I lived there for quite a few years and I wish I never moved there in the first place. Here is why:

Pre-screening: I came from Europe unaware of how renting business was conducted in CA. When I asked to rent in BC they gave me bad looks and they refused to show me the apartment because they told me I wouldn't probably qualify because i was not a legal resident (apparently the word visa was not in their vocabulary). After I came back with the INS letter justifying my intra-company executive visa and they saw my salary they changed into an annoyingly kind attitude. That lasted only until I gave the deposit and signed the contract. That was one of my first cultural shock. ;)

I ended up in BC Apartments because of furniture size constraints and availability not because was the best deal.

Move in experience: The day I moved in, my corporate relocation movers were supposed to unload all my furniture and assemble it. That day the carpet was not even installed! The movers had to leave everything in the garage. I spent a week finishing a move that was already paid for just because BC goofed up. BC management did not even apologize when I complained. They were rude and unwilling to admit their mistake nor compensate me in any way, form or fashion.

Parking: I experienced three issues:
1 - The guys from the adjacent Lomas Bernardo complex kept parking in BC spots leaving us without any close by parking.
2 - Somebody crashed into my wife car and managment said is not their problem.
3 - Next to the pool there is a constant flood of a yellowish fluid that I prefer not to know what it is but you have to step on it when you closest parking spot is there (see issue 1)
4 - Illegally parked vehicles. I got a call from the manager profusely mentioned below accusing me of leaving a trailer in the open parking spots. The tone was impolite, rude and treating me to get it towed away at my expenses. Since it was not my trailer (I guess she figure that since I had a pickup it was mine) I didn't even answer the voice mail. Finally the so imminent towing was not happening; the trailer was occupying my closest parking spot and after two calls to the courtesy patrol the trailer was full of notice papers but still there. Someone, finally did something smart and move it to the middle of the street. Then it disappeared :)

Maintenance: The guys that DO the maintenance and work for BC are GREAT and PLEASANT to deal with. Once they get to work on your issue they are fast and reliable. On the other hand forget about getting anything done that requires management involvement.

Example 1: During the first years of my stay you would call the office, give permission to enter and they would come and fix it fairly soon. Later they used a web based service and any attempt to talk to the office about getting anything fix you got rudely sent to the URL (I wander what treatment got the guys that had no internet access'). The web site was OK but you could enter maintenance requests and they could get closed without anybody showing up at your place (happened 3 times to me) or ignored (2 times); bottom line you had to deal with the rude management again. Last time I tried the web site was dead and I was not notified of any alternate way but I was moving out anyway.

I also noticed recurrent problems not being fixed for weeks or months. Like:

Example 2: A pipe was broken in the irrigation system next to the pool sending a jet stream of water 2 stories high. That water was being wasted for weeks (and you pay it since they split the water bill according to number of people living in the apartment). I guess management though it was a free car wash amenity.

Example 3: One street light has not been working for almost a year. It got fixed, started flickering, broke, flickered again, and went on and off every half hour and so on. After so long, I developed an emotional attachment to that light's mood. Will my apartment entrance today be: pitch black, a disco, a permanent warning traffic light or what' The light next to it has been broken for 2 long periods; maybe it is a contagious issue.

Example 4: One year, management, in their infinite wisdom decided that the best time to fix and clean the pool was August ;) No pool for some weeks. Upon complain they said it was cheaper this way. After answering back that they were just damaging their own image and being inconvenient to tenants they said it was a contractor availability issue (both claims where made in less than 30 seconds). They sent everybody to the Rancho Bernardo community pool. Once they were at it they could had put a shuttle service.

Construction: As previous reviewers point out the apartments are way too old. In my case doors, frames, blinds and windows were in some cases broken, didn't close well or were just dirty. The carpet was installed in a rush on top of the dirty floor. The baseboards of the bathroom kept detaching from the wall for 5 years. The utilities where so bad that they had to replace all of them. These apartments are in general (I had friends living there too) run down and even the remodeled units are just "face lifts". We had annual problems with ant attacks -we lived on the top floor- and we had to complain for 3 years in a row until management started taking some proactive measure about it; at least the last years the ants stayed out. All cabinets should no longer be in use because are old and dirty; especially in the kitchen.

A unit got on fire (unknown reasons to me) just in front of the rental office entrance.

Noise: It is a fairly quiet place if you don't mind the usual highway buzzing background noise that comes with the convenience of living close to I-15. The example #1 of my security section review is the exception but that was an isolated case.

Grounds: Nice landscaping above (close to Paseo Lucido) but deteriorates as you go downhill. Do not settle for an equivalent unit of what is shown to you down the hill. Demo units are way better than what you'll get. I've also seen 2 trees fall in two separate windy days. Looks like now they cut the heavy branches before the whole tree falls.

Safety: Management and BRE sells this complex as luxury apartments but the reality is that they do a poor job screening residents. SECURITY IS A JOKE THERE!.

Example 1: One of the "self invited not in the contract" resident was an ex-inmate with psychological issues. He was verbally abusing his mom, made noise late at night and was threatening other neighbors. The management (and I cannot say names by "User Agreement" terms but I would) was neither helpful nor agile dealing with the issue. I could no convince them of how serious it was until they did talk to that guy which threatened the only manager that actually lives in that complex too. Still, it took them weeks to evict this guy and I ended up in court requesting and obtaining a 1 year restraining order against him. My wife lived in fear for weeks with a pepper spray and the courtesy patrol number next to the door. I felt that management didn't give a hut about our security even after the courtesy patrol had to intervene twice, i showed them the court papers and they got threatened too.

Example 2: It was obvious that in another apartment the resident was conducting some illegal deals there. I don't know if it was drugs or what but the constant visits at night of cars full of guys and only one going up to the unit's door for about 1 minute was very very very suspicious. My wife alerted the management about that and the infamous lady plainly ignored her calls and did not bother to answer. The guy finally got evicted because he was not paying the rent even when he was subletting to roommates. I know this because he left a note in his door for the roommates explaining the situation after he was evicted.

Example 3: I witnessed 2 more cases where apartments where occupied by 10 persons that where obviously not official residents of the complex.

Example 4: The day of the Cedar fires all management took off, closed the office and left a sign saying "closed due the fires". When the fire was too close that you could see houses eaten by the fire at Pomerado Road we took off. The management did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to insure resident’s safety. No instructions. Never around. They did clean the ashes off the apartment exteriors so they could keep renting.

Office staff: It is hard to comment on office staff when www.apartmentratings.com doesn't want you to say names. All of them were extremely rude, incompetent, fake and always had an attitude. Later the manager got fired (sorry, relocated) and the new one is not rude, she does an honest first try to help you but she ceases very soon if things don't go as she expected.

Another "amenity", because you'll be amazed, is how fake the management is. Once you signed all papers and got your money kiss courtesy bye bye. And, by the way, they raise the rent A LOT each opportunity they have. During all these years, besides renewing what was broken, they only "rewarded our loyalty" with 2 carpet cleanings and a poorly done counter top resurface.

The lady with more seniority in the BC complex, and the one you'll have to deal most of the times, IMHO she could use some empathy pills and a growth opportunity in another business. The examples above speak for themselves but she has consistently been rude, disrespectful and lied to me too many times.

Example 1: She disrespected my wife, in front of her friends, when she tried to use the pool. She treated her like she was not living in the complex and she was an illegal alien. Again, no actions, apologies taken upon complain.

Example 2: We submitted a move out notice for day Xth and very next day we realize we need one more week due to contractor delays in our new house. I asked for X 8 right away (18 hours later or so). She said our apartment was already rented (What' The market is not that hot!) After much begging she says she would consider. She did not give a final answer until 4 days later or so. As we get close to the move out, then SHE CALLS, asking for favors because of BC's contractors issues. We kindly moved out on day X 4 and she goes and: 1) screws up the water bill (ISTA). 2) Uses our electricity for the cleanup and contractors (SDGE says is too close to day X to cancel service at X 4, and it truly is) 3) Starts shouting and yelling to me at the phone with commanding voice ordering me not to shutdown SDGE. After all that she bills us about $80 for cleaning the fridge and paying to ISTA (the water company) the balance we already paid. Once confronted by fax and phone denies asking us to see if we could move earlier. Plain liar!

I am glad I got my own house and will never have to deal with BC management again. They alone are a reason not to live in Bernardo Crest Apartments.

User Responses
From: bernardocrest	Date: 07/17/2005
This guy needs to GET A LIFE!! I have been a resident here for almost 5 years, and the MANAGMENT is THE reason why I renew every year!!!
From: dmason5	Date: 04/19/2007
I am also a resident. This guy seems totally ---- retentive. They have treated me great and with total respect from beginning move in to months I have been late with rent. If there is a maintenance issue I have service the same day, which is the first time ever with any apartment complex in 20 years in California. Simply stated, a great group of people
From: Anonymous	Date: 05/01/2008
I 100% agree whit you..."She disrespected my wife, in front of her friends, when she tried to use the pool. She treated her like she was not living in the complex and she was an illegal alien. Again, no actions, apologies taken upon complain" ...THIS HAPPENED TO ME TOO, and not only this she also say for healthy issues NEVER, NEVER AGING bring my dog (I was sitting outside the pool fence) but I see another resident Whit their dog inside the pool area also in the guest house...one time she was playing with one dog and this dog don't have a leash..but of course maybe I should carry my Naturalization certificate on my chest, maybe I can get those privileges...or be part of the MEGANS LAW LIST thats not a "healty issue" for the MANGMENT...but as always you get what you pay...upgrade the management and the bath the rest we can deal Whit it

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