So Island Club has new management since the beginning of July, and they are TERRIBLE. They don't seem to have a clue what's going on in the office in terms of handling people's rents and dealing with things that can affect people's credit. Before them, IC was a decent place to live, not terrible, and the people in the office were nice, friendly, and above all COMPETENT. The new management seems to consist of snobby girls who don't know what they're doing and don't care that mistakes on apartment rent and such can be very serious.
We got a note on our door on 6/30 (that was dated 6/23, but 6/30 was the date that they "got around to putting them out" according to the office) telling us that as of 6/23 the complex was no longer owned by AIMCO and was owned by The Connor Group. There were a few changes like that we wouldn't be able to pay rent online any more (which is another inconvenience) and that we would have a new utilities company.
Then, on 7/10, I came home to find an EVICTION NOTICE on my door telling me to be out by 7/14 or they would remove my things! It said we still owed $400-something from our July rent and that they were charging a late fee. Kind of funny that my roommate and I had both paid our rent well before 7/1 (before we got the note about the switchover) and had bank statements to prove it.
I called the office and was told that they had called me and left me a voicemail earlier in July and since I "didn't *choose* to respond to it", they had no choice but to evict me. Come to find out, they had a completely wrong number for me (when my number has never changed), different area code and everything. I asked them if they had called my roommate, too, and they were like "what roommate'"!!! Maybe the 2nd person who signed the lease' Whose information has always been on there since move-in' I had to give them her name and phone number to be put on the account.
We promptly went down to the office with our bank statements to prove that we had paid the rent, and there was no apology or anything. Their excuse was that they didn't get all the correct information from AIMCO and that "we're new so we handle things differently". They had the attitude that the situation was our fault because we paid AIMCO instead of them (before we knew about the switchover!), and because I didn't answer a voicemail that they left at a completely wrong number. Their attitude was very dismissive and it was like pulling teeth to get the manager to write a note saying that we did NOT owe any late fees and that we were NOT getting evicted and that this would NOT affect our credit. If you read the comments over the last couple entries, you'll see where they tried to pull the eviction thing with several other people, too, and that's only the people who actually got on here and posted about it. Who knows how many people this happened to'

UPDATE: Here's the new thing the management is handling poorly: the switchover in utility companies from Ista to Heartland. We got a letter from IC about the changeover which said that we were supposed to pay Ista for the last bill from them due 8/1, and then pay Heartland after that. I tried to pay it to Ista, only to find out that no, they don't take payments and you're supposed to pay your apartment complex. (I took their word since they seem far more with it than the new office people.) Call IC back up and "oh yeah, we found out that we are supposed to take payments for that, after all. We didn't know we could at first because we're new." Don't you think that's one of the things they would have figured out' Don't you think that after they did find out, they would have sent out a note to everyone with the updated info, so people would know who to pay' They didn't bother.

So now every month residents pay our utilities to Heartland, instead of directly to IC with our rent like before. Less convenience, not more. And like people have mentioned, the utility bill went up by about $20-$30 with the changeover, when it was only about $20-$30 total before! There was a $9.99 "administrative fee" on the first bill we got from them - what' Are we paying for the changeover' Because that would be crappy. We used to get charged $3 for trash, now it's $10, and they don't even come that often! The water/sewer usage is now, according to Heartland, charged on a "rate based on the square footage of your apartment", not your actual usage, so it doesn't matter if you're conservative with your water or whatnot, you still get charged the same amount. Rude. The new utilities company doesn't seem like good news.

Then there are all these maintenance things around the complex that maintenance just don't seem to care about any more. There are little trash cans in each stairwell by the mailboxes and people always put stinky things in them because they can't bother to walk over to the dumpster, and then it takes weeks for it to get emptied. (It used to get emptied more frequently.) In the meantime, trash blows out from them and all across the grass. I've been trying to get maintenance to change my air filter on my AC since just after the switchover, no response. (I can't get to it, it's locked up somehow.) So I have super high electric bills b/c the AC is working too hard. Not to mention, have you ever looked at the AC units outside' Covered in spider webs and debris, falling apart, looks like they haven't had maintenance in years. I saw insulation around certain parts that had dry-rotted away, and there has been no effort to fix this. Also no effort to: pick up goose poop more often, repair the sidewalk where it is crumbling into pieces, control the spider population in the stairwells, nothing that would actually improve the quality of life for the residents here.

Instead they have brought in huge gardening crews and are also remodeling the model unit. (I saw them carrying in all brand new furniture and appliances one day.) How about we get some remodeling done in our apartments, or some well-needed maintenance work around the complex, instead' I call the maintenance number (during normal daytime hours) and no one ever answers now, when someone always used to answer. We used to get a monthly note on the door asking if we needed any maintenance, and now I guess the Connor Group doesn't feel like doing that.

Whenever you take a concern to the people in the office, their excuse is ALWAYS: "Oh, we're a new company and we do things differently." (Whether they're trying to evict me, telling me who to pay my utilities to, dealing with a maintenance concern, whatever.) I DONT CARE - I just want things done right. And I hate to be mean, but the girls in the office seem so vapid and dress like they're "playing office" or going to a club instead of actually working in a professional setting. When you talk to them about a concern, they get all snippy and resort to the "new company/do things differently" excuse every. single. time even when it has nothing to do with that. (And don't think I'm down there complaining all the time, I've only been down there twice: once when they tried to evict me and once to pay the utilities bill, and then I've called with questions a few times.) They don't have seem to appreciate the fact that people live here, and issues with the rent and utilities and such will directly affect us and our credit scores, so yes it is a big deal if they say we're late on payment and we're not, or if we don't know who to pay the utilities to.

So glad I'm out of here soon. I feel bad for the people stuck here. Oh, and I thought of 1 good thing -- seems like many of my neighbors just recently moved out, so finding a close parking space is not as much of a problem any more!

UPDATE 9/3: Here's another way that the new utility company, Heartland, screws you over. Like someone mentioned in a comment below, they charge a $9.99 "administration fee" every month on the account. Well, when you move out and have your final Heartland bill, they charge you a $19.99 "Termination Fee" instead! This is ridiculous. Not to mention that our utilities bill for 1/2 the month from Heartland (for 8/1-8/15) looked like a normal full month's bill from Ista (the previous utility company). bYr9ljUwtCbMRXE8dRDC

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/12/2008
I hear you! This place is a mess! I too am out of here in less than 60 days! The complex used to look so lovely and now there is trash everywhere. I walked into the office to put my notice in and the front office that was normally so nice and clean looked like a hurricane hit it. They had boxes and computer moniters and the copier right in your walking way. The work out roomm used to have towels and they are no longer there. I do not think they even clean the fitness center anymore. It is disgusting! There is one new girl in the office that is pleasant but where did everyone else go? The old management team members were always so friendly. And I recieved a notice of new management on June 30 as well BUT the notice was dated for June 24!!! The notice told me that they cared about their customers and viewed us as customers NOT tenants. Great...so bottom line...This new company "The Connor Group only cared about MONEY NOT US TENANTS! I am outta here good luck folks!
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/22/2008
The spider thing is right on point, I thought I was theonly way who had issues with large creepy spiders that like to hang out on my balcony. I have not seen them in the apartment, but they are all over my bacony at night time , which makes me hesitant to use the balcony because the spiders give me the creeps. I also received the eviction notice and this was after I had just spoken with a rep in the rental office and provided her with my confirmation # from my rent payment, which was paid online and on time. The new management waited until after the rent was due to tell tenants not to pay their rent online, as we have been doing throughout the term of our lease. A good management company would have taken the responsibility of resolving the payment confusion and would have handled the issue with AIMCO instead of bothering the tenants and leaving threatening eviction notices on their doors. This is definitely not the place it was when I signed my lease. There is trash scattered sparsely throughout the grass, nothing major, but there's nothing being done to clean it up, so it's been there for weeks (since the change in management). I don't plan to renew my lease.
From: Anonymous	Date: 07/23/2008
I too had an evection notice on my door. I too called and compained. They made it out to be my fault and said that I had to provide proof that I paid my rent. I told them to take me to court, because I can prove that I paid my rent...they would have to prove I didn't. They did call my fiance's cell phone on July 7th, but did not leave a VM. Note that they called 7 days after my rent was already paid online. We have lived here for 3 1/2 years and will move ASAP. There is now dog crap all over my front yard. When we moved in, the community was nice. Now you have a lot of poor people living there...If you visit, take a look at the cars around the parking lot. Find someplace a little nicer...You can find duplexes/condos for rent in the same area for just a few $$ more per month. Move on...
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/06/2008
The same thing happened to me. This is ridiculous. The water/sewage/trash bill I just paid was $45. With AIMCO and their previous service provider, I never paid over $15. I wonder what extra services I'll be receiving for the additional $30! I had an eviction notice on my door ??? called and threatened legal action ??? and now they've kissed my ass ever since. They know they screwed up. Also, I really enjoy the big red type sign that says "Move In Specials!" covering where the sign says "AIMCO". Classy!
From: ohbiteme	Date: 08/10/2008
I found the old management staff. They are at The Gardens at Polaris! Instead of paying Island Club what they are asking NOW, go to The Gardens at Polaris FOR THE SAME PRICE! Get an actual LUXURY APARTMENT from a staff we all KNOW AND LOVE DEARLY! I talked to them and guess what???? They REMEMBERED ME! Call them! They will probably remember you, too!
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/17/2008
That $10 dollar admin fee is for EVERY month not just the first month! So, the utility company gets $10 for every unit every month just for "staffing". Since there's 309 units, that's $3000 every month!!!

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