This is an e-mail I wrote to the regional manager about an issue I had with Michelle, the current apartment manager. It turns out that she gave me a bogus e-mail address (I'm not surprised) so I'll post it here. If anyone knows the real contact info for the regional office please let me know.
(P.S. I can also attest to problems with car break-ins (not mine but I saw at least 4), rats, roaches, and washers/dryers that steal your money. Eastside Commons is kind of a dump but it was cheap and I liked the location as a UT Student)

I moved out Apt _ of Eastside Commons on May 31 of 2007. The former manager of Eastside Commons (Jason, I think) inspected the apartment with us and told us that there would be no cleaning fee because we had cleaned the apartment so thoroughly.

Several months later I received a bill for $60 cleaning fee. I called the current manager, Michelle, and she told me that the former manager failed to fill out the paperwork saying that he had inspected our apartment. Michelle also had no record of when our apartment was cleaned or what cleaning tasks were performed. She told me that she would contact the former manager and the regional office about the situation about this issue and call me back.

Michelle never called back. I called her multiple times about the charge and left messages but she never answered or returned my phone calls. I assumed that the charge had been dropped but in October I received a notice from a collection agency stating that I owed $60. I have paid the fee but I do not feel the situation has been resolved.

I am very upset by Michelle s unprofessional conduct. I should not have to pay a fee when your apartment manager tells me in person that I will not be charged a cleaning fee, then forgets to file the paperwork. Michelle or the regional office should have contacted the former manager to confirm.

If the fee could not be waived (because of Eastside Commons failure to keep paperwork) then Michelle at the very least could have returned one of my phone calls and notified me. There was no need to hire a collection agency! now this fee is reflected on my credit report just because Michelle neglected to make a single phone call.

Michelle offered no explanation for her failure to contact me. She did not provide me a phone number for the regional office, only this e-mail address.

This is my formal complaint. I deserve at least an explanation for what happened. I hope that you will do something to address this.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 01/07/2008
I lived in Eastside Commons for a very short period of time, until my window was shattered in my bedroom and the bathroom of my ceiling nearly collapsed. What a hellhole! However, to address your issue - the regional manager when I was living there was a guy named Andy Ysaguirre - I do not have his email address, but I know that he can be found at their sister property, Austin Commons. However, I recommend that you go straight to the source - the property management company. The property is owned by Lighthouse Property Management, Inc. dba Noho Star, LLC, associated with Lighthouse Capital Funding, Inc., which leads you to one dude - Gary Leshgold. His email address is gary@thelighthousegroup.net, phone number: 310-230-8335, Fax #310-230-8336. I recommend that you send him a certified letter, return receipt requested, but it may not be worth it since you only want $60 (I was getting well over $2000 back, which took a month to get back) - anyway: Address: 15332 Antioch Street, Suite 540, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. Also, I recommend that you contact the Austin Tenant's Council if you have any further questions or for anyone else that is currently living there and enduring substandard living conditions. Good luck.
From: Anonymous	Date: 02/21/2008
Experience is the best teacher in my opinion. I have learned to get EVERYTHING in writing because the fact remains a new manager will not go on he said she said. I had a nightmare experience in an apartment complex in North Austin well one person said it was okay to paint and another one said it wasn't. I was PISSED to say the least when I was charged 450.00 for some damn paint. That is just rediculous but since I had no WRITTEN proof there was nothing the current manager could do for me. So I learned a valuable lesson and it cost me not only $450.00 but I had cleaning charges as well and it wasn't $60.00. Not to be rude but sixty bucks is nothing compaired to $150.00. I cleaned my unit when I moved out but apparently it wasn't up to their standards. so LESSONED LEARNED> ALWAYS GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING!!!
From: Anonymous	Date: 01/08/2009
its funny how ppl dont read the LEGAL BINNING LEASE...it says that no one is allowed to make oral agreements...so you blame others that where not present at the time of this agreement...how does she know that actually happened if it was not documents...jason was a lair and was never at work...another thing you can do is take pictures of the apartment before you give them your keys so you have proof it was clean...live and learn
From: Anonymous	Date: 02/16/2009
ask these a**holes to put anything in writing and see what happens...'umm, our printer is broken' or 'i will as soon as i...' or 'i put it in writing yesterday...it's around here somewhere...' idiots, liars, a**holes
From: Anonymous	Date: 03/21/2009
I have been living at this complex for 3 weeks. The manager Chealse? has made every effort to keep proving this company is a joke. She has been known to be a little bit (racist,on a power trip.Many of the rumors have been true over and over again. The lady before her, Gloria, did quit because of her racism. She never works? She must a really unhappy person. Look for her on 6th street smashed out of her mind. People told me that she is married?Really? Maybe she should move her office to a bar. But do not tell her husband where her office is. Nice living here.The view is great, and it is nice to have nothing on this entire complex work, except crime. Move in it's great.

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