I moved into Ashley Lakes (now Highland Lakes) in Norcross two years ago. It was a very nice complex then. The service was good. The amenities were good. It was reasonably safe.

Since Miles Properties bought this place about six months ago, it has gone downhill rapidly. It started with the little things; the office announced it would no longer hold packages for tenants, a service I specifically asked about when I was considering moving in. The soda vending machine in the laundromat was removed. We were informed that the flimsy doors would be removed from the laundry rooms in the apartments; apparently having flimsy doors wasn't ghetto enough, we're going to be deprived even of that so that the cooking fumes can get into our clothes. In addition, most management announcements are only being distributed to about half the residents. Constantly the managers tell us, "Oh, we sent a notification to everybody about that," but a lot of us never get them. There is now litter scattered in front of my building, which never used to happen.

They tried to raise the water bill to about twice what it had been, but enough people complained that they had to drop that one.

I also lost my keys and they told me that they "don't do lock-outs", so I had to pay a locksmith to let me back into my home. I have since learned that other tenants have had the same problem.

Since Miles Properties bought this complex, all of the long-term residents - people who have lived here for five years or more - have moved out.

EDIT:
Things have taken a turn for the better and I thought I should let other tenants and prospective tenants know what the deal is. A lot of the things I mentioned above, like their refusing to hold packages or let in people who are locked out, are still annoying, but the major problem, namely the criminal element that has moved in here recently, is being addressed.

It turns out that last year, when the previous owners wanted to sell this place to Miles Properties, they let a lot of people into apartments here without the usual background checks. That's normal for a complex that's trying to get sold; the place is more sellable if there's more tenants. Now the new management is working on getting rid of the undesirable people who moved in. Other tenants have noticed the same suspicious behavior I have and have brought it to the attention of authorities, and in the last few days a few people have been arrested.

So while the services aren't as good as they were, the safety is on the rise. Thank goodness; I really didn't want to have to move.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/28/2008
Thats great about the crime, however, who wants to deal w/ the people in the leasing office, I know I don't. This complex is getting more and more empty, so that means they'll raise the rent yet again. I hate moving, I mean hate it w/ a passion, but I'd rather move then have to put up w/ managements attitude toward tenants. This complex is an embarrasement, All the garbage, all the stray cats, they claimed they were going to have removed, the apartments w/ wood blocks on the windows or below the window, and they say their renovating, I see workers "sometimes"....
From: Mermaid9	Date: 10/28/2008
Even though the criminal element is being removed, this place still has a lot of problems. A few days ago I saw two adults with a small child and they were letting the child go to the bathroom right in the parking lot. This weekend some children were setting fire to scraps of paper right outside my building! They also left a lot of fast food wrappers and stuff strewn around. I took photos of all the litter and trash that's piled up around my building. I'm probably going to move out after all. I don't want to be here when some kids manage to set fire to this building or something. Children will always do things they shouldn't and there will always be some parents who let them get away with it or who just don't know what their kids are doing, but I never used to see kids doing anything they shouldn't around here and now it's becoming a routine occurrence.

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