Cherry Glen Apartments

Review: Hello, my name is [redacted], I am a single mother of three. I have [redacted] my eleven year old, [redacted] my eight year old, and Zachary my two year old. We live at Cherry Glen apartments in Woodland, CA. This residents is funded by Government, HUD housing. We are writing to anyone who could help us. We are currently living in horrible conditions. We've have lived at this apartment complex for eight years and have been harassed by management [redacted] since 2009. I have a letter and notes of all Incidents if needed.

I had a meeting a few months ago with the regional manager [redacted] and he said he would do an investigation and talk to the other tenants who were also harassed by her. I since emailed him and he told me that if the other tenants want to, they can email him. He never had a meeting with them or contacted them like he said. He gave me his email and told me to contact him if I have any other issues with [redacted], which I did and he did nothing. A new tenant has moved into #28 right beneath us and has harassed us and my other neighbor in # 31. #28 said she was [redacted]'s sister. I have a police report from this day 10-17-2013.

For two weeks, I was telling management and maintenance that we could smell cigarette smoke and I was yelled at by [redacted] (maintenance) that it was me running the heater, when I wasn't running it. He finally told me it was in fact cigarette smoke.

For the past three months my children and I have had to live in a cigarette smoke filled apartment. The woman downstairs in #28 smokes constantly all day and our apartment reeks of smoke. I was told by management that she can ask #28 to stop but that she does not have to. We are now suffering from medical issues. My children have a constant cough and my son's eye is swelling up. My oldest, [redacted], has bad allergies and the smoke is making it 10x worse. Both my daughters have had earaches, nausea, cough, burning chest and difficulty breathing. I have since been throwing up a lot, the smell causes me severe nausea. We should have the right to breathe clean air in our home.

We have all been to the doctor and have received notes from the doctor for management, that we need to be in a smoke free environment. I was seen 11-08-2013 by [redacted] of Woodland Heath Care Woodland, CA. My note stating that I need to be in a smoke free environment was the first given to [redacted], she said that It will help us get into a three bedroom apartment. A week later, I received a letter from a law firm (Kimball, Tirey & St. John LLP) saying why they don't have to move me and that the woman can smoke in her apartment. It also says that they don't plan on making this building smoke free. In our lease, it clearly states that other tenants are not allowed to do any act that violates our comfort, or that will endanger us or cause us health problems, which #28 is doing.

My children and I were seen 12-3-2013 and all received verifications of disability for accommodation to move us into a smoke free three bedroom. We also received a letter from Dr. Susan Gross for management which states the effects the smoke is having on us. I gave all the doctor notes to the management here at Cherry Glen Apartments.

My bathroom cabinets, hallway closet and kitchen cabinets smell of cigarette smoke. My towels, clothes, dishes and other belongings smell of smoke. Whenever we have to use a dish, pan, or a cup, we have to rinse it off before use. We are very concerned about how our clothes and belonging will get cleaned some of my dresses and coats needs to be dry cleaned. Also we have to open windows and put the heat high to try to push out some of the smoke and my heating bill will be higher than usual. We have been using our vacuum more than usual also to suck up the smoke and get the stench out of our carpets. We are unsure how we can pay for this or who is responsible for the cost #28 or the owners of Cherry Glean Apartments.

I have put in a request for a 3 bedroom 5 years ago and management has lost my request and I had to start over, It has now been about 3 years since I put in another request for a 3 bedroom. I have now been told by [redacted] that there is no longer a waiting list. She has told me before that we were next on the list for a 3 bedroom. A three bedroom is up and downstairs, so there can be no smoke issues, which was one of the excuses not to move us in the letter from the law firm.

On December 12th,2013 The smell of the cigarette smoke was unbearable. We were all getting very sick, and I was worried about my children's safety. So I called the police, they sent Officer [redacted]. My three children and I waited outside in the cold. The officer came into our home and smelt the harsh cigarette smoke. He then went to speak with the manager([redacted], #24). He told us that she was going to speak with her boss the next day(12-13-13). I have this police report and the officer did note in it that he smelled the cigarette smoke and that he spoke with management to fix the problem. We opened all of our windows and put our heater high and waited outside for about 2 hours until the smell wasn't so bad. I called [redacted] 12-13-13 to ask what they were going to do about the second hand smoke. She told me that I would hear from the lawyer. I have not heard anything from them since.

12-21-13. We have suffered second hand smoke every single day since #28 has moved in and nothing has been done. Today #28 called the police saying my son was running around and she wanted to make sure he was okay. A police, Officer [redacted], came and seen that he was just fine but that my children and I were wearing masks, because the cigarette smoke was so bad. She then came in and smelled the strong cigarette smell and gasped. Officer [redacted] told me I should speak with management again about the second hand smoke. She then went down to speak with #28. The smoke stopped for about an hour then started up again.

My Grandma, [redacted], died of lung cancer this year August 15, 2013. My children cry at night in fear that they will get lung cancer or die in their sleep from not being able to breathe. Our clothes and hair are starting to smell. My children have a hard time concentrating on homework or other projects. We have trouble at dinner time because of the nausea Bath time has become un enjoyable, instead of a relaxing time we have to rush in and out of the bath and usually end up with a headache. We can visually see smoke in our apartment. We've seen smoke hovering on the ceiling and have seen the apartment smokey.

For the past few months holidays have been ruined for us. Halloween, Thanksgiving and now Christmas. We were unable to put up our tree and other decorations until a few days ago, when #28 left her home for a few hours and the smell wasn't so bad. We had to rush to put up our tree in the living room in fear she would come back and smell up the apartment. My mother [redacted] has been unable to visit as much as she'd like for the past few months because the cigarette smoke might trigger her seasonal asthma. We are very sad, upset, miserable, depressed, and we are tired of living in sickness and fear!

Consumer

Response:

On 12-31-13 I came home to a smoke filled apartment and smelled a strong burnt smell, I contacted management [redacted] and she told me to call the police. I called and I took my children outside, I could not breath I was vomiting and coughing. I was put on oxygen and put on a gurney. The fire department noticed the smell and talked with management. They check and there was no fire. Management then told me that the downstairs neighbor said she made a verbal agreement to smoke cigarettes outside. When I asked if I could have that in writing, [redacted] went to talk to #28, #28 then Verbally attacked my children and I when I was holding my baby and my two daughters were standing next to me. #28 yelled at us and said she was going smoke outside but that now she is not and that she is going to smoke more now. I told her in front of the fire chief, neighbors and management that the smoke is making my children and I sick and we cant breathe she then kept yelling at us and said, "I don't give a [redacted]". She is purposely hurting us and has attacked us and management here has done nothing. The smoke is still getting into our apartment making my 11, 8 and 2 year old and myself sick everyday. Before the fire department left I was told to call them back if I seen the smoke again. when I was having this conversation my daughters were outside with me by #28's window and #28 opened her blinds flipped my 11 year old off and lit up a cigarette then blew the smoke out at her. I called management right away and let her know that my daughter was harassed I also told her about how #28 has been banging on her ceiling. Nothing has been done. We've already over stayed our welcome with family because we cannot stay here when we can't breath. We are unsure where to go. I would hate to have to stay at a homeless shelter but we can't breath in here and it is physically hurting us. We have been here for 8 years and that woman in #28 3 months. my neighbors would also like Cherry Glen apartments to be smoke free.