We have lived in Gardencrest since 1996.

At the time we moved in, there was a waiting list. The rent was low, the property is in an excellent location, and the grounds were maintained very well and landscaped nicely. The complex was also locally owned by the DeVincent family, who lived nearby and was always available if something went wrong.

Two years ago, Home Properties bought the entire complex. The first thing they did was sweep out the old management staff. Flora and Sylvia were ocassionally maddening, but they knew all the units and most of the tenants by name.

Since then, an anonymous and incompetent group has taken over. The landscaping has gone downhill. The flowerbeds, lawns, and other areas are overgrown, neglected and threadbare. Parking continues to be a problem, but after repeated complaints concerning illegally parked cars, management has stated more than once, 'we don't care where people park as long as the roads aren't blocked'. They should try driving around Garden Circle onto Summer street, where parking in the intersections, on the corner, and particularly on the sidewalk is an art form.

The current capital improvements project is an utter disaster. No notices have been given, and the contractors are doing a poor job, chipping paint and leaving construction debris behind. Rescheduling is a nightmare. In speaking to the contractors, we learned that they have no idea where they are working on any given day until the get to the jobsite. I've seen them moving equipment back and forth to the various buildings on numerous ocassions.

The new heating system is sure to be a fiasco as well. In my unit in particular, we have the main gas line for our entire building in our basement. It's a two-inch gas main, and given the competence of the window contractors, I am concerned with my family' safety once this main is hooked up. Not to mention how much square footage and closet space we're going to lose once the construction is done' This is not the same unit I signed the lease on. Who decided that I don't want to pay for my gas, anyway' This is just typical of the arbitrary decisions that are made by the Home Properties management. Why haven't the residents had any say in any of this'

It's just maddening, all the little things that the DeVincents used to do to make this a nice complex have disappeared, replaced by a profit driven, soulless, and probably corrupt and inept national corporation. I'd also second the comments about Home Properties 'encouraging' dissatisfied tenants to move out. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the management of this complex has no regard for the long term residents, and is in fact going out of their way to harass and inconvenience us in as many ways possible so that we become fed up and move out, leaving them to increase the rents as much as possible for any new client unfortunate enough to move in.

I could go on, but I won't. I will list other areas of concern that Home Properties is unable to deal with, though:

Snow Removal
Parking Enforcement
Trash Pickup
Landscaping
Customer Service
Maintenence Notification
Emergency Maintenence Response

Pretty basic stuff.

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