I have lived here for 2 1/2 years through 3 (yes, 3!) owners. I moved into a rental unit and 3 mos later it was converted to condos and 6 mos ago was sold back to an investment company, Waterton Residential, LLC. Throughout the attidudes of staff have changed and as of today the complex has still not recovered from the condo failure.

Parking has never been a problem per se. Sometimes you can't park in front of your apartment but there are always spaces available around your building with walk through access it is never a problem.

Noise is another issue. If you live on the top floor you're pretty much okay but if you live below someone you can hear every footstep. In addition noice is carried through walls that have pipes, e.g. kitchen and bath.

The grounds have bi-weekly maintenance in terms of cutting the grass but the many trees need pruning as every storm brings a new batch of falling dead branches, and dead trees often fall over before they are removed. Fruit bearing trees are over every entry walkway and dropped fruits are stepped on and tracked into the apartments. Bushes are trimmed either to the point of nudity or minimally - many attract hordes of bees and are right by entryways. When grass dies it is left dead and if a plow pulls up the sod in the winter it becomes a mud pit in the summer. Our community pool leaks and the water is replaced by putting a hose in the pool using water which is paid for by the community rather than management. We pay for recycling, but there are few recycling bins and they are always full to overflowing.

Safety is an up and down issue. We recently had a large number of drug dealers and users in the development so police coming around has become a daily issue. The drugs are gone but the people who came to the property for them are not - you don't know who you will run into after 10 p.m.

The mainenance staff is excellent and kudos to them they do their job well. Unfortunately, management is not so quick to make the corrections happen. Most apartments have fireplaces and I have had to argue to get my chimney cleaned. One would think that this would be a major issue for the management but it is simply not addressed. Furnace filters are changed on a haphazard basis - I have taken to changing mine independently of the managements lack of concern. Two months ago three buildings were reroofed but gutters were taken down and not replaced causing flooding in the throughways and downpours on balconies and at window ledges. Even when the gutters are in place they are not cleaned regularly so water is getting into the walls or overflowing in cascades. Mold throughout the property is an issue as well. When visible mold is reported it is treated with bleach but interior walls are not checked. (The condo improvements proved that there was/is interior wall mold.

The staff tries hard but the new owner has made it difficult to be happy with the staff as they adhere to the new rules. A smiling face and cheery attitude (which is the facade of the property manager) does not cure the problems. Rents are escallating at an appaulling rate and there is no uniformity in the condition of units to warrant the raises. Complaints about pets are met with do you know where (what apartment) the violators live which is not the tenants job to track, it is the managements job. Abandoned cars litter the property but management does not remove them because they can't find a towing company to tow at owners expense but they have no problem tacking on onther charges to the tenants at will. When changes in rules are decided they are not conveyed to the tenants in a timely manner.

As a final comment - statements made in other reviews regarding mice, birds, drafts at windows and doors, cable service, and children are true. Mice have been found as high as third floor apartments in the past and birds seem to be a common occurance in the draft pipes for the furnaces. In the winter I have a space heater in my bedroom and put draft blockers on both my patio and entry doors. The cable company is nothing more than a reseller for the Dish satellite service. They charge more, providing much less. Indeed, if the cable service goes out, you get the Dish logo bouncing across your TV screen. There is no playground here for children and they tend to wander the property with little concern for others.

Overall, what was a great community has fallen to be no better than subsidy complexes. The owners/management needs to make more investments in the property prior to jacking the rents. Would I recomend this property - not anymore. The property is now owned by Waterton Residential - a company I will be sure to avoid in the future.

Update: Finally got out after the following fiascos: New siding (molded or someting like it) blown off one building. Chimney (yes the part from the roof) fell off another building. Some buildings finally got new roofs but they took down the gutters and the passageways flooded. Building with old siding (wood composite) separated from building and was left that way for over 6 monthss! Repairmen came to fix wood problems - they fixed areas that weren't even part of the apartments and did not address the siding.

User Responses
From: noiseabounds	Date: 01/07/2008
You are absolutely correct about everything you have said in your review. The only question I have is, why do you stay? You must be on the third floor. I am out of here, asap. Upstairs neighbors are driving me to insanity.
From: markwveer	Date: 01/29/2008
I have not had any problems with mice or other critters, but I think your review is pretty much right on the mark based upon my three months of renting at Bellemeade.
From: bootruman	Date: 01/02/2009
I am so sad to hear about the condition of this apartment complex. I lived in this apartment complex from 2001 to 2003 and consider it one of the best times of my life. I left only because it made sense to buy a condo, instead of continuing to rent. When they were going to sell the apartments to individuals, I seriously considered selling the condo I recently bought to buy an apartment back in Bellemeade. Now, I'm glad I didn't.

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