WARNING! BEWARE: Two car break-ins reported in the building garage over the weekend.
5550 Tenants Association: Empowering Renters
We empower 5550 Hollywood residents, provide renter support, and warn prospective 5550 renters about tenant rights.
Happy thanksgiving from your friends at the tenants ASSN.
Enjoy the Holiday
We would like to wish everyone -- even our horrible, negligent management and ownership (we're looking at you, Avenue5 Residential) -- a very happy Thanksgiving.
Maybe Mr. Grubb will be visited by three ghosts this holiday season (The "Ghost of Tenants Past" "Ghost of Tenants Present" and "Ghost of Tenants Future"), then decide to be less scrooge-like. Here's hoping!
TENANTS EXPRESS SOLIDARITY WITH FRONTLINE STAFF
Welcome to 5550 Tenants Association!
The 5550 Tenants Association re-affirms our solidarity with all frontline staff at our complex.
In reading our Association website, you may come to the conclusion that we are displeased with the rank-and-file staff of our building. This could not be further from the truth.
The hard-working maintenance staff, leasing agents, and security staff continuously do their best with extremely limited resources. Their kindness and courtesy are often the only reprieve residents receive from the harsh realities of dealing with UTTERLY NEGLIENT and CALLOUS senior management and ownership.
Take, for instance, the security situation in our complex. This situation more than anything else demonstrates the HONEST EFFORTS of the rank-and-file staff and the simultaneous ABJECT FAILURES of senior management and ownership.
Some time ago, our complex had 24-hour security, and an additional concierge during the daytime hours.
First, management cut the concierge.
Then, management cut the daytime security.
Then, management took nighttime security down to one single guard.
This makes life harder and MORE DANGEROUS for everyone involved, including residents AND STAFF.
Senior management and ownership had repeatedly claimed that the daytime security was cut because during the day, when the leasing office is open, the leasing office staff can provide security. But this is absurd.
Leasing agents are pre-occupied with doing their core job: leasing apartments and attempting to address resident concerns. There is simply NO WAY that leasing office staff, confined to their office for most of the day, can offer any meaningful security to our massive complex, with two three entrances, eight stairwells, and seven stories!
Furthermore, the 5550 Tenants Association REJECTS the idea that leasing office staff should have to IMPERIL THEMSELVES by doing any security function for which they are not trained or equipped. It is deeply unfair to thrust the rank-and-file leasing office staff into a security role just because senior management and ownership do not want to pay for proper 24-hour security.
Perhaps if senior management and ownership don't want to pay, they should COME HERE AND DO IT THEMSELVES!
We'd like to see Mr. Gallo, Mr. Dow, and Mr. Grubb on the frontlines, dealing with vagrants.
Maybe these three musketeers can help keep criminals our of the TOTALLY INSCURE building, which continues to suffer from a broken garage gate that is stuck in the wide-open position? C'mon, you three, come here and secure the building against burglars, vagrants, and other criminals! That'll help the bottom line, right?
As our rents are raised, senior management and ownership continue to GIVE US LESS. A broken garage gate. A rusty hot tub. A rusty pool. No daytime security whatsoever. A single guard at night to patrol three entrances, a CHRONICALLY BROKEN GARAGE GATE, and seven stories!!!
But all this does not take away from the meaningful efforts of the rank-and-file staff, who, near as we can tell, are all decent people, doing the best they can.
During the night, when we do have a single guard on duty, he really tries to do his best, and always greets residents with a smile -- even though his job is FUNDAMENTALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
There is simply no way a single person could secure a building with three entrances, a gym, a pool, seven stories above ground, and a two-floor parking garage. And that would be true even if our main garage gate was NOT broken, which it IS, and has been for months!
The 5550 Tenants Association has repeatedly noted, in formal letters to management, that directing our lone night time security guard to pay extra attention to the BROKEN AND WIDE OPEN garage gate would NECESSARILY TAKE HIS ATTENTION AWAY FROM OTHER CRITICAL AREAS of the building.
The Association had repeatedly demanded that senior management and ownership hire additional security, AT LEAST WHILE THE GARAGE GATE REMAINS BROKEN AND WIDE OPEN. But -- surprise surprise -- senior management refused. It seems they just don't care about our safety.
If you happen to work at the building for Avenue5, and are reading this message right now -- and if your name is not Vasquez, Dow, or Gallo -- then please know that our conflict has nothing to do with you.
And your acts of kindness, generosity, and professionalism are not lost on us.
Unfortunately, your common decency cannot remedy the IMMESNE AND ENDURING systemic and structural issues with our landlord. But we know you're doing your best, we appreciate you.
Ultimately, the rank-and-file staff at our building may be renters too. They too many one day need to confront a greedy and callous landlord. And when they do, the 5550 Tenants Association would be pleased to help.
(Something tells us Mr. Clay Grubb, CEO of Grubb properties, which owns our building, probably isn't dealing with a greedy landlord who hasn't fixed his hot tub for over a year -- but hey, if against all odds you're a renter, I guess we'll help you too, Clay.)
Say Thank You!
Even as we suffer from a broken garage gate, a rusty hot tub, rusty pool, totally insecure building, and all other hardships, the frontline building staff do many everyday acts of kindness and generosity.
Want to say "thank you" or tell a story of a particularly helpful employee?
Email us your story or thank you note, and we'll pass it along.
TWO CAR BREAK-INS REPORTED OVER THE WEEKEND!
Danger! Motorists beware! Car Break-Ins Now Common, Since Garage Gate Stuck Open.
Over just the past weekend (November 14-16), 5550 Hollywood residents reported not one, but two, car break-ins in the garage.
Many more car break-ins may be reported as residents, cozy inside because of the weekend rain, may return to their vehicles only to find their windows smashed, their belongings stolen.
This is life at the "luxury" Fifty-Five Fifty complex.
Management has not yet put out a statement regarding the break-ins, and has utterly failed to increase security since the main garage gate failed.
Since November 4, the garage gate has been broken, allowing ANYONE into ANY part of the building.
Management REFUSED to hire additional security, but said the courtesy patrolman would pay extra attention to the garage gate while it is broken.
Well, we conducted a security audit on Sunday night and found NO GUARD in the garage or in the LOBBY.
It is utter chaos.
Resident beware!
Don't want your car broken into? Join us and DEMAND more SECURITY NOW!
Write to Avenue5 Residential Vice President Tony Gallo, and tell him we simply cannot live like this, in constant fear for our safety.
Demand immediate supplemental security until the garage gate is fixed, and until we can figure out what the hell is going on.
Click the button below to tell Tony Gallo to STOP THE BREAK-INS NOW!
MANAGEMENT FAVORS PROSPECTVE TENANTS OVER CURRENT RESIDENTS
If you're an existing tenant, it seems management doesn't care about you!!
If you like snacks and sodas, DON'T LIVE HERE!!!
For years, management provided complimentary snacks (like chips and cookies) and sodas to residents.
WELL, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER!
O-V-E-R!!!
But don't worry, if you don't live here, you can still have free snacks and sodas.
That's right, management cares more about NON-TENANTS than TENANTS.
They are happy to bamboozle new, prospective tenants with free goodies, but once you've signed your lease, THE GOODIES STOP, and it's all rusty got tubs and broken garage gates from then on.
But seriously, imagine the gall to treat prospective tenants BETTER THAN ACTUAL, EXISTING TENANTS!
We, the real tenants are the ones whose rent pays for the snacks and sodas in the first place.
So make no mistake, if you live at The Fifty-Five Fifty YOUR RENT IS BEING USED TO BUY SNACKS AND SODAS FOR LEASING OFFICE STAFF AND FOR PROSPECTIVE TENANTS --- BUT NOT FOR YOU!!!
Well, we at the 5550 Tenants Association think this policy is rotten and unfair.
And we're not going to take it!
Demand that Your Hard-Earned Rent Dollars are NOT Spent on Snacks that YOU ARE FORBIDDEN to ENJOY
Email Tony Gallo, Vice President of Avenue5 Residential, and let him know you don't want your rent dollars squandered on impressing new tenants with free snacks and sodas!
Tell Tony Gallo that we DEMAND a return of complimentary snacks and sodas, and we DEMAND THAT MANAGEMENT PUT TENANTS FIRST!!
If management isn't going to give tenants access to all the lovey snacks and sodas they buy with OUR RENT DOLLARS, then perhaps they should just put that money to FIXING THE RUSTY HOT TUB and the totally INSECURE BROKEN GARADE gate.
Or may they could even hire some more security, to deal with wave of car break-ins, package thefts, and the attempted CAR RAMMING ATTACK in our garage.
Our garage gate has been wide open since Nov 4. The hot tub has been rusty for over a year.
We, the tenants, don't know what to do!
Management has been CITED BY THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES Housing Department, and they STILL haven't fixed these issues.
The hot tub has been rusty for so long we barely remember what it looked like before the rust.
And management has the gall to be like, "it's fine -- we have it cleaned every week." Yeah well, maybe they do, but their CLEANERS AREN'T REMOVING THE RUST. And we know this because, if the cleaners had removed the rust, the CITY WOULD NOT HAVE CITED THE RUST.
Management officially closed the hot tub over a month ago, even though they claim it's closed due to some "switch" and not the OBVIOUS RUST!
The City of Los Angeles inspector didn't even cite the supposed switch issue, but he sure cited the RUST.
And it is a coincidence that management closed the hot tub due to the supposed "switch issue" ONLY after tenants started organizing to demand a fix for the DISGUSTING RUST?!
Would it be so hard for management to be HONEST, and just be like "Hey, yeah, the hot tub is super rusty. Sorry, we should have fixed it over a year ago, but we, uh, forgot. Anyway, we're going to fix it now, and here's a rent credit to make up for the ADVERTISED AMENITY that you couldn't use because WE UTTERLY FAILED to maintain it."
That's what a reasonable, honest landlord would say.
But management continues to GASLIGHT us tenants, telling us that there is no rust, that the hot tub is cleaned weekly (We guess the CITY INSPECTOR IS WRONG THEN? HMM...) and insisting that the only issue with the hot tub is a broken switch of some king.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE IF THE BUILDING ADMITS THE HOT TUB HAS BEEN A RUSTY CESSPOOL, TENANTS COULD SUE THEM FOR EXPOSURE TO THAT RUSTY CESSPOOL?
Well, good thing the tenants association -- and the city inspector -- have plenty of evidence, and we intend to pursue this matter.
Incidentally, if the hot tub has been officially closed for a MONTH or more due to the supposed "switch" issue (WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE LOL), then on that basis alone, shouldn't residents get some kind of credit since WE CAN'T USE THE CLOSED HOT TUB?
And by the way, now the the pool is showing rust too!
Look, this building is now about 7 years old. And things need to be fixed sometimes. Pools need to be finished. Hot tubs need new tile and concrete. This isn't a crazy idea.
Grubb Properties spent tens of millions of dollars to buy this building, so they should be able to spend the pocket change needed to keep it from FALLING APART.
artist's rendering of the gate situation.
Fixed for just 14 days, the gate is broken AGAIN.
Some 14 days ago, on October 21, management announced that the main garage gate -- which had been broken for over a month -- was finally fixed.
And now, as of November 4, it is BROKEN AGAIN.
As the gate remains WIDE OPEN, allowing ANYONE and EVERYONE into the building (including every crazy vagrant on Hollywood Blvd.), Avenue5 Residential and Grub Properties still refuse to hire additional security.
At the time of this writing, the gate is WIDE OPEN and there is ZERO security present -- creating a MAJOR SAFFETY HAZARD for residents.
Last night, management emailed residents that the gate was broken AGAIN.
In fact, it was worse than before, as the gate was not only broken -- it couldn't be opened at all, thereby TRAPPING RESIDENTS' CARS inside.
Residents couldn't leave for work or social outings. Management did not even offer to reimburse Ubers.
So greedy. So uncaring. So predictable.
Management told residents who couldn't access their parking spaces to park in any available space. EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD TOWED A TENANT-ACTIVIST'S CAR LESS THAN A WEEK EARLIER FOR DOING JUST THAT.
Finally, the gate was manually opened, allowing residents to take their cars out -- but also allowing all the crazy criminals in Hollywood to walk right in!
What about our property management team?
Joshua Vasquez, Taylor Dow, Tony Gallo, and the whole team at Avenue5 Residential and Grubb Properties? Well, it seems like they acted much faster to crackdown on tenant organizing than they have to fix the gate ,which remains open right now.
Did they hire additional security? Not a chance. These greedy, callous slumlords just don't care.
HERE'S AN IDEA JOSH VASQUEZ: WHY DON'T YOU WORRY MORE ABOUT FIXING THIS BROKEN PROPERTY THAN STOPPING TENANT ORGANIZING?
We think you'll find when you actually care about residents and fix building issues, we -- the tenants -- won't need to protest.
Let Avenue5 Residential and Property Manager Josh Vasquez know how you feel.
You can email Avenue5's senior property manager for 5550 Hollywood Blvd, Joshua Vasquez, right here.
Let him know how you feel about the gate being wide open.
artist's rendering of cars trapped in the garage on nov 4
Cars were trapped inside the garage due to chronic gate malfunction.
Resident's car towed -- vicious retaliation
On Thursday, October 30, a tenant-activist's car was towed from the building lot.
This apparent act of retaliation occurred only short hours after the tenant informed the management that he is a PROTECTED WITNESS in a criminal case, in which management is suspected of having committed a serious -- potentially deadly crime.
We're still learning more about this viscous incident, and we'll keep you apprised.
Stand-Up Against This Outrage!
Email our city council office and let them how know how you feel about tenant retaliation.
Investigation into Criminal Incident
An investigation is ongoing surrounding a criminal incident that could have potentially endangered local children. Be a crime-stopper, help us by sharing your info or photos/videos.
Artist's rendering of the refrigerator DANGER
this is what a bad landlord looks like.
Joshua Vasquez, Senior Property Manager
Taylor Dow, Associate Vice President --Avenue5
Taylor Dow, Associate Vice President --Avenue5
Joshua Vasquez has been the senior property manager at 5550 Hollywood Blvd for some months now.
He makes life harder and worse for 5550 residents most everyday.
In September, one resident spotted Josh ANGRILY tearing down tenant-organizing posters from the wall.
According to the witness (who has asked to remain nameless, for fear of retaliation), Josh looked FURIOUS as he stomped around and tore down those posters with incredible fury and zeal.
But, we kinda get it. When you're the senior manager of a building with all these issues, the LAST THING you probably want is for tenants to organize, meet with city council, and stand-up for their rights.
Well, sorry charlie (as they used to say), but you can't tear this website down, no matter how much you violently stomp around. If you want to jump around in anger, we'd suggest doing it somewhere more private next time, where you won't be spotted or terrorize the residents. But you know, just a friendly suggestion. Take it or leave it. Totes up to you.
Oh, also, when the garage gate was broken -- and stuck wide open for more than a month -- Josh did NOT order additional security, which led vagrants wandering the building, record package thefts, and even a car break-in.
Did Josh care? Didn't seem like it. He just dismissed tenant concerns.
We wonder if Josh might have acted faster if it were the door to his office that was broken? Apparently, Josh doesn't like people in his office (we can't blame him). When one tenant stood up for tenant-organizing rights, some high-paid Avenue5 lawyer goons sent that tenant a scary letter threatening "enforcement action" and banning the tenant from the leasing office! How rude.
It seems like, as far as Josh is concerned, tenant-organizing warrants an immediate ban, but a broken garage gate, vagrants in the halls, and car thefts are totes no nbd.
But who knows, we could be wrong about all this. And we want to give Josh Vasquez a fair shake.
So don't take our word for it. Ask Josh for yourself. Or let Josh know how you feel about these failures. As senior property manager, Josh should hear from residents.
Josh can be reached via email at pm.the555@avenue5apt.com.
Taylor Dow, Associate Vice President --Avenue5
Taylor Dow, Associate Vice President --Avenue5
Taylor Dow, Associate Vice President --Avenue5
Taylor Dow is the the Associate Vice President of Avenue5 Residential.
He sure looks spiffy in that suit, huh? Nice suit, Taylor Dow!
Did you pay for it with all the money from tenants that should have gone to building repairs?
Is that why 5550 Hollywood was cited by the City of Los Angeles Housing Department for THREE DIFFERENT health and safety violations in September 2025?
And why the building was RE-CITED in November 2025 for failure to fix a serious violation?
Maybe roll-up those fancy suit sleeves, Taylor Dow, and get to work helping the residents of 5550 Hollywood.
Have some suggestions or Taylor Dow? Or just want to compliment his fresh suit? You can write to Taylor Dow at: tdow@avenue5.com .
Tony Gallo, Vice President -- Avenue5
Taylor Dow, Associate Vice President --Avenue5
We couldn't find a picture of Tony Gallo, but he's not an associate -- he's a full-blown vice president over at Avenue5 Residential.
We imagine with that big title, he's making mega bucks -- and has more treasure than Scrooge McDuck. And you know what, he earns it!
For instance, when a resident tried to promote a meeting with a city council rep to other tenants, so they could all discuss health and safety issues, Tony Gallo threatened that resident by alluding to "video" surveillance. Wow! That takes some real courage.
Threatening a tenant -- in writing -- for promoting a tenant-rights meeting with an official city rep -- that takes some GUTS.
We hope he's getting the BIG BUCKS for that.
And Avenue5 must have lots of dough to pay him with, given how much they've saving on repairs, security, and legally mandated financial-relocation assistance fees (that they haven't been paying).
But who needs laws when you've got all that treasure, right Tony Gallo?
Tony can be reached at: wgallo@avenue5.com
Emily Ethridge -- Senior Director, Corporate Communications at Grubb Properties
Emily Ethridge -- Senior Director, Corporate Communications at Grubb Properties
Emily Ethridge is the Senior Director, Corporate Communications at Grubb Properties. That sure sounds important.
Now, we'll be perfectly honest -- we don't know much about Emily Ethridge.
She looks sweet. Maybe she is.
But when we emailed Emily about our tenants association, and asked SUPER nicely to chat, you know what she did? IGNORED US.
That's right, she straight-up ignored us.
Maybe she can senior direct some repairs to 5550 Hollywood Blvd, which was cited for THREE DIFFERENT VIOLATIONS by the City of Los Angeles Housing Department.
And since she's so good at "corporate communications," maybe she could COMMUNICATE with residents about why the hot tub has had rust in it for well over a year, why it's been closed for over a month, and why management hasn't even sent out an email about it.
Or maybe Emily Ethridge could communicate with residents about the HUGE AMOUNT OF EXPOSED FIBERGLASS INSULATION which caused the building to be cited by the Los Angeles Housing Department. She hasn't been "corporate communicating" much about that.
In fact, near as we can tell, that issue was swept under the rug. But when you sweep up fiberglass, it can get pretty dusty. Anyway, if you're reading this, Emily, feel free to give us some pointers of "corporate communication."
If you like to initiate some corporate communications with Emily Ethridge, you can write her at eethridge@grubbproperties.com .
W. Clay Grubb, CEO -- Grub Properties
Emily Ethridge -- Senior Director, Corporate Communications at Grubb Properties
W. Clay Grubb, CEO -- Grub Properties
W. Clay Grubb is so important that whole company seems to be named after him! Wow!
Say that name out loud. C'mon, do it.
It even sounds important, right? We sure think so.
It sounds like a nineteenth century president, or uh, a Victorian-era robber baron.
We wanted to make some word-play jokes around the word "Grubby," but frankly, it's too easy. And besides, he sure sounds impressive.
Apparently ol' W. Clay "leads the company’s overall strategic vision." We wonder if that vision includes exposed fiberglass and a rustyyy hot tub.
W. Clay seems like a pretty well to-do guy. We wonder if he has a hot tub of his own. If he does, we bet it doesn't have rust all over it. But that's just a hunch. Prove us wrong, Clay! We'll eat our hat.
But yeah, our man Clay went to Tulane for his undergrad -- great school, and New Orleans certainly is a fun town.
Sadly, Grubb Properties and their management firm, Avneue5, have been going "BIG EASY" on the exposed fiberglass in the building -- and that we don't really appreciate.
C'mon Clay! Get it together. Please! We'll buy you a King Cake or a New Orleans Snoball or some Gumbo.
Just maybe invest in some meaningful security, fix the air quality, fix the hot tub, hire a manager who actually cares about the tenants, and then we can all go for a pleasant team stroll down Bourbon Street together. We'd like nothing more.
But till then, we have to wonder if your
"extensive experience" in "leasing" involves retaliating against tenants who organize, and angrily tearing-down tenant-organizing posters. Let us know?
Apparently Clay here sits on lots of corporate boards and stuff. He's probably pretty good at managing money. And Grubb Properties should have loads of money, with all the money they've SAVED BY NOT FIXING PRESSING BUILDIGN ISSUES.
Anywho, you can reach the Grubb Properties corporate office about these and other questions at 704.372.5616. Ask for the boss man, ol' W. Clay.
If you get a hold of him, ask where we can find the best Po'Boy sandwich in New Orleans. Inquiring minds want to know.