I would like to let you know I have filed a complaint against the broker and the Keller Williams Brentwood office for mis-treatment while I worked there. I have filed with 7 on your side the local newspapers, the department of Real Estate, the local board of Realtors. I am also going to file a suit against them as well. I have sent out several letter today as well as e mails to several differnt agancies and I will not let down until Keller Williams makes a formal apology to me as well as my clients.
I want to let you know I do not stand alone with this suit that my clients David and Jovic Snyder are filing with me as well. Someone from the upper division in Keller Williams needs to know how things are being handeled at the Brentwood location. I have an e mail from Mr. McClearen in which I find to be threatning in nature of my position there with no merit as well (actually i have 2) I also have several witness's to the facts at hand. So the ball is rolling if I do not receive an official apology from them by January 1 I will proceed. They are billing me for things I should not have been billed.
I also want to let you know that they are telling people who they can and cannot use as escrow coordinators as well as assistants as well as inspector's Realtor's are independant contractors and this is against the law as well.in which I have A LOT of proof in this. Oh. And what about inspectors that are being asked to kick back money on each inspection towards KW cares. I could go on. I am willing to walk away and leave Keller Williams alone but they must send me a noterized letter stating they are dropping the $8400 they are trying to collect from me by January 1.
Pam for 7 on your side...
To whom it may concern,
I need your help! I am a Realtor in Brentwood California. I need to file a claim against my old employing broker and am not sure how to go about it. I would like to tell you my story in hopes that you can help me so this does not happen to someone else.
My husband owns a local termite company. Through one of the Realtors that helped my husband a great deal in the beginning when he was getting his company off the ground. I was asked to come and work for her as a receptionist. I really look up to her as she has been in the industry for quite sometime and she is well known in this area as well as being a wonderful person. I went to work there as a receptionist at first then after passing my Real Estate test. Once I was licensed I stayed there and began my training as a Realtor. I basically worked part time in Real Estate as I worked full time in my husbands office answering phones and helping him establish his business.
A man named Craig McClure worked for the broker as a manager he managed the office. He was rude from day one to me as I feel he did not like my relationship with the Broker. He is just one of those people who likes to talk down to you. He would make statements to me such as "do I want to go back to slinging hash" as I was a Bartender before selling real estate. As if this is a bad thing he liked to make me feel small as I was a nothing because I came from the restaurant industry. I put up with all of his comments and unprofessional behavior as I loved Kathie (The broker)
Anyway, long story short he ended up being fired from the brokerage (go figure) in which I worked and I was quite happy as he was a terrible boss. He moved on and went to a new company out here called Keller Williams Realty. I was happy working part time in Real Estate for Cathie as my goal was never to be a big hitter but to help people achieve their goals. I was asked by someone who always used my husbands termite company to come to Keller Williams and be a buyers agent for their busy team. I was taken back and said I was very happy working where I was as there was no pressure etc. They talked me into coming in and interviewing with someone called a team lead. His name was Michael Temby.
At the interview I told him that I had considered coming to Keller Williams in the past but could not work for Craig mcClearen as I do not like the way he manages people. I was told by Mr. Temby that he takes care of the agents I would not have to ever deal with Craig. I then went back talked with my broker and she did not think it was a good move for me she would not elaborate as she did not talk about other people in the industry but said that if I left she felt uncomfortable with where I was going to work. I went back in and talked with Judy Hazen who is the agent/owner in which I was to become a buyers agent for.
I cried as I loved Cathie and felt I was betraying her she told me she felt it was time for me to make the move that we all need to grow and change is in that. I went for it even after having second thoughts. (I should have listened to my gut!) As soon as I started working on the team they were rude to me treated me as I was not equal to them as if they were doing me a favor. I then learn that at Keller Williams you get paid off of other people's deals. You pay into something called profit sharing and the agent who brought you in gets money off your deals (no big deal I was ok with this)
BUT... The only reason they asked me to come onto their team was a way to get me in the door as a recruit. Not because they wanted me to be a buyers agent on the team and they made sure they treated me that way as well. I had brought in deals that were my own deals from the past. My data base my old clients and referrals. Judy was taking a cut off of them as well as Keller Williams. I then had a listing. These were clients who I had sold the home to 2 years before I had their listing when I was with Marples and Associates and they pulled their home off the market due to Capital Gains.
Because I was a buyers agent I was not to take listings they were all Judy's I explained this to my clients and they were ok with that. I met Judy over at their house and she took the listing. Keller Williams then had their yearly conference in Vegas. My husband and I did not have a lot of money as the market had changed and I said I would not be going Judy gave me such a hard time. I put it all on my credit card and went. I was to fly with Judy and some other people there but I do not like to fly and I was uncomfortable with Judy so the last things I wanted to do was be in a vulnerable situation with someone I did not trust.
A friend of mine who I was going to recruit to Keller Williams and I ended up driving there. We got there well before they ever did. Judy badgered me and made fun of me for driving and treated me so badly at the conference that I met up with someone that had been with Keller Williams form the ground up and they told me to run from her exact words "run like hell she is not a good person" I was with them 6 months. I had a deal in escrow at the time my very first big deal ever and it was a client in which I put into a condo three years before no help of Judy for having this client. She did nothing to help me with the client. I went to the team lead and told him I was thinking of leaving Keller Williams and why. He told me to talk with Judy about it.
I told Judy I did not feel she deserved a % of my deal as she did nothing to help me gain the client she would not let up in which I ended up paying her a % on the deal to get rid of her. I had this listing in which when I returned from Vegas the clients called me over and stated they would cancel the deal if I did not take it over they did not like Judy Hazen or anything she represented.in the meantime she ripped me off for several thousand dollars in which I went to Mr. Temby about.
I was talked into staying at Keller Williams by Brad Le Tourneau who told me to stay away from Judy she ripped off anyone that came near her. From which I have proof of this by 3 other people who complained to me in my short time there. I would love to get statements from them for your review. (She is also an owner of this company) Well... This listing I had. I got a call from two different agents on one day saying they had someone interested. One was a verbal by someone I know well here in town. He said he had a client and the client would like to make an offer but it was well under what my clients were asking. I asked the client and they were not interested.
I then receive an offer on paper it is the same offer as the other agent had called me about.in talking with him several days later I find out it is the same guy and this guy wrote him several threatening letters that he would sue this agent etc. He then warned me that the guy was not a good man but there is nothing you can do you cannot discriminate. I went back and forth with the other agent with counter offer's we FINALLY came to terms. The man was very difficult from day one but we dealt with him and got through.
The day of the walk through for the buyer I could not be present for my mother was sick and I had to take her to the Dr. So I asked my partner Brad to be there he was only going to open the door for them that was it. He ended up there for over 2 hours as the man wanted this and that and this. Anyway, he asked for a manufacture's warranty on the roof (in which my clients has replaced about 6 months prior to selling) Brad calls me the walk through is done all you have to do is provide a manufacture's warranty.
The next day I called the other agent and told her we could not provide a manufactures warranty as the homeowners hired a non-licensed roofer to apply the roof. (But the roof is permitted and the buyers signed the permit owner/builder 2 in a half weeks to the close of escrow.) Well the buyer started sending tons of e mails at the close of escrow. I tried talking with him I tried to resolve this issues he was having but it was getting way over my head. Mind you I have never been in this position.
I also forwarded the e mails to Craig McClearen and Judy Hazen (who was now the assistant broker) I told my clients not to worry the broker would stand behind them and he would guide us in the right direction. He sent me an e mail in which I have telling me to cut off all contact with the buyer as he was not my client and he would contact legal on Monday. I stayed up until 2:30/3 AM printing each and every e mail I had gotten from this man so they could give it to legal. I go into the office with a stack of e mails on Monday morning. I tell Craig and he says Jill (the escrow coordinator) had already sent everything over to legal. I was baffled how could he send the file without all the communication.???
I then try and talk with him about the matter in which two other agents were there. (Brad Le Tourneand Shannon) he makes light of it and tells me to get the man a roof certification. Helllooooo we were WAY beyond that at this point! He also said it was not my job to go to the walk through as he was not my clients and that I would be responsible for the deductible on the insurance which was $2500.00 if this were to go further. I then wanted to go over the file with him, and I left messages with the front desk so we could sit down and go over it.
As my clients were grilling me wanting answers as they were being threatened by this man (the buyer) The next thing was I get a message from Craig stating he talked with the broker of Coldwell Banker and they offered to put up $1000.00 and he wanted me to put up $1000.00 and to ask my clients to anti-up $2,000 or $3,000 and we would offer the buyer a settlement. (meanwhile he had not gone over the file with me not discussed the file with me nothing!) He told me he would not be there to call Judy Hazen with any questions so I called her.
I then explain to her that my file is clean and this guy does not have a case why would we just give him money? She basically tells me Craig is not going to be happy if we do not anti up money threatening in nature so we hang up at that point I call the clients and tell them we will have to anti up some money for a settlement they are pissed the broker never called them never talked with them about the file they did nothing wrong etc.
So they call Judy they get into a argument with her as she is rude to them as well (rude to the client great) I then send Craig an e mail explaining what had happened and why they took that position and how we felt he send's me an e mail back (that I have a copy of basically threatening my position at Keller Williams if I do not anti up the money) Well that morning I get his e mail and I have to meet with Mrs Snyder at the City of Brentwood we are meeting the main guy at the city for a meeting about this permit and the work done etc to see if we can get more info.
She then tells me she has left several messages at Keller Williams for Craig and that he is not returning her calls and one person there told her he was on vacation. I told her this was a lie he is not on vacation and I told her I thought we would have to anti up the money and he was threatening to fire me if we do not. She then calls and calls and finally gets through. She tells Mr. McClearen how she feels and how I have done everything to help with the deal how could he threaten my position at Keller Williams over this? He gets VERY angry and then becomes rude and tells her his e mail to me was non of her business.
That it is not Keller Williams position to help them! I then at around 4 PM that day receive an e mail letter stating that I am suspended from practicing Real Estate under Keller Williams license for breaking broker confidentiality. I was again upset how can a company I work for treat me this way? I had done nothing wrong and they are turning against me. I call Craig and leave a message no answer. I then call the team lead he calls me back telling me to come to the meeting on Monday.
I explain to him that I will not stay at Keller Williams that this is personal Craig is not acting as my broker he is taking this to a personal level and I have had nothing but problems since my short time of being at Keller Williams and I do not want to work for a company that treats their clients or their employees in this manner. I then write an e mail that I will not be present at the meeting on Monday and why. A letter of resignation. I then turn in my paperwork to the real estate board that night for change of brokers.
I also called my old broker for advice as I did not know what to do and she said to me that this all transpired because I did not have a pro-active broker. I also called the other agent in which this man threatened and asked him for a letter stating that this man would have tried to sue anyone. He also said I was treated poorly. I then on Monday went to interview with Century 21 and told that broker what had happened as I wanted everything out in the open. He also told me I was not treated in the right manner.
I know it is my file so I continue to do anything and everything I can to make it better. I work with the Snyder's to follow through and make sure this man gets a warranty.in the end he received not one but THREE warranties. I sent any information I had on to Keller Williams to keep them informed but they never answered. I then get a call from Keller Williams attorney.
My clients were being taken to mediation and they wanted me there on their behalf in which I think is the right thing to do. The attorney said I cannot be present if he is not there because this man is such a nut he would turn anything I say around. I ended up going to mediation and the Keller Williams attorney was present it was like being in a horrible car dealership they basically wanted my clients to just anti up money because this guy is annoying and they all wanted him off their backs. (this man the buyer had called and e mailed the Keller Williams lawyer so many times he was going nuts making accusations about him and anyone he could he also called the mediation people and harassed them before the mediation.)
Anyway, everyone got badgered into settling with the man to just get out of there. I was told by the lawyer that day that I was responsible for the deductible on Keller Williams insurance. Which was $2500.00. I said I knew this that Craig had already told me that but I felt that they should pay 1/2 of it as Judy Hazen had filled out the disclosures with the clients and was part of the transaction and that I did not like how Keller Williams handled the deal and they should own up to their part. I left Walnut Creek I did not even have time to make it home and had a demand in my e mail from the Keller Williams lawyer for the $2500.00 I contacted Keller
Williams right away as well as Dean Harper the attorney he said that he could not hold me accountable for the bill as Keller Williams had actually hired him. I then tell Keller Williams once again that I will only be responsible for 1/2 of this bill as I feel they played a huge part in how it all transpired and I was not treated right from the beginning and I felt they were against me.
I also want to let you know that Mr. McClearen is suing my old broker in which I like VERY much and I did not know this until I met with the Keller Williams lawyer and I feel his treatment is personal in nature. Anyway, I then get a settlement thank you from the buyer via e mail I never heard anything from Keller Williams. I then today answer the door to get a certified letter stating that I owe Keller Williams almost $8400.00 for their costs. Which I know they applied to the insurance company as the lawyer told me so.
I also have letter from the Snyder's about how they were treated by Keller Williams and I also called the Department of Real Estate today to see if I could file a claim against them. There has to be something I can do to insure that no one else gets treated in the manner in which I did???
I also want to point out that I wanted to use an escrow coordinator while working for Keller Williams and they had a personal vendetta against the person I wanted to use as well and I was told that they would hand me my license if I was to use her and we are independent contractors and they are not suppose to be allowed to tell you things such as this. Mr. McClearen also told Mr. Temby that Traci (the escrow coordinator) did something wrong and this was why but this is not true at all it is because Traci does all of Cathie's files and Craig is suing Cathie.
This place is very much like a cult and if you do not do what they tell you to do you better watch your back because they will do everything they can to make sure you go down. It is almost scary. If someone could please look over my case and get back to me as I am being treated like dirt in Brentwood California.
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