I’ve had the privilege of serving numerous managers and owners of real estate—residential, multi-family, commercial.

In the spirit of service I speak of, I have arrived at conclusions that are not for the cynical or faint of heart. It is also in this same spirit of service that I am taking the liberty to speak candidly with you from the depths of my thoroughly thought-out, well-documented, business philosophy and practical solutions. I thank Rich Thompson for his Regenesis publication in order to reach you directly—whether friendly or hostile, informed or uniformed, bold or timid—board member or manager of community association property.

Long-standing property management problems WILL NOT be solved with “sound-bite” head lines, cryptic & insulting emails, debilitating communication practices, rock-bottom prices, and…..are you ready for the real juggler? Civil government intervention. These proposed marketplace solutions are a temporary and quick-fix to systemic and relational breakdown problems. As a 25-year veteran property maintenance contractor, I present my case of observations and solutions for you to consider and ponder. To judge—whether my property maintenance solutions are superior or in fact inferior to currently held business practices. If you can present objective solutions that outweigh the objective solutions I present—call me for a FREE service from my company, Strategic Cleaning: 503-515-5100.

Come along with me then, to read the full body of this “case statement” addressed to your heart and mind. The entirety of it’s contents are found by visiting my company website, where I bear myself  “naked” concerning the debilitating problems in the property management industry, from a contractors point of view (though I do understand some contractor are problematic), and the superior, objective solutions I propose, which are resisted by the subjectivity or arbitrariness of many hands between managers and board members, and which stands to reason for the relentless, down-ward spiral corruption, diminishing peace, increased stress, loss of energy & time, and loss of dollars you experience in managing your reals estate asset, and I experience as a private contractor.

I am convinced there remains a “remnant” who desire once-and-for-all, a superior way of transacting business, in our current neck-break speed, ultra-high tech, shallow relationship, and entertainment-saturated society.

Perhaps it is no surprise to you, but for the record, there are unresolved, wide-spread corruption and debilitating work practices in the community association market and property management in general. I have a story to tell of suffering at the hand of that corruption. Although, I’ve not suffered physically or mentally (ah, perhaps there’s been a little mental anguish) but more accurately,  economic adversity and virtually a wholesale loss of energy. Meaning, being cut-off from continuing the win-win working relationship. Why is that…..?

Divorcing The Working Relationship

The most obvious reason for cutting off the working relationship is that you don’t believe the relationship was a win for you and your association. It’s that simple in your eyes. You took a chance with my company (for which I am grateful), something went wrong, and you fired us—just as the previous contractor was fired, and the one before him, and the one before him, and…..
What possibly could I and my team have done to be divorced from the working relationship? Especially when I “proposed” to you in writing that I take our relationships very seriously, as they are so fragile, and I guaranteed you that I would do everything within my power to care for you always, and most especially when it counts—when a problem show up.

Do you honestly believe that when a problem surfaces that it is cause to cut off the working relationship and prevent me from correcting my error, never wanting to see my team of professionals nor myself again? All the while believing you will find another contractor that is free from error. Well, of course you don’t believe anyone is without error. Yet, in practice that is what you are communicating. When any of us refuse to give the offending party the opportunity to correct their error, in effect, we are saying that we want to live in a world of utter perfection—free from anything that disturbs me.

What happened to the contractor before me? Did he “fight” to keep the relationship? That’s what I’m found doing and every wise contractor will “fight” to keep the relationship—it is the only sound thing to do when I’m providing for my family and those I employ—building a business of win-win working relationships.

Isn’t that what you want? Someone who will come along side you and hear you out? That is exactly what all people urn for—to be heard, listened to, and understood. It is the way we’ve been created. I understand not all contractors convey that level of openness—that they really want to understand you. Hence, we have the state-created Construction Contractors Board. And what do we have with all the good efforts of the CCB? Ever increasing litigation, lawsuits, and poor workmanship. So much for regulating contractor for the good of the marketplace. Civil government regulation is much more about control and money, than about promoting peace in our communities. At the same, I want to be clear for the record, it is not the fault of the civil government for all their intervention, but it lies squarely on the work ethic of contractors who’ve gone before me and here now, and by their lack of self-control and lack of self-government, disturbed your confidence in such a thing as honest private contracting.

Please know that I am the last contractor you will ever need.

Contractor problems have not been reduced for the reason that the CCB is powerless to regulate the source of all these contractor problems—the individual heart. I am talking about character, my friend. And no governmental agency has the power to change a person’s character. What civil authority does have power to do, is to punish contractors who perpetrate evil upon you or your property. Never was there a need to create a Contractors Board to regulate contractors. It has always been unlawful (10 Commandments; U.S. Constitution) to disturb your life, liberty and property. The creation of a regulatory agency only dilutes the authority of the existing law when property owners want to punish all contractors upfront by regulation. Think about it.

I am self-regulated and self-governed.

My case to you is that in 25 years of private contracting for our exterior maintenance cleaning services, we’ve never purposely intended or committed evil to any property owner or manager. Rather, where you folks get upset is something went wrong and that disturbed you. Here is a perfect case example: Ellsworth Condominiums. Is there anyone at Ellsworth Condominiums reading this Open Letter? Please contact me. We serviced the gutter system at Ellsworth several years ago and a board member was not happy with the work. Gutter cleaning is not “rocket science.” All obvious tree debris was removed from the gutters. What was the source of complaint is that a small level of water would remain in the gutters, along with that thin layer of watery dirt. Yet, the gutters where “clean” and functioning properly. The board member just did not like seeing some dirt left at the bottom of the gutter. Ellsworth Condominiums was not please with our work, and so I sent another man out there to correct it—only to learn that they were still not satisfied! Two complete cleanings of their gutter system and still not happy. Now, I was not happy. However, Ellsworth HOA was not a loss, because they were not expected to pay until they were delighted with our work.

What ended up happening, is Ellsworth HOA communicating to me through their property manager (NW Community Management), that my team was not to come onto their property again! And, they refused to pay our invoice. Consider well what happened there:

• Our work was called into question.

• We willingly offered to correct it until Ellsworth HOA was satisfied

• Ellsworth prevents us from performing warranty work

• Ellsworth refuses to pay us.

• Ellsworth HOA is in Breach of Contract for $3000 to Strategic Cleaning. This is theft!

Will someone with conscience and character now come forward and pay us for the work we did well over 4 years ago? Call me: 503-515-4092.

I can still file with Small Claims for Breach of Contract. I’d rather give opportunity for current leadership to make this right.

The reality is, most people are so short-term minded; it’s the times we live in. Yet, I refuse to give in to 
“business as usual,” status quo. Hence the time and energy to write you this case statement of problems and my long-term solutions.

The marketplace is so “divorce-minded”, that loyalty is a lost virtue. And yet, I do have some loyal clients. Although with a few exceptions, the loyal clients are not community association properties (see end of this letter for list of loyal HOA’s). It is rare to find loyalty in community association property because the average board member simply does not care. You care about the project right in front of you, with little investment on the longevity of the working relationship. The truly successful working arrangements are those who embrace a long-term view of maintaining your property. That is simply common sense, yet the sad reality is that it is not so common.

The Inherent Weakness of the Intermediary

After many years of working for various type of market segments in the property management world, I have come to one conclusion that seems to rise above all others. The property manager, if your property is under management, though serving a vital role for you in the administration of, and keeping you abreast of legal matters, serves as intermediary between myself as your contractor and you as board member. The problem with that is, that your board being the final decision making body on how best to spend your funds on maintenance, and my offering of solutions to mitigated your maintenance problems, most of the time do not “connect” with each other.

The property manager as Intermediary “shields” you from openly getting to know me as your contractor.  Perhaps your fine and content with that arrangement. If you are content, you will continue to perpetuate the systemic problems that prevent you from automating your property maintenance services, not to mention that peace of mind you lose because you really do not know who is working on your property—knowing the character of the men. Oh sure, there is the website to learn more about who you are considering hiring, but nothing can beat an in person interview and nothing will certainly beat, observing how we handle problems when they show up.

Call me in for an in-person interview and ask me the hard questions.

The reality of life is that things to go wrong from time to time. But just like yourself, we are not trying to screw up anything with your project. We are continually learning better ways to conduct our services, and you actually can have a hand in the shape of our company by criticizing us constructively and giving us opportunity to implement what you are so adamant about. Isn’t that what you want? A contractor that will treat your property as if it were their own? That’s us. That is so much how I am; my father taught me to perform my service with excellence. Well, excellence is here. But, if your after perfection, you’ve embraced a reality that does not exists on this side of heaven. Yet, at the same time, we can work towards getting close to a well-oiled machine, working on your property.

So what really is the problem with my company that you cut us of from being your loyal contractor?

• Because we didn’t fulfill our contractual obligations? Did we agree to execute on a project and in course decided I didn’t charge enough, as the project was taking much longer than estimated and so refused to complete the project without additional money, and walk off the project? No. “Let your yes be yes, and your no, no.”

• Caused damaged to a property and refused to make the necessary repairs? Negative. “Thou shall not steal.”

• Refused to warranty our workmanship, when our workmanship was called into question. Never! “Thou shall not steal again.”

• Lied about our findings either before, during or after a completed project. No— “thou shalt not bear false witness.”

• Scheduled a project and then didn’t show up, causing management & home owners to become upset for the lack of communication? Nope. “Let your yes be yes, and your no, no.”

• Commenced your project and then went onto another project without finishing yours first, thereby delaying the time-frame of completion? Negative.

• Uncurteous to a homeowner. Never! As much as it depends upon you (me), live at peace with all men.”

What then possibly is the cause for being cut off economically? 

Well, without having the benefit of you calling me in for an exit interview, I conclude, solving problems with long-term superior solutions!

Here is what I am guilty for:

• Pursuing and implementing excellent communication practices.

• Being available to appear in person when it really counts.

• Investigating problems with our workmanship and work flow processes, which revealed a trail that the “ball was dropped” by management.

• Insisting that I speak with the paying customer to resolve their complaint about us, but instead, being “stonewalled” or “shut down” by the intermediaries of management.

• Warrantying our work, as outlined above related to Ellsworth Condominiums.

My honest assessment of the property management and community association management industry is that those who work in that industry do not expect an individual to come along (in this case a private contractor) and actually improve the quality of maintenance services for their property. Am I describing you?

In truth, we all have many years behind us of continual failure by contractors to simply do the right thing by you, the paying customer. And, when there is a failure to do the right thing—being free enough in their person to correct what is wrong. The market has been on a downward spiral long enough, that many a property manager or board member do not expect a company to come along that will do things differently—much differently. The late Steve Jobs and Apple can say, “Think Different,” but to actually take that creative and outside-of-the box work ethic to heart; to flesh it out in the community through a service company—is met with resistance. Why? Because to present a different solution to what you’ve been used to requires change. Need I say more? The truth is, you’d rather stay in the mode to find something to complain about. Am I describing you?

And yet, I am a man who is willing to hear each and every complaint brought forward. I should be able to hear where my shortcoming are. But my history has shown that it is not enough to hear what you believe is wrong. Evidence is necessary to substantiate a claim. We contractors are blamed for so much, because we are often the last ones accessing your property. What happens so often, is we are guilty by association of being the “last one” on the property.

My last appeal to find that “remnant” of board members and property managers before I move my family to Japan.

As most business owners do, they put so much heart into their business enterprise. We do so because we reap 100% of the benefits we put into our businesses. That being true, I’ve arrived at conclusions that do make this my last appeal to find if you are a property owner or manager who is genuinely interested in reform and change where the maintenance of your property is concerned.

As I enter my 25th year of service to the Portland-area market, I’ve come to greater clarity about myself than when I began in 1987. Essentially this: I am not about what I do, as much as about how I do what I do. Property owners have hired me for my building and property maintenance services. These services of professional window cleaning, gutter cleaning, power washing, moss control, air duct and dryer vent cleaning, are by no means on the level of skill as your attorney, mechanic, doctor, engineer, etc. In so many ways, what I offer you is on the bottom end of the value spectrum. I understand that, and is cause for a major career and life change to tell you about in a moment.

The Need To Reform Communication Practices

After more than two decades of doing the same thing and having be met with relentless market resistance, I have developed into being a person that is more concerned with how than about what. For years, I have no longer been excited about what I do, but how I do the what. The way for me to illustrate that to you is to tell you that in no uncertain terms, I am in the problem-solving business and even more precisely, I am in the communication business. The fact that I have continually improved the communications component of my company and with that increase of open and available communication to you, I have seen a corresponding closing of the door (of your heart and mind) to my communications.

Rather than your confidence being restored by my ever increasing ability to solve problems and communicate thorough them to your utter delight and loyalty—I’ve witnessed property managers cover their “butt” when they dropped the ball because my investigation reveled that a property manager failed to follow through with their commitment to you and to me as your contractor. When a property manager refuses to return my calls, after not receiving satisfactory answer by email, it is not a good sign. The so-called “professional” property manager, is just as prone to screw things up as a contractor. Just such a case with a property manager took place for Peterkorts Woods. Anybody from Peterkort Woods or from The Management Group, desire to contact me for a private meeting?

To my point I made earlier about the intermediary role of the property manager, I’ve actually been prevented from making my case to the board, to present information and evidence that would vindicate myself, or at least give the board understanding how on earth gutters were cleaned on the wrong buildings. Nevertheless, Peterkort Woods is not a loss. They received the service they paid for. We should have been retained as their gutter cleaning contractor, but because the manager in question from The Management Group would not forward me the signed contract, which she authorized by phone, I am left in a negative light that reinforces the idea that Barry Durmaz and Strategic Cleaning is simply another average contractor. Yet, if given opportunity, it can be demonstrated quite to the contrary. Is anyone at The Management Group or Peterkort Woods interested in the truth? Please contact me so that truth instead of a lie, may prevail, and we can all rejoice, because the nature of truth is that it cannot be put down. The light of Truth displaces the darkness of error and deception.

In my estimation, there is enough unprofessional and unethical activity by property managers that it warrants my drawing attention to it. Not to condemn it alone, but to point to a superior way of conducting property management. There is a much better and peaceful manner to work together for the benefit of each other. That is what this Open Letter is about.

Disturbing Managers By Asking Questions…..

With my desire to go to work for you, I mean really go to work for you, where we can develop a win/win working relationship, I’ve become better at asking questions—good questions. Such good questions in fact, that the average property manager cannot or is unwilling to answer them. They don’t’ have the intimate history, especially on newly acquired properties and they cannot be expected to know if they don’t live there. But you know the history of what has been your HOA’s experience with the last window cleaner, gutter cleaner, pressure washer, dry vent cleaning, etc. It is vital for me to know what happened with the previous service, to where I now have this opportunity to earn your business.

But more times than not, property managers get nervous at my wanting to speak with you, and met with you, if I desire. How about lunch, of all things? Listen, if you want a contractor that will be the final solution to automating your maintenance projects, then why of all things, would you or the property manager restrict the flow of information and communication? It simply is illogical. Or shall I call it what is truly is—fear. Your doctor can ask you all sort of intimate questions to diagnose your health problem; your attorney can ask you all kinds of private questions to arrive at options to solve your legal problem; why is it that I, as your private contractor, am prevented from approaching you with probing questions to delve below the surface of your property maintenance problems?

This demonstrates to me that your not that serious about managing your property for long-term solutions and return on your investment. More of the quick-fix. You want a positive return on your investment, but how is it that I come along, communicating with precision by documenting almost everything imaginable, and you put up a wall of division to the one your inviting to solve your maintenance problem? Unless of course, your willing to change.

This appeal is my last attempt to find that “remnant” who actually wants that level of mutual commitment, trust, and loyalty between contractor and HOA Board.

As I’ve become older (46 now), I’ve realized that my energy is a limited resource, just as yours. Why then would we not want to become better, much better, high performance better, at managing, maintaining, and improving the automation of your property maintenance services? The very candid truth is, it is a very rare, and I mean very rare, property manager or board representative who understands this. If I cannot ask you my problem-solving questions to find out what you truly need, then you are not likely to find what it is your looking for in the way of a maintenance contractor. It simply is not possible, unless through osmosis, that a strong working relationship can form without the benefit of getting to know one another on an introductory level. But, of course you want a strong working relationship, indicative by the complaint of poor contractor workmanship and service.

The Proposal Process

When I am given opportunity to win your business, you receive from me a thorough assessment of your needs and my proposed solutions to eliminate your needs. I don’t give bids, though I am asked for them by property managers. Request Bid is standard lingo for contracting work. The only thing is, I am not offering standard service, but more like exceptional and meticulous workmanship and customer service. As I said, I don’t give bids, which simply tells you what you should pay for service. I give my prospective clients Proposals. This is a new relationship your and I are entertaining. How successful do you want the relationship to be? Why do you take a chance that it will work out, unless there is a thorough “inquiry” period where we can ask each other of our expectations of the working relationship? You have certain expectations that go way beyond the price. You know you do, otherwise the cheaper price you paid last time would have worked for you, but it likely has not.

My Proposals are a statement of what I will do for you and how I will do it. You see that? If I simply give you a dollar number only, I’ve told you nothing about how I will handle the working relationship, and especially how I will handle problems when they arise. How I will handle and care for you when your upset about something pertaining to our work. By my proposal, I’ve communicated how I’ve actually made it easy for you to bring a complaint forward without making you feel bad for doing so. This is what Nordstrom and other relationship-based companies do for their clientele. Are your clothes going to earn you a return on your investment? Why then do you prevent this from being applied in the care and maintenance of your real estate asset? Simply because we no longer think in terms of a return through relational strength. We no longer think in terms of the leverage gained by knowing the character of the men working on your property. Is character a “commodity” you no longer have faith to invest in?

It is in a time of pressure and problems, that my character is revealed;  I am on record of not fleeing under the “heat” of that pressure.

The absolute truth is that it is only in a time of pressure and problem that you get a much clearly view of what kind of man and company I lead here in service to you. Without pressure and problems, all your hearing is words. The substance show up in a time of pressure, if there is substance.

This is the kind of energy I put into my work for your our mutual good, but the resistance to accept these reforms as superior to current debilitating property management practices, is what has me concluded that I have worked myself out of this industry—it’s no longer “life-giving” work for me, because the community association and property management industry generally speaking, is not interested in a contractor to come along with tangible and sustainable improvements. The property management industry needs reform, and my limited resources will not sustain me, as I have five…, “Hello!” five precious children that make it so easy for me to redirect my energy and attention towards.

You see, the energy I’ve been putting into my business in order to serve the owner and manager of community association property is being directed to my five precious children. As a result of the resistance and opposition to do good and right by property owners, I am applying energy to new entrepreneurial activities with my little army of five children and my wife, Kyoko.

In fact, I am moving my family to Japan to spend perhaps the next 10 years of our life investing in my wife’s side of the family. I don’t know exactly what I will do to provide; I just know we are to go. If you want to know how I know, you’ll have to invite me to look at a maintenance problem you need rectified.

That being said, my company Strategic Cleaning & Access, will continue to go on without me. I am not selling it. I don’t believe the market is stable enough to reflect the equity that is in my company. More importantly, I am more concerned with the right man of character to move this company forward and continue the excellent workmanship and service we are known for from our loyal clients.

Mister Roman Marrs and his wife Melissa will take over the helm upon our departure for Japan. I am confident he will do a better job than myself. He is eager to serve you to his utmost and you can retain a property maintenance company that will be there for you year in and year out. That is my testimony, going on 25 years, come this Spring. Roman has been a professional window cleaner for five years and has learned other aspect of property maintenance, working with and for me. If Roman had his way, he be a doctor by now, but in God’s divine providence, circumstances redirected him in another direction. When Roman shows up to work on your property, you have the care, intelligence, and conscientiousness of a virtual Ph. D on site. Hello! Do I have your attention?! Roman and Melissa have two daughters, Kylie and Josie, and are expecting their third children later in 2012.

It is my hope that you will employ men of high character. You do have men of high character available to you in Strategic Cleaning & Access. In fact, I currently employ some of the finest men of character that I believe you will meet in the property maintenance industry.

Allow me to introduce Mr. Bryce Barclay. Bryce has a unique skill for handling and trouble-shooting mechanical problems and so any issues that arise concerning your property maintenance, he has what I’ve observed is a tremendous grasp of arriving at good solutions to long-standing problems. Bryce has aspirations to become an license pilot and am trusting that as this company moves forward, he may be able to achieve that noble goal. We need to find more loyal HOA’s and property managers to help make that a reality. Bryce is married to Beth—their 1st Anniversary in December.

Next is Isaac Dowell. Isaac is a young single man who is faithfully at home with his family, working and engaged in College studies until he figures out what it is that he wants to invest many years of his future life into. He is a highly skill professional  window cleaner and becoming quite proficient in other areas of maintenance. He is pleasant and mild-mannered.

Well here you have it. My candidly open letter, searching for that “remnant” of board members and property managers who are willing to reform themselves without waiting for others to uphold the most business practices.  I have presented you with solutions that are wholly superior to the prevalent status quo business practices I’ve observed for close to 25 years. Things have not gotten better—only worse. If the property maintenance and management climate does not change now, then when? If it is not to begin with you and I, then who? Will you join me in making a positive contribution to the Oregon economy by retaining Strategic Cleaning & Access as your loyal property maintenance contractor, who is dedicated to serving your needs with ideas and solutions that stand the test of time? I am a reformer—are you?

I am available to you—just name the place and times that work well for you. I’ll do my best to accommodate. Call me at: 503-515-5100.

We are poised to service your property maintenance needs, especially as enter the rain season and the need to keep your gutter system operational.

Thank you for being so patient to consider and ponder my “case statement.” This Open Letter is my last pouring out of my heart to reach you, if indeed, you need an uncommon contractor in uncertain times. I can help you.

At your Service,

Barry Durmaz
Private Contractor

Thank you to the following loyal associations:

Tanasbourne Place

Washington Park
Scholls Village
Hawthorne Condos
City Lofts

Flanders’ Lofts

Brookside Condos

Dolf Creek & Jameson Ridge c/o HOA Maintenance

The Falls

Lake Oswego Terrace