Country Lights Chalets
1459 Neshaminy Valley Drive, Bensalem, PA 19020
800-893-7356  save favorite
AVERAGE RATING
recommended by:
58%

overall rating:
3.0
3.4
3.41 Parking:
3.2
3.19 Maintenance:
3.0
2.96 Construction:
3.1
3.11 Noise:
3.3
3.33 Grounds:
3.1
3.11 Safety:
3.1
3.07 Office Staff:
< | >

An absolute MESS!!

From: Rickiland46
Date posted: 5/22/2008
Years at this apartment: 2006 - 2008
User Response is available. 2 responses
 
Maintenance:
When we first moved in the balcony was completely missing one side of the railing. I called the office, they assured me it would be fixed. We walked in the next day and saw there was a railing, walked out on to the balcony, touched the railing and it fell off. IT WASN'T SCREWED IN! It was just sitting there. I called again, they came over to fix it. The railing that they used to replace it with wasn't the proper size, so they rigged this contraption to stretch the railing hooks and screwed it into the posts with these HUGE screws. Went outside to shake a rug, railing snapped and fell off and I nearly came down on top of it. I called the office again. Two weeks later, I called the office again, One week later, I called the office again. Finally, I contacted my lawyer, filed negligence and had my lawyer send notice to the corporate office. Maintenance came out and "fixed" the railing by placing a piece of wood against the post and screwing it into there. I have requested and been promised that a new balcony railing was being ordered. That was two months ago.

Office Staff:
There is one superstar in the office. Her name is Jen and she handles the rent. Without her, that office would fall apart. I recently learned that, she went on vacation and I had a problem. My rent was wrongfully allocated to another apartment by Kathy (the general manager, who will claim to have so much experience and been doing this for so long)and I had a letter put on my door, stating that if I didn't pay my rent IMMEDIATELY I would be filed against, blah blah blah. I called kathy repeatedly for 3 days straight. She never returned my call. Jen came back and straightened it out.

Bugs:
Yes, they are HUGE! Yes, they are disgusting. And Yes, complaining about them to management will get you nowhere.

Upgrades:
You can request an upgraded apartment. New Kitchen and New Bathroom. $100 extra a month. What we were told is all new (matching) appliances, cabinets and floors in the kitchen and new everything in the bathroom. What we got was a used (with food at the bottom of it) dishwasher, a dirty refrigerator, counter tops that aren't the right size, so there is a gap between the wall and the counter and flooring that gaps near the cabinets. The toilet was not new, it had chips on the seat. The light fixture was not upgraded so it didn't fit properly over the vanity, eventually causing it to warp the vanity cabinets which now don't close all the way.

Noisy:
Apartment living is not neccesarily quiet. But the noise level especially if you live on the first floor is unreal. The bedroom windows face the parking lot and the first floor windows are level with the sidewalk. Garbage is picked up at like 4:00am. You hear every noise that your neighbors make. The lawn gets mowed like once a week and they come ripping through at like 7:00am. The doors don't shut properly for the main entrances so they slam closed constantly. The doors to the indivdual apartments are wobbly so they shake and bang.

Appearance:
The office staff told us that they were re-doing the common hallways for each unit. That was two years ago. Paint in the apartments is horrible. It peels and dust is everywhere. The painter that they have for our units is named Chris, and he is about the only person in the complex that does his job. He is given crappy supplies and too much work piled on just one person.

Cost:
Astronomical. $1300 for a two bedroom apartment that is rapidly falling apart should be illegal. Sure, they pay your cable package, but your PECO bill is out of this world because you have to run your dryer for at least 2 hours to dry a small load of laundry. The wall unit air conditioners might possibly be the loudest thing I have ever heard. They don't cover the outsides of them in the winter, so you constantly have a draft. I called and asked why they don't cover them and what I was told was a few years back a tenant used their own covering and it didn't match so they requested the tenant take it down, apparently she refused and in an effort to make everything look the same they did away with the coverings all together. Smart, huh'

I have a few good things to say:

1. If you live on the first floor, your apartment will stay cooler longer in the spring/summer because the front half of your apartment is underground.
2. Jen in the office is the most efficient and well organized member of that team. She is an asset to that office.
3. Chris the painter is an excellent worker. He does the absolute best with what he is given.

Overall: Think long and hard. Don't believe a word that comes out of anyone's (other than Jen) mouth in that office. Repairs and upgrades are promised and they never come through. This was my worst experience as a renter. Trust me, don't do it!


Recommended: NO
Overall Rating
1 out of 5
Parking:
3 of 5
Maintenance:
1 of 5
Construction: 1 of 5
Noise:
1 of 5
Grounds: 2 of 5
Safety: 2 of 5
Office Staff:
1 of 5
I'm the author!
Lived here?


User Responses

From: Anonymous Date: 05/28/2008
Its ashame that this person had so many problems. My roomate and I have just moved out to a private home after staying at the Chalets for 2 years. I agree that Jen was pleasant to work with as are the rest of the girls. If there was a problem, the manager had an open door policy and always tried to accommodate the best way possible. The community is gorgeous, surrounded by the woods and I lost 20 lbs. working out and swimming at the pool! Having the free cable was a total asset and I was able to afford more pleasures buy saving the extra money (and the Starbucks coffee was free, common.. who gives you that????) I was proud to call Korman Communities my home for two years, and yes, leaving the apartment in good shape I was refunded my full security deposit.
From: Rickiland46 Date: 05/28/2008
1. Why is everyone sending out reviews as "Anonymous"? Afraid the big bad Korman police will come and get you? Give me a break. I'm glad for you that you had a good experience with them. Mine was terrible.
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
What's New On OH MY APARTMENT

   Terminating a Lease: Know Your Rights - Dec 17
   How to Decorate a Living Room for Less Than $250 - Dec 17
   Tips for Saving on Movers and Storage - Dec 17
   Decorate a Living Room Like a Pro Designer - Dec 17
   Using Mirrors to Open Up Your Living Space - Dec 17
   10 Things Smart Renters Know About Apartment Hunting
   How to Break Your Lease Legally



Up to: Country Lights Chalets
          Bensalem apartments

Disclaimer: No attempt has been made to verify or assure the accuracy of the claims made by the author of this opinion or responses. You must judge the truthfulness of any review and accept responsibility for your use of this information.

tracking gif