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take the good with the bad
From:
moonlight_thinker
Date posted:
5/15/2006
Years at this apartment:
1997
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2006
2 responses
I've been a resident here for 9 years, and even though there's no such thing as a perfect place, there have been many factors in my staying here for so long, such as:
1) It's a very safe building.
2) The Lakeview location is near public transportation and many of my favorite places to shop, eat, or hang out.
3) All utilities are paid, and I've had no trouble with the reception of the free basic cable that's been offered.
4) The free 24-hour fitness center, where I've lost a significant amount of weight over the past couple of years.
5) When you call to have a repair done on their apartment, maintenance usually comes the same day, and no later than the day after.
6) The doormen. A few of them have been there longer than I've lived here, they've been nothing but nice and fun to talk to. Lawrence, one of the night doormen, often loaned me an ear when I was 20 and in the process of ending an abusive relationship.
All of them ensure the residents' safety, and though the rent may seem high, peace of mind is priceless.
It's important to be objective and fair, too. When I see excessively positive reviews for this building, and others, where it's simply all praise and generalizations as to why the building's so perfect, it makes me wonder who's the one who actually wrote it. Managment, so they can improve their ratings and cover their butts' Same thing when someone throws a scathing commentary to a building's numerous shortcomings. What I write here is of my own experiences, and no way a representation of how the other residents feel. If you sift around the many overly enthusiastic positive reviews that sound like they've been written by management,you will also find residents that sound genuinely happy with their experience here.
The biggest complaint I have about the Belmont House is the management. There have been some great people who work in the leasing office, namely Mindy, who's always been nice to me, but the one person I've been having trouble with recently is Dolly. Granted, I don't remember who managed the building before she took over a few years ago, but my relationship with her has become increasingly difficult.
First of all, I've never appreciated the way Dolly has spoken to me. It is very patronizing and condescending, as if I'm either deaf or do not understand English. She's quite dismissive if you complain about a problem, and the tone of voice she uses can lead someone to believe that she either doesn't care or simply thinks they're a liar. And don't get me started on that fake smile and obvious insincerity that reeks from her. It's one of the worst cases I've ever encountered.
I know this complaint about Dolly isn't simply from me. There have been other residents that I've spoken with in the past that have shared the same gripes with me.
But this morning, it was the last straw.
Someone pounds so hard onto the door that I'm scared, and when I answer it, she looks like a huffing loan shark and throws a letter into my hand.
It turns out to be an eviction notice. Pay the rent in full within five days, plus another fee of $70, or they'll terminate the lease. I've lived here for nine years, and I've never been late with the rent before. After being very angry and flustered, I discovered that it was because there had been a stop payment on my check, which I couldn't explain. When I called the bank, I was told that multiple stop payments had been placed onto the entire box of checks I had ordered, and they explained to me that since they had first sent me a box of checks with the wrong apartment number, and later sent another box with the correct number, there had been a stop payment on all of them. They were kind enough to lift the stop payment, and I know I should've been more aware of this.
When I spoke to Dolly again, she refused to put the check through again, and was as rude as ever. Part of me wished I didn't go to the bank later that afternoon for a cashier's check, because terminating the lease wouldn't have sounded like a bad idea. I moved into the Belmont House when I was 19, and I've evolved quite a bit since then, and it feels like I've outgrown this place. The longer I stay here, the more I feel like I've stagnated. And I'm also sick of dealing with management.
After reading several other reviews here, it turns out that this practice of giving you an eviction notice is quite common at the Belmont House. It smells like someone likes their power a little too much, huh' I'm surprised that management never bothered to take the time to at least call me, or any of these other residents, to discuss what happened to their rent payment, instead of taking such extreme measures. But then, I wouldn't be surprised that Dolly seems like quite a miserable person on the inside and she'd love for others to feel as bad as her, because that's the only way she can feel good about herself.
Too bad I've already renewed my lease this past month. I'm definitely looking forward to moving out of the Belmont House at the end of next April, and starting a new chapter of my life.
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User Responses
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From:
albr1990c
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Date:
05/17/2006
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What the manager served you was NOT an eviction notice. Sounds like they gave you a 5-day notice. It's standard for landlords not to put previously bounced checks through a second time, nor accept another check. It's not uncommon for landlords to demand a cashier's check or money order if you bounce a payment. If you really believe Dolly is overstepping her bounds, check your lease. There may be a clause in the lease that states your rent is "due on the first of the month" but technically isn't "considered late until the 5th of the month." The management company is within their right to give you a notice on the second day of the month if you haven't paid, but you have 3 or 4 days to remedy your lateness by providing them with full payment. If your lease does have those terms in it, the notice they gave you should be called a 5-day notice and not an eviction notice.
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From:
moonlight_thinker
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Date:
05/18/2006
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Okay. I was doing some research and you are right about the 5-day notice that was served to me this past Monday, but the title of the document clearly read NOTICE OF EVICTION, and those three words are sure to bring distress to any resident who receives something like that. The cashier's check was received by management on the next day, and everything has been settled, but after this posting, I'm sure all involved parties are eagerly awaiting my move out date next year. I know I am.
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