I lived at Marquis for 3 years. The first 2 years were not great but not horrible -the noise levels (like most apartments) weren't great, they were slow to respond to service requests, their idea of dealing with the dog that attacked me on my morning walk was to put a note on the door of everyone in the building reminding us of the leash laws, and despite 3 requests, they never repainted the area of my bedroom wall that had to be repaired due to mold due to a leaky exterior wall due to poor construction. The apartment wasn't well insulated (I set the thermostat at 70 in the winter and 72 in the summer and my electric bills averaged $100). They did, however, have a decent pet policy. I chose the community primarily because I had a large dog and they used to have plenty of areas to walk around. In the last year I was there, I noticed a definite turn for the worse. There was a definite overcrowding problem whereby multiple families, or groups of 5-6 adults were living in one apartment, taking up most of the parking spots such that it became a rarity to park close to your building. When walking my dog around the pond, there was goose poop covering the entire 1/3 mile walking path - it was an exercise in tip-toeing to keep your shoes clean. And the pet policies were seemingly never enforced - even walking your dog along a sidewalk or in grassy areas around the community ended up being like walking in a field of dog poop, which resulted in a not-so-lovely odor that became a constant in the summer - especially around the pet disposal stations, which seemed to act as a target area for pet owners to walk their dogs, even if they didn't pick up after them.
The final straw, though, is the bill I received upon moving out. I have lived in apartments for the past 10 years, having been a resident at 3 others prior to moving to Marquis. I always got my deposit back and never had to pay anything. At Marquis, however, it was a different story. I will acknowledge that when I left, there were 4 lightbulbs that weren't working - all in the rooms I didn't use. I also had a spillage issue that damaged a burner pan on the stove. I had 10 nail holes that I didn't fill before leaving. There was normal wear and tear on the carpet and walls, but I arranged for a cleaning before I left, top to bottom dusting, sanitizing and vacuuming. Imagine my surpise, then, when I received a bill for $1,058 after moving out. They charged $275 to replace blinds that I NEVER used - I had to dust them frequently, but they were plastic so they weren't bent, and they were clean when I left. BOGUS CHARGE. I was charged $135 for smoke damage to the paint...I don't smoke, my friends don't smoke and I didn't have a fireplace. I also didn't do any grilling in my apartment, so I REALLY can't figure this one out. BOGUS CHARGE. They charged $70.00 to paint the ceilings from aforesaid water damage that was never painted over (although it was primed) in the first place - damage caused to leaking due to construction on the outside of my apartment, not something I did. BOGUS CHARGE. $265.00 to repaint 2 rooms....I'm not kidding. BOGUS CHARGE. They charged $60 to fill nail holes. I did that in the house that I just moved into and it cost less than $10 to buy a whole new thing of paste and a spackle knife. BOGUS CHARGE. Oh, and did I mention that the paint that was purchased to repaint the 2 rooms came to $130.14' BOGUS CHARGE. And $180 for a cleaning after I left...isn't this something they do anyway, despite the fact that I could have eaten off the floor or surface anywhere in that apartment before leaving' BOGUS, BOGUS, BOGUS.
Fine, charge me $20.00 for a new drip pan and $16 for the new lightbulbs that were burned out (4 bulbs @ $4.00 each). I'm even ok with the $45 to clean the painted surfaces - it was normal wear and tear, but there were marks on the doors and such, so fine, charge me. But by my account, my $200 deposit should have covered all these charges and then some.
I called for a walk through before moving out. They said it wasn't necessary. I know, I know - I seriously know - that this is my mistake. I should have taken pictures, I should have insisted on a walk through. I totally know I'm the dummy here. I honestly didn't think, though, that the charges incurred in a normal cleaning that they do after residents move out in preparation for new residents was not something they'd pass on to me. I thought, perhaps, that this was all factored into what they charge per month. I feel abused and fully taken advantage of. If you're a responsible person who likes to trust in fair business practices, this community is NOT FOR YOU. I just wish someone had warned me before I moved in that I'd receive such a beating when I moved out.

User Responses
From: jlovely303	Date: 07/07/2009
You should have taken them to small claims court. I had something like that happen to me and when they get served with court papers even corporate will be calling yo to settle the account. Normal wear and tear should not have to keep your deposit. Always always always take pictures so when you take them to court (which cost $33 to file a claim) you will be able to show the judge. Residents should not have to replace their own light bulbs thats the whole point of apartment living! you don't want to incur the cost of maintenance.

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