For as long as I've been a tenant here (almost three years), the water bill has been paid with the rent. The rent is due on the 1st, with a grace period until the 5th. If you did not pay your water bill with the rent, your rent check would not be accepted - Fine by me, however...

I never liked the fact that this building does business with AUM (American Utility Management in IL), a company that is notorious for inflating water usage charges and charging outrageous fees. They charge us $3.50 a month simply for the privilege of having them bill us - I always thought that management should be paying this bill, since they are contracting with this company to provide utility billing - I didn't ask them to bill me, THEY DID.

Anyways, the building recently changed the policies so that we are to pay AUM directly, rather than submitting the water payment with the rent. I'm guessing that the monthly $3.50 "Admin" fee has been the source of resistance and many arguments, so they had to come up with a way to justify it. Due to this change, our hands are now tied and we are being subjected to AUM's outrageous fees.

We no longer have a grace period, as AUM demands payment by the 1st, or else you are charged a $10 late fee. They also want you to allow 5-7 business days for payment. You just know they are going to claim you were late and find a way to charge you. If you go online to make a payment, you are charged a $7.50 "Convenience" Fee. (Please tell me how this is "convenient.")

Considering that we have a large number of elderly, fixed-income, and some low-income tenants, this is totally inconsiderate and unfair. But honestly, with the new management team, they are doing a lot of new, unscrupulous (and potentially ILLEGAL) things to the tenants. They just attempted to run a scam on me, but I'm too intelligent for it (future lawyer), and they're messing with the wrong one. They're about to see how "thorough" I really am.

There are a million reasons why no one should move to this building, and in a few more months, I intend to tell ALL. Stay posted.

UPDATE: I just received my most recent water bill. I am now being charged a $10 late fee for a payment that I mailed to them well in advance, in more than enough time to make it to them by their deadline of the 1st. I believe that I was correct in my assumption that this would be the new scam. I believe that both the bogus utility company and management will be taking a cut from these ill-gotten "profits" taken at the expense of their residents. Geez, isn't scamming with exorbitant rental increases enough' Greedy - just plain greedy....

User Responses
From: Ulexus	Date: 01/29/2008
As a resident since 2001, I remember the days before they had this water scam. The have steadily increased the pain of this more and more. They used to include the water in your rent. That is, there was no separate water bill. A few years ago, they started this insane scheme to come with some sort of way to rook everyone. They have done so. Right after I finally acceded to the bill, they pull something like this. First, I would _love_ to see the comparisons of what we are billed for just the raw water usage (outside of superfluous fees) and the real water bill. Secondly, the fees are nothing short of highway robbery. Then to make you send this piddling bill out of state to the same rip-off artist is just arrogance put forth into malice. I have put up good posts about the Darlington in the past, and I have defended it, but with this practice, as well as a number of other ones (such as price adaptations based on what the prospects look like...can we say racism, sexism?), this new "management" team is set out to destroy any remaining value that the Darlington has. We are on a month-to-month, now, and we are looking to buy somewhere else. All I can say is woe be to those who stay. They are asking to be raped, pillaged, and otherwise taken gross advantage of.
From: Anonymous	Date: 01/30/2008
I agree, this water bill thing is out of line, I can't wait to see these crooks exposed. I have a problem with them raising the rent each year I renew my lease, most leasing companies raise every 2-3 years. Darlington needs major meaia coverage for ripping us off, and that shifty AUM as well.
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/25/2008
Why renew?
From: sunnyc02	Date: 04/29/2008
I have lived in Travis county in 3 different apt complexes, and it is always the same story. There is a complete lack of enforcement and/or support for individual tenants and it is frighteningly apparent when dealing with office management. They seem aware of that which makes them very brazen and unintimidated, with slum lord-like behavior. This also makes them dangerous, risking the health and well being of each and every tenant. Until changes are made we can all be expected to live in fear and just plain take it! As a result I have planned to move to another county when my lease is up, I am told that Williamson might be a better fit for those who are aware of their own rights, but who knows. I guess ignorance is bliss afterall.
From: AUMSucks	Date: 08/19/2008
I have a major problem with American Utility Management and have set up my own blog to complain about them. Take a look at: http://aumsucks.blogspot.com I have written to various local firms in Oakbrook and Hillside, Illinois sending them magnets and post cards with my blog name on it. I will be adding this web site to my blog complete with your comments. Now anytime someone puts into their search engine AUM or American Utility Management among the other references will be my blog.
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/23/2008
American Utility Management (A.U.M.) AUM is the Illinois firm that bills our condo for local water usage and sewer fees. They have connected to our water line, at our water heater, a metering device which reports to them electronically as to how much water our unit uses. No one actually comes out to read the meter. In theory you get a flat base rate billing ($14.12) for your first 3,000 gallons and after that you are charged additional money. I have an inquiry pending with them, due to some oddities in bills that I have gotten over the last 15 months. Bill for months that no one was at the condo are higher than for those months it was occupied! Only 6 out of 15 bills have the 'usage summary' which shows you how many gallons you have used. I want to know why for both items. I also found that AUM has had over 60 Better Business Bureau complaints in about 20 months of BBB membership. I am not surprised to see them on other internet sites.
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/11/2009
Hi everyone, I am also a victim of AUM and my fellow residents here at Summer View Apartments in Sherman Oaks CA. They charged my neighbor $150.00 for water, sewer, trash, and electric for the entire month she was gone. Ok so if she was gone the entire time, where do they get the fee if everything was turned off and nothing was on??? Now these apartments are not that big, a small one bedroom. The air-conditioner is a small unit in the living room and that is it. My bill for all was at the most in the summer $60.00 with Minol and they changed it over to AUM and the bill was jacked up to $150.00 in my building. One of the other residents same apartment size had his air-condtioner on all day in his place and they only charged him $50.00 but the residents in my building were being charged around $ 150.00. Something is not right here. My neighbor and I have made several complaints about these high bills. Nothing has been done. I am thinking of hiring an attorney. AUM needs to fix the problem and not try to scam people because they will get sued. Anyone here up for it?
From: NautilusCove	Date: 05/02/2009
No surprise that high bills continue when the unit is empty. Happened to me also. Six months when I was totally GONE from the condo over a 14 month period I was getting bills that were higher than when I was there and actually using water. Our condo finally got rid of them. Take a look at my blog site about AUM: http://aumsucks.blogspot.com
From: NCCOwner	Date: 05/19/2009
I looked up the BBB report on this firm (see below link) and cut and pasted the info FYI. 69 complaints in 3 years and they are still a member in good standing, maybe this BBB should change its name to BCB - Better Coverup Bureau. http://www.bbb.org/chicago/business-reviews/billing-service/american-utility-management-inc-in-oak-brook-il-28003768 AUM Report: Customer Complaint History When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints. BBB processed a total of 69 complaints about this company in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total of 69 complaints closed in 36 months, 21 were closed in the last year. These complaints concerned : 3 regarding Issue Not Defined 58 regarding Billing or Collection Issues BBB Definition: Billing or Collection Issues - Claim alleging billing errors, unauthorized charges, or questionable collection practices. 11 - Failure to correct billing errors 2 - Failure to provide itemized billing as requested 3 - Failure to substantiate charges 5 - Improper collection practices 37 - None of the Above - Credit, Billing or Collection Complaint Issue 1 regarding Contract Issues BBB Definition: Contract Issues - Claim of alleged failure to honor contract or agreement, work performed without authorization, or invalid contract. 1 - None of the Above - Contract Complaint Issue 4 regarding Customer Service Issues BBB Definition: Service Issues - Claims of alleged delay in completing service, failure to provide promised service, inferior quality of provided service, or damaged merchandise as a result of delivery service. BBB Definition: Customer Service Issues - Claims alleging unsatisfactory customer service, including personnel's failure to provide assistance in a timely manner, failure to address or respond to customer dissatisfaction, unavailability for customer support, and/or inappropriate behavior or attitude exhibited by company staff. 4 - None of the Above - Customer Service Complaint Issue 1 regarding Product Issues BBB Definition: Product Issues - Claim alleging a product does not meet the expectations of the complainant, including defective merchandise. 1 - None of the Above - Product Quality Complaint Issue 1 regarding Sales Practice Issues BBB Definition: Sales Practice Issues - Claims of alleged sales presentations made in person or by telephone that contain misrepresentations of the product or service, high pressure sales practices, failure to disclose key conditions of the offer, and verbal representations not consistent with written contractual terms or agreements. 1 - None of the Above - Sales Complaint Issue 1 regarding Service Issues BBB Definition: Service Issues - Claims of alleged delay in completing service, failure to provide promised service, inferior quality of provided service, or damaged merchandise as a result of delivery service. 1 - None of the Above - Service Complaint Issue These complaints were closed as: 21 Administratively Closed BBB Definition: Administratively Closed - BBB determined that the complaint could not be satisfactorily settled using standard methods of voluntary dispute resolution 20 - BBB determined the company made a reasonable offer to resolve the issues, but the consumer did not accept the offer. 1 - BBB determined that despite the company's reasonable effort to address complaint issues, the consumer remained dissatisfied. 48 Resolved BBB Definition: Resolved - The company resolved the complaint issues. 10 - Company resolved BBB Definition: resolved - The company resolved the complaint issues. the complaint issues. The consumer acknowledged acceptance to BBB. 38 - Company addressed the complaint issues. The consumer failed to acknowledge acceptance to BBB.

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