Char/Bren Realty

[rob!]

May potentially be renting from them.
Heard some bad things.
Can anyone back this up?

Appreciate it!

[Ben Munson]

I realize this may be a bit late for you, but I just ran into a Char-Bren rant on craigslist:

http://rochester.craigslist.org/apa/1258403804.html

[Ben Munson]

Here's the Article's text, From Channel 10 local news:

I-Team 10 follow-up: Landlord tardy on taxes and tenants' security deposits


An I-Team 10 investigation revealed a local landlord owes the city of Rochester more than half a million dollars in taxes. Char-Bren Development rents dozens of properties throughout Monroe County but many are now in foreclosure and their tenants are now concerned about being evicted.

Shane Brown doesn't know where he and his family will live next. They had been renting a house in Irondequoit but his landlord failed to pay the mortgage and the bank has now started foreclosure proceedings. “I was told by the law firm of the bank that owns the property that it would be a good idea that we started looking for a different place to live.”

His landlord was Char-Bren development, which is run by Chuck Hain and his sister Kimberly Matina. Together, the two have owned hundreds of properties in Monroe County often deeding them to one another. Now, many of those houses and apartment buildings are in bank foreclosure.

Two weeks ago 59 of Hain's properties were auctioned by the bank on the steps of the county office building. Bank Attorney Michael Beyma said, “The properties were rented but the bank received no payments of principal or interest, and then noticed the borrower was not paying taxes, nor insurance. So we had no alternative but to commence foreclosure to get the loan re-paid.”

Canandaigua National Bank which has taken over those properties says their tenants will not be evicted but couldn't explain why Hain was not making his payments.
Beyma said, “He'd been a borrower with the bank for quite some time. His other properties did in fact have cash flow. They should have made money.”

Hain has declined comment to I-Team 10. According to filings at the county clerk's office, it now appears his financial problems have extended to his own $400,000 residence in Penfield which is facing foreclosure.

Last month I-Team 10 reported that Hain owed the city more than half a million dollars in delinquent taxes. At the same time, he had several judgments for failing to return security deposits to former tenants.

Among them, Shane Brown is owed $1,000 and has yet to be re-paid. He said he doesn’t believe he is gong to get that money.

We've been checking in today with some of the former tenants of Char-Bren and there does appear to be good news for those owed security deposits. A few say they have either received their money or letters from Char-Bren's attorney saying they will soon be receiving a payment.