Anytime they have a clause in the lease about being able to put you out if you argue with or "threaten" them, you know you?re going to have some issues...


First I?m going to start by telling you my experience, then I?m going to reveal all the things they don?t want you to know, and then I?m going to tell you how to "survive" here because it can be done (I?m doing it right now).


I ended up moving here despite all the negative reviews this community received. Although I probably should have taken my $$$$$$ and moved to Buckhead or Midtown, I am strongly against paying big money to make others rich, without getting any equity in return. The size, apperance, and price of the apts. (they are really nice and spacious) appealed to me, so I decided to chance it figuring life is what you make of it. So I?ma put it like this - If you want to save money and don?t mind dealing with a few ignorant people, read on so you can learn how to "get by" here, if not, I?m gonna tell ya why you don?t wanna be here so you can stay far far away.


My leasing agent was having some issues so she left me in the hands of another agent who took things from there (I should mention that I came from out-of-state and on my way down here I got a last-minute call on move-in day stating that my apt. would not be ready - THIS WAS THE FIRST SIGN I IGNORED, the second was the fact that they could not honor the rent "special" that was offered when I came for the tour). She was nice to me and my family before and during the move-in process and even lied ("yes, the wallpaper can be removed and such and such...") Anything to get you in...


There were some things that needed repair upon walk-through inspection. These things were noted and a few days later, the minor superficial things were taken care of (broken drawers, bent door, loose oven handle, etc.) But during that time, I noticed some more serious things that needed to be dealt with ASAP (my mailbox was wide open and neither key worked - ghetto tenants were raiding my mailbox and opening mail, broken showerhead with a huge hole around it, front door not secure, concerns over faint gas smell coming from utility room, did not receive a copy of my lease, etc.) As far as the hole in the bathroom, the maintenance person said they?d have to get a contractor to fix it and he did note it.


As you are supposed to contact your leasing agent about all issues, I did exactly that. This is when I noticed her attitude changing for the worst. I waited for a few days to see if anything would happen - nothing. Disgusted with her nasty, negligent attitude and the lack of reponse to serious issues, I drafted a very firm, but tactful letter to the property manager and took it to the office.


The other incompetent girl working in there read my letter (which really wasn?t for her anyway) and started laughing - I really didn?t find anything funny. Me threatening to take action if someone steals my identity (due to mail theft) or if anything happens to me as a result of their negligence, and also the possibility of me hiring outside contractors and deducting from the rent is nothing to giggle about. This should tell you something about how they feel about their tenants. She wrote up a work order while I was sitting there so I decided to have a little more faith in these trifling people. Still nothing, although they did take a look at the utility room/gas issue (to cover their own a**es I guess)... And I called about the other things almost everyday to no avail...


Eventually the letter must have gotten back to my leasing agent through the property manager (I did mention her in it) and she had a terrible attitude and out of spite told me to walk all the way over to the office (claiming that "we" were going to meet with the property manager). - All she did was waste my valuable business hours by having me sit in the office for an hour while she went off and made a copy of my lease. She also pointed me out to the other women working in there and by the way she did it, I could tell she had been talking trash about me - very unprofessional and classless I must add. Do I detect a tad bit of jealously and the usual "female hatred'" - I believe I do.


Eventually the maintenance person for my section came to take care of stuff. It turns out that he was out of town during the time of my complaint. I can understand and I surely don?t blame him, but that doesn?t mean that the office couldn?t get someone else to do it - there is NO excuse. He was surprised to see that nothing had been dealt with (the hole in the bathroom, etc.) and was really shocked over the whole open mailbox issue. He immediately went and fixed it by putting a new lock on.


I got a call from the property manager who followed up to see if everything had been taken care of. I came in to meet with her and noticed my leasing agent had an attitude about that. While I was there, their incompetent receptionist of sorts passed along a note about an earlier call about an issue. She knew this is why I was coming in there and did it as a last ditch effort to cover herself. This should have BEEN done.


Here?s what I have discovered: The #1 problem here is the office. It is plagued with rude, ignorant people and "temps." The staff seems to change every week. They rarely answer their phones and have a useless "answering service" do all their work for them. I?ve noticed that everyone comes into the office to complain about things that need to be fixed and many won?t leave until some sort of action is taken. I?ve also witnessed the people in the office see people coming and then run to the doors and lock them out - How rude!' Whatever is going on with that, they brought it on themselves and need to accept responsibility. There is also one ignorant leasing agent there who has a terrible attitude and work ethic and should be fired. She has a way of influencing the rest of the staff so that they all give you the same cold treatment that she does.


Eventually everything got taken care of and just when I thought it was over they decided to start harassing me about BILLS that I?M paying. Seems they just wanted to single me out and mess with me for their own entertainment. Or maybe it?s revenge, perhaps... They put a notice on my door and also called me, talking down to me and treating me as if I don?t pay my bills and owe them hundreds of dollars (all this over $18 - they even tried to get more by throwing in a week before I even moved in and having me pay for that!). More unprofessionalism and rudeness on their part. I guess they just wanted to make me look bad because I?m simply too good.


I came in on the weekend to deal with it and this is when I witnessed the ultimate display of rudeness. I?m still in shock. No one in the office acknowledged me at all - no one said a word - complete cold shoulder treatment. No one tried to help and my leasing agent spent all of her time rolling her eyes with her nose up in the air acting like she didn?t see me. I?m not a violent classless person, but I really had an urge to slap someone that day! I must have stayed in there for two hours! While there, I was talking to other tenants who also had a ton of complaints about how rude and phony the staff was. I heard the usual complaints about things not getting fixed, rude treatment, amenities not available, etc. I was so tempted to tell all the visitors to go somewhere else but I kept my mouth shut. When it became obvious, their phony receptionist decided to help me. Again, she was loud and unprofessional, again putting all my business out there, and trying to make it look as if I?m one of their trifling ghetto tenants who doesn?t pay bills (when I?m really a young, successful businesswoman who handles her business...) Found out these idiots had put in notices to turn of my electric AND gas before they even said anything to me about it (mind you, the only thing at issue was a few days of a gas bill that I owed because they refused to cooperate with the gas company to set up my account!)I witnessed them lying to callers about them paying utilities when you are responsible for paying your own (Can you say false advertising!'). They were also working that bait-and-switch rent "special" which seems to be on with one person and off with the next. I did comment on their rudeness and unprofessionalism while I was there but I think it fell on ignorant ears.


So everything got taken care of, well almost - seems that they told the water billing service that there are two tenants in my unit, when it?s just me so I?ve been charged extra. So I?m trying to get that worked out now. *sigh* These people make me sick. Even the billing company had some negative words about them - how about that!'


Now to point out a few things that they don?t want you to know:


The gate is broken and I don?t think they?ll ever fix it. SO if you do move here, and they bug you about giving them a number to key to it, LAUGH IN THEIR FACE!


The advertised amenities are not available to you! The indoor pool is defunct, laundry facilities are a scary situation, everything in the exercise room is broken, the skylights in many of the apartments have been filled in (with the exception of units that are visible from the road and front entrace - how deceptive!'), childrens afterschool programs (all they do is give these poor, hungry latchkey children a snack if they happen to have something sitting around)...


The low rent is the actual rent price. Laugh when they tell you that the real cost of a one bedroom is $635 - it?s $475 and that?s not a special - it?s reality. You see, without all the advertised amenities, they can?t get the standard rental rates from years ago, or that other properties are getting. You pay for and get the bare minimum. If they decide to go up on my rent, I will go elsewhere, ?cause you can get a ton more for $600 (even for $500). Now if they?re feeling really desperate, they?ll try to offer you this rent "special" of $429, but when it comes time to sign the lease, suddenly they can?t honor it. They size you up and decide what you can afford to pay - they charge you what they want, which is why I pay $475 when I was offered $429, and my neighbor pays $476 (!').


In order to maintain this property at the absolute minimum, they have decided to get help from good ol? Uncle Sam (the government). By becoming a bond-financed property, they are now legally entitled to accept everyone and to provide "affordable" housing for low income people. So this "luxury" community is really nothing more than a fancy project... And they have a funny way of segregating many the low income people all the way in the back, hidden and out of view. Make sure they don?t put you back there.


The are going to be nice to you until you move in. They will lie and deceive. They will even lie about the utilities - Everything is separate - water/sewer, gas, electric - and it all adds up... After they get you in, to hell with you. You?re on your own.


There is a little problem with crime and crackhead behavior (take raiding my mailbox for example). I even heard they try to steal the rent checks from the mail drop. They also have some of the most unsupervised, untamed, bad a** kids you?ll ever want to see. They also have some unrefined country folks who insist on using the breezeways as barbecue and storage areas. As a city chick with a proper upbringing, I find it very annoying, albeit comical.


And now for the survival guide:


As for choice of apartments, don?t let them put you in the "projects" (the back, the apartments out of view from the gate and Juliette Rd.)


At lease signing, get a copy of your lease. Their failure to give you a copy is not an oversight - they DO intend to screw you later.


Call the utility companies as soon as you get your keys and have them contact the office directly with the information. Save and document everything - names, dates, times, etc...


Call a locksmith, get a second lock. Ask them to inspect your door and to do whatever it takes to make it "secure." Screw the lease, they won?t get mad if you do this - hell, get a security system if you want one. They don?t want to take responsibility so it relieves them when YOU do.


Have them sign some papers for a change. Demand that all move-in repairs be made during the first two weeks, no more no less. If they don?t, threaten to hire outisde and deduct from the rent and don?t back down.


When you need something repaired, NEVER ever call the office and report it. Find out who your maintenance person is and befriend him. Ladies, work the charm factor if necessary to get what you want. I don?t really have to do this though because it comes naturally... When you need repairs made, set out on foot, find your maintenance person and tell him. The office takes everything you say with a grain of salt, and rarely writes up a work order without you showing up in person, very irate. They want to push you to the edge so you go off on them, and then they can put you out (according to the lease). I must say that the maintenance person for my section is absolutely WONDERFUL, although overworked. Takes care of everything. Glad to have him around:-) They should give him a raise! :-)


Always hand deliver the rent check promptly on the 1st of the month. Do not put in in the drop. Go into the office and give it to them - and note who, what, when, where, why, and how plus the date, time and the weather.


Get a washer and dryer, and don?t rent from that "big" company that advertises there. The service is very very very bad. Go to hhgregg and buy a set when they have a special. Um, don?t ask, but you don?t want to mess with those "clothes care centers"...


The amenities: Learn to live without them. Act as if they don?t exist. Buy some equipment for your apt. or get a health club membership. Take vacations or a "spa day" to compensate whenever you need to. Avoid the overwhelming temptation to try to deduct this from the rent.


Use common safety sense when walking around this community. If it looks like a hoodlum or crackhead, walks likes one...


You must be responsible for your part of the breezeway area. They rarely clean them. It sucks, I know. Keep the area around your door clean, and spray for bugs frequently. Don?t put trash outside the door or in your storage closet (they love to charge fines for this sort of thing).


Set an example for your "unenlightened" and "unrefined" neighbors. Ghetto individuals and country folks just need a little guidance. Show them how to do it.

>
Don?t let the people in the office get to you. See them just as small as they really are and squash them like little roaches. Laugh at their ignorance.

User Responses
From: MAYAMEICHELLE	Date: 03/20/2006
OH MAN, SHE REALLY HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD! I LIVE IN THE "GHETTO" OF RIDGE FOREST IN STONE MOUNTAIN. THE SPACE OF THE APTS IS NICE IF YOU DON'T MIND IGNORANT PEOPLE AND CRACKHEADS. ALSO BEING HARASSED BY THE POLICE AS IF I'M ONE OF THESE GHETTO PEOPLE. I'M ONLY HERE TO SAVE MONEY UNTIL I GET MY DEGREE IN 2 YRS.
From: almostmadethemove	Date: 07/07/2006
wow, i just went for a visit with family who live near the villages, in a home on the lake. i was thinking of trying the villages of stone mountain...it did look ghetto, and i see the gate did not work. after reading this i'm not even gonna make that move to this property....shy, i'd be locked up. looks are not everything, ghetto does not have to be the hood, its the people. i'm glad i read this!
From: hope-it-works-out	Date: 01/02/2007
I wish I had read this before we moved in. We experienced alot of that and weve only been here 2 months. The leasing agent was very sweet( when we could find her). She promised us everything. Even told us water and sewer were already included in the rent. We found out that was a lie when we got the bill. We made a list of all the things that needed to be fixed 2 weeks before we moved in. None of it was fixed on move in day. We didnt have a fire extinguisher for 2 weeks. There were even bugs in our fridge when we moved in. I wish owners were more involved and cared to protect thier integrity.

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