Located near Matthews are the established Lakeside Apartments. But don?t be fooled by serenity of the lake! Not only have the geese taken over, what they leave everywhere best describes this property.


Built in the early 80s, the wooden buildings are aging and were painted years ago to conceal their decline.


When we first moved in, the community was a diverse mixture of middle income families. Aside from the persistent train whistle, the area was quiet. But during our 4 ? year residence, the thumping bass from cars; fire truck and police sirens (at all hours of the day and night) became more than a bearable nuisance.


The complex WAS beautifully landscaped and well kept. However, the management felt the evergreens that enveloped our building were a haven for criminal activity. So they removed them (at least 50) and spread pine straw to conceal the stumps left behind. New pine straw was laid only once a year; the stumps were almost always exposed. Drout conditions took toll on the grassy areas which were brown most of the year.


If you value running water, this complex is not for you. Long before the city of Charlotte increased water pressure to the east side, water mains were constantly bursting on the property. We lost water service an average of once every other month, if not more; especially after the pressure increase.


Dumpsters throughout the complex were emptied on a regular basis. But the complex has no restriction on discarding decrepit couches, furniture, etc. In fact, they encourage this by staging broken refrigerators, dishwashers, and water heaters next to the dumpsters. The city of Charlotte infrequently removes these items; and the pile near our dumpster was once set on fire.


Junk cars were not permitted. The lease agreement stated all vehicles must be legally tagged and inspection stickers current. Impaired vehicles with flat tires or such would be towed. This practice was ONLY enforced the first year. Now it is common to see all of the aforementioned in every parking area.


Car break-ins and theft is a common occurrence. My car was broken into twice and nearly stolen the second time. The complex has contracted a drive-through security service. It reduced criminal activity, but did not alleviate it. This same security service informed me the complex management considered reducing their service during the winter since they considered criminals to be less of a threat when it?s cold.


Other crime on the grounds happened occasionally. The complex management would send a letter to all tenants informing them of the criminal event. Their account of the incident was general; and not always accurate. For example, our neighbors were allegedly dealing out of their apartment. We had a steady flow of unfamiliar vehicles driving through. One night in December, ?the deal? had obviously gone bad and my husband was unfortunate enough to witness a shooting in our parking lot. The management?s account of the incident was extremely played down and completely inaccurate. The final paragraph of this letter explained ?safety is YOUR responsibility.? (By the way, this was the final straw for us-we moved shortly afterward.)


The apartments are post-modern. Older appliances were replaced only when they no longer worked. Our water heater had a gradual leak for nearly two years before it was replaced. The maintenance staff insisted our damp carpet was due to the air-conditioning unit and only replaced it when it had leaked through to the floor below us. Having any other repairs or upgrades took an act of congress ? so we never bothered.


Since the apartments are older, appliances are not energy efficient. Our power bill was generally over $100 every month. It was only lower in the spring and fall when the heater/air-conditioning wasn?t in use.


Over the last two years of our residency, the community had declined; housing lower income families. We were the minority of the complex.

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