THIS PLACE SUCKS!!! DO NOT RENT HERE OR ANY OTHER MBS PROPERTY
From:
Shanna1975@aol.com
Date posted:
6/15/2007
Years at this apartment:
2007
-
2007
This place is the worst apt complex ever. You can never get a parking place, the gym eqiupment is broke, the pool has no permit but is still open, the gates are always broke and have worked maybe a total of 3 times since living here, and everything else here sucks. Here is an article out of Houston about the guy that owns the property.
Most people have to travel to Yellow Stone National park to view geysers, but Thursday, May 17, residents of the Woodland Hills Village Apartment complex at 2139 Lake Hills Drive in Kingwood just had to step outside.
A leaky main water line erupted, breaking concrete and gushing and bubbling like Old Faithful.
"That thing has been leaking for over a year," one resident said. Unfortunately, the geyser allowed residents to experience another natural phenomenon first hand; drought. Two of the 28 buildings were without water for six days.
That meant that 75 people had no water in their apartments for almost a week. The resident manager, who had no comment, opened up the model apartment for their use and strung garden hoses so they could fill containers.
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The property is owned by MBS Management Services, also known as MBS Consulting SVC, Inc., MBS Property Management, and MBS Properties, which is owned by Michael B. Schmuck out of Metairie, LA. The main office would not return phone calls regarding the arid conditions on the property.
"The line broke late Friday night, the plumbers were notified, but were too busy to begin work until the next Wednesday. That was the earliest they were available. We did open up the model so there was one restroom available," said regional manager, Mike Alexander.
Aberle Plumbing, however reported the first call from Alexander was received Saturday and he told them he knew MBS already owed them a lot of money but they needed to work something out. Negotiations began back and forth between the regional office and the main office in Louisiana with Aberle in the middle.
Late Tuesday, Aberle finally received the approval for the job and they got started on Wednesday. By late Thursday water was restored.
"That is illegal,"said Andy Tease with the Houston Apartment Association. According to Tease, MBS was in violation of tenants' rights and at that point they all could have terminated their leases, filed for damages and back rent, and moved.
Easier said than done for the elderly on fixed income or fresh out of the nest on minimum wages. "The law is a good tool to recover damages and financial losses," said Tease, "but it is not a good tool to force bad management to change its ways."
Preliminary investigations indicate that MBS has had a lot of practice in property demolition. They come in and purchase a nice property, raise all of the rents and utilities, and make no repairs.
The Houston Better Business Bureau reported 43 complaints against MBS in the last 36 months. 31 of those complaints were closed without any response from MBS. Asked if there were any pending complaints, the BBB representative said, "We are not allowed to comment on open cases."
MBS owns property in Webster, Conroe, Clearlake, Kingwood, Houston and Austin, just to name a few locations. "I don't know if Kingwood realizes how bad this guy is", said one resident speaking confidentially. "He has 70 properties, 18,000 apartments and he treats them like a slum lord."
A casual walk through the property reveals carport roofs falling in on cars and residents, rampant dry rot, black mold on everything. The swimming pools are green and locked. "I don't think they've been used in two years" said one resident. The fitness room is in disrepair and also locked. Window panes are leaking and some are missing.
Mailbox doors have been ripped off, at least twelve apartments have been burned recently due to faulty wiring and others have become campgrounds for vagrants and teens. Balconies are caving in. "I've had a leak in my roof for several years now", said one woman. "The maintenance told me that it was just the color of the paint. I hope I'm not that senile yet!"
One family recently moved into the Woodland Hills Village from out of state. They went months with no air conditioner, and no one would answer their complaint. "That little gal they have up front, bless her heart, she tries. But they don't give her anything to work with."
Another young man, a resident of three months added, "Yeah, they're real nice up front, but I was here a month before they could get me a refrigerator."
"There are a lot of elderly here, and a lot of kids with families, just starting out. Little kids with no water, it's just not right", said one man anonymously. "It makes me mad. This is Kingwood - Kingwood! Good neighborhoods, good schools."
"A representative from the Houston Fair Housing Department said they can do inspections and levee fines, but it is a slow process. Even if there is a move by the city to have the fines imposed daily, there is no guarantee that it will improve conditions for the tenants.
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