Protecting Property Values in Oakdale

New Bridge is very prompt in responding to tenant's needs. They provide professionals who can quickly and efficiently handle problems with the rental unit. New Bridge was also very accommodating to me recently when I hired 2 service providers instead of the ones they chose as I already had good history with the ones I selected.

In my over 19 month experience with New Bridge Management in Turlock, I found the company to be an ordinary, moderate effort property management company. The first 2-3 months getting the property ready to rent were productive. After the rental agreement was finalized, trying to make contact with the correct people to get questions asked or problems resolved was not easy. There seems to be several in the office who overlap in responsibilities but finding the correct person via phone (main office line) or email usually took at least 24 to 48 hours during business days. I finally requested some sort of contact directory and was sent an e-mail listing of first names and brief job descriptions. The monthly rental payments were deposited into my checking account anywhere from the 15th to the 22nd of each month. Since New Bridge received the monthly payments at the 1st of each month, it always seemed odd that the funds were not deposited in a more timely manner. I was told that the reason for the delayed rental payment(s) was to make sure that the check(s) from the tenants (and/or other agencies) cleared the banks on which they were drawn. The monthly statements are always for the previous month, which is understandable for expenses or costs incurred during the month, but nothing ever felt current or accurate. Even the online monthly "Dashboard" was confusing because it always showed "$0" collected, "$0" distributed, and 100% occupied for the first 1-10 days. I'm still not sure about the purpose or need for this "Dashboard" Page. There is a monthly charge to the tenants of $40.00 which I find completely excessive and unnecessary. It apparently is for a filter for the HVAC system that New Bridge sends to the tenants each month and the "privilege" of using the vendors contracted by New Bridge. That seems a pretty expensive filter that the tenants can purchase on their own for far less than $40 a month. As far as the vendors, I found them questionable as well. Their electrician wanted to tear up a wall to check on an outlet that my electrician had already explored and found disconnected or non-existent. The yard maintenance vendors used on my property were very sub-par. The tenants receive 2 visits that costs $80 a month for what is called "lawn maintenance." For 10 to 15 minutes each visit the strip of grass in the front of the house is mowed and blown off. That's it. There is no care given to the back or side yards, nor to the shrubs or trees surrounding the property. There is no care given to weed abatement in the lawn or any notice or mention of other kinds of yard maintenance or care. Certainly, there would be extra charges for the slightest variation from the quick mow and blow routine like picking up fallen tree branches or noticing broken sprinklers. I have since discontinued the use of New Bridge Management's 'lawn maintenance' vendor and hired my own weekly gardener to care for the property at considerably less expense to the tenant. Lastly, when actual copies of the original Agreement Contract with New Bridge Management, and a copies of the original Rental Agreement plus, up-to-date rental contracts were requested, I received an 'In Process' typed copy of the Management agreement on New Bridge letterhead, NOT the California Association of Realtors forms we completed when we originally signed our contract with New Bridge, and nothing that resembles the original contract signed for he tenant Rental Agreement or Month-to-Month Agreement. I have not been able to find such documents in my online account with them or in the monthly "owner statements." I would be delighted to be shown where to locate those documents in my online account. In conclusion, attention to detail is not a strength of New Bridge Management. Maybe they are a company that is too large with too many properties to cover adequately. I cannot, in good conscience, give them a higher rating than 2.5 stars.