If Make Ready LLC calls you to work for them...DON'T!!! They scour Craigslist for people to perform their work orders. They are based in Ruffin, NC. The owner's staff work from their homes, not in an office. There is NO street address on file. Only a PO Box. I actually checked them out on NC's Better Business Bureau and they have a A- rating. Good, right? WRONG! No one has taken the initiative to report them. I will be very shortly.
This is what I have learned so far of their operation in one week: They don't pay for materials required to doa job (i.e., plywood, glazing, etc). That's at your expense. You have to have locks & keys (another out-of-pocket expense), that is non-reimburseable, per the required specifications. They don't pay mileage. I had a 48 hr turnaround on jobs within a 100 mile radius of each other(i.e., Concord, Moneta, Lexington, Buena Vista and Crimora [north of Waynesboro]). If the jobs are assigned on Monday, they must be completed by Tuesday no matter what time the orders came in on Monday. Mine (the above locations) came in at 4:00pm last Thursday (01/13/11). The locks/keys didn't get in until 5 days later (a weekend and MLK holiday - no mail), so the jobs can't be completed within the timeframe specified. If the jobs are not completed in time, the office staff (which completely turned over in the space of those 5 days), will call and email threatening to reassign the jobs after you have been on the work sites doing what you can per the work orders (inspect, pictures, exterior work,etc).
The owner, Don Caudle, will make derrogatory statements, and will say you said things you didn't...he denies what he has said to you. Their website is incomplete. (They have two.) BE SURE TO READ THE ML 2010-18 (do a Google search...it's a 16 page letter with rates included for repairs, cleanup, etc. that is issued by HUD and MCM) which tells you what he is paid for jobs vs. what he will pay you per job. It also gives information on being compliant withconveyance conditions required.Don does NOT want you to read this Mortgagee Letter. If a job is for Bid, he told me not to worry about bidding, he would tell me what he will pay.
Example of my Concord work order (I copied and pasted part of the work order here): 3. PADLOCK NEEDED ON CRAWL SPACE Make Ready LLC pays $20 to place a pad lock; Mortgagee Letter states they pay $40 per pad lock (Pad lock & hasp cost $6.00 not including shipping) Removal of the slide lock and installation of a hasp and padlock were required on this unit. FINAL CONDITION: VERIFY PROPERTY IN CONVEYANCE CONDITION
VERIFY PROPERTY IS IN CONVEYANCE CONDITION. IF IT IS NOT, PROVIDE CURRENT BIDS TO PLACE THE PROPERTY IN CONVEYANCE CONDITION AS OUTLINED IN ML 2010-18. (This is when Don told me not to worry about bidding, he would tell me what he will pay and don't bother reading the ML 2010-18.) If you don't read the ML, how do you know for sure your repair is in compliance? If it isn't in compliance, you go back to the site at your expense and repair, because Don doesn't want you to read the ML???
The Concord site is approximately 15 miles from my location. I have made 4 trips there. The Moneta site is approximately 40 miles south of there which I have made 2 trips to that location. These homes are suppose to be vacant. My first trip to Concord I was unable to find...rural location...2nd trip the property was not vacant. There were LPS stickers on the Concord site (another property management company) and winterization stickers. I asked Don about this, and he said that was his parent company. I'll be checking that out, too. Pictures must be taken prior and after, plus additional pictures of the property. I took over 140 pictures of this one property alone (digital camera) and they were downloaded, ready to resize and upload to their site. Needless to say, they won't get them.And, my ties with Make Ready LLC were mutually severed today...one week later...when he became abusive on the phone with my wife who handles all office functions. He talks over you on the phone, allowing you very little input.
And, no, I am not getting paid for my time invested to-date at these properties per Don Caudle. However, I do have the locks/keysthat I ordered from them per their specswhich will satisfy some of the invested time/work done to-date. That's another issue...order from them, they tell you it will be deducted from your first check (a month later). Then, you get a bill saying it is due upon receipt. So....which is it?
In summary, Make Ready LLC looks for contractors and handyman services knowing most of those in the field need work right now due to the economy. They assign jobs knowing you can't complete them without the required locks/keys. If the jobs aren't completed in time, they will deduct up to 50% of thework order from the rate payable on it.Of course, the bidwork orders, you've just wasted your time and money. They do give you the option to refuse a work order, which I did on the Crimora job when I found out where it was located.
A little background on me: I have a degree in Drafting and Architectual Science from the University of Virginia. I've done this type of work back in the 90s as a start-up business and have 25 years in craftsmanship carpentry/construction. For more information, before you agree to anything with them. I'll be happy to give you a more indepth view of how this company operates
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