I wish that I had found this site before I moved here.

This is not someone who has been late on rent ever, from anywhere. It is written by a commercial pilot and an operational analysis at a law firm with no reason for writing this other than to warn potential renters.

First off don't believe anything that management tells you that they are going to deal with because they won't. I have had the same animal problem since I moved here and have told the office several times about this problem and yet nothing has been done. They just right it up on a post it note and never deal with it, the same as they do everything else.

Upon moving in you are required to have an electricity account set up (normal) but what they don't tell you is that they will try to screw you out of extra money. I was told by the apartment that we owed them ninety dollars for an electrical for less that six hours that they were claiming has been over 7 days. Not true!! The day you sign up for an account with Alabama Power is the day the your billing starts. After talking to several other residents about this they had tried the same SCAM on all of them.

This place is nothing but a safe harbor for illegal aliens and was just recently broken into on the 4th of April. I recently had an illegal run into my vehicle and several others and flee the seen (fortunately I caught them) with nothing at all being done by management. There are several units hear with Ten or more people living in them. It is turning into a really unsafe to live in a normally safe area. Make me want to renew my CCW.

If something does happen to break don't plan on it being fixed because its just not going to happen.

INVASION OF PRIVACY. For the third time I have waken to find an EMPLOYEE in my apartment with nothing less than a knock and OPEN THE DOOR within 10 seconds of knocking.

The laundry facility is absolutely disgusting and stink with washers that have been plugged and full of water since I moved here 3 months ago.

The actual apartments look nothing like the models. Several parts of finishings are missing with nails and the carpet sticking up all over.

The one grounds keeper that they do have works as hard as he can but only one person for a huge complex like this doesn't cut it.

We have already contacted a lawyer about breaking the lease and I encourage anybody else here with these problems to do the same.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/09/2008
I agree and second your review 100%. The really bad part is that Wood Gardens USED to be a very nice, quiet place to live. I lived at Wood Gardens for 9 years. It was only because the shoddiness of the current management that I decided NOT to renew for a 10th year. There were three or four management changes in that time, but the people in charge now are horrendous. The biggest problem is they are short-staffed, especially where maintenance is concerned. It took a month for a simple dishwasher repair, a week for a refrigerator replacement (and it was a cheap model with no icemaker), and I had a family of raccoons living in the attic above my bedroom right up until I moved out (as far as I know, they're still up there). I also think they only recently started accepting just about anyone who walks through the leasing office door and has enough cash to cover the deposit (or shows a Section 8 voucher). I have nothing against Section 8 -- people deserve a decent place to live -- but accepting people who are oh-so-obviously illegal immigrants is inexcusable. I'm laying some blame on the city of Hoover for encouraging this practice. Every apartment complex along Lorna Road looks like Little Tijuana these days. I now live in Vestavia Hills and have yet to see clusters of Hispanic men standing on the corners waiting for day work -- even on Sunday. Add to that the several retail places that openly cater to Spanish-speakers (thus removing any incentive to learn English) and you have to wonder when the Mexican flag will start flying over City Hall. From what I've read, the "sister" property (Wood Springs just across the Shelby County line) is just as bad.
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/18/2008
I am a former manager of Wood Gardens who left on my own accord and you people are simply telling lies on here. There are few --------- there and the ones who do live there qualified with A SOCIAL SECURITY CARD. They do not move just anyone in they do screen the people themselves not just through some internet site like resident check or saferent and I personally turned down many many people due to bad credit. You folks think you are so smart you need to read fair housing laws. There are guidelines which protect people meaning anyone, yes I mean anyone who has good credit and a job earning 3x the amount of rent qualifies. Just because someone is BLACK, ---, HISPANIC, OR EVEN NOT AS FINANCIALLY STABLE AS SOME OTHERS DOES NOT MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE AT A CERTAIN LOCATION. As far as your invasion of privacy I Do Not beleive that either because I know for a fact we would always notice residents 48 hours in advance if entering your apartment for something other than a work order you asked for. I also would like to know what you think management should do about someone running into your vehicle? Do you have insurance because that is what it is for. The person who hit you may or may not live there. I have a family member who was hit head on right there at the stop sign on Wood Gardens Property by guess who? An illegal alien? NOOOOO! It was just a very normal BLACK man who is LEGAL but who happened to be running late getting his kids to school that morning. Should I have evicted him??? Or maybe myself since it was one of my children in the other vehicle. The things people come up with on here are crazy. This is nothing more than a hate site for whatever reason. Remember, I no longer live at Wood Gardens or work there but I hate to see people come on here and make up big fat lies to deter others from moving here. We also have never ever had people loitering out front like some other propertys on Lorna. As far as the racoon goes have you ever owned a home????? It is vertually impossible to remove wildlife. They are smart and really the only thing which can be done is place the odor repellant to hopefully discourage them from coming back. If you all hate apartment living so bad then BUY A HOUSE!!!!!
From: mogley68	Date: 04/25/2008
I have with no problems with ENGLISH SPEAKING legals who live anywhere, but that is not the case here. 1 legal moves in and allows 15 others to move in. The person that hit my vehicle does live here and is illegal with no license or insurance and yes I have insurance but it still doesn't cover and deductible. I have and do own property and i do know how EASY it is to control wildlife. I have no problem with people wanting to improve their life but do it the legal and right way. I agree the grounds crew is trying but they are under staffed. As far as what I think the management should do - kick the illegals out. A simple inspection would take care of that. If you actually were FORMER MANAGEMENT what are you doing on here wasting your time.

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