Figured I'd post this here since I posted it in the taxi thread and didn't want to derail the topic.
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We recently looked at office space on the 2nd floor of the Hamilton building and it was crappy and being rented as-is. There's no way in hell I'd have clients go there. I wondered why we couldn't see anything above that and I was told that it was filled up. After that, I'd heard that the floors above the 2nd floor are rundown and are littered with dead birds and the like. Just what I heard. At any rate, I just had a gut feeling that the guy I was dealing with was a little shady.
I've also heard that they've decided to change the lease on Bentley's and now Bentley's is looking for a new location. It sounded like Bentley's was trying to fight it, but they were essentially threatened to have powerful attorneys on them and be taken down by someone at UGO.
That's too bad. Lots of opportunity in the Hamilton building and they also own The Grand building, which could use some TLC as well on the inside. Do we have a second coming of Vincent Groh?
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Anyone know anything about these guys?
Full Version: UGO Property Management
I work down the street. The building does have broken windows, so it's possible that dead birds could be in there but I have not heard anything about Bentley's.
Yep, the Hamilton is in atrocious condition and should probably be condemned. When I rented space there several years ago I had extensive water damage to my office and the furniture in it...water leaking from three floors up... and there were mushrooms (like, mushrooms big enough to slice up for a salad or a pizza) growing on the ceiling in the first floor ladies' room from the leaky roof four stories above. All of us tenants complained about it, so they CLOSED OFF THE BATHROOM rather than fix it, for a few months...when I think about the deterioration inside that building, and I hear the stories about code compliance coming down on other city properties for peeling paint or cracked sidewalks, it makes me sick to my stomach. Those guys have chased away every tenant they had on the second floor, then after it was empty they posted fake business signs on our former office doors to make it look like they still had tenants! I don't know who they were trying to deceive, maybe an appraiser or maybe potential tenants. Seriously, they actually went to a sign maker, and had those bronze plastic plaques made up with some real company names, and some fake company names, etched in them, and also put the names on the marquee in the lobby. The signs are gone now, thank God. Not only was that fraud to whoever they were trying to trick, but it was deceitful and confusing to clients of the real businesses, some of whom may not have known that we had all moved out, and may have gone there wondering why our doors were always locked.
The upper floors are 100% unrenovated and last time I was in there, indeed there were dead birds laying around. It's spooky. When I rented in there, there was talk about renovating the upper floors but it never happened. I understand from current tenants that the roof was repaired,but the repairs didn't work because a few months ago the leaks were so bad that water was pouring through light fixtures in the second floor ceiling, fixtures that were still lit! How can this possibly not be dangerous?
It breaks my heart to think about the second floor ballroom, which was in need of renovation but still gorgeous when I moved into that building. The last time I saw it (about a year ago) the floor had sagged dangerously and water poured into the area. Also, weeds from an adjacent flat rooftop were growing into the windows. Just unbelievable. And the landlord owns lots of other buildings downtown too, including the Grand and the old Nick's Gallery, and another large unrenovated building next to the Courthouse on Summit Ave. I suppose they plan on sitting on the buildings in hope of flipping them one day at a profit, but they really needed to budget some basic maintenance into the equation.
I've probably said too much, but oh well. It burns me up...people who gripe about Deming have NO IDEA how unethical a landlord can really be...
The upper floors are 100% unrenovated and last time I was in there, indeed there were dead birds laying around. It's spooky. When I rented in there, there was talk about renovating the upper floors but it never happened. I understand from current tenants that the roof was repaired,but the repairs didn't work because a few months ago the leaks were so bad that water was pouring through light fixtures in the second floor ceiling, fixtures that were still lit! How can this possibly not be dangerous?
It breaks my heart to think about the second floor ballroom, which was in need of renovation but still gorgeous when I moved into that building. The last time I saw it (about a year ago) the floor had sagged dangerously and water poured into the area. Also, weeds from an adjacent flat rooftop were growing into the windows. Just unbelievable. And the landlord owns lots of other buildings downtown too, including the Grand and the old Nick's Gallery, and another large unrenovated building next to the Courthouse on Summit Ave. I suppose they plan on sitting on the buildings in hope of flipping them one day at a profit, but they really needed to budget some basic maintenance into the equation.
I've probably said too much, but oh well. It burns me up...people who gripe about Deming have NO IDEA how unethical a landlord can really be...
From today's paper:
QUOTE
Bentley's owners seek new location
Eric Muritz and Jordan Lessig say their landlord is raising the rent
By DAN DEARTH (dan.dearth@herald-mail.com)
Bentley's Bagels owners Eric Muritz and Jordan Lessig are looking for a new spot to move their business after serving the downtown lunch crowd for the past three years. (Ric Dugan/Staff Photographer)
Bentley's Bagels owners Eric Muritz and Jordan Lessig said a dispute with their landlord will force the couple to leave by July 31. The landlord, Mohammad Azadi, wants to raise the rent about $470 per month. (Ric Dugan/Staff Photographer)
HAGERSTOWN —The owners of Bentley’s Bagels on West Washington Street are looking for a new spot to move their business after serving the downtown lunch crowd for the past three years.
Eric Muritz, who owns Bentley’s along with his girlfriend, Jordan Lessig, said a dispute with their landlord will force the couple to leave by July 31. The landlord, Mohammad Azadi, wants to raise the rent about $470 per month, or from about $13 per square foot to $19 per square foot, Muritz said.
“We don’t want to leave because so much of our business is on Washington Street,” Muritz said. “We really want to stay on West Washington Street so we can cater to the (Washington County Circuit) courthouse crowd.”
Azadi’s son, Ash, scheduled an interview with The Herald-Mail Tuesday, but canceled, citing a family emergency. The Azadis’ company, UGO Property Management, sent a fax to respond.
The fax said UGO was “disappointed and saddened” that “Bentley’s Bagel management” announced the business would have to close.
“Our office has always been open to fair lease negotiations having considered the economic difficulties small-business owners are experiencing throughout the area,” the fax said. “Our intent is, and has always been to retain our valued tenants. We have offered several management options for Bentley’s management to consider. Whichever direction Bentley’s management chooses, we wish them the best of luck and success.”
Muritz and Lessig said they’re being driven from a prime location at a time when Hagerstown officials are trying to advance economic development in the city’s urban core.
“The ironic thing is we’re really busy ... We definitely don’t want to leave,” Lessig said. “We have everything invested here.”
Muritz said he and Lessig have tried unsuccessfully to find another place to set up shop in the downtown area. They have sought help to find a new building from Hagerstown’s Economic Development Department, but that has proven to be ineffective as well, Muritz said.
The city will continue to do everything in its power to make sure Bentley’s finds a new home, said Deborah Everhart, director of economic development.
“That’s a very valuable business for the downtown,” Everhart said. “I think it’s very unfortunate they couldn’t make a deal to stay there.”
In the meantime, Muritz said the city should do more to ensure the right kind of landlords buy the buildings downtown.
“Some landlords aren’t in it for Hagerstown,” he said. “They’re in it to turn a buck.”
Eric Muritz and Jordan Lessig say their landlord is raising the rent
By DAN DEARTH (dan.dearth@herald-mail.com)
Bentley's Bagels owners Eric Muritz and Jordan Lessig are looking for a new spot to move their business after serving the downtown lunch crowd for the past three years. (Ric Dugan/Staff Photographer)
Bentley's Bagels owners Eric Muritz and Jordan Lessig said a dispute with their landlord will force the couple to leave by July 31. The landlord, Mohammad Azadi, wants to raise the rent about $470 per month. (Ric Dugan/Staff Photographer)
HAGERSTOWN —The owners of Bentley’s Bagels on West Washington Street are looking for a new spot to move their business after serving the downtown lunch crowd for the past three years.
Eric Muritz, who owns Bentley’s along with his girlfriend, Jordan Lessig, said a dispute with their landlord will force the couple to leave by July 31. The landlord, Mohammad Azadi, wants to raise the rent about $470 per month, or from about $13 per square foot to $19 per square foot, Muritz said.
“We don’t want to leave because so much of our business is on Washington Street,” Muritz said. “We really want to stay on West Washington Street so we can cater to the (Washington County Circuit) courthouse crowd.”
Azadi’s son, Ash, scheduled an interview with The Herald-Mail Tuesday, but canceled, citing a family emergency. The Azadis’ company, UGO Property Management, sent a fax to respond.
The fax said UGO was “disappointed and saddened” that “Bentley’s Bagel management” announced the business would have to close.
“Our office has always been open to fair lease negotiations having considered the economic difficulties small-business owners are experiencing throughout the area,” the fax said. “Our intent is, and has always been to retain our valued tenants. We have offered several management options for Bentley’s management to consider. Whichever direction Bentley’s management chooses, we wish them the best of luck and success.”
Muritz and Lessig said they’re being driven from a prime location at a time when Hagerstown officials are trying to advance economic development in the city’s urban core.
“The ironic thing is we’re really busy ... We definitely don’t want to leave,” Lessig said. “We have everything invested here.”
Muritz said he and Lessig have tried unsuccessfully to find another place to set up shop in the downtown area. They have sought help to find a new building from Hagerstown’s Economic Development Department, but that has proven to be ineffective as well, Muritz said.
The city will continue to do everything in its power to make sure Bentley’s finds a new home, said Deborah Everhart, director of economic development.
“That’s a very valuable business for the downtown,” Everhart said. “I think it’s very unfortunate they couldn’t make a deal to stay there.”
In the meantime, Muritz said the city should do more to ensure the right kind of landlords buy the buildings downtown.
“Some landlords aren’t in it for Hagerstown,” he said. “They’re in it to turn a buck.”
Thanks for posting that! That's too bad, I know a lot of folks that really like Bentley's.
Ditto.
QUOTE
In the meantime, Muritz said the city should do more to ensure the right kind of landlords buy the buildings downtown.
“Some landlords aren’t in it for Hagerstown,” he said. “They’re in it to turn a buck.”
“Some landlords aren’t in it for Hagerstown,” he said. “They’re in it to turn a buck.”
Ditto.
That stinks. Wonder how many others are going to start getting forced out as well?
Why would someone not make a formal complaint to the city code compliance office about such a place with mushrooms growing in it and dead birds?
Who knows, maybe someone did complain and they just didn't do anything. Something for someone to look into.
Oh Mayor Bob... or Ms. Cromer... anyone interested in looking into this? 
It's been several years but I believe that the Code Compliance Dept. wasn't created yet when we rented in there, and then when it was created it was primarily for residential (apartment) inspections, not commercial? Honestly I don't remember completely...plus, all us businesspeople renting in there decided to just shut up and bide our time until our leases ended so we could get into more professional buildings. We had clients who told us, after we'd each moved out, that they'd always thought the common areas in our old building were seedy. So in a way I'm glad the conditions compelled me to find office space in better condition. I'm much better off now. But it's unfortunate for the bagel shop, which has a great location across from the Courthouse and fills a definite niche for that high-traffic area. It wouldn't be so easy for them to find another space that's restaurant-ready.
QUOTE
“Some landlords aren’t in it for Hagerstown,” he said. “They’re in it to turn a buck.”
So I guess landlords shouldn't make any money.
Nope neither should Demacork.
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