First let me preface my "review" by adding that Property Management consists of a group of professionals working together to manage the maintenance of all the individual apartment homes that make up the community, as well as the grounds. That is not a simple task. I will guess that many have a hard time managing just one home, let alone hundreds at a time.

There is a LOT that goes into property management. It is not as simple as accepting rental payments and scheduling the occasional service request. It is far more involved than that. However, I will not bore you with all the details of the operation.

Having said all that, let me now add this...

I have been a resident here for almost one year. My first introduction to Lane Properties was via drive by, when I was looking for an apartment. I was not escorted to my prospective unit. Rather I was handed the keys and told to go view it by myself. Unprofessional, to say the least...but minor in the grand scheme of things. I thought the administrative price was ridiculous but I guessed that Lane knew they had the upper hand given their surrounding competition was not zoned for the Lawrenceville school system. Also, charging each applicant applying for the same apartment a separate application fee is unheard of. And I have been in the industry for 8 years. Never worked for a management group/firm that charged for each application. When a credit check is ran it can all be ran at the same time through resident check as a co-applicant/roommate situation. In essence, Lane is greedy and taking advantage of peoples needs to find a domicile. But I needed an apartment and they were the only one to accommodate me.

My one and only need, aside from an apartment, was that the apartment had no previous pets in it. I made that abundantly clear given two of my children are allergic to pet dander/hair. Well, that request was ignored, and I was moved into an apartment that had not one, but two, pets that lived in the apartment prior to my taking possession. I was very surprised to learn that the carpets had not been changed and that the prior resident had lived there for a few years. To this day I still pull up pet hair and during the winter months when I HAVE to close windows and run the heat my children get headaches, itchy eyes, post nasal drip and my youngest is constantly battling skin irritations. All of which I said would happen if the apartment had pets in it. My thought is that eating away at vacancy loss, increasing occupancy and of course getting that commission all took precedence over my children s pet allergies.

Okay, so we got the pet problem, which they were kind enough to come out and clean the carpets but I know a thing or two about carpet cleaning and that does not solve the problem, actually it compounds the problem. The gesture was nice and appreciated though. Then I noticed the windows were sweating profusely. Like ridiculously profusely. I complained three times. Three times maintenance came out and told me it was my problem and that I needed to maintain the situation. Not content with the resolve, I contacted a personal friend employed with The Housing Authority who came out and inspected all of the windows and he informed me that the windows were poorly installed and because there was no flashing that was the cause of the water damage in the construction of the window casing. My fourth complaint, which I took directly to the manager, was immediately addressed. However, I was informed that the windows sweat and that was just the way it was in apartments. Let me go on the records to say, "NONSENSE!" I have plenty of pictures to document that windows should never sweat to the point of puddles of water in the window seal. Then again, to give credit where it is due, maintenance did come out and paint over the unsightly water stains that peppered all of the windows and paint over the old mildew stains. Though that was just a band aid resolution for the gross negligence committed during construction which I am now having to pay for...i.e. constantly maintaining "weeping windows". *laughs*

Pet hair, poorly installed windows...anything else' Why yes, can we say vermin' I have complained on that point several times also, but to no avail! One very ambitious rodent lives within my apartment walls. His favorite hang out...right behind my toilet. This guy has some saber tooth kinda teeth because I hear him gnawing away like the lil rat that he is. And I wonder what the heck he is doing' Is he chewing his way out of that little prison cell he got himself into, like Timothy Robbins did in Shawshank Redemption with the little spoon' I have yet to get any reprieve from this nuisance. Had I a gun I would have turned that wall into Swiss cheese by now and dealt with the consequences later. PLEASE GET RID OF THE RAT!

Finally, as for the drug dealers. Everyone in the buildings 100-400 know who they are. Though I question if they are really drug dealers, they do have some very suspicious activity that goes on all hours of the night. I am not sure why they have not been confronted to make their actions change but they need to be put on probation of some sort...cure letter comes to mind!

In closing I am going to add this very positive note...despite all my disappointments with the Lane Company and this property, I have to realize that the property has some age to it and that construction is often shoddy to save money in order to make money (you know, the good ole American greedy way of thinking) and that people are subject to deadlines and goals, be it personal or professional. What I am trying to say here is this...having to deal with all the little problems I have had to exercise great patience in doing, (and one day I was not to terribly patient...my apologies to the staff, especially you Angie) the staff for the most part is a very competent staff with the responsibility to keep 400 plus homes/families happy. In a good day, that is NOT going to happen. They do try very hard, this I know. Being in apartment management I know how crazy a day can get and how sometimes needs are not met, not because you don't want to meet them but because sometimes time just gets away from you or like any other human it just escapes you. I challenge ANY ONE person to say that they have never dropped the ball and I will call you a LIAR to your face. What every community needs is a band of people who can live and function together as a unit. When I see trash on the ground, I pick it up. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have seen the picnic area full of beer bottles laying right beside the trash can and it burns my britches that those "supposed" drug dealers in 200 don't take more pride in where they live to clean up after themselves but I do have pride in where I live and probably more importantly I am of able body and mind to address a problem that needed to be addressed...picking up trash. Parking...if I have to park on the other side of the parking lot, I may not like it, but SO WHAT! Is that really an issue' America has become prone to obesity and diabetes and a little exercise never HURT anyone.

I went all over the place with this review but I want to finish with this...it is that wonderful time of year, Christmas...where we should be thankful and reflective of all the blessings we have been given. If you are not homeless and hungry then YOU ARE BLESSED! Angie, Natasha, Brent, Laura (I hope I spelled your names right) and all the maintenance staff do a great job! They may not be perfect all the time but they are perfectly capable of doing their job the best they can and I am confident they are doing their absolute best. And NO, I am not friends with any of them. As you have read I have had my headaches with this property but I am sure that the staff could on a daily basis use a nice boost of confidence. I know from experience that they day is spent putting out fires, listening to sob stories, calming down irate residents, meeting deadlines, pleasing owners, and corporate; that rarely there is an appreciative and heartfelt, "thank you!"

Every apartment community has its issues but Summer Park is doing a great job at being a cut above the rest!

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