It's nice to see some great reviews about management I just wish it was one of those managers who managed the Complex at my previous residence Hillcrest Vista at country manor in Antioch. I was there almost 2 years an as a homeowner it definetely felt like I was renting. After a year of being there I came home one day to a row of bricks missing that was put down from the previous owner to make it easier walking from the sidewalk to the front door. I called maintenance and management and nobody new nothing for a couple of days so I thought some random person had stole them, then I'm notified that one brick was wobbly and was a hazard, yet no notice was given to me as the homeowner. And they didn't just take one wobbly brick they took the whole row of about 20. Then I was told there was no notice given because most homeowners disregard them. So basically they stole bricks from my front yard and probably put them in they're own yard. Then I received a notice for not being in compliance because of a bird feeder that was previously hung by the owners who served on the board. Received another notice maybe a year after moving in about not being in compliance for a patio shade that was hung, also by the previous home owner who was on the board. So I took It it down, then received another letter for it being on my patio. I called management and she said one of the board members would discard of it (I'm sure she had it hung in the own patio). It begin to feel as they they were picking on me, especially when I could look around and see practically the whole complex with patio shades hanging. My last straw with this company and the association was when they wrongfully changed my account over $300 saying I was late to a plumbing appointment that was actually never made because the plumbers didn't need access to my unit. By the way the plumbing appointment was because i had roots growing up my drain which was the associations responsibility being that it wasn't something I had done to clog up the drain. Had the manager done her job and followed up with the plumbing company they sent out and confirmes they had not called me as I did, instead of listening to 2 incompetent homeowners who served on the board the situition could have easily been solved. Instead I had to take them to court to receive my judgement and they ended up paying more than they initially would have. Unless you have an issue of a light bulb being out on the property or lawn maintenance needing to be followed up with for not servicing your lawn, I found the manager to be useless. Hope fully whomever April is in these great reviews can train these other mangers including the what it takes to be successful at their jobs. read more

I am surprised by some of the negative reviews given to Collins Management, but I think some of them result from confusion about what a property management company actually does. Full disclosure - I worked briefly in property management myself, so I have a good sense of what the job entails. The property manager carries out the directions of the board, which in turn are (or should be) a reflection of the community's wishes. They do NOT choose what rules to enforce - these are spelled out in the community's CC&Rs, and again, these are implemented by the board after discussion with the community. Every community member is invited to contribute--there are specific rules in place to ensure that--and my feeling is that if a community member doesn't voice their opinion and vote, then they are not entitled to complain about the outcome. Take the issue of security. It is true that our community is challenged by car break-ins, loitering, mail theft, and trespassing. To blame Collins for that doesn't make sense. At the direction of the board, with input from the community, security measures are budgeted for and carried out. In addition, volunteers do a walking patrol at night. (See a theme here? When community members see a problem and offer to help, rather than complaining, good things happen. Which leads me to another disclosure - I am a new HOA board member in my community, a post I sought so that I could help fix the problems I saw.) Collins - and our manager, Christine Alfaro - have been quick to address every request made by the board since I moved here a year ago. It is true that there have been delays in implementing repairs and upgrades, but these trace to the vendors and Christine is addressing that. In the coming months we will be seeing upgrades to a variety of aspects of our buildings and grounds, budgeted for in the financial practices that Collins, and our CPA and attorneys as well as the board, oversee. Christine also assists with the preparation and delivery of documents required by law, and assists with permitting, community engagement including law enforcement, reserve study, annual budget and statements, dues collection, insurance, and responding to the requests of the many people who live here. I know that our community has a ways to go but I love it here and feel encouraged by the hard work of the residents who do help out and the support of Collins and Christine. read more

Collins Mngmt has been one of the main reasons I continue to serve on our community's Board of directors, after 8+ yrs. Jennifer S. is a gem - she is smart, experienced, quick to give us specific, common sense ideas and possible solutions to the never-ending maintenance issues, alleged violations & miscellaneous complaints, and has a great sense of when to call in the attorney or insurance experts. And she somehow manages to keep a great sense of humor - always welcome in these difficult times. She doesn't always know all the grimy details of our CC&Rs, but she has no problem saying that, and looking things up & getting back with the accurate information - no guessing! Our former very large & out of state management company was notorious for assuming answers, causing us a number of years of headaches, missed tax payments (!), very frustrated board members and homeowners, resulting in a poorly managed budget & reserves. BUT hallelujah ! Jennifer's ease & experience with HOA's budget, laws, and the myriad accounting processes & required time periods has brought our HOA back into a great financial position. She helped our Board weather the community storm when we voted to raise our fees 2x in 2 yrs, giving details of reserve and budget problems left over from prior "management" and specific line-item areas which we could reduce, change, consolidate, or simply delete. Both Jennifer & Julie, our ass't community manager, attend all our Board meetings, helping us keep on-track with all our issues, prepare for legal changes, write newsletters and email blasts to our residents keeping them informed of Board decisions, community maintenance issues, and general CC&R reminders. As other reviewers have noted, owners do not like being told "no" or being told to come to hearings or that the CC&Rs are for everyone's benefit & adherence. Ultimately it is the all-volunteer Board of Directors, elected by owners, that raise fees, issue fines, change priorities - Jennifer & Julie & Collins are there to help in these management processes, and they do excellent work! So thank you for helping us save money, bringing our HOA back into legal compliance, and for all your hard work, especially during this difficult Covid restrictions time period. You are highly recommended! read more

I personally would like to thanks Christine Alfaro our manager at Hillcrest Vista at Country Manor for an excellent job on managing 23 acres of land and 234 units at Hillcrestvista. The landscape itself is a major task with 23 Acres of trees bushes grass all over the propertyI became a homeowner at Hillcrest Vista at Country Manor in the year 2014 I recalled there was a lot of things going on in this community. homeowners were renting out their units in Grove which was against the bylaws for anyone bought their unit after 2007. rules were not enforced at all from the previous management company. The HOA were paying big bucks to the previous company and things were going south.when Collins management agreed to manage Hillcrest Vista our manager Christine Alfaro begin to enforce rules of our cc&r ,changes became noticeable right away. the bylaws were in place but no one enforcing them. I see the complaints about Collins management and particularly about Christine Alfaro. I realize that some people has no understanding as to what compacity management companies serves.those complaints actually has nothing to do with the skills of the management company. management company work for the HOA which is govern by the board of directors.managers sometime can advise and recommendations to the board of directors but the final decision comes from the board of directors of your H OA. Board of directors are volunteer homeowners that need guidance on how to better serve there community,from the professionals that know and understand H O A bylaws.Buying into an h o a can be challenging. dues are not set in stone and can increase as needed for daily operations,building repairs,tree maintenance,the list goes on. Hillcrestvista@Country Manor is a beautiful and quiet community it has come a long ways from when I bought my unit. Thanks to the hard work of Christine Alfaro , the board of directors working together to ensure a clean,quiet,safe place for all our resident.Christine Alfaro is very dedicated to our homeowners and work very hard to accommodate their needs within our hoa bylaws. read more

Hello Yelp Reviewers! I am an employee of Collins Management and am writing this review for prospective clients, employees, and vendors. I have worked for Collins Management for ten years. Although our industry changes constantly, and every day presents a new challenge, one thing has stayed the same over these last ten years... Collins Management is devoted to their employees, vendors, and clients. They truly believe quality starts with their employees, therefore, provide a quality working environment. Our work environment is trendsetting, modern, customizable, technologically advanced, and extremely supportive. Employees at Collins may not always receive raving reviews from owners/tenants, as we tend to have to do the tough stuff (write violation letters, collect dues, etc...) and hey I will be the first to admit mistakes happen. But in exchange, we are acknowledged daily for helping a realtor with a tight deadline, rescuing owners at 2 AM when their upstairs neighbor forgets to turn off the bathtub, reducing operating budgets by bidding day-to-day expenses (have you seen how much AT&T will jump in price if you don't call it in). I could go on but I am not here to toot our horn, just to say, we know we are providing quality service and that is thanks enough. We are also compassionate about our jobs and willing to make wrongs right. If anyone ever has a concern, complaint, or question, we have an open door policy. Oh and don't stop with your community manager, feel free to escalate, Collins Executive Director, Sue Nieters, and owners are standing by to help. read more

I live in a condo complex managed by Collins Management. The director of our HOA is also the CEO of Collins Management, so he basically owns our complex. Living here has been a nightmare. The quality of residents has declined so sharply in recent years that we're seriously considering leaving now because the community has become literally unsafe. We have so many criminals running amok in the community now. There is no peace or quiet, the rules are not enforced, and everything is dirty and disgusting. They don't clean up the place and everything is falling apart. There's also a lot of corruption and politics going on on the board and at collins management that is causing a lot of problems in our complex to be neglected while other people are singled out for seemingly trivial matters. It's all personal and has nothing to do with actually maintaining the quality of the area or consistently enforcing CC&R. A lot of folks have written about this stuff over the years but sadly their reviews get buried or hidden so no one sees it. The score on here is really deceptive in my opinion and I think their rankings on Google are more accurate. Avoid this company and any complexes managed by them at ALL costs if you value your health, your sanity and your safety. TRUST me on this. Collins management is a scam and the communities they "manage" are not managed at all. They're run-down dumps with a paper-thin facade in the front, to appear like they're actually worth the land values here. This place isn't worth a third of that now, in my opinion. read more

My name is Dave the Duke Sims I am acting president of the East Bluff homeowners association. Collins management was hired about two years ago to become our management company. Before we hired them East Bluff was a bit of a mess flagrant violations of satellite dishes parking dog issues trash issues all around violations of the association that are unacceptable. We hired Collins management to enforce out CC&R and that's exactly what we expect from them. In two short years we've come a long way with violations we've had our banking system overhauled that was desperately needed to comply with state regulations we're in the process of finishing all the roofs and the gutters on the propety sealed all the driveways on the property some major tree work has been done we have major sewer line inspection happening soon and $100,000 landscape project out to bid. Without Collins Management as we used to do this on our own with a secretary the stuff would have taken years to get done. I take a vested interest in our property and being on the board and I take my fiduciary duties very seriously. After working with Collins management Jennifer and Sara especially I cannot recommend them highly enough to be your management company. You would be a fool not to hire them just keep your hands off Jennifer and Sara they are ours. Dave The Duke Sims president East Bluff homeowners association. read more

I highly recommend Collins Management Company as a Property Management Service company who does outstanding work and is sincere about continuing a prominent working relationship in the Business of Property Management. Since early 1986 I have been acquainted and worked with Collins Management; subsequent to becoming a member of my Homeowners Association Board of Directors. During the past twenty four (24) years I have found Collins Management to be very professional in delivering service to their clients; our Association and all vendors that is employed to do business for and around the Complex. Collins Management's greatest assit is their ability to get results by not giving in to pressure yet professionally completing all required assignments with and for their clients. Collins Management's success to date can be attributed to their friendliness and willingness to be reasonable but also standing firm on going forward with what is best for the client; i.e. staying within the appropriate law, rules, regulations, codes, etc.. Most of all, I appreciate Collins Management's conscientious determination to perform their tasks well--this is the hallmark of the companys relationship/work with me. Thus, I fully recommend Collins Management for any Property Management job they are qualified to Manage... read more

For approximately the past 15 years, I have been a resident homeowner and HOA Board member of a 40 unit condominium complex in El Sobrante managed by Collins Management. I am very pleased with their services. When the HOA first hired Collins, the HOA had almost no money in the reserve account and the property had been badly neglected. With guidance and assistance from Collins over the past 15 years, we have done major asphalt repairs, recently completed an extensive roof replacement project, and (twice) have completed dry rot repairs and painting of the exterior of all buildings. All of this was done without any special assessments and we still have a balance of over $100,000 in our reserve account. Collins has helped us locate excellent contractors with reasonable prices. I have found Grace, our management rep at Collins for at least the past 8 years, to always be courteous and responsive - not just to Board members, but to all homeowners. She is very organized and is diligent about keeping her promises. Grace has had the difficult task of responding to the occasional recalcitrant and hostile homeowner who won't follow HOA rules. She has always handled these situations in a very professional, fair, and calm way. She has been an immense help to the Board and a pleasure to work with. read more

Another update!! They just raised our dues to 375.00!!!! Ridiculous! Reason? They hired two new ft employees. Sounds like they made a choice we have to pay for. Yet I don't see them cleaning the grounds all I see is mowing of lawns and garbage removal! This place is a major scam! How can we overthrow the hoa? We need a new one I just recently purchased my condo and Collins management has been a rip off and complete disappointment. As a new owner you expect to be given all of the necessities needed to be a resident. Pool access etc. nope. Not the case. They require you to have a pass to enter the pool which is not provided to you. They expect random past owners to pass it along. I was told from the manager they were given out about 4 years ago with no confirmation just an assumption and if I needed one as a new owner I'd have to pay the fee to get it replaced which is 75$. Makes no sense. We pay 350 a month and can't get pool access. Also if you have a guest over you must pay 35 for a guest parking pass. "Whattt" this company sucks. The security they employ are jokes. I've watched out of my own window a fight and someone try to run the other guy over with the car. Where was the security that's always putting stickers on windows then? Such a ripoff. I'm probably reporting them to the bbb. read more

I am an HOA Board Member in Larkspur, where we have just signed on with Collins Management. We were with our previous property management team for more than 20 years, so it has been a big undertaking to transfer to a new team. From our very first meeting with Paul I felt confident and assured that we were working with the right team. Collins has a robust set of processes and procedures that have made the transition smooth. From tracking work orders and resident inquiries, to helping put structure and organization in place at our monthly meetings I have been impressed. Their dedicated resident inquiry person Julie is amazing. She is thorough and kind and extremely responsive. The dynamic duo of Kristian and Michael our property managers are organized, calm and professional. There is often stress when there is change and as we have shifted from one company to another they have provided calm and clear guidance and boundaries for the board and residents, drawing on their immense professional experience to guide us and provide perspective. Our smooth transition is all thanks to Kristian and Michael, they are an absolute asset. I look forward to our continued collaboration and truly enjoy working with the entire Collins Team, they are a class act. read more

Very poor management. I appreciate others using names here, so I will add one: Diana. She recently left after years of mismanagement, rudeness, and lies to our residents. Our new manager so far is not listening. Under Collins, we have had an entrenched 2-person bloc on the Board who votes with the manager. They have imposed rules saying we can't use our own driveways and garages as we wish. They changed the by-laws without notifying anyone to give a vote to a person who is neither a resident nor owner. Like other writers here, we have had a ruinous "gardening" firm that chops and clears plants, leaving bare spots, and spreads herbicides, against the express wishes of all residents. Beside us, we have young children, pets, and we want to protect wildlife. The elections for Board Members are not observable, the entrenched Board's continuous reelection are suspected fraudulent. Some residents have been pushed to the point they are trying to get the Board to make changes, even though they can't get elected. I have been afraid to speak out until these people got together. They want to get Collins on our side, but I would like to just replace them. I and others are encouraged to stand up because of the other reviews seen here. read more

We moved into the Cove at Marina Bay a year ago. The developer sold off over 150 of the 224 units here to new owners and gave up their board seats. Our management staff, Diana and April, have been awesome in helping the new board of directors get there feet wet and in helping the new homeowners get acquainted with their new surroundings. Too many times condo owners and residents put a lot of blame onto the property management team when in fact it is the HOA, CC&Rs and board who determine their roles. Condo living takes some getting used to. There are many dos and don'ts. Some of them seem ridiculous or unreasonable. Some are very practical or involve safety issues. Diana and April do an outstanding job in providing cordial customer service to residents by explaining the reasons for these rules and regulations. They also encourage owners to become active within the HOA. I've seen them monitor the HOA meetings and interact with owners. They are very professional in dealing with problems and answering questions brought before them. Managing a property this size takes skill. The team here is adept right down to the maintenance staff, JJ and Guillermo, who keep the grounds clean and well taken care of. read more

I recently had the pleasure of working with Charlotte, and I can't speak highly enough of her exceptional service and dedication. Charlotte exemplifies what it means to be truly customer-obsessed. From the beginning, her professionalism and commitment to helping me with not just one but two different requests was evident. Each interaction was smooth and seamless, thanks to her clear communication and proactive approach. One of my requests encountered an unexpected delay, but Charlotte went above and beyond to follow up persistently, ensuring that I was kept informed every step of the way. Her proactive approach and unwavering commitment to seeing things through made a world of difference. It's rare to find someone who genuinely cares about the customers they serve, but Charlotte does just that. If you're looking for someone who is thorough, reliable, and entirely dedicated to meeting customer needs, Charlotte is the person to go to. Her customer obsession, professionalism, and remarkable follow-through set a high standard, and I am genuinely grateful for the outstanding experience she provided. read more

These complaints are from Del Rio Court Concord where I live. My main complaints are these; 1- They do not answer the phone. 2- No manager comes to check the condos. 3- Tenants do not use their own garages as parking but they occupy visitor parks. 4- Those who cut the grass do a very irregular job, It is not known exactly how much the people who cut these grass are paid, but the job they do is that bad. 5- They do not even answer the condo owners phones. 6- They receive $625 every month from each condo owner but they have neither business skills nor communication experience. 7-I have no complaints about tenants and landlords adopting dogs and cats, but some tenants have large head dogs and they bark all day and night. 8-Every cat and dog owner should walk their own cat and dog in their own area and pick up their own droppings. There is no need for them to come in front of other peoples condo and make dog droppings. 9-This new management is not doing any work at Del Rio Court. But I know that no matter how many complaints I have, this management will never do regular work at Del Rio Court. read more

A True Professional Who Transformed Our HOA We cannot say enough good things about Amanda Meng! As our Community Account Manager, she has completely turned our HOA around. From the moment she stepped in, Amanda brought a keen eye for budgeting, a deep understanding of laws and regulations, and an unwavering commitment to professionalism. Our HOA has faced challenges in the past, but Amanda approached every issue with tact, grace, and expert guidance. She has helped us navigate complex financial matters, ensured we stay compliant with all regulations, and provided a clear, well-executed transition plan that has strengthened our community. Thanks to Amanda, our association is now more professional, organized, and forward-thinking than ever before. Her ability to handle difficult situations with diplomacy while keeping us on track is truly impressive. If you're looking for someone who will not only manage but elevate your HOA, Amanda Meng is the best there is. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and highly recommend her to any community in need of top-tier management. Thank you, Amanda! read more

I have been on my HOA's board for the 8 years, and have been the president for the last 6. In that time we have and continue to establish a great cooperative working relationship with Collins Management, first with Paul Collins and currently with Gennine and Mary. I find them all to be extremely knowledgeable and responsibe. One that that I have learned as the board president as the the management of an HOA is only as good as its board members are invested in actively participating in the many aspects of managing and overseeing the well being and maintenance of their complex. We hired Collins to work with us to manage our association, but that doesn't mean that we make them responsible for solving the problems with our neighbors or any of the non property management issues that those of us as board members has heard during our montly meetings. Our board takes an active role in address our own issues and Collins has always been instrumental in providing guidance as well as any legal review that might be warrented. We will continue to work with Collins and would highly recommend them. Duran read more

Over the past 5 years my group has worked with most of the folks at Collins Management on a trade and professional basis. We've found them to be 1st class and as conscientious as it gets when it comes to the care and needs of the properites they manage. Because of the services we provide we often interface with the board members and homeowners they serve. Although in some cases there is an understandable anxiousness, we have not expereinced any disgruntled homeowners who have a reasonable understanding of the statutory and financial restrictions within which the management company has to carry out their resonsibilites. It is important to understand that the effectiveness of any management company is tempered by the everchanging laws that have in the past years done more to neuter managment companies and HOA boards of directors then any other factor. That being said, I'm confident the the folks at Collins Management will continue to out perform other management companies and provide a valuable service to the homeowners associations and apartment complexes they represent. read more

My husband and I were homeowners at Hiller Highlands for almost 30 year. We just sold the home that we loved so we can move into a retirement community. This year, our association will have been with Collins Management for 20 years. Over the last 15 years or so, our manager has been Michael Lee. I've been part of other associations and I can't remember having a manager for more than 2 years let alone 15! Michael has always been professional and knowledgeable about things related to HOA's. My husband was on the Board for 4 years while Michael was our manager and he would always tell me how impressed he was with Michael, particularly his intelligence. He was very bright and one thing that stood out was his thought process. He would come up with different ways to solve a problem that nobody else thought of. I strongly recommend Collins Management if you are looking for a management company. If you can get Michael to be your manager, that's even better. read more