In my five years here, I have seen many changes. What attracted me most to this complex was the beauty of the grounds! I saw color everywhere, and it was clean.
The last two years have brought great change. Don't get me wrong, it's still a pretty place, but we primarily have shrubs now, very few flowers. Flowers are now planted only near the office and front entrance. The grounds are now bare, we see yellow and dead grass and shrubs and lots of dirt. Whenever the tall trees are pruned, they look worse than they did before, they're bluntly hacked off rather than neatly shaped. More and more families with children have moved in, and the noise volume has greatly increased.

My apartment has not had any upgrades, and yet, within the last six months, my rent has seen a $100 increase! I love living here but can no longer afford to. Our rent equals those of much larger apartment complexes with commodities such as security, a clubhouse, private washers and dryers, heated pool, weight room, etc. (We have none of those things.)

Our managers are very friendly and easy to work with. They are however not the most professional people you'd ever meet. Rent receipts come two or three months at a time, notices and memos are full of grammatical errors, and rules such as noise volume and children supervision are not enforced. The office was recently expanded, or one would think so, until you realize it was actually an addition to the manager's place, giving them an extra room. The managers are often out of the office and in their apartment during business hours. The door is open but locked. One can ring the doorbell which sounds in their apartment, and if the manager does come to the office, it is always from their apartment. All calls are forwarded to the manager's cell phone so one would think they are actually in the office. My work schedule often has me returning past 6:30 at night, and most nights the office lights are on because either the manager or manager's daughter are using the office computer for school work. (I know this because on three occasions, the blinds were not fully closed, and I saw in.) I'm not one to invade other's business. But my question is this, who pays for that nightly electricity, the managers or us tenants'

I would like to see rent raises equal property value. Prices used to be raised once a year only and average an increase of $30. Now, we increase $50 every six months. That's about a triple increase!! Even the cost of homes are not raising to that degree. To me, that's just plain greed. These apartments are old and not remodeled or upgraded until one moves out. After that, that apartment rents for an even higher price.

If rent continues to rise, I'd like to see some drastic improvements in our overall complex such as additional laundry rooms, reheating the pool, nighttime security, and more flowers planted. I'd also like to see upgrades in my apartment such as cleaning the air ducts, new carpet, and paint both indoor and outdoor.

To our owner Dr. Reeves, I say, please stop your recent exorbitant rent raises and do some upgrades on your property. Within the last three years, you continue to lose long-term tenants who have been here for a minimal of five years. You're replacing quality tenants with families who move in and out staying just six months or a year. I would think you'd be willing to work with us, your respected customers. Think about it, we're seniors, single moms, single ladies, - all on fixed incomes. We can't afford to live here any longer. We chose this complex because it was a nice place to live, it was different than the rest that are either affordable but trashy and unsafe or out just to make money.

Keep sending us away and you'll continue to get tenants with children who scream and holler, violate other's privacy by running up and down your steps, playing on your patio, and throwing mud clots at the doors. (Mind you, these children play completely unsupervised.) Their bikes race through the hall and across the grass, and they trample all over the plants, climb the trees, and pull off what flowers we do have. The adults basically trash the apartments and hold loud parties with drinking and smoking.

I'm personally offended that my rent has to go up to pay for the repairs and upgrades to make these apartments rentable after the short-term tenants take off. And yet, here I am, never once causing any problems in my five years here, and my apartment currently remains the same as it did back when I paid $475 a month! Something is wrong with this picture! I urge you to rethink your strategy, come take a look, inquire with us faithful ones, we'll tell you the straight truth. Do what you can to keep us happy and keep Franklin Terrace the attractive community it once was!

Thank you for reading my review. It was my intention to be honest and give you the "inside scoop." As stated earlier, I have enjoyed my years at Franklin Terrace, and I'm sad to say goodbye. If you choose to make this complex your home, you will truly feel it is a home and not just a place to live. (On a scale from 1 - 10, I rate it a 7! and until 2003, it was a perfect 10!) May this be helpful to you.... bYr9ljUwtCbMRXE8dRDC

User Responses
From: ducatijoe	Date: 05/14/2009
5-14-09 Joe Carlson Management Consultant In response to ??????Anonymous??????, I feel that review is not only outdated, but personally biased. I have been working at Franklin Terrace for more than two months. The manager is professional and works hard on behalf of all concerned. I find the units are attractive and always maintained in good working order. The grounds are clean and inviting. The rents are reasonable and competitive. If you are looking to rent, I invite you to come and see for yourself the value of the units.

Your thoughts? Post a response to this review. Display my response: with my username anonymously Responses appear below reviews and one response per user is permitted.

   Free estimates on moving trucks      Find apartment share/roommates