This is long, but you cannot describe a place in two sentances.

I have lived At Kingscrest a very long time and would suggest it to others. I have no plans to move, but it may be an option for me if things decline further. Its a nice community--24/hr fitness access, pool access in the summer, and movie rentals. A nice quiet community surrounded by wonderful homes that are very family oriented. Its been a nice place to call home, and convenient to me for my commute to work, and the late or odd hours I have, or the amount of travel I do away from here for weeks at a time etc.

The repair and maintenance service has been prompt and great--I have had minimal problems to call about, but whenever I do they are right there. The apartment above me had lost its water heater and had broken pipe issues acouple of times--which flooded into my ground floor place, but maintenance was super fast to respond. Although some of the water damaged wood floobase and linolium was never replaced in a bathroom. But there are some new issues that are of concern--MICE are now becoming an issue and I can hear them in the walls sometime, and had one in my home one night which I immediately trapped and killed (I loathe rodents). Never had any rodent or bug problems before this time. I was told by maintenance to fill any mouse-holes I find myself with foam crack-filler (at my cost too). I did..and the mice have not returned..but it is a concern for me that care and upkeep for the buildings may be going down.

I do have other concerns to, at how things are being handled. Management lately has made NEW RULES...such as no more FREE lock-out assistance (they now charge $50 per incident). I have never locked myself out in all my years here, but it would seem that rather then PUNISH all residents for some folks ignorance and neglect they should make it a policy only for these 'repeat offenders' who are not smart enough to keep their keys on them. One time lock out--accidents do happen, but repeat times in a short period of time--that is who should get "fined". But instead they dumbly took away the service for all..

Seems management would do better to TALK or have an open house for Resident to hear what is coming up from management, rather then get little surprise notes attached to doors about what is happening the next day. I came home from a week long business trip to find I could not park near my complex as they suddenly decided to pave the parking lot in front of my complex. Would have been nice to know a week ahead of time to plan, rather then only given 24 hours notice.

PARKING is becoming a real pain and I have been told there are NO plans to assign parking spaces. I would gladly pay for a space. I sometimes come home after 10pm from work and open parking is no where near my apartment. It would make sense that each apartment get 2 spaces for a 2br home, or 1 space for a 1br home and NEAR their home, however many apartments seem to have more then 2 cars for themselves, or they have boats or whatever, that take up space in front of buildings and sometimes do not move for weeks. I use to live at a complex in Virginia where I had an assigned space for my 1BR apartment, and a 24/hr tow service where if someone was parked in my space when I would come home at 10pm I could make a call and they would tow the car out of my space. Its good for parking control in a complex.

Finally, rent/costs are increased here incrementally, but service and care seem to be declining or not following such rental increases. Several SUDDEN and unannounced changes have been made abruptly by management which seems to be having problems in managing operations. Residents used to pay a outside company for Water/Sewer--which was about $15-20/monthly...but a sudden notice today and now we have to pay management this utility as an "addition" to our Rent, and at a flat fee of $40. I do not think this is right to raise our "rent" suddenly and unannounced, and also against the Lease agreement terms we made (I have contacted the Maryland Attorney General Consumer Affairs office for advice), but the new managers in place seem uninterested in service and only interested in $$$ and being "----" like in their dictating to residents.

Another example of mismanagement and lack of care towards residents: I gave written notice to renewed my lease last year well in advance of the 60 days to recieve the bonus discount for renewal of $400 off my Rent for one month, but the office did not prepare my lease until the following week after I gave my notice. They then said that cause I was signing my lease at 57 days out from expiration now, that I was no longer able to get the renewal discount. They refused to consider that I had given them the notice of Renewal and was ready to sign as instructed on time and prior, and that THEY caused the delay and took the extra time to "prepare" my lease for signing. I did not get my discount bonus for renewing, and I was not happy. THAT kind of mismangement and deception is Not a good way to keep a long-term resident happy, but they do not seem to care anymore. Next year I may not renew if they try this kind of bait & switch on me again. Also, after 5 years in one place, you would think they would at least OFFER to replace the aged carpet or some of the older appliances or have SOME concerns for maintaning the standards. I would LOVE a new fridge (w/ an ICE maker) or a bigger Washer or some new cabinetry or new window blinds. But I am still saving up for my own house and should be able to afford one soon.

Kingscrest is a nice place to live..and its quiet and family oriented, and I think the rent increases and harsh management decisions lately are to discourage some of the 'low class' trash, drug addicts and stupid riff-raff from living here that I do see from time to time--but they are usually short lived here. That they are trying to say that this Complex and Neighborhood are for growing familys and professionals and people making the transition to home-owning is good, and its not going to go to the dogs or criminals or become a slum. However when someone has lived here a long while and been a good resident who pays on time or in advance and does not get complaints filed against them or bother management with petty issues, then they should not punish us for the problems of others. Instead they should RECOGNIZE long term residents in good standing, and try to keep them here and happy. THAT is Customer Service and the sign of a GOOD management service.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/30/2007
I also am in agreement with you on some of the issues you addressed. I have lived in my apartment at Kingscrest for four years now and I am just about to resign my lease. Unfortunately the riff raff is here now. I live about 60 feet from the basketball court and at 10:40 this evening as I instructed the 15 or so teenagers who were screaming, swearing, and so on that if they did not disband I would telephone the police I was threatened by one of them. Several years ago I would have been able to contact the leasing office's voicemail and let them have a listen to the vulgarity that is going on outside my bedroom window, unfortunately now they line disconnects when I call. I don't know what I would do if I had an emergency water leak or my roof fell in. There is no longer an emergency maintenance number. I have complained to the leasing office only to be told that they will have a "courtesy officer" on site again real soon. If he's anything like the last one, who's kid was part of the problem, then what's the point. When I called the last courtesy officer to ask him to stop the idiots setting fireworks off in the volley ball pit I found out that he was one of the idiots setting them off. What I have learned is that the previous manager here, who was a wonderful lady, is now managing the Manor House Apartments in northern Frederick. Things there seem to be nice. Maybe next year I'll move there.

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