Pool to be shutdown. Residents told to pay $75 per month for offsite gym pool
car vandalized. stuff stolen. mgt does nothing.
Another car was broken into. Management refuses to secure us.
“We’ll Send an Email Shortly.” They Didn’t.
After a vehicle break-in and theft inside the building, residents asked management a simple set of questions:
- What happened?
- What is being done about it?
- How will residents be protected going forward?
What they received instead was a response that raises more concerns than it resolves.////////
The Response: Apology First, Accountability Never
Management opened with:
“We were very sorry to hear about one of our residents’ recent experience…”
But what followed was not a plan. It was not accountability. It was not even a direct answer.
Instead, the response immediately pivots away from the incident itself.
Blame the Environment, Not the Building
Rather than addressing building-specific failures, management wrote:
“…the theft of catalytic converters in LA is still higher than pre-pandemic levels…”
In other words:
This is happening everywhere, so don’t look here.
That framing avoids the core issue:
This happened inside the building.
“Not a Guarantee Against Crime”
The response goes further:
“…access-control devices, gates, and related systems… are not a guarantee against crime or loss.”
This is not reassurance.
This is a disclaimer.
Residents are not asking for a “guarantee against crime.”
They are asking for basic security and accountability where they live.
Responsibility? Not Ours.
Management continues:
“…responsibility for neighborhood criminal activity does not rest with ownership or management…”
Again, the issue is not “the neighborhood.”
It is what happened inside the property, under their control.
The Promise That Never Came
Perhaps most telling is this line:
“We will be sending out communication to the larger community via email shortly.”
That email was never sent.
No building-wide notice.
No transparency.
No follow-up.
Just a promise—left unfulfilled.
What’s Missing
Despite multiple direct questions from the Tenants Association, the response contains:
- ❌ No description of corrective measures
- ❌ No change in security protocols
- ❌ No commitment to notify residents of incidents
- ❌ No accountability
Instead, it offers:
- General crime statistics
- Lease disclaimers
- Vague assurances
Why This Matters
This is not just about one break-in.
It is about a pattern of response:
- A serious issue occurs
- Residents raise concerns
- Management deflects
- Promises are made
- Follow-up never comes
That is not just poor communication.
It seems like negligence.
The Bottom Line
Residents deserve more than:
- “Sorry this happened”
- “Crime is up everywhere”
- “We’re not responsible”
- “We’ll send an email” (that never arrives)
They deserve:
- Transparency
- Action
- And a building that takes security seriously
Until that happens, the gap between what is said and what is done will continue to grow.
meet your new neighbor: A CRACKHEAD VAGRANT.
Residents of the 5550 (and prospective tenants), MEET YOUR NEW NEIGHBOR: A Crackhead.
The crackhead, pictured above, was spotted next to a pile of his drugs (also pictured) in the elevator lobby of the building.
Previously, the same crackhead was spotted on a different day, passed-out in a stairwell.
IMAGINE ENCOUNTERING THIS CRACKHEAD WHILE WALKING, ALONE, INTO THE STAIRWELL OR ELEVATOR LOBBY LATE AT NIGHT!
OR EVEN DURING THE DAY.
IT. IS. SCAAARY.
The crackhead smells strongly of drugs, and so he may expose passersby to second-hand crack or meth.
The 5550 Tenants Association wants to be clear: We hope this individual gets the HELP he needs.
We have no conflict with this unfortunate individual, who seems to be experiencing mental illness, drug addiction, and homelessness. Our sympathy is with this man, who is surely the greatest-suffering party in the this situation, and doubtlessly a victim of his circumstances.
We hold management and ownership 100% responsible for this issue.
We believe this crackhead has chosen to live in the common areas of this building BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS LACK OF SECURITY AND ACCESS CONTROL!
Recall that our garage gate was broken -- and stuck wide open -- for months and months.
Our building management CUT 24-HOUR SECURITY, and REFUSES TO RESTORE IT. THEY REFUSE TO SECURE THE BUILDING!
Josh Vasquez, the senior property manager at 5550 Hollywood, claims he doesn't know anything about the crackhead living in the building. We don't know how that could possibly be true, since his own leasing office staff have had to risk their safety to remove the crackhead (when no security was present).
But we wanted to take Josh Vasquez at his word, so we thought we'd put this photo up on our website, so Josh Vasquez can see it for himself.
If Josh Vasquez didn't know about the crackhead situation before, he should now!
The building management claims that our building doesn't need 24-hour security because the leasing office staff can keep the building secure during the day, when the leasing office is open.
Of course, this is ridiculous!
The leasing office staff are busy showing apartments to prospective tenants, and in any case, are in the leasing office all day -- they are not patrolling the stairwells, elevator lobbies, and OTHER PLACES WHERE THE CRACKHEAD LIKES TO HANG OUT.
Further, we, the Tenants Association, STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FRONTLINE LEASING OFFICE STAFF -- WE DO NOT THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE TO RISK THEIR SAFETY CONFRONTING DANGEOROUS CRACKHEADS! That is not their job. They are not trained to do security work. We are concerned about their safety.
Greedy management and ownership don't want to pay for security -- but that doesn't mean they can have their leasing office staff working as unlicensed, untrained, security guards.
Demand 24-hour security now.
Josh Vasquez, the senior property manager at The Fifty-Five Fifty, claimed that he doesn't know anything about the crackhead living in the common areas of 5550 Hollywood Blvd.
Let's help Josh Vasquez understand the crackhead security situation.
Send him a quick email, let him know how you feel about the crackhead in our building, and while you're at it, demand that he re-instate 24-hour security.
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!
ARTISt's RENERING
Our gate has been broken -- and stuck open -- since November 4. It was previously broken for over a
CAUTION: DERANGED VAGRANT BLOCKING FRONT DOOR
Residents Beware: Vagrant and Noxious Drug Smoke at Lobby Door
At about 1:00 PM on November 6, a mentally deranged vagrant was observed smoking what appeared to be "CRYSTAL METH" right by the front lobby entrance (that is, the Hollywood Blvd entrance) of The Fifty-Five Fifty.
The vagrant largely blocked the front entrance to the building, forcing passersby by to walk though a cloud of noxious narcotic smoke on their way into the building.
The vagrant appeared to loiter for an extended period.
The 5550 tenants association feels tremendous sympathy and compassion for this individual, who appears to be struggling with substance-abuse and mental illness.
We hope he finds the help he needs.
At the same time, the tenants association believes that residents should not need to walk through noxious clouds of narcotic smoke to enter the building.
Once upon a time, building security would have asked the drug-smoker kindly to relocate, allowing residents to enter through the front door without inhaling second-hand crystal meth.
But some time ago, property ownership and management CUT ALL DAYTIME SECURITY.
Whereas in 2020 there were two daytime guards and a concierge, there is no now concierge to daytime security whatsoever.
Management has claimed that leasing office staff can secure the lobby -- however, this is not the job of leasing agents, and they are not trained security professionals.
Leasing agents are busy leasing and attending to resident needs.
Furthermore, the tenants association does not believe that leasing office staff -- who are not licensed security providers -- should need to endanger themselves by confronting mentally deranged vagrants or other bad actors threatening building safety.
The tenants association stands in solidarity with the leasing office staff, who are imperiled, just as residents are, by the negligent lack of daytime security caused by MANAGEMENT and OWNERSHIP.
Security concern?
Let us know, so we can alert the authorities and put our members on notice to look out for the issue.
Of course, for emergencies of any kind, please dial 911.
DANGER AND CRIME!
Lack of Security
- As the neighborhood has grown more dangerous, and thefts from residents have increased, security has DECREASED. That's right. just when we needed it most, the management CUT THE AMOUNT of security.
- There used to be a security guard 24 hours-a-day, and also a concierge at the front desk during the day. We often had two guards at night. But then they cut the concierge. Then they cut the daytime guard. Now we have just one guard, and only at night. That's in an ideal world, in theory. In practice, there is often no guard; the front desk is entirely unattended. And of course, as the security has been cut again and again, our rent has only increased.
Chronic Package Theft
- If you use Amazon or like online shopping, DO NOT LIVE HERE. Package theft in the building is never-ending.
- Many residents have rented private mail boxes or PO boxes just so they can get their parcels safely. The "Amazon storage hub" in the lobby handles only a fraction of the packages in the building, so chances are, you package will be left in a hallway, or unattended in the mail room, where it will be scooped up by thieves. When we report these thefts to management, they offer no meaningful assistance of any kind. They tell us to file insurance claims, even though they must know that most insurance policies have deductibles far higher than the value of a single package.
Vagrants Wandering Building
- Residents report vagrants wandering the building at all hours -- using the restroom on the third floor, walking the halls, and accosting those who they encounter.
Attempted Car-Ramming
Un-housed People Living Building
- An individual who asked not to be named -- for rear of retaliation -- described a deranged woman in the building, attempting to steal package. When this deranged woman was spotted, she fled the building, nearly running over a security officer.
Un-housed People Living Building
Un-housed People Living Building
Un-housed People Living Building
- One resident reported see an un-housed person camping out in a common area of the building. The resident stated that the un-housed person seemed to have been living in the space for weeks, if not months. While we sympathize with the un-housed population, and wish they get the support they deserve, when they camp-out in common areas of the building it intimidates and imperils residents.
Insufficient Outdoor Lighting
Un-housed People Living Building
Un-housed People Living Building
- For years, lighting outside the building has been woefully insufficient, inviting crime and danger. Troublemakers are often spotting sitting in the dark areas on either side of the building. Cloaked in this darkness, these troublemakers do drugs and menace residents.