Magnum Management

It was a pleasure working with Magnum Grp, especially Linda! They were very helpful finding the right fit apartment when we moved to NYC!

Ben shaoul, you should be so ashamed of yourself. I know there’s no point of even telling you how you’re slowly destroying the east village or that your cheaply designed condos all look exactly the same, because unfortunately you’re a talentless sociopath that is only in it for the money. If you’re going to destroy a neighborhood you might as well try build something that still adds to the character of it, or at least show that you’re truly passionate about what you do by building something that you can look at and be proud of. What the hell are you thinking?

Magnum took over the great building I lived in at 389 East 89 Street after they bought it from Post Properties. The building had been a rental, with a superb staff and amenities. Well, they decided to turn the building condo and quickly planned to gut and combine the apartments. Now they needed to remove each and every one of us tenants to do so! The plan? When our leases came up for renewal, they arbitrarily raised them a ridiculously high number to force us out. My rent for a 725 Sq ft one bedroom apt with just two closets was increased from $ 3825 to a whopping $ 7000 a month! Yes, that is NOT a typo folks, 7 big ones. Oh and to add insult to injury, they had the audacity to send me a bogus prospectus offering me «an insider price» of $ 1.245 MILLION to buy this closet. I never even dignified them with a response. Ben Shaoul is a phony, who has absolutely no respect for the law. But shame on the NYC Housing Authority who allows him to get away with this. Me? I have left NYC where I now live in a gorgeous huge 2 bedroom 2 bath apt for $ 2500 a month near the beach :)

Magnum is by far the worst management company I’ve ever come across. After 4 years of living in their mice infested, bed bug ridden building my roommate and I moved. Our new management company is NIGHT AND DAY in comparison. I would rather set myself on fire and stab my eyes out with a toothpick than ever have to deal with Magnum again. They should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. Horribly maintained buildings and everything is a fight. We are STILL fighting for our security deposit and it has been over 60 days. They refuse to communicate with us even though they breached the terms of our lease agreement. BEWARE DO NOT RENT FROM THEM!

I live @ 120 Saint Marks as of right now.
1. We moved in and everything was broken. Dryer door was cracked, outlet covers were missing, cover for the thermostat is missing, toilet seat was broken, toilet paper holder was ripped out of the wall. etc etc. it’s been 4 months and some things have been taken care of but it requires you to personally harass the super or one of the guys who works for the super.
2. I’ve lived in 8 different apartments in NYC and Magnum management is by far the worst people ever to deal with. They’re not just the worst at management, but the most RUDE people i’ve ever spoken to. They talk to you like they’re at a bar fight. They are snippy, offensive, and do not listen to a single word you are saying. I ended up having to tell one of them, are you deaf? My rent check was returned to me as «not deliverable». My checks are sent out via CHASE, and i sent it using the same address as previously delivered. They are saying since the check never arrived on time, there’s nothing they can do. I told them i can provide them proof from chase it was sent out on time and the address it was written to, and they said «that’s still late» That is absurd. it’s one thing if they’re like hey it’s policy i’m sorry this happened. but they just repeat «there’s nothing we can do» over and over again like a broken record without even listening to you. first off, that’s complete bullsh*t because there’s A LOT they can do, including fixing our appliances, removing the fees ($ 450) as good faith.
oh yeah, and also, if you email them, don’t bother. they LOVE telling their tenants, «we don’t directly communicate with the tenants» like that’s their prerogative.
they are very very very awful to deal with. so I just am crossing my fingers nothing else happens that i have to speak to them with. apartments are decent so you just have to deal with these kinds of people if you want an apartment from them.

1) Criminal organization that does not manage property with any regard for humans. Don’t ever rent from them. Really. Cockroach mouse-​ridden apartments that they will renovate and make nice while they show and then happily watch fall to pieces until you move out and they raise the rent 30%. I lived in their building for 5 years and they we’re terrible, the super was friendly, however, in order to motivate him to resolve an issue you we’re required a minimum of 10 phone calls over the span of 5 days, and then likely a small motivational speech to make sure they understand that it is actually an issue. And then the issue was probably not fixed. We had mold on the walls of our building (349 e 10^th) for the entirety of the tenure and they never resolved, frequent ceiling leaks, the toilet was never propery fixed it dripped constantly, our home housed 5 – 10 mice at any given time. I literally woke up to a mouse chewing my hair one morning. When the super came to inspect he sited that the neighbors above and below us weren’t that clean so the mice would find food there, our apartment had no food, which is likely why the mice had to chew my hair while I sleep.
2) ADVICE FOR THE UNFORTUNATE: As you probably know, when you call, they do not answer the phone and forward you to a voicemail, and then never return your call. They also «do not have email contacts with tenants» so you know they’re a real ace management company. But anyway if you actually need them to pickup their phone, all you have to do is call the same number 5 – 30 times and leave long voicemails each time. Around the 5−8^th voicemail someone will pickup, unsure why this technique is successful, but it is. Just rest assured that it’s not that they are not in the office, it’s that they are too lazy to pick up the phone. And then when you call them, be sure to talk very slowly, and stay away from multi-​syllable words. Probably best to envision you’re talking to an infant.

I have no qualms with Magnum Management. Most people come on Unilocal to vent (especially if it’s about a management company) which is likely why the overall rating isn’t so great. I live in Bloom 62 on Ave B, and I’ve never had an issue with my apartment or the management. Yulisa (property manager) and Linda (leasing coordinator) always return my calls (pick up the phone people; it’s more effective than email) and are helpful. They try to find solutions for any issues and work with me. People forget that you have to treat others with respect for it to be returned.

I am the only one that had a mediocre Magnum experience. But, I also believe the other reviewers only wrote because they had a bone to pick.
I lived in their St Marks building for 5 years, since it was gut renovated. During this time, there was a lot of turnover within the property managers, accounting department, etc., but the super, A, and one of the higher ups never changed. The super was awesome — repairs were done quickly and this included the fancy compact fridge that kept on malfunctioning. We went through at least 4 of them.
Renewing and renegotiating our lease was a huge pain in the arse but we usually came out happy, even if we had to escalate it up their chain every year. (When the recession hit, we negotiated it low — time and turnover rates were on our side.) And we never went back to the leasing office after we signed the first year. Everything was done through email and phone. And the first 3+ years, I was able to pay rent with an Amex card! The higher up seemed appreciative of our parting feedback.
I eventually moved on — the building was overrun with new college grads and college kids. Trash was constantly overflowing because… kids create a lot of trash and they were not removing it fast enough.
Overall, I think new Magnum renovated buildings are pretty nice — new modern appliances and usually a washer and dryer in unit, but the layout can be small and awkward. I also appreciated that since the rent wasn’t dirt cheap, the building was secure despite its high traffic location and packages never got stolen! We cleaned our apartment before we left (and living in a 6^th/​7^th floor duplex walkup, we paid the super and his team to dispose of certain items for us) and got our full security deposit back within the required timeframe.
There is a lot of drama with the guy who owns Magnum — B. Shaoul — and I think some of the comments are for buildings that he acquired.

Criminals.
I wish DA would do investigation on them.
Took 6 months for me to get my security deposit back.
6 months!!!
I called every day for 6 months straight.

just don’t do it. Uncaring sneaky greedy people.
Unfinished construction for 6 months now. A girl fell and is extremely in bad condition. They tried to cover up the blood. Completely unsafe living conditions. Paying A very great amount for something worth $ 200.
On another note have been infested with cockroaches, called them multiple times and have had to take it into my own hands. I promise… Just don’t.

I live in a magnum building currently, and in addition to have an incredibly incompetent irresponsible and unresponsive super (who at lease singing they actually said he was one of their best guys), they also tried slipping in a late fee of 10%, YES 10% of my rent when my rent was 3 days late. They have still not taken this fee off my bill despite leaving 10+ voicemails for them and writing hand written notes questioning the charge. They could not give two craps about their tenants and represent everything that is wrong with NYC real estate. I hope the owner of this company actually takes time to get off their dry wall thrown, read a review and realize that they are to blame for the incredibly negative sentiment New Yorkers have for the residential real estate industry. I love NYC and hope to live here for my entire life, but as much as I love NYC, I HATE, I repeat, HATE magnum. If you live in one of their buildings or about to sign a lease… good luck but don’t say you weren’t warned.

I have lived at a Magnum Management building for one year and am moving out not a moment too soon. Stay away from this company, including 349 E 10^th Street. They are unresponsive crooks. No matter what the issue — rent, maintenance needed, moving out — they would ignore our calls and voicemails. When I asked the main answering line not to put me through to our particular property manager because she never returns my calls, the woman’s response was «well I don’t know what to tell you.»
The buildings are not well kept and are filled with students. There is no recourse if the apartment above you plays heavy bass music until 5AM on a Tuesday.
DO NOT LIVE IN A MAGNUM BUILDING!

Don’t do it. These people are awful! Worst experience. ughhh

DO NOT rent from these people. They are rude, extremely unhelpful, and dishonest. We paid our rent on time for an entire year and left the apartment in perfect condition and have now been waiting over 2 months for our security to be returned. No one returns our calls. No one returns our emails. When you call they are RUDE RUDE RUDE. Very unhappy with the entire experience. This has also applied to anything we may have needed when we lived there. Oh, but if they need something from you they are super quick to badger you with calls and attitude until you comply.
Worst renting experience of my life.
You have been warned.
P. S. They do not even deserve a single star. Worst ever.

Magnum Management is not only the worst agency, but they are liars, and will cheat any of their renters in any way possible, charge high deposits, never maintain their building, the owner Ben Shoul is a greedy pig! and so is his sister. they harass tenants their believe are illegal, and badger them to move out, so they can take over rent stabilized apartments. They have several violations, written up against them, and were in charge of the crane collapsing, were one of the workers was killed, all for a $ 50. part. These people should not be buying up Little Italy old walk-​ups, and turning them into youth hostels.
DON’T RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE!!! you’ll be sorry. STAY AWAY, they hire idiots! especially the rude receptionists…

I tried to give this place 0 stars but it wouldn’t let me.
STAY AWAY. They’re unfriendly, dishonest, and they are just horrible people.
They were dishonest throughout the application process, they whimsically charge us phantom fees for absolutely no reason, are impossible to get in touch with, and I suspect they’re a cult of vampires or werewolves or something sinister like that.
I recently went in to talk to them about a misunderstanding about our bill, and the lady made me wait 30 mins, and then when she finally came out, she snapped at me, told me she was extremely busy and didn’t have time for me, and told me to hurry up and tell her what the issue was.
Seeing as she’s probably a vampire, I inferred that she must not have fed in some time resulting in her alarming pole-​up-​the-​butt demeanor. I did not fancy the possibility of being her next meal, so I quickly, calmly, and nicely explained the situation (even though the issue was their fault). Not only could she not solve my problem, she treated me in an appallingly condescending manner and had a look of such loathing on her face that I almost burst into tears for the first time since I first watched Titanic.
Basically…stay away. You have been warned. You have been warned.

Beyond awful. My daughter rented in their building at 49 ½ First Ave last year. There was a roof leak from the start that took 5 months to fix but only because the superintendent felt bad about how long it was taking. They are skimming security deposits and challenging us to take them to small claims court. Their claim was $ 350 for ‘excess paint’ to prep the apt for the next tenant. This is a 350 sq ft apt. It barely takes 2 gallons to white wash it. We left it in perfect condition (swept, mopped, scrubbed). They refused to do a walk-​thru at the end knowing it would prevent them from any ‘flexibility’ with our deposit. Absolute scum.

I sincerely hope that everyone who works at Magnum Management company gets a terminal illness. No, that is not overly harsh.
I had posted a review a year ago when I moved into 165 Avenue A, regarding their refusal to let me move in a day early into the empty apartment, and thus cost me about $ 700 in storage + hiring movers for the second time. They do not answer their phones and their email address is inactive.
They charge this entire building market rate rent, although it is legally filed as a rent-​controlled building. They flagrantly get away with breaking the law, and I hope that anyone with the means to do so sues them for their due compensation.
The buzzer was broken for two months, and nobody came to fix it.
All of their repairs, the actual «management,» is done through a shadow company called «PVE Associates.» Most recently, the building switched to a stupid electronic key system, and made only two (impossible to copy) keys for our FOUR BEDROOM apartment. When I called to inform them of this, I did not even receive an apology for this retarded mistake. I was told that I need to fill out a form that they never sent in order to receive two new keys. We’re moving out in 9 days, so to wait for them to mail it (it’s a Friday) and then mail it back and then wait would mean that by the time we received the additional keys, we’d have moved out.
She offered to fax the forms, but we don’t have a fax machine — I asked if she could email them and she said she doesn’t have access to email. I asked where they were located and offered to come in personally to fill out the necessary forms — they said there WASN’T A PHYSICAL LOCATION. I said, «But you’re sitting at a desk in front of a computer right now. You’re somewhere. You have a physical piece of paper, because if you’re going to fax something you need an original. Where are you located?» She repeated flatly that there was no location, rushed me off the phone and hung up.
Never, ever rent from them. Ever.
Ever.

If reading these reviewing and seeing consistent 1 star ratings for this company is not enough, then feast your eyes on the following:
I had initially went through a no free broker, whom were apparently close contacts with Magnum, that had found me an apartment at 504 E 12^th street. I was about to sign a lease, and unfortunately because of my credit, they told me that I would of needed to give them a brokers fee to get them to cut a deal with the management company to get me an apartment there. Swindled by Israeli’s #1.
After signing a lease and construction rider, my apartment was supposed to by ready by the 1^st of the month. I had to sleep on a friends floor for a week because they weren’t finished renovating the apartment. I of course got pro-​rated my money, but I couldn’t take it anymore, so they moved me into their other building next door at 508 E 12^th.
While I was pretty much fine for the first half of a year, what pissed me off the most was the fact that it doesn’t matter what’s in your lease, they will pretty much not abide by it. I had a renovated apartment, however, the heat in one of the bedrooms was insufficient, they left me with an old rusting fridge, and on top of that, failed to give me a door bell even though it stated in my lease that a working intercom would be provided. Countless phone calls to the low class receptionist at the company, I still never got a replacement fridge or a working intercom.
I stupidly renewed my lease after the first year, why did I do that, I have no idea. It was the biggest mistake I’d ever make. Still after a year, old fridge, no door bell, and then one day, I heard clanking noises from my radiator, and thought, Okay, well, there’s barely any heat, they turned the heat on in the building, let me turn the radiator on. BOOM. explosion in my apartment. My hand burned, steam expelling out of it – for about an hour. I had to open the doors because I couldn’t see anything. The steam damaged the walls, my ceiling, and my kitchen window fell out of the window. People in the building came down wondering if there was a fire in my apartment. I called the super in a panic, and you know what he tells me? he’s an hour-​and-​a-​half away, and couldn’t leave where he was for 30 min. First of all, why are you that far away? Shouldn’t you live on the premises or within x amount of blocks?
He finally came, with a buddy of his, who proceeded to giggling at me because I was retaliating verbally. He got up in my face, yelled. Friend still giggling at me. You know how he fixed it? He put sealing putty on the end of the pipe, still leaving it exposed and capless. There was no cap in the beginning either.
They stupidly put the stove directly next to the wall, so one day when I was cooking, it burned the side of the wall and melted the button on my microwave because it was so low. The super wouldn’t fix or replace it. The management company told me that since my fridge was still operational, then they wouldn’t replace it, even though they told me during my first year that I was on a waiting list.
I decided to then break my lease 4 months before the end of my lease end date. You know what they told me? I’d have to pay a $ 500 breaking of lease fee, and find them new tenants. They found new tenants since they’re also a brokerage firm. The brokers entered my apartment, with their copies of my key, without my consent, every other day without asking me. I kicked them out numerous times and forced them to call me if they wanted to come in.
Since they found new tenants, the new tenants were going to be paying $ 115 less per month then me, so Magnum said that I would have to pro-​rate them $ 115 per month until the actual end of my lease date, keep my security, and require a $ 500 termination of lease fee.
3 years later, they tried suing me for $ 3800, stating that I caused damages to the apartment, stating that they never said that I could get an intercom, and that I signed an agreement stating all of this bullcrap that isn’t true. The only bright side is that my lawyer got it dropped down to $ 2500 (which is a ridiculously stupid amount, since my rent was $ 2025) and they’re forcing me to pay them $ 125 a month until its paid off, starting 20 days from now.
They’re disgusting, vile people and should be reported as many times as humanly possible. Total scum. They shouldn’t get a penny.

I lived in a «Doorman building» at 636 11^th street. The back apartments flooded and the tenants had to move out. This happened to every single studio on the first floor. No one cared.
The doormen are completely worthless. They dont even say hello. After living there a year, not one of them knew my name or apartment nember. Management is impossible to get a hold of. Seriously call pretending to be a tenant at one of their apartments, I promise they will not get back to you no matter how many times you call.
There were floods and people’s belongings were moved out to the court yard without warning when they were not home, then the most worthless human ever — Albino the super — was mad that he had to move the stuff into another apartment. This apartment flooded a few months before and the old tenant was forced to move out.
As far as rent, the apartment was offered at one price, and then, after the deposit was given, was increased by $ 200. They told me I could pay or they would rent to another person.
No battery was in the smoke alarm. a beeping noise was constant for about 3 months, I was NEVER given a copy of my lease, I did not have a mailbox key or laundry card for the frist month.
If Magnum Management was a person, I would kick the s**t out of him every time I saw him — yes him — I don’t hit women. You never appreciate a management company until you have had Albino and Magnum Management.
Thanks Magnum!