Roland steps down in response to complaints
by Jennifer Tempest
Daily Illini reporter
Starting in the year 2000, tenants of First National Real Estate will be under new management.
Beginning Jan. 1, Ramshaw-Smith will manage First National properties, now under Roland Realty's management.
Last year, First National received 42 complaints from its tenants, which led to the company's new management.
"This was an all-time record in the history of the Tenant Union," director Esther Patt said.
This year, Roland Realty President Tom Gillespie was hired to manage First National's properties. By assuming management of the properties, Gillespie almost doubled the size of his business from 300 units to 500.
"Any kind of transition that doubles the size of a business is a challenge," Gillespie said.
One of the problems Roland Realty faced was the lack of maintenance personnel for so many units.
"Frankly, we haven't lived up to our own standards with regards to maintenance because we've been shorthanded," he said.
Five full-time maintenance personnel and two custodians compose Gillespie's staff, the same amount of personnel Roland Realty had when it managed 300 units.
Despite attempts to find more employees, Gillespie was unsatisfied with the quality of the applicants reviewed.
"I was unable to find competent maintenance personnel," he said.
Gillespie wants to be free of Tenant Union complaints but received half a dozen maintenance requests in the form of letters from the union this year.
"We successfully resolved most of these issues, but I don't like for them to get to that stage," he said.
Gillespie said another reason he decided not to renew his contract with First National was because he did not have time to expand his endeavors.
"I didn't have the time to expand my business in other directions," he said.
While Roland Realty will no longer be managing First National, Gillespie said he is confident Ramshaw-Smith will be a competent landlord next year.
"It is a reputable company, and they have been in existence long enough to be tried and tested," he said.
Ramshaw-Smith is a larger company, which leads Gillespie to believe they will be more adjusted to size and better able to handle the abundant maintenance requests.
"Other than where (tenants) pay their rent and who they call for maintenance concerns, I doubt they will notice a significant difference," Gillespie said.
