WARNING! Glenn Gurvitch (My Area Realty) renews lease without owner’s approval

[Al K.]

Glenn Gurvitch is a Property Manager in southeast Florida, West Palm Beach area. His company is My Area Realty Inc and does business as Florida's Property Management (https://www.floridaspropertymanagement.com/)

Falling for his simple, relatively cheap  Property Management service  package can be very costly! I initially came to that rude awakening about a couple of years ago. In my previous experience with other PMs it had been customary to be notified at the time of lease renewal. That didn’t happen with Glenn and the lease was renewed at the same below market rent rate and term. Never was I even notified of that renewal until I inquired.

That experience pails to the one that followed. In July 2023 Glenn sent tenants the lease renewal without getting my approval for the term and rate, and again without even notifying me of what he did. The current lease would expire almost 3 months later. This experience blew my mind. I can’t comprehend how there could be any Property Managers out there at all, that can do this to their client owners. When confronted, his email response was: “Sorry, unfortunately we do have the authority to do lease related items on the owner's behalf per the management agreement”.

At the time this happened, PBC had issued the ordinance of 60 day notice to tenants if lease was not renewed or renewal was in the amount of over 5%. But Glenn issued the renewal without my knowledge and authorization close to 1 month before the ordinance would take effect. When confronted to explain the reason why he didn’t notify and get my approval when he had a chance to do so, his email reponse was: “The reason is I have 100-150 renewals a month (2000 units under management) to do so it takes 30 days to get them done so it starts at 90 days prior to have them all done by 60 days.” WOW! was my reaction and that of many professionals in the field that I spoke to.

It gets worst. After the tenant had signed the renewal and with less then 60 days from lease expiration Glenn offers to void lease and send non renewal to the tenants (if I authorized it), knowing full well the legal and financial implications of running against the Palm Beach County ordinance.

Damages that are not limited to only rent loss, loss of opportunity to sell or buy, are predetermined by Glenn’s actions.

I think owners should know!