Let's hope he will mend his ways.
http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/11/property-managers-arrested-by-fbi-charged-with-fraud-68967.html
Update on Bryan Talbott, Esquire Federal City Management and Private Properties LLC
Click on this link for a more complete history of Bryan Talbott's involvement in real estate in the DC area over the past decade:
Washington DC Top Blogs » Congress Heights on the Rise » Update on Bryan Talbott, Esquire Federal City Management and Private Properties LLC » Public Blog Aggregator of Washington, D.C. (WDC)
Washington DC Top Blogs » Congress Heights on the Rise » Update on Bryan Talbott, Esquire Federal City Management and Private Properties LLC » Public Blog Aggregator of Washington, D.C. (WDC)
Yelp! Reviews of Esquire/Private Properties
Why are reviews of Esquire/Private Properties on Yelp.com filtered and difficult to find? You have to scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on faint wording in order to access reviews of this company. As a public service, I am copying those reviews here, to make them more available:
http://www.yelp.com/filtered_reviews/G7qpm_kqye0roe6c2lT3Lg?fsid=mUXZxl2Nkm7djtvQl12jrA
http://www.yelp.com/filtered_reviews/G7qpm_kqye0roe6c2lT3Lg?fsid=mUXZxl2Nkm7djtvQl12jrA
Detroit, MI
Updated - 8/31/2011
We were clients of Esquire Federal City, a company that bought Private Properties, Inc., which had been performing property management services for us. Under the ownership and management of Bryan Talbott, we became extremely disappointed, ultimately taking the company to court, because they shorted us a month's rent. Unable to resolve the matter, we fired Esquire/Private Properties. They still owe us for that month's rent (which the tenants confirmed they paid to Esquire/Private Properties) plus the tenant's security deposit, which Esquire/Private Properties has not returned to us. We took the company to court, won judgments against them, but have, to date, been unsuccessful in collecting.
1 Previous Review:
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3/7/2011We were initially very satisfied with Private Properties, Inc., but then Esquire Federal City/Esquire LLC/Bryan Talbott/Chester Ransom took over and we began to have problems.
Rental proceeds that we would normally receive by the 14th of the month, like clockwork, began to arrive by the end of the month, if we were lucky. Mind you, our tenants were regularly paying their rent.
I then found that PP/Esquire/etc. were behind on our condo dues, and then when our rent proceeds checks bounced, we had had enough.
After several months, we collected what they owed us on one property, but they still owe us one month's rent and the security deposit on our other property that they managed for us. This has been pending since early 2009.
We took them to court that summer, won judgments against them, but they still haven't paid. And now I see they're still doing business!
Fairfax, VA
3/16/2011
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!!
Unfortunately, we were contracted by Esquire Federal City to do some tree work at one of the properties they managed in the District of Columbia.
We performed the work (thanked for the good job) and invoiced them for $460. As of today, it has been 160 days and we have nothing.
Collecting from them has been a nightmare. Twenty+ calls to Antonio, Dexter, and Chester yielded nothing. Emails and faxes yielded nothing. Our lawyer will be the next one to be involved
I've been told they were switching banks. I've been told that "Chester," the "President of Operations," is the only person that can approve payments. When I request to speak with Chester I am informed "he doesn't keep set hours."
The only thing I have to be thankful for is they didn't use our company for more work.
Unfortunately, we were contracted by Esquire Federal City to do some tree work at one of the properties they managed in the District of Columbia.
We performed the work (thanked for the good job) and invoiced them for $460. As of today, it has been 160 days and we have nothing.
Collecting from them has been a nightmare. Twenty+ calls to Antonio, Dexter, and Chester yielded nothing. Emails and faxes yielded nothing. Our lawyer will be the next one to be involved
I've been told they were switching banks. I've been told that "Chester," the "President of Operations," is the only person that can approve payments. When I request to speak with Chester I am informed "he doesn't keep set hours."
The only thing I have to be thankful for is they didn't use our company for more work.
Washington, DC
8/30/2010
Our apartment almost blew up because of this company. We had a gas leak and a tenant called Esquire and then the Esquire employee did nothing. There are plenty of better companies to chose from.
Washington, DC
8/2/2010
Do not use Esquire Federal City. Their business practices are highly suspect. From experience as both, I can not recommend them to either potential tenants or owners.
Atlanta, GA
7/18/2010
I was extremely disappointed in this company's service and although my tenants are paying their rent on time, I have yet to recieve a payment from them. I've been trying to get a response from them for the past two months and have just enlisted the services of an attorney after filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
I have found that they were unresponsive and not transparent in their business practices. I would not recommend using this company, especially if you are not in DC and able to stop in their offices.
I have found that they were unresponsive and not transparent in their business practices. I would not recommend using this company, especially if you are not in DC and able to stop in their offices.
Washington, DC
Updated - 3/10/2010
EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT !!!!! Outstanding Service, Great Communication, I have rented a condo thru them, later bought the place, and have now turned it over for them to rent ! GREAT FIRM
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/3/2010I have had 7 properties all manged by this company, and they have been wonderful. I have worked… Read more »
Lenox, MA
8/7/2009
Do not believe Blake's review, obviously he is a plant at the company.
Why would someone who lives in DC need a property management company? Take it from me and the other landlords who live out of town: This company is terrible. They failed to pay us rents that our tenants paid to them -- we have the canceled checks to prove it. What Bryan Talbott keeps telling me (yes, via email, never on the phone) is that so many checks show up in their office they don't always know who they're from or what account they're for! We only used this company because it was bought from Private Properties, who wasn't great but at least never ripped us off. STAY AWAY - they should be put out of business.
Why would someone who lives in DC need a property management company? Take it from me and the other landlords who live out of town: This company is terrible. They failed to pay us rents that our tenants paid to them -- we have the canceled checks to prove it. What Bryan Talbott keeps telling me (yes, via email, never on the phone) is that so many checks show up in their office they don't always know who they're from or what account they're for! We only used this company because it was bought from Private Properties, who wasn't great but at least never ripped us off. STAY AWAY - they should be put out of business.
Washington, DC
7/23/2009
This is an extremely dubious company. I can not recommend to anyone that they do business with them, either renting or contracting or otherwise. Save yourself a world of headache and steer clear.
Washington, DC
6/23/2009
I have worked with Esquire Federal City for over 12 years now, and I would not change them for anything. Esquire has saved me thousands of dollars and repairs, kept my properties rented, found me great tenants to whom have taken care of my properties like I would have had I lived in them myself. Everyone has always been responsive to me, my family and to my contractors. The mangement company works for me, and not my tenants and Esquire has always been responsive to that full relationship, I would highly recommond them to anyone !!!
Washington, DC
1/2/2009
I am having the worst experience of my property-owning life with Bryan Talbott and Esquire Federal - I in turn echo Victor's comments - steer clear of this company. I would never recommend them to anyone. I am now out about $20,000 in rent payments that Esquire has collected from my tenants and failed to pay over to me. I've had a million excuses and no results, and have incurred hundreds of dollars in trying to sort out the problem through long distance phone calls, calls to the DC government etc. The nightmare that never ends.
Chicago, IL
9/17/2008
I would like to echo the warning from the review by Robert P., and suggest everyone should stay as far away as possible from Federal Esquire. I too originally signed up with Private Properties, LTD for a rental lease, and found them to be satisfactory. Once Federal Esquire took over the lease things were OK, aside from the fact that every time I called for something I needed to leave a message and wait a couple days or so for a reply.
Where things went terribly wrong was once we moved from this rental. DC law permits property management companies 45 days to return your deposit. If they fail to do so in "bad faith," they can be sued for treble (triple) the deposit. But, this didn't seem to phase Federal Esquire (FE). I called them after this grace period requesting our deposit check and only after 10 days of messages I finally spoke with FE's president Bryan Talbott's assistant. It appeared Mr. Talbott was "not aware of our move out date." That is unprofessional, yet understandable.
What is not understandable is the fact that it took them 61 days to finally return our deposit. Add on to that the fact that it was like pulling teeth leaving messages with them and never getting a call back. Every conversation with them was approached by me with an understanding tone, yet escalated by their defensive attitude. One call escalated to them telling me that they were not responsible for returning my deposit check on time and that I should not even be calling them. Then this guy continued to lecture me on their procedures for about 10 minutes. He also told me that Mr. Talbott wouldn't ever speak with me regarding my case, as it was of no interest to him. Interesting as it was he, that 61 days after our move out date he wrote the check, expressed it to me, and followed up with an email.
It is too bad that a such quibble over a $1,250 deposit check needed to occur. But, it is worse how much work and stress I needed to invest to get this money back from them. This may be an isolated incident of mismanagement of our deposit, but I warn you that their level of professionalism when dealing with a complaint is horrendous.
Where things went terribly wrong was once we moved from this rental. DC law permits property management companies 45 days to return your deposit. If they fail to do so in "bad faith," they can be sued for treble (triple) the deposit. But, this didn't seem to phase Federal Esquire (FE). I called them after this grace period requesting our deposit check and only after 10 days of messages I finally spoke with FE's president Bryan Talbott's assistant. It appeared Mr. Talbott was "not aware of our move out date." That is unprofessional, yet understandable.
What is not understandable is the fact that it took them 61 days to finally return our deposit. Add on to that the fact that it was like pulling teeth leaving messages with them and never getting a call back. Every conversation with them was approached by me with an understanding tone, yet escalated by their defensive attitude. One call escalated to them telling me that they were not responsible for returning my deposit check on time and that I should not even be calling them. Then this guy continued to lecture me on their procedures for about 10 minutes. He also told me that Mr. Talbott wouldn't ever speak with me regarding my case, as it was of no interest to him. Interesting as it was he, that 61 days after our move out date he wrote the check, expressed it to me, and followed up with an email.
It is too bad that a such quibble over a $1,250 deposit check needed to occur. But, it is worse how much work and stress I needed to invest to get this money back from them. This may be an isolated incident of mismanagement of our deposit, but I warn you that their level of professionalism when dealing with a complaint is horrendous.
Dulles, VA
9/4/2008
Sadly, I can't think of enough bad things to say about the property management services of Federal Esquire. I was a customer of the previous incarnation of the company, Federal City Mowbray, from 1999 to 2001. I left them and signed with Private Properties, LTD. I was very happy with Private Properties, but they retired and sold their business in Fall 2007 to...Federal Esquire! I can't get away! I am in the Foreign Service and was on TDY training at the time and not looking at my statements as close as I should have. Wow, was that a mistake! They didn't pay me my rental income since they took over in January 2008. I first contacted them on August 11 to investigate the problem. I have called at least 5 times a week for 4 weeks in a row. EVERY time, I was told that the manager, Bryan Talbott, was unavailable and to leave a voice mail. He has NEVER called me back, but has sent e-mails promising to investigate. On August 21, he promised to reprint the checks and send them to my bank. As of September 4, I have not yet received the funds. Bryan claimed that my bank had changed my bank-by-mail address and had notified me. I called my bank and was told there had not been any change. I would recommend everyone to stay as far as possible from Federal Esquire!
Washington, DC
8/26/2008
I can't say enough good things about Esquire's responsiveness and professionalism.
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