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Used to be great, got bad enough to leave
From:
pvb31cath
Date posted:
9/23/2005
Years at this apartment:
1997
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2003
4 responses
When we first moved in, the rent was what you would expect for a blue-collar neighborhood and included gas, water, and trash. The buildings were average to nice, management/maintenance lived on-site (read active security), and there was a fitness room, children's play room, party areas, pool and laundry areas were kept clean, video library, decorating contests, and normally more than one social a month. Our daughter could go to the corner store for a treat a block away without our being concerned. Our only complaint is that you could only get cable form the complex itself, which was way out of line price to channel wise.
After a change in managers, we had a kitchen pipe bust and after getting the water off, called the emergency maintenance number. I was told by the head of maintenance that he was "out having drinks at a bar and wan't ruining his evening coming in since it wasn't sill flooding." This was Saturday night. We were told they'd have the hall carpet cleaned because they took until after 3pm MONDAY to even look at the pipes and even longer to fix. They never came back to clean the carpets which reeked. The pipes had to be re-repaired twice more.
We had to have our glass stove door replaced. They used a door off of a unit that was in storage, and that door also shattered. I didn't realize how easily "tempered glass" could shatter from normal baking temperatures, but it sounds like rice spilling.
Called because our ceiling was leaking and was treated equally rude. We were told they were having the roof repaired and couldn't fix the ceiling properly until after that was complete. We finally just did that ourselves because it was taking over 2 months.
The kitchen counters are covered in a WATER soluble paint. Let's take a minute for that bright idea to sink in.
I suspect the dishwasher performance (VERY low) has to do partly with how often the water was out.
Can I just tell you how irritating it is to have the lease "amended" part way thru the year and still have an outage every couple of months (sometimes for days)' Yep, very.
Don't even get me started on the toilets in every apartment in the building backing up at once or the other sewage problems.
Expect your bath tub to be painted and prone to peel.
Those cute little deep window sills' Keep a towel in each one between October thru April and change it DAILY. They're great big condensation traps. No one's kidding about the window's themselves leaking either.
Expect unlit parking and commons areas and no help or even policies about people parking sideways ACROSS the entrances blocking off the parking lots.
While I was there our building had a dozen children in it and we went for about ten weeks with no working laundry room in our building. When management was asked (yes, the people who are STILL there)about a repair time, we were told that the machines were subcontracted and not a part of the complex. No concern what-so-ever for non-provision of equipment on the contractors part. Just "sorry" and a shrug. Those kids needed clean school clothes, but hey-not THEIR problem.
The junior high school has DAILY gang problems and open recruitment. Before we left, there was a huge boom of tagging and flashing of gang signs was bad enough we stopped letting our kids play outside.
Of course, with the fitness and play rooms closed and only the pool by the management building kept in reliable working order, what was there to do anyway'
My eight year old boy used to get hit and have things stolen by older kids so frequently I had to meet him at the bus door and our end of the building WAS the bus stop. Apparently, 30 feet is too far to expect to be safe.
During the six years we were there, we had two car windows broken out, our engine tampered with, some one tried to burn our building (this one was a juvenile), and a burglary ring being run from the complex.
The last three years, they raised the rent $100/mo for each annual lease. When I asked why it kept going up so much I was told it was to bring the price up to fair market value, yet with each of those passing years the maintenance/security lessened and gang activity encroached and increased.
You should also expect to hear pre-school and elementary age kids runing around after 11:30 EVEN on school nites without supervision. On the "UP" side, there's a free battle of the bands EVERY weekend at ALL hours.
When we moved in there was a waiting list to get in, but when we moved out almost half the apartments were empty. Hmmm, less amenities and yuppy apartment rents...My husband and I thought perhaps they were deliberately trying to run it into the ground and take a tax write-off ditching a property in a worsening area.
When we left, we could have gotten a comparably sized apartment with fireplace, jacuzzi tub, and built-in bookshelves for what they considered "fair market value" for THIS place.
BTW, my husbands job transferred us out of state. We had a cleaner come thru while I was handling a long distance move and I inspected after they were done. Management refused to return our deposit (they get 30 days to do this), citing our having left "trash by the boxfulls", which I know was false but by then I was over 1200 miles away and didn't think I'd spend enough in lawyer fees to make it not worth pursuing.
I know, no one REALLY expects to get them back, but it was just sort of insult to injury...
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User Responses
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From:
AustinParke
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Date:
09/29/2005
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I guess my main concern would be the fact that this individual lived here in 1997-2003 and decided to post this critique in 2005. My question then moves to one of the individual's recollection of the specific events that resulted in this review that has been drafted and reported on this website; however, to comment on this write up, I would like to begin with a heartfelt apoplogy to your experience. Every complex is going to have maintenance issues that need to be addressed and the Austin Parke Staff does everything in it's power (as would any apartment staff)to resolve the problems as they occur. Austin Parke has been restaffed with some wonderful individuals and the Community is currently going through renovations. I would still like to stress that even though we are going through this period of transition, this community has been well cared for and the residents have remained our main priority. As for The schools in this area and the individual parental supervision, our involvement in such matters is limited and beyond our control.
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From:
fixthedamnedtoilet
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Date:
02/20/2006
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Ummmm... you're full of BS. I work in the leasing business and it's well-known that things went into a tailspin after the long-term manager (Shandra?) left. I don't want to get the owner into trouble, but what happens in Austin stays in Austin.
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From:
keepingitreal23
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Date:
06/06/2006
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I seem to have hit a nerve... - If you are in the multi-family dwelling profession, then you understand and can relate to my response. I don't know what is happening in Austin, but I will be happy to address any concerns involving Austin Parke Apartments. Some people need to move and find the home that is best suited for them. Things break and they do get repaired. Sounds as if you were just very unhappy and this possibly was not the best place for you. There are all types of communities (for example; student communities to senior communities) sometimes we have to keep moving until we find our comfort zone.
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From:
austingirl23
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Date:
07/05/2006
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LOL..You can't honestly think these apts are suitable to live in, if they are soooooo great, why don't you live there?? The people in the leasing office don't care about the people that live there! That complex is HORRIBLE!
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