding the operations of Lance Puig, YSP and BG. Our original complaint can be located through the Pacer System on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas website. If you are willing to provide us with details regarding your experiences with or knowledge of the operations of Mr. Puig, York Street Properties, Inc. and/or Bradshaw Green Twenty-Seven, LLC, we would certainly appreciate you contacting us.
This is not a solicitation for clients nor are we seeking professional employment.
Furthermore, if you have signed any contracts with Mr. Puig, York Street Properties, Inc., and/or Bradshaw Green Twenty-Seven, LLC, please review the contract to ensure that there is not a confidentiality clause that prohibits you from talking to us. Additionally, if you are represented by counsel, please do not contact us directly but ask your attorney contact our firm.
David P. Ray III
Winocour|Ray
dray@winocour-ray.com
We have received many questions about the how and why's of contacting the Dallas County District Attorney's office. Here's some information that may assist you:
Dallas County District Attorney’s Office
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N. Industrial Blvd., LB 19
Dallas, Texas 75207
[protected] main
[protected] fax
www.dallasda.com
The Specialized Crime unit will be in the best position to understand the case against Lance Puig and companies:
Specialized Crime.. [protected]
http://www.dallasda.com/specialized-crime-division.html
It is recommended that you also contact the City in which you have done business with Lance Puig and companies. Particularly if you are an investor or tenant. This page will give you links to the City's main pages (Code Compliance offices are already alerted and interested, so you may wish to start there followed by contact with the City Attorney's office):
http://www.dallasda.com/links.html
Please let me know, via this site or yspvictims@gmail.com should you have additional questions.
Thank You, Bill Hunt
Please note that the following property was purchased by York Street Properties on September 2nd, 2009 and currently is in their name:
YORK STREET PROPERTIES INC
1602 SPRING LAKE DR
MESQUITE, TEXAS [protected]
Value = 83, 460
DCAD Folio: http://www.dallascad.org/AcctDetailRes.aspx?ID=38080500020200000
BBB has determined that York Street Properties is a "rotten egg". With over 10 disclosed complaints on file so far, BBB has decided York Street Properties is NOT a better business to associate yourself with.
More serious comments by serious people.
http://www.bbb.org/dallas/business-reviews/real-estate-investors/york-street-properties-in-dallas-tx-90006702#ratingdetails
Have you ever looked at this creep's picture?
What kind of father names his little boy "Lance"?
He has to be gay!
Let's see Lance Armstong... I guess his dad is gay too? What an ignorant claim to make.
My guess is that Lance Puig or somebody else at York Street Properties may be behind the "gay comment" (as a shallow means of discrediting the comments that many have made here). We are a group of business people, tenants and others that have been victimized by his business acts. We'd do not
If I might make a respectful request. Should you wish to make such remarks (like the "gay comment"), please submit a separate complaint. You can do this by clicking on the "submit complaint" button in the upper right hand corner of the "complaintsboard.com" website. Thank You.
On a lighter note, Lance Puig has been known to refer to himself as "Sir Lancelot" :-)
Agreed, sexual orientation is not a criteria or point of discussion for this group.
Moderator and Ex-Employee, thanks for your comments - I'm sure we all agree with your respectful request.
"Sir Lancelot"? ... of what kingdom? - The phrase "sir" is not one a knowing person could assign to him without a laugh!
Thanks for the laughs, we need a little levity after all the pains and stress inflicted by "what's his name" :-)
Sir Lancelot, indeed! More like "Sir Steals-a-lot"!
Got that right "York Street Damaged" !
The irony and family joke just hit me: the Fathers name is "Arthur". Perhaps the "round table" is a family of crooks? On the other hand, if they care about their "knight that's gone astray" perhaps they'll figure out ways to make us all whole and this seriously nasty affair go away?
?!*%!?*! I'm rolling around on the floor laughing my a** off !?*#$!... All is not well in Canterbury. In fact, the gallows are being built!
Sir Steals-a-lot is about to lose the kingdom in his mind. Do you think "King Arthur" will use that name as he signs into the County Jail for a Sunday visit?
WE HAVE RECEIVED ADVICE FROM A GOVERNMENT LITIGATOR WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THIS CASE (as follows):
"You may want to meet with the Dallas office of the States Securities Board - they are an agressive agency with strong ties to the Dallas County DA's 'Specialized Crime" division" .
It is highly recommended that all Investors contact this agency directly or through their Legal Counsel. The group will be contacting them as well. Below is a link to their website:
http://www.ssb.state.tx.us/Contact_Us/Agency_Offices.php
I just filed a complaint with the Texas State Securities Board at the following link:
http://www.ssb.state.tx.us/Inspections_And_Compliance/File_A_Complaint.php
It was easy, fast and confidential. I'm planning to follow it up with a phone call and see how that might get involved and bring them up to speed on what's going on with Lance Puig, York Street Properties, etc. Thank you for the advice!
Lance Puig is a disgusting human being. No matter what the outcome, I, for one, will make sure his criminal and immoral activities follow him wherever he goes.
Mikaa - quite seriously, he may be headed to a 48 square foot jail cell he shares with a big, ugly tattooed character named "Bruno" who's waiting for a next new romance. I don't think you'd want to follow him there.
Sir Lies-A-Lot... you got that right! Sir Fraud-A-Lot is equally correct, if not more so!
I would like to confirm the contact information for Ms. Kelle Slaughter, Investigator, for the Texas Attorney General's office. There was a dot (.) mistakenly dropped between kelle and slaughter in previous posts. Please be sure and contact her with your complaint, it's very important:
Attorney General of Texas
300 W. 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701
Complaints: [protected] and [protected]
Contact: Ms Kelle Slaughter, Investigator (kelle.slaughter@oag.state.tx.us)
File a Consumer Complaint: (http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/complain.shtml)
Frauds and Scams: (http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/scams.shtml )
Thank You for the newsletter. Good stuff. Could the Moderator (or Bill Hunt) email me through this site when you have a chance. There's some points I'd like to make concerning the "mortgage fraud" links you sent. Thank You
I agree, that was a good newsletter which must have taken a lot of time to put together.
What I found particularly interesting was the information on "mortgage fraud" and how perfectly the activities of Lance Puig and operating companies fit into that scheme.
The FBI is VERY interested in mortgage fraud at the moment (per Wall Street Journal and others), particularly when investors are obtained outside of Texas through national and international advertising - not to mention money, documents and other articles of value crossing state lines. Contact information was given in the newsletter but it should be stressed that Investors who have been duped should also make a complaint to the FBI.
Great Newsletter, Thanks. I wonder if a contractor can be implicated in the flipping fraud scam that was discussed in the links? That bothers me. I suppose not because I was just following the instructions of York Street properties. I lost money, but I am now associated with a criminal company and surely can't use them as a reference.
Thanks for updating the email address for Kelle Slaughter. I spoke with her yesterday and she said that they've received 11 complaints and quite a few phone calls. She asked me to remind victims that they must file a written complain either online or with snail mail. If you haven't done so already, please file a complaint.
Good newsletter - I haven't filed a complaint yet. However, I will do that now that I have some time. I'm a sub-contractor who didn't get paid by the contractor. That's still getting screwed by York Street Properties !
Thank You for the newsletter... it came out kinda goofy on my email so the attachment was great. OK if I send it to friends who could use the information or might know people who have done business with York Street Properties or Lance Puig?