My wife, son and I were tenants for a year. Management will know who are from the details of this post.

In fairness, we were looking for a safe, clean complex for our 13yo son, and LW is that. However, LW is also the most expensive in the area, and requires utility reimbursement (about $45 every month) too.

But our problems were LW's illegal business practices, and psychopathic property manager who seems to glory in flouting the law. Strong words'' Well, check it out: (1) LW converts rent payments to "late" utility reimbursements (a practice that is illegal in California), then serves a Three Day Notice (with $75 late fee) for "unpaid rent". Go ahead and object: Jose the Psychopathic Property Manager will respond with seething rage, and little issues like law, facts -- these just make him madder. (2) In California, when the rent falls due on a legal holiday, the rent is due the next day. At LW, they just ignore this. Rent due on July 4th, a legal holiday'' Sure is, and if you don't pay, it's another Three Day Notice and (surprise, surprise) $75 late fee. California law'' Who cares'' (3) LW has a neat little trick of requiring the rent in cashier's checks even though California law says they can't do it. Pay with a check, as is your right under California law, and, rather than simply cash your lawfully presented check, they'll return the check and sue. Don't believe me'' It just happened to us.

But we know California law, and decided to fight back. We happily went to Sacramento Superior Court for trial. At trial, LW asked the judge to award the late fees discussed above, which the judge refused to do, because those fees are illegal in California (Jose'' you listening'' didn't think so ...). LW asked the judge, incredibly, to award their attorneys fees and costs to "collect" the same rent they refused to accept from us (I am not making this up); of course, the judge refused to do that. The end result: we ended up paying exactly the same amount of rent, by check, that we had offered to LW anyway, and not a penny more, despite LW's bullying, threats and eventual lawsuit (!).

But wait! Even though the judge told LW they can't collect these costs and late fees, LW has now filed these exact same amounts as a collection account against us! LW knows they can't collect those costs -- a judge just told them so!. But that doesn't stop them. Knowingly filing a false collection account is really, really illegal, and we're now beginning to litigate that issue -- I'll update this post with the results.

As outrageous as the above must sound, every incident is accurately described, and is a matter of public record and easily verified. Again, management knows who we are, and we challenge them to explain themselves in response in this forum.

Meanwhile, you won't be surprised that we regard our tenancy at LW as a complete disaster, and don't recommend that you live here.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 12/31/2007
If you are actually part of a lawsuit, do you think you should really be posting stuff like this on the internet? You may want to ask your laywers.
From: natomas	Date: 01/02/2008
I'm glad to see you are out of there. Nobody needs Jose and his abuse. Things were pretty good before Jose and we all paid with personal checks. The reviews tell me what has happened. Keep up the fight. We're with you. We need a group suit.
From: Anonymous	Date: 02/06/2008
I sympathize with you & your family as I know what a slimy ------- Jose is! He needs to look for a job as a gardener, or go back to Mexico where he belongs. Seriously--What a creep! I will never rent from Larkspur Woods as long as that ass0---Jose is employed there! Complain to corporate offices & get him out of there. They need new management who isn't deceptive & deceitful with tenants.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/19/2008
Wow - thank you for warning me. I work down the street from here and it looks nice but these reviews have made me say I will not live there. Too bad for Jose. He's driving off business. I'd have paid the too-high rent cost because I'd be walking to work. Thank you all so much for posting this stuff.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/08/2009
Good news! effective October 2008 the property sold and management changed! Do not allow these negative comments to sway your opinion...get to know the new Larkspur Woods Management Team! You will love them.

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