Higher Ground is a Godsend! They are completely professional, attentive and supportive of their clients. And they get the job done! Angie Ortiz is a breath of fresh air and the kindred spirit you want on your team! She is Awesome (with a capital A). Stay tuned! read more

Believe the one-star reviews. In fact, they might be too generous. If this HOA's failures were merely the result of garden-variety incompetence, I might be inclined to forgive. But the pattern here suggests something far more sinister: deliberate negligence dressed up as management. I reside in Greenwood Square, Van Nuys, a community that, on paper, promises order and livability. In practice, it's managed with all the grace and attentiveness of a blindfolded juggler in a windstorm, chiefly by Vicky of Higher Ground Properties. They say when it rains, it pours. In our case, it was a monsoon of mismanagement. Last week, our puppy suffered a severe allergic reaction to vaccines. We were in and out of the vet. Then, during what was supposed to be a routine check-up, my wife was admitted to the ER. Amid all this, I arranged a cleaning service to prepare the house for her hopeful return. But before I could lift my head from my work laptop, the cleaner's car--parked briefly--was already towed. Curiously, the same vigilance does not apply to the vehicles routinely squatting without permits, or the motorcycle that has been parked all day in a permit-required spot. Nor to the shipping container that sat on Maple Road for at least a week like an art installation. Add to that the off-leash dogs, the trail of dog waste in the front lawn dirt, and the steady stream of stolen packages, and you start to wonder what exactly this HOA is managing. I've now had to cancel critical work meetings to track down a towed vehicle and pay the fee to release it. Compassion? Context? Basic human decency? Don't bother expecting any of that. Unless you enjoy being punished for playing by the rules while chaos is politely ignored. Want to experience a Kafkaesque blend of apathy, miscommunication, and hostility wrapped in HOA letterhead? Give Vicky a call. If you catch her between power trips, she might even return it. As for the mailboxes, they were broken into and left unrepaired for months. The HOA failed to notify residents at all until my wife and I insisted they inform the community. We were left wondering where our mail was while they did precisely nothing. Skid Row might be a dramatic comparison--until you consider the vagrants at the park late at night and the line of people living out of their cars along the main roads. This isn't community management. It's indifference institutionalized. And we're footing the bill. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. Vicky is HORRIBLE she is unprofessional and always on a power trip as if she was the property owner. I wish I could upload the responses to her emails that she has sent my mother. She does not call back or email back and when she does she is snarky. She is quick to email a complain but not to respond to repairs or issues going on. I dont know why Danielle hired her. Her unprofessional attitude is beyond. If you hate talking to people you should not be in customer service. Last I checked part of HOA fees is to pay property management not to be harassed and talked down by its employees. read more

I had a tricky situation that was handled by Ivette. She was very helpful, professional and diligent. It took several months to complete, and Ivette was always on top of things. She always got back to me during each step which was most appreciated. I highly recommend her and thanks again, Robert Klein read more

Vicky is our HOA manager. She follows the rules, prompt, and responsive. She takes the community's concerns as if she is part of the community! read more

They are a joke. Personal Experience: I've complained multiple times to the HOA that the unit above us do not adhere to the quiet hours posted in big bold bright red letters all over the building [10PM - 8AM]. Even with my Youtube Channel that is dedicated to recording the noise, they "needed to present it to the board." NADA. You may also like to know that one of the adult males living above has a contracting business and they are using their residence to cut and hammer their work daily. I know they aren't reconstructing the unit because they did that before this new family of 6-7 moved in after the pandemic. They started construction work at 6-6:30AM prior and even then HOA did nothing to enforce quiet hours. Now, this family begins anytime from 7:30AM and ends 11:30PM randomly daily. Here's them cutting boards of wood - I haven't even included the hammering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2dEGNkFFPw I've emailed then and emailed now. Nothing's happened. Even after 10, 20, 30 emails including my rental company. No one cares and I truly hope all of these people have to deal with inconsiderate neighbors for double the time we have had to so they know what it means to suffer without support. BTW, HOA fees are $375 - 400+ monthly. General Stuff: HOA is supposed to give notices to residents when they shut water off [which happens monthly 6 months out of the year]. Haven't received notice the entire 2025 year. This include the fire alarm testing that was an hour long that woke me up in a startle. Wasn't ready for it - how could I be? The pipes are leaking in the garage, but since it's costly to replace, they just bandage it. Tried calling the city to inspect it, but of course every time they came, it was a dry spell and they don't take video recordings because those can be "faked" and "doctored." Are you kidding me?? The rust from the pipes is literally ruining the paint on some vehicles. They have switched real rose bushes to fake plants in the courtyard. Why? No idea. It's tacky and ugly, so I don't know what else there is to upkeep except the exterior and the hallways / stairways. The fees are high for this dump of a place. Spectrum is the only thing that can be hooked up to the place and is $85/month. Deliveries can't get in sometimes if there are new drivers because the intercom system was broken and most don't even use it, so they leave our packages outside where they get stolen. At one point, there were residents stealing other residents' packages. This place is a revolving door of problems. We've had an offer to purchase a unit in 2022. It would've probably been smart to own, but I said "No," because it's ridiculous. Now, I feel like we are stuck because of the fires and housing market. It's all bad. EDIT: I've also emailed Danielle the owner and never once heard back. She replied to this review within a minute. Guess Yelp reviews are more important than actual residential emails. NOW, she's saying they've contact LAPD? How are we as residents supposed to know? From a Yelp review? Please. Send documentation. That would be the professional thing to do. Instead of saying how things aren't your "job," maybe suggest solutions to residents. Otherwise, what are you here for? Also, quiet enjoyment is per unit as well - get your facts right: "The covenant of quiet enjoyment states that a tenant has the right to enjoy his or her rental unit without "substantial interference" from the landlord. It ensures that tenants benefit from the full use and enjoyment of their rental unit." read more

Vicky L. is always on top of emails and pertinent information about our HOA. She's very knowledgeable and is always eager to help our community. We are lucky to have her on our HOA. Thanks Vicky L. read more

Needed help with getting the code and the right clicker thats compatible with the front gate. Ivette responded right away and said she will get back to me by end of the day. Ivette got back to me a few hours later with all the information that I needed. I have experiences with other HOAs. You reach out. They don't respond for 3 days. Then they say they will get back to you ASAP. They get back to you 3 days later. Then its the weekend.. and it takes 2 weeks to solve something. read more

My mailbox lock broke. It's not working at the Encino Village complex. I can't get my mail! Mailboxes have gotten broken into at this complex, repeatedly. New mailboxes were installed. They're cheap. My key won't open my mailbox at this time. Higher Ground property manger, Alejandra was contacted who said they WON'T HELP, I should pay for a locksmith! What?!! This is a TERRIBLE property management company. Not the first time I'm contacting them about a concern... they just don't care. Response to Danielle The KEY is NOT lost, damaged, or broken. The LOCK which isn't mine, is the issue! read more

We started working with Higher Ground late last year. We are currently working with Ivette and have found her to be very knowledgeable and stays on top of outstanding issues that need to be addressed. She is also very accessible via phone and email which is very helpful. The management fee for the service they provide is fair and they do not tack on excess extra charges. read more

Ivette Corea has been nothing short of amazing. She's very attentive and handles any situation with top priority. I would highly recommend Higher Ground for their services. They have a great team of experienced staff and they have great customer service. read more

INCOMPETENCY AND UNPROFESSIONALISM AT ITS FINES. Higher Grounds managed my community, and VICENT BAIZA was our HOA manager. A gutter needed to be correctly aligned above my unit due to a rotten piece of wood holding it in place. It was raining season at that moment, and the rainwater would hit my front door and leak into my unit. On 11/15/2023, I sent an email to Vincent explaining the issue with photos and a very detailed explanation of why it was urgent. On 1/25/2024, after many emails asking for updates and not getting reasonable explanations, a gutter company was scheduled to fix the issue on 2/13/2024, almost three months after the first email. Long story short, fast forward to 6/19/2024. My gutter was not fixed. During those 8 months, the gutter company went to my unit 4 times to see my gutter, and I saw no one any of those times, despite having a ring camera in my front door where the issue was located. Also, he told me that he sent the community handyman, "Johnny," to check my gutter, but I did not see anybody show up the day he supposedly checked. The day after, I asked the actual handymen of the community if they checked my gutter, to which they said no because Vincent didn't tell them anything, but they checked my gutter that day, and they told me they could quickly fix it, but Vicent had to put the work order first. I also asked them about "Johnny, the community handyman," They gave me a confused look and said they had been the only handyman in the community for years. So Vicent Baiza was just a liar. After many emails, phone calls, and even a visit to the office, Vicent could not explain all this. Vicent went from ignoring my questions in emails to ignoring my emails completely. When I started calling, I would confront him about the situation and ask for proof that he was actually working on this. He would always say he would send the proof but never did until he started ignoring my calls altogether. When I visited the office, I comforted him again, and he would not answer my questions; all he would say was, "I will email the gutter company right now," or something along those lines. He said he would send me proof of "working on it" that afternoon. A couple of days after and did not receive anything from Vincent. I called the office again, and when I asked for the proof, he said he would send it whenever he got to it and hung up abruptly. A couple of weeks later, the community decided to fire Higher Ground and hire a new company. What Higher Ground did not fix in 8 months took our new company only 48 hours to fix, and our community handymen fixed my gutter immediately. You can save time and money by choosing a well established, more professional company with competent people who know how to manage a community. read more

This HOA management company is out of control. They constantly harass residents instead of helping. They've tried to remove our personal security cameras without permission--a clear violation of our rights and a threat to our safety. On top of that, creating stress and tension in the community. Instead of improving the neighborhood, they make life harder for the people who live here. We pay monthly dues expecting professionalism, communication, and respect. What we get is bullying, neglect, and zero accountability. If you're considering working with this company--don't. They're more interested in control than community. read more

I am homeowner of 20737 Roscoe blvd. Winnetka CA. I have 6 years old daughter. And my garage is fully with Christmas thanksgiving Easter decoration , which are packed in storage boxes. And because the garage is small of course there is no room to put two cars inside. I pay every month HOA plus property tax. This is my own home and I cannot park my car in our gust parking for couple hours, because Ivete Correa is all the time disturbing me and writing me threatening about that I do not have a right to park my car at my gated neighborhood. They ordered me to pay 50$ for penalty, because being owner I cannot park at our guest parking. Why I cannot park outside, because it is too far from my residence. And it is very dangerous with my little girl park there and walking home all the way specially at night. Also I want to mention that in fall 2024 the HOA forced us to pay 350$ for balcony inspection for nothing!!! . We paid 350$ and the inspection didn't even came to my home to check. Basically the HOA stole our homeowner's money . And they broke the rules!!! The fact!!! We pay 530$ HOA every month gardening which is in horrible situation, they broke all my flowers from outside, and they didn't fix my flower yet. we do not have heated water in a swimming pool in summer time, everywhere dirty, no any security cameras around building at all!!! And after all these unsolved issues, they forced me to park my Mercedes car far from my own home . The place where they say to park in behind the gate and it is in such a dangerous spot outside , where there is no camera nothing!!! I as a home owner I am giving ONE STAR to our board members and HOA Higher Ground management. Our HOA management worked very unprofessional without taking responsibility and taking care of homeowners and without thinking about our safety concerns. Our board member doesn't know anything. They do not know what's going on around our neighborhood. Around our neighborhood the strangers starts steel cars, track etc. two months ago one of our home owner members car was stolen. The fact that it is very dangerous and no safe place became this area. We do nit have 1$ in HOA budget for cleaning fixing or put some security cameras for homeowners safety: after all this issues they forced me to park my car outside!!! This is unfair, this is unprofessional this is fully breaking rules and no take caring of us as a homeowner to be secure. They are very rude and no any relationship with us to keep us safe. read more

The montecito gardens condos in van nuys was taken over by higher grounds and they have been the absolute worst. We've had so many issues with mold and water damage a broken pool and all of the residents are living in a nightmare with this company. They lack communication, compassion and knowledge, Vicky has been very rude and unprofessional and she is very hostile to people. She should not be in customer service and the company should be investigated. If any property is looking for an HOA it would be a huge mistake for you to choose higher grounds, they have plenty of negative reviews for a reason, and their positive ones are look like they are from fake accounts. I'm not one to leave reviews but I'm warning you from the bottom of my heart to stay away from them. read more

I experienced the exact same thing a previous commenter did. They sent incorrect information during escrow in an effort to allow the previous homeowner, who was also the HOA president to scam me into an assessment, unknowingly. And I'm sure Danielle will say that's not true, like she responds to all of these terrible reviews in an effort to gaslight and fool people, but the previous owner left the country and took all of her assets out of the country. Does that sound like something an innocent person would do? read more

I am currently the sitting President of my association. As you can imagine it can be extremely intimidating to have to handle all of the comings and goings of a properly but Higher Ground has definitely made that smoother. We had a couple of moments that didn't meet expectations and it was always sorted out quickly. They have seen us through a huge 300k special assessment- painting of the building and various needs as a community. I am so happy with our current rep Angie Ortiz and if you're looking to try out HG I would definitely recommend requesting her. She jumped in and literally helped me beyond what I can express here. As with life things come up and during the middle of our special assessment our rep at the time took leave which was a bit stressful but Angie took a call with me and has been so amazing quick to respond and super helpful with any questions. I also really enjoy working with Karla and Adan who handle our finances and again.. as you can imagine with so much going on at the property it has been a bit of a game of figuring it all out. Both Karla and Adan took a call with me when they got brought on to the account and are so quick to help and wonderful with communication. Danielle who my previous board signed with originally also amazing! read more

STAY AWAY!!! My wife and I recently purchased a condo that is managed by Higher Grounds. Higher Grounds provided the wrong information to our escrow company and admitted they made a mistake internally! They are now asking us to pay for their mistake. Absolutely a terrible experience!!! Response to Business Owner: Your team provided our escrow company with the wrong payoff amount, which you admitted to, for the second assessment and that is why we are now in this situation. It is not that we do not want to pay the assessment it is that your teams incompetence caused the issue, refused to accept responsibility, and that we are now forced to deal with. read more

Legitimately, if you want a group of people who couldn't care less about their jobs and will make you feel like you wanna bang your head against the wall the these are the people you want to interact with. Angie Ortiz is perhaps one of the worst human beings alive. The receptionist to answer the phone is actually quite nice. The guy who works above Angie her his name is David. He barely ever returns phone calls. Just a bad bad bad company who will drive you crazy and make you wish that you had second guessed yourself before going to do any business with them. read more

Ivette has been the best manager our HOA has worked with. Friendly, prompt and professional, she always gets back to us in a timely manner with thorough research done on her part and has been great at tracking down the best companies to work with when we need quotes and jobs doing. Can't say enough good things about her. Being on the HOA can be a tricky job and having someone on your side like Ivette and HG has been unbelievably helpful. read more

This management company has unresponsive and incompetent staff, including the owner. They took over the management of Belmont Townhomes and they are a mockery of a management company. Their portal is worthless... unable to locate property and unit specific documents. Their latest newsletter is dated to March and payment transactions are a robbery with fees. The staff are lacking customer service skills, have no follow through and are deficient in their people skills. A Motel 6 version of service delivery! Not to mention several violations related to CA Civil Code Rules and due process and good faith effort engagement... This makes them and the property liable for lawsuits. UPDATE 10/28/24: I've called, left messages, and emailed to no avail. Calling you again after this post is disingenuous. Returning calls and messages should happen regardless and to offer the same method of ineffective communication is worthless. My "1" star remains even after yet again several failed attempts to speak with you or Jessica. read more

Higher Ground is by far the worst property management company out there. They took over our HOA this year and have been nothing but a nightmare to work with. We have water damage and mold and they refuse to fix it. We have had a record number of homeowners sell and move out. They are disorganized, dishonest and have the worst customer service. Hopefully our board members terminate them. They are the absolute worst! read more

Working with the Higher Ground people in Northridge has been a great experience . Alejandra Perez has been a pleasure to work with. You send her a email and she gets back to you in a timely manner. I look forward to working with them again in the future. Jim D read more

DO NOT USE Higher Ground Property Management. Up front they will seem professional and competent. Once you hire them you will regret it. To begin with there is the turnover the agent who promised us great service left immediately after we brought them on board and we got Vicky who did not deliver. They do not have the background to understand a multiple unit condo and all the details required to run a building . Instead relying on contractors who will over bill, up charge, and also have competency issues. No proof but I suspect there is some arrangement involved. Higher Ground limits their own on site visits thus not knowing or understanding the status of your building. If you want them visit often, it will cost you. When there is work to be done by a vendor they are NOT around to supervise. A board member might or might not be around to assist. But it should be a board members job. Their online portal is also of limited use. Giving zero insight into documents needed to run the building. I.e. tax forms, vendor history, vendor performance. Previous year archived documents. etc. The portal is suppose to allow you to submit maintenance request on the building. Totally ignored. The office response time is slow if non-existent. When the board asked for assistance with budget issues in the form of lower vendor cost or any help on how to lower our HOA dues. Zero help. We hope their background in this industry would provide some help. Expect your HOA dues to go up. In general they perform the bare minimum required. Stay away from them. read more

Alejandra from accounts my and Vicky from property management are a pleasure to work with, they assist right away and make sure everything run smooth. I truly enjoy working with higher grounds. read more

It has been a great pleasure to work with Adan and is a great asset to the community. Payables go out quickly and in a correct manner! Provides a great experience being at Higher Ground compared to previous companies. read more

Our HOA recently switched to Higher Ground and the experience has been night and day compared to our prior management. HG is very thorough, knowledgeable, and communicative. Mike Garcia is our rep; he is great to work with and has provided an easy transition. Their fees are very competitive and the service is top notch. I am a fan of the online portal system, which makes paying dues and submitting maintenance request seamless. Overall, I highly recommend HG. read more

Vicky our property manager is outstanding. Couldn't be happier with her. Always on top of everything.

Worst management company ever. They issue "warnings" via mail that are never sent until they are ready to fine someone. They say they mail and email, when their staff is not properly trained to upload documents correctly in their system. Complete mess of a process - hire them if you want to frustrate property owners or renters. read more

Our HOA hired Higher Ground in July 2021 and Danielle made the transition super smooth. I worked with Danielle in the beginning and now we have Yolanda as our property manager. Both Danielle and Yolanda are amazing to work with. They made my life super easy and really helped me learn few new things. Within the first four months we took care of few major issues and repairs that the previous management company couldn't. Both Danielle and Yolanda are in top of their game. They are very knowledgeable, responsive and reliable. Yolanda has stayed on top of our needs and made sure it was taken care of. Higher Ground will truly make a difference in your property and make the board members life much easier. I highly recommend Higher Ground to all properties. I wish we had found Higher Ground sooner. Thank you ladies for the outstanding word and time you guys are investing in our property. read more

Thank you Alejandra and Natayle! I recently called in because I had some worries on my moms account. Alejandra and Natayle were very helpful and answered all my questions. Every time I call you both are always so helpful, professional and friendly. Customer service is spot on, I love Higher Ground Property Management! :) read more

Worst company ever Bad behavior , never respond. Unprofessional. Waist of money and time . Unable to solve minor issues. I can express how bad they are . Specially mike Garcia. I don't understand how they can higher such a unprofessional peoples. read more

Angie Ortiz responds to my emails almost immediately. She answers all my questions. Yesterday I had an issue with LA Sanitation. This afternoon she responded and contacted Waste Management for me. She is really a pleasure to deal with. Thank you so much Angie fir all your help abd support read more

I trust Higher Ground with all my property management needs. I just wanted to share my experience with this worker I spoke with over the phone. I had a few questions about an invoice and Adan answered all of my questions to the tee. He was very respectful and truly made a long-lasting and positive impression. I've had my fair share of horrible experiences with other property management companies but, the quality of service and the hospitality that I've experienced here exceeds my expectations and changed my past sour encounters. Truly amazing staff. Keep up the good work. They have definitely set a new standard for what a customer deserves. read more

Very slow and actually the staff didn't do anything, only told me some will fix the issue in my community. We don't have water for several days! And then no hot water in winter! They did not have professional worker to change a water heater! I will recommend HOA to change a new one! read more

Thank you so much David for taking care of our problem so quickly. I am so satisfied and extremely happy with this amazing service. read more

Simple request takes months and the contractors they use are very sketchy..typically pricing given by there contractors are 50% more. I know they take profit from vendors.. I don't mean to be cruel but I just don't appreciate the tactics.. read more

If you can avoid this company, do so at all costs! The worst experience I ever had. They were in charge of the condo I lived in. Took the HOA money, and increased it once, and will increase it again in January, but didn't fix or maintain anything. We ended up with a huge special assessment ($5million worth), and we were told the repairs would start in August, but it's November and nothing has been done. We had to have mold remediation done in my unit, because rain damage from the roof, destroyed my upstairs neighbor's room, which trickled down into our master room. I had to get my insurance company to come fix it, even though it was the HOA's responsibility. My upstairs neighbor tried to go through the HOA, and his master room is still wet and has huge cracks and water damage in his room still (last I talked to him was in October 26, 2024). They along with the board members sent a lot of misinformation to the tenants. Anytime I asked them to clarify, or showed them proof (from recorded meetings that they shared with us, to documents they sent us, to things the lawyer said) they would stop responding. The worst experience was having to work with David Reynaga, who was the point of contact for our building. He was almost never in the office, or he would almost never really answer any of our questions. read more

We recently changed to Higher Ground from another company that was lacking in all aspects of service. Switching to Higher Ground had been a good decision because their staff are very responsive and offer good customer service. They listen to and are attentive to the needs of the customers they serve. Mike Garcia is our community manager and he is fantastic! We truly recommend Higher Ground for the service needs of other HOAs who are dealing with substandard services from their current management companies. read more

Worst management company. We had flood in our house, we open the claim, HOA got money from the HOA insurance, and they told us that board deny our claim, they keep money and close my claim. My house now not liveable and I don't have place to stay. Thanks to Higher Ground Management manager Yessica Corea!!!! read more