Lobar Properties

If I could give zero stars I would. These slum lords will happily steal your rent deposit. When you move out be prepared to have your hard earned money stolen after you do a walk through and the apartment looks good and they agree. Apartments are old and outdated. The windows are so old in these apartments that it feels like you live outside. Living conditions are unbearable and nothing gets fixed. Lots of crickets and bugs get into your apartment too. You have been warned don’t rent any apartment from Ray, Dan or Brad Barnes. They only care about money and ripping you off. If you paid me I would never rent from these SLUM LORDS ever. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

The name «low bar» should have been an obvious enough indicator of this family-​owned/​operated company’s practices, but when you’re new to LA, and you need a quick place to live that’s close to work, you tend to overlook things.
LOBAR also does business as AGBB, LLC
:BACKGROUND:
I met Justin Forman (DRE# 1 878 121) and Dan Barnes July of 2012 while their apartment, 1149 N. Central ave, was under construction. Their father/​grandpa, Raymond Barnes owns the complex, whom I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting. I had been driving around that day basically looking for «for rent» signs and an adjacent two bed room was available, but I really wanted the one bed room. The one bedroom apartment had no blinds, horrible carpet and non-​existent bathroom ceiling vents or covers. They were nice enough to leave behind 4 buckets of paint with, Justin’s handwriting on it, for improvements that never happened.
:MY PART TIME JOB AS A HANDYMAN/​CHANNELING MY INNER MACGYVER:
I took the place as-​is since I need to move quick. I figured a few minor improvements would be managable. I went to IKEA and shopped for my own blinds and put them up, I was never reimbursed for this (I was OK with it). The ceiling vent wasn’t too much of an issue because the apartment had fairly good circulation, although I always worried about snakes.
Within a month I became acquainted to LA temperatures — it was 101. But no problem! The apartment came with an AC! (Which, for some reason, was mounted in such a way that the power cord was 3 inches above the actual outlet — no problem, I just bought an extension cord). So I turn the thing on, adjust it to 60 (so hot!) and bask in the cool air… for about 20 minutes until it tripped the breaker. I call and text the phone numbers for the handy people. He comes by and basically says «well it does work», as though it was my fault for not understanding that it was a «20 minute AC only”-model, who knew these existed!
I basically don’t bother with the AC anymore, not just because it doesn’t work, but also because its power cord gets incredibly hot when turned on — almost as bad as a stove coil on medium heat. Later I learned that this is because the wiring in the unit isn’t properly grounded — I actually PAID an expert to check it out, you know, to ensure my safety. 3 fans later in my bedroom with buckets of ice in front of them — the poor man’s AC as they say — I’m realizing that my east-​facing wall retains heat so well that at 11 PM some evenings the temperature in the bedroom was hovering around 85. I suspect there was a sale for heat-​retaining mortar (perhaps for a pizza oven) at some science fair that was used to construct their walls. During certain summers I actually would just stay at work on the weekends or after work just to survive!
A few months later I start to see crickets pop up everywhere in the apartment. No problem! I’m good with bugs/​eradication. I go to home depot, buy bug spray and traps, but every morning, at least 5 or 6 congregate in my bathroom — making pattering sounds as they scurry about the floor. It wasn’t until I was doing my business in the bathroom one morning that I realize where they’re coming from — the HOLE IN THE CEILING where a properly installed vent and cover should be. No problem! I go to the store and buy some duct tape and «macgyver» my own cover, if you will.
:COMMUNICATION:
3 years pass and I learn to cope. Mind you, about a year in I expect the landlord to not get back to me until 2 days later. The one time the landlord picks up the phone from their «emergency» number for a plumbing issue the lady who answers, Amanda Barnes, actually says something to the effect of «do not call us about this, we will call you when we are ready for this issue». Also, Justin, the younger of the group, basically only communicates through text. I caught him once sweeping the soot-​like derbies from the walkways once to, in his words, «to get over a hangover», but that’s it. He responds to all of his texts with «ask [insert brothers name here] to do it».
Two months before I move out I tell the landlord (‘s answering machine) my move out date. You know, to give them sometime to find another another aspiring handyman-​tenant like myself. I put my Notice to Vacate with my last month of rent in their mailbox next door and then schedule cleaners and a carpet cleaner to shampoo everything. About $ 450 later I pack all my things and get ready for the 2^nd biggest move of my life.
FINALLY a check comes in with my deposit… for $ 167.73. They charge me for an absolute renovation: new paint, new blinds, $ 1,200 for carpet — basically ALL THE THINGS I didn’t have when I moved in.
All these years I wish I had met Raymond Barnes, the father and owner. Was it a father’s tradition to have such low standards?

Low-​Bar is right…
low standards, takes your money never gives you back your deposit, charges you for things that were never fixed in your place and neglects your calls or demands for fixings in the apartment!
rent goes up about 50 – 100 $ every few months and they don’t care if your a new or old tenant!
if something breaks or needs repair, be prepared for your rent in your building to go up!
we’ve had an infestation of bees, termites, bats and rats! and none were taking care of properly. the bees, were called upon and Ray (owner) just said if they’re not aggressive its not our problem, i had to call the fire department instead…
the termites to this date 8-​29-​2015 are STILL nit taking care of, each year they come out when the temperatures get above 100 they come out in SWARMS and fly around and get their heads stuck on the door frame and we have to go in there and clean them out. the patio is falling apart and the wood is being eaten from the inside out, all our wood flooring and window paneling is deteriorated and is very sharp and dangerous, still no word on when they’ll fix it and i have brought it up when they come by almost every time.
the bats, we have in the attic and i have expressed how dangerous their poo is, (which is ALL over our and the neighbors walkway to get in and out of the apartment) and we have a baby an we track it in our shoes and onto our floors. All they did was come by sweep the poop away and say «oh ill get a trap or a net so they won’t be able to get back in» forget that! i called a bat inspector myself and they came by and said it’ll cost about 600 – 800 for removal bc they are protected by law! we don’t want them killed no way, but we want them out! did i mention we had a bat in our place and our neighbors… yeah we have massive holes in our apartments and all (Dan did, Rays brother) is place a fencing mesh so they won’t come in again… uhhhh not really helpful they’re still a swarm family of them in our attic and poop everywhere… that has been for two years now…
we also have rats that live in our attic, after so many complaints Dan came by and went up to the attic through our closet in the living room and placed little mesh fencing in the small holes al around the attic… then he had a exterinator come by and said he has never seen so much rat droppings in a small area like that in a long time… he placed traps all around the attic and said if we smell something funny thats the rat and to give them a call back… no rat was ever caught to this date 8−29−2015… still hear noises up top and called the exterminator for advice and he said that the landlord needs to place hard mesh fences all along the apartment building where we have little windows, told that to Dan, nothing has been done.
Our apartment on the inside NEEDS a lot of work. I called a glendale city employee to come by and inspect our apartment back in 2013 for the neglect status of our apartment he said it was an unsafe environment and needs to be fixed immediately or they have to pay a huge fine, he did also mention that most likely they will raise your rent constantly bc they’re allowed to do so and are usually pist you go above their heads and involve the city. i didn’t go through with it because my fiancé and i were struggling and are still now with a new baby and we were to afraid of the rent going up. it has gone up 180 extra a month since then.
ALL of our windows do not open or close on their own, we need to place nails to hold them up, very dangerous specially with a baby, I’ve expressed it to the landlords to get this fixed and he said all i need to get is a little clip and it should work, a year has gone by and still no fix. all the paneling on the windows are falling off and the paint chips and sharp pieces are on the edges of the fixtures. we have had a leak since we moved here on the ceiling near our living room closet that was finally fixed just 2 years ago, but still leaks and now has a huge stain all across the ceiling and smells like rotten wood and mold on hot humid days or when it rains. never been checked for mold and i don’t have the money to get it inspected… all they said they would do is paint over the spot…
the back door is just a useless door, the termites and water damage ate it apart and needs to be replaces because it doesn’t lock bc they painted over the locks… the bathroom sink had a pressure issue and was super loud and shook all the pipes and water heater when it wasnt turned all full power, thankfully with enough calls about the issue they bought a very cheap new facet and replaced it about a year ago… the sink in the bathroom and the kitchen leaks non stop, Dan tried to fix the kitchen but somehow its worse and leaks more than ever. the sink in the bathroom is a cheap black painted cabinet and the wood chips underneath falls with the slightest touch, so theres wood everywhere which i have caught my kid not to eat.
our wood flooring is bending and chipping.