Oceanpointe Investments LLC

[Todd Burton]

I believe this will the be the final and definitive word regarding Oceanpointe Investments LLC, Bert Whalen and by association, their closely allied business partner, Morris Invest.

The Indiana Attorney General has concluded their investigation of Oceanpointe Investments LLC and, along with the Indiana Real Estate Commission, they have “Permanently Revoked” the Real Estate license of Oceanpointe and Bert Whalen as of 12/18/17. Please note; per Indiana Code: 25-34.1-3-2; no person shall, for consideration, sell, buy, trade, exchange, option, lease, rent, manage, list, or appraise real estate or negotiate or offer to perform any of those acts in Indiana or with respect to real estate situated in Indiana, without a license.

Here is a  that has the case details as well as information regarding Mr. Bert Whalen which includes “Renewal Fraud” of his Indiana Real Estate License.

[Jaimy Clark]

My girlfriend is a single mom on a very fixed income to support herself and child. She got sucked into the possibility of residual income by listening and talking with Morris invest. She took the limited money she had to invest into a property presented to her by Morris. She jumped on it because they told her that inventory doesn't come up that often. Nowhere did the name Oceanpointe show up on any of the paperwork. She now ones a property that has been abandoned for years and was supposed to have 20K in rehab done to it that is suppose to be finished in July.We have made numerous attempts to contract Oceanpointe and no one will return an email and voicemail is full so no message can be left.We have talk with an attorney and he recommended with give them the time to do the rehab and if by that time there still is no work than we are planning to press forward with a lawsuit against Oceanpointe and Morris. I would welcome any contact from anyone that has been wronged in the process by either Oceanpointe or Morris.This was a single mom with very little income that was taken advantage of and now is afraid for her financial future.I agree! I’m not sure how these guys can sleep at night.

[Amber Laine]

Would this company happen to have an office in Jacksonville, FL? Our landlord sold our house back in February then he disappeared (refused our phones calls, emails, etc.). That month, we received a handwritten letter on a blank sheet of paper, addressed to “current resident”, telling us to send our rent payments to Ocean Point Investments and gave a post office box. There was no agent name or phone number. We decided to put our rent in savings and wait until we could find more info. We never heard from anyone else until the first week of June. Someone put an envelope on our porch with a typed letter (on letterhead made up on the computer). The letter once again gave a post office box but no signature or agent name. When we research the property management, we keep coming up with the company in this thread. There is no Ocean Point Investments listed in Jacksonville, FL. 

[Jay Hinrichs]

Originally posted by @Jaimy Clark:

My girlfriend is a single mom on a very fixed income to support herself and child. She got sucked into the possibility of residual income by listening and talking with Morris invest. She took the limited money she had to invest into a property presented to her by Morris. She jumped on it because they told her that inventory doesn't come up that often. Nowhere did the name Oceanpointe show up on any of the paperwork. She now ones a property that has been abandoned for years and was supposed to have 20K in rehab done to it that is suppose to be finished in July.We have made numerous attempts to contract Oceanpointe and no one will return an email and voicemail is full so no message can be left.We have talk with an attorney and he recommended with give them the time to do the rehab and if by that time there still is no work than we are planning to press forward with a lawsuit against Oceanpointe and Morris. I would welcome any contact from anyone that has been wronged in the process by either Oceanpointe or Morris.This was a single mom with very little income that was taken advantage of and now is afraid for her financial future.I agree! I’m not sure how these guys can sleep at night.

@Colin Zhu  Is one I would talk with he has a property with morris and can help you guys.

[Jay Hinrichs]

Originally posted by @Amber Laine:

Would this company happen to have an office in Jacksonville, FL? Our landlord sold our house back in February then he disappeared (refused our phones calls, emails, etc.). That month, we received a handwritten letter on a blank sheet of paper, addressed to “current resident”, telling us to send our rent payments to Ocean Point Investments and gave a post office box. There was no agent name or phone number. We decided to put our rent in savings and wait until we could find more info. We never heard from anyone else until the first week of June. Someone put an envelope on our porch with a typed letter (on letterhead made up on the computer). The letter once again gave a post office box but no signature or agent name. When we research the property management, we keep coming up with the company in this thread. There is no Ocean Point Investments listed in Jacksonville, FL. 

Morris is selling the same junk there I would do as your doing its a common scam to steal from tenants.. like this. 

[Todd Burton]

@Amber Na

Yes, they are the same company.

Note: Key components of property management (renting and leasing) are considered a real estate activity under existing Florida real estate licensing laws. A property manager needs a broker license if he or she is paid by commission, and is handling rentals and leases for others.

I searched the  for Oceanpointe, Oceanpoint, Ocean Pointe & Ocean Point and did not find any Real Estate licenses for them. This does not mean 100% that they are not licensed with another association but if I were you, I would call this number and inquire. 

from the website: "If you suspect unlicensed activity may be occurring, please call ________________. You may also email ______________________."

If they are not licensed they are not allowed to collect any money unless they own the property. If you find they are licensed, get a copy of your lease (if you were not provided one) and get receipts for every payment you make. 

Document everything that happens! 

Document everything that happens!

Did I mention?....Document everything that happens! 

[Tamara Ratcliffe]

@Todd Burton as a tenant ... How do you find the owner of a home that ocean point sold under false tense. Original owner was told property wasn't habitual.. But infact it had tenants...  I just so happen to be on a break sitting outside the door when an investor and new management company came with a drill...to discover they don't own it either and was robbed of 32 properties.. but some how that house was on the list.. I showed him the 3 leases n businesses cards... He was angered they lied to that man he just flew in to see his current units to discover his crap units wasn't all that crappy... 

      So, these properties appear empty online...  I been going to real estate seminars for a few years now notice the red flags. I have serval family members who originally rented from ocean point..  

    My thing is clerk's office has owner listed from the southern States address is in a bank in Geist..  where they do liability titles... 

How do we find the owner listed... Simply the 5th management company has knocked on the door claiming the same unit and I also noticed the voice of a female... Heard through a converse with my mother about her unit different company... I swore I heard the same female I've seen in person... N Boom you guys confirmed 3 of the companies on this post... They are tired of getting scammed... Anybody can respond thanks...

[Jeff Schechter]

Update: Oceanpointe has re-invented itself as Freeportinvest.com. Operating out of the same two markets: Jacksonville and Indianapolis. Their website uses an Illinois phone number. Go figure.

[Jay Hinrichs]

Originally posted by @Jeff Schechter:

Update: Oceanpointe has re-invented itself as Freeportinvest.com. Operating out of the same two markets: Jacksonville and Indianapolis. Their website uses an Illinois phone number. Go figure.

 Insanity =  doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results..  if these guys don't get indicted I don't know who could or would and I personally would have zero faith in the Indiana AG's office. 

[Sean Boon]

@Daniel G. Sohn. Whalen is a fraud and we are going to take him down.

[Lydia Mary]

Originally posted by @David Brown:

Thanks for posting Todd, 

We are in the process of ditching him, and had just hired a lawyer. Would be interested to hear of anyone else in the same boat. Are they looking at any other business partners? Jack Gibson etc?

 I am in Denver too...  have friends of a friend that got us into this...  saw the flags, and should have listened to my guy and not them...  oh well...  have you gotten anything, been able to go after him ???  Am going to JAX in a few days to check on my 'not done' rentals and move on....

[Lydia Mary]

Originally posted by @Sean Boon:
@Daniel G. Sohn. Whalen is a fraud and we are going to take him down.

Would like to know when and where...  want to be there too !!

[John Nachtigall]

 @Patrick Shawn Faherty just posted this on another thread but it should be posted on this one also

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2019/03/26/fox-and-friends-clayton-morris-investment-real-estate-scheme/3275317002/

Totally amazing.   I realize they are just allegations but this is more than just sub-standard renovations and technical violations.   They are outright fraud.  How could you sell a house 4 days after it has burnt down?   That is easy to prove by facts.   

[Allen Harris]

He and his wife did a YouTube live stream about all this today. I know many won’t believe them or think they got what they deserved, but it’s a fair piece of the puzzle. Short version of the what they say is that they got screwed by Oceanpoint worse than anyone. I have no stake in this so don’t argue for or against them to me! Just putting this up here for those who wonder why Clayton Morris never seems to address all this. Seemed pretty honest and vulnerable to me but again, I have no dog in this hunt. 

https://youtu.be/3K1g0Okv50E

[Jay Hinrichs]

Originally posted by @Allen Harris:

He and his wife did a YouTube live stream about all this today. I know many won’t believe them or think they got what they deserved, but it’s a fair piece of the puzzle. Short version of the what they say is that they got screwed by Oceanpoint worse than anyone. I have no stake in this so don’t argue for or against them to me! Just putting this up here for those who wonder why Clayton Morris never seems to address all this. Seemed pretty honest and vulnerable to me but again, I have no dog in this hunt. 

https://youtu.be/3K1g0Okv50E

whats he going to do he did the only thing they could do try to curry favor.. I know for a fact that a year before this blew up he knew he had problems he was out in the market often.. this is going to be easy to prove once they get into heavy discovery.. he did not just wake up one day and relize he sold 1000 houses and 900 of them are junkers LOL and were never really touched.  I could give him the benefit of the doubt if he was say 20 ot 30 houses in.. Many of the marketing guys and gals on this site have had that happened to them but then they cut it off right then.. don't just steam ahead and sell another 400 to 500 properties knowing full well what was going on.   

[Todd Burton]

@Allen Harris

They are trained TV actors and salespeople. I have been in the Indianapolis Real Estate business for 20 years. Our company personally took on almost 80 of these properties after the Oceanpointe collapse. ALL THE INVESTORS WE DEALT WITH WERE SCAMMED AND LOST HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. Many communicated with Clayton and he just gave them lip service and excuses. They deserve no consideration as they were 100% in the know and kept on selling regardless of the consequences to the investors. 

[Son D.]

@Allen Harris I would not consider receiving millions in commissions being screwed more than anyone. There is someone in my mailing group bought 16 or 17 properties from them. She lost $730000 of her life savings.

[Allen Harris]

Originally posted by @Son D.:

@Allen Harris I would not consider receiving millions in commissions being screwed more than anyone. There is someone in my mailing group bought 16 or 17 properties from them. She lost $730000 of her life savings.

 I said that was their take, not mine. Again, I have zero stake in this. I was just passing along a link. 

[Ritch Bonisa]

I don't know if anyone has read this article from indystar.com yet. Just wanted to post it and share. It is all about the Morris Invest Oceanpointe situation in Indianapolis.

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2019/03/26/fox...

Also, here's a local news piece on it.

https://fox59.com/2019/03/26/ex-fox-friends-host-s...

[Shawn York]

I know this is an old thread and know that it's a MAJOR longshot... but any snowballs chance in hell of contacting anyone that has anything to do with Oceanpointe? I'm sure that even if I could get in touch with someone, my chances of seeing any action is zilch.
Had some storms move through Indianapolis last night and a dead tree fell on a storage shed in my tenant's backyard... that dead tree is from an empty lot owned by Oceanpointe next-door. Didn't know anything about them and once I pulled the property card and found the owner, I did a search and wow... bad news.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[Kimberly Gopp]

Speaking from Florida and unaware if this is the case in Indy. Unless you have served notice & proof to the owners that their tree is dead "prior" and its potential to harm your property then I don't believe they are going to be held responsible for the removal of the tree or any damages caused by the tree. Sheds are generally not covered by insurance unless your tenants had an additional rider on it. When a tree falls - The removal and cost burden is on the owner(s) of where the tree falls. Hurricanes bring down a lot of trees in Florida thus there are many owners that know the drill. In the case of a dead tree - that would be about the only time you can get the tree owner to be on the line for the damages - IF, they were notified in advance. I am not an attorney - just offering advice from my personal experience here in Florida. The cost associated is a loss and the cost of doing business. A tax right off is about the only good news offered here. I am not a tax advisor either :) 

Best of luck moving forward @Shawn York

[Shawn York]

@Kimberly Gopp - Thanks. Yeah, I was informed yesterday by my insurance company of the same "serving notice prior" thing. So looks like it's all on me. Luckily, I my insurance covers "other structures" up to 10% - which comes to like $10k so I'm good there. The tenant is going to be on their own with their own renter's insurance for any damage to shed contents from this or subsequent rain storms until the shed it fixed/replaced.
Appreciate you chiming in - like I said, I know this was an old post.
Good luck and stay safe!