Ardent Property Management, Inc

There are inconsistencies with the response and documentation that Ardent provided. The individual who walked the unit inflated the invoice ( drip pans) were indeed replaced before I had moved out. I plan to attach supporting documentation.

Ms. [redacted]- Thank you for bringing your complaint to our attention.  I do apologize for the hassle with phone calls, I did find that you had communication with our Turnover Department in February of 2016 as well as July, emails containing their contact information regarding payments,...

etc.  Then nothing until December 14th.  All Turnover is handled through out Corporate Office/Turnover Department, your file and all information is moved to the corporate office once you vacate.  The payments for any damages are due to our Turnover Department, and cannot be made at the community.  Again, I do apologize for the hassle of being given a cell phone number to call- that was incorrect!  Obviously someone just gave you a phone number from our directory of Turnover Employees. Regarding the charges for damages to your apartment, I have personally reviewed the photos and paperwork attached to this communication back to the Revdex.com.  As you can see in the photos there was quite a few issue areas with the walls that required us to grade it a C Paint- per Addendum A Page 1 that you initialed and signed at Move In- shows that a C Paint is a unit that needs considerable prep work- we do account for normal wear and tear in that, however the photos do support the grade given.  Substantial nail, screw holes, scuffs, scratches and even vinyl lettering on the walls.  The C Carpet Rating stems from visual staining on the carpet, without being cleaned.  Per Addendum A Page 2 C Rated Carpet is not cleaned, additional maintenance as listed- visual, obvious stains.  B Cleaning rating was due to the cabinets, appliances, etc that were not cleaned.  Normal wear and We do account for normal wear and tear of an apartment, however that does not include cleanliness, etc  Again, I do apologize for the hassle of being given the wrong phone number.  We did address your questions and concerns back in February and July with no response back or request to make a payment until December.  After a full review of details and photos of the condition the apartment was left in, the charges are fair and valid.  Thank you   Jeffrey A. French Director of Sales & Marketing Ardent Communities Office- 614-776-5318 Ext 6114 Mobile- 614-353-2654 Fax- 614-776-5361 Email- [email protected] www.ardentcommunities.com

Thank you for bringing your complaint forward giving us a chance to review it for you.  The issue at hand is that you skipped out on your lease.  Your lease was 16 months dated from 3/20/2009 to 7/19/2010.  You chose to move out on 3/1/2010.  I have attached the lease paperwork...

that you signed on 3/20/2009.  You are required per the lease to give a 60 day notice, however you must still fulfill the lease term. 
To break down the charges see below-
$13.35- Garage Balance
$37.18- Final CCOS Water Bill
$190.21- Turn Costs in Excess of your $99 deposit
$979.56- Rental Concession- this is all that you were given free up front, not on the rental concession attached *In the event that the aforesaid lease is not fulfilled, the resident agrees to reimburse Ardent Property Management, Inc in the amount of any and all incentives redeemed through the date of the notice. 
$295.56- Rent
$450.00- Collection Fee
Less your deposit your balance is $1867.86
I understand your frustration, however you did not fulfill your lease term so the amounts due are fair and valid. 
Sincerely-
Ardent Communities

We have received your Complaint through the Revdex.com and I have personally taken time to review your file and photos.  The photos do showcase there were stains in multiple rooms that stemmed the entire carpet requiring replacement.  However, we only charged you for 40% of the carpet replacement...

even though the carpet was brand new when you moved in.  No notes were made on your Move In Condition Form stating that there were any stains on the carpet etc. I do feel that the attached photos and documents support the charges.  If you have further questions please feel free to respond accordingly.  As far as the dispute you submitted, it was not the security deposit that was applied, you were given a $72 credit off of the Paint Charge. Again, feel free to reach out as you feel necessary. Thanks-  [redacted] Director of Sales & Marketing Ardent Communities

Ms. [redacted]-Thank you for bringing your concern to our attention.  I have spoken to the Onsite Staff at Fieldstone Trace including reviewing all communication to and from you, but I have also reviewed all information with our Accounting Department.  Our Online Payment System has been...

operational for several years now with very few errors other than data entry errors when entering your Bank Routing Number and or Account Number.  Unfortunately due to obvious security reasons, we can only see the last 4 digits of the Account Number on our end.  With that being said, I was able to find that the routing number was entered correctly and the last 4 of your account number do show the same as what you stated is correct.  That leads me to the point that the only other option is one or more of the first 6 digits of the account number must have been entered incorrectly.  With the transaction being an ACH- the payment system does state that the payment was approved- meaning information was entered completely- an ACH does not process immediately as a Credit Card does- so as long as the correct number of digits for the routing and account number are entered- it will submit and approve the payment for processing.  From there it is up to your bank to successfully process the payment.  In this case Huntington denied the payment as "NO ACCOUNT FOUND".  We are charged a Bank Fee for submitting the payment that could not be successfully processed- same as a returned check for Insufficient Funds, hence why that fee was added to your ledger.  The last 4 digits that the onsite staff stated were entered were the last 4 of the confirmation number from our payment system.  My best suggestion for you is to contact Huntington and see if they can provide any information regarding the transaction- unfortunately without it being tied to your account, they may be at the same point where they cannot find the whole account number entered either.  I always recommend to residents and folks in general to proof their Account Number 2 or 3 times just to ensure it is correct before hitting submit, it is easy to transpose numbers when entering especially if entering from a cell phone or small device.  I do apologize for the frustration on this, I do want to mention for future to be sure to stop by the office with important information especially your Bank Account Number or Credit/Debit Card Numbers - versus sending via Social Media- to avoid that information being out there on the internet.  You can also email directly to [email protected] Sincerely-Jeffrey F[redacted]Ardent Communities

I was told they are to paint every apartment regardless after someone moving out. I should not be charged for that. The toilets and stove were not cleaned upon moving in either. We are being charged for things that were never done for us upon move in yet we are expected to pay for this for the next people moving in. The carpet was not new when we moved in. If so, I would like to see receipts for when the carpet was installed. There was nothing that was not normal wear and tear.

I wish I could say this place is as nice to stay at as it is to look at but I cant. we lived at the Residence at Central Park in Gahanna. While the apartments are nice to look at the paper thin wall are not. We had an issue with our downstairs neighbor for about a year playing her music so load that it would keep my girls up till all hours of the evening. I would come home some night and her music blasting so load and her patio door open while she is clearly passed out on the couch. Made so many complaints to the office(and not just form us but other next to her) but still nothing was done to fix the problem we had to call the police at least a dozen time. the police finally told the office team to fix the issue. When it finally came do or die time for the office to fix the problem their solution instead of kicking them out like they said they decided that it would be better and easier to move us to another aprt in the complex. In addition to moving we would have to sign a new lease and repay our deposit how does that make sense??????? which of course we said that is stupid and didn't. thankfully the lady didn't renew her lease and left. Management will charge you 25 bucks for every so called rule break they can find I couldn't even leave my bike on my balcony or have a towel hanging over it. We were told that at move out we would have to steam clean the aprt, repaint it, replace any broken blinds etc. I expected to clean the place of course but when you openly tell me that I can get blinds at home depot for 20 buck rather then them charge me 60 a set what the hell is wrong with you or when you tell me that you replace the carpet in every aprt even if its clean why the hell do I need to clean it. Then to top it off and see us off on our way out of the crap heap they say our rent check bounced and charge us 120 even though our money was good and we get you a cashier check the same day. I also know that one building in our complex was done so poorly that the balcony was literally not even touching the outside of the aprt to the point it was deemed unsafe to go out on it. and random potholes would pop up on the street like every other week.
all in all nice inside the aprt, but paper thin walls, very poor management, consistent random pothole in the streets all over the property, and unsafe balconies I could never recommend these apartments for anyone.

As requested, please find enclosed some pictures taken prior to move out and proof of bills for cleaning and some of the other expenses I incurred to prep the apartment a day prior to the hand over of keys. The apartment was returned in very good condition.
Thanks a lot and have a great day.

Thank you for bringing your complaint forward regarding the Maintenance concerns.  I have printed your work order history and have reviewed the technicians notes.  I understand that you do not provide permission to enter due to having a pet, so this does make it a little more challenging...

for scheduling.  As emergencies pop up through out the day it can create issues, if no permission to enter is granted.  However it is our goal to work with you on getting in and coordinating.  In this specific instance - 6/30/2015 request where they replaced the wood under your cabinet-  from talking with the technician and manager- there was a communication error regarding the am/pm time-frame for the work to be completed.  This falls on our side, in the future it has been noted on your account to ask for either am or pm time-frame for the ticket to be run.  The tech will then call you prior to entering.  I did speak with our Property Manager regarding the phone call as reported by you, she did say she called to clear the air.  The tech upon return to the office made a statement on your behalf, which she wanted to make it right with you.  I understand you feel that this was unprofessional, and I have let her know in the future to not take such measures- a simple follow up call would have sufficed.  Moving forward I do believe you will be happy with the communication and interactions you have with the manager as well as maintenance.  Sincerely-[redacted]  [redacted]Ardent CommunitiesDirector of Sales & Marketing

Ms. [redacted]- Thank you for submitting your complaint for review.  We do have a dispute process that is noted in your Disposition sent by our Turnover Department, however I have reviewed your file and have found the following- The items you were charged for are as follows and each is...

followed by an explanation for the charges- Punchout Paint- $25This is due to the staining on the walls as noted in the pictures- no charges were reflected for marked baseboards or scuffs on walls.  Carpet Replacement- $659.74The carpet was brand new at move in.  The reason for the charge was due to purplish discoloration in multiple locations (looks like bleach stains or similar, and outside of normal wear and tear on the seams- as you will note in the photos attached.  We pro-rated the carpet replacement down to 60% to accommodate for the 2 years you lived at the property.  CCOS Final Water Bill- Final Bill total was $83.29Garage Rent- $300 I have attached your Garage Lease – the lease was signed for the term of October 15, 2015 through October 31, 2016.  I also attached your notice to vacate for [redacted]- no mention of vacating the garage early was listed.  Unfortunately you do have to complete the lease even on a garage- so the $300 is August, September and October Rent including Late Fees.   Feel free to reach out directly to our Turnover Department as well for this.   Thank you- Ardent Communities

Thank you for your quick response.I still feel extremely blind-sided by the totality of the charges. I would not have made the decision to move in January if I were aware that "sub-leasing" was not an option. I was told that it was not only an option, but that very quickly someone had been found to move in and I would ONLY be paying for the days that it took a cleaning crew to get to my apartment. I moved from this apartment complex because I could not afford the rent or utilities and I definitely do not have the money to pay this up-front in full. I propose that I pay the sum of the utilities and cleaning fees (minus the drip pans) up front and you waive the remaining charges (i.e, 17 day rent). OR I can make 4 equal monthly payments to you for the entire sum (minus the drip pans).Here is why I refuse to pay for the drip pans: 1. I used the dishwasher less than 5 times as stated previously. If you do not provide appliances that can withstand <5uses, that is not my problem. 2. I can see by reading the other many complaints that charging tenants for drip pans seems to be a reoccurring theme and like me, they are also thinking, "What is a freaking drip pan?" That is because no one else has ever asked us to replace drip pans before?? 3. If the quality of your drip pans is so low that you have to replace them this frequently, they should be included in your standard post-tenant process and WE should not be charged for them. I have lived in 6 different apartment complexes, many of them for over a year and never have I had to pay a cent past my move out date. So I think there is something to be said about your move-out process. Please let me know how you'd like to move forward given my two options above and I will send a check in the mail to an address provided.

The pictures are of your unit, my staff onsite even verified as they walked the unit after Turnover did.  They had a move in scheduled on the unit, and were concerned that it would not be ready in time.
The Invoice I provided for the duct cleaning, is an Invoice- It is Invoice [redacted]- work was done on 2/18/2014.  We do not pay on "estimates" or suggested work.  The work is verified to be complete and to our standards prior to the manager signing to pay the invoice.
I have presented all of the facts that I possibly can to explain the charges, again all of my attachments have been date stamped and accurate.  Not pictures from months before, ect. 
For the number of years we have been in business and the number of residents we have on an annual basis in comparison to the number of complaints we receive about Move Out Costs are few and far between.  We always research pull all information from Turnover and the Property Manager.  I also contact the vendor to confirm what was done and what notes the technician put on the work order.  In almost every case Turnover does a great job at taking photos of what they deem as a resident charge for damage or neglect and make notes.  Unfortunately, it is often a mindset that no matter what extent of damage is done, that you should not have to pay to fix it.  That is why we provide you with Addendum A Pages 1-5 at move in as well as a chance to declare any damages at move in on the Move-In Condition Form.
I do agree that this feels like a waste of time, as I can only present the information I have and show pictures ect date stamped ect.  beyond that I am not sure what else I can do on this end.
Thanks-
Ardent Communities

Good Morning-
You will need to contact our Turnover Department directly to discuss and arrange payments. 
Thank you-
Ardent Communities

Your unjust and unlawful lease termination gave rise to this ordeal. The lease termination is the only issue I addressed with you and reported to both the Revdex.com and Ohio Attorney General's office. As a result, the lease termination should be the only matter to be resolved. Your unclever method of providing a standard letter to terminate the lease then a formal "Settlement and Mutual Release" to mask your unlawful actions, is not acceptable. A mutual release is more than welcome. It entails rent, utilities, and moving expenses.any language outside of the scope of the lease itself is not acceptable.
 
If a "settlement" is what you seek, it will include negligence on your end (faulty shower door), personal injury (as a result of the shower door falling), medical expense, and lost wages. You have shown no regard for what you have taken me through; only to protect yourself. This, too, is unacceptable. You continue to take me and the hell I've been through, thanks to your company, for granted. Please be advised, I am fully aware of my rights.  You are civilly liable for the injuries I sustained, medical expenses, and lost wages. Thus, if you want to discuss "settllement," you have yet to make an offer. Surely you know "all matters" cannot be compensated for with your offer of a $500 gift card.

Mr. [redacted]- Thank you for bringing your complaint to our attention.  I have reviewed and here are the findings- - [redacted] Ad Complaint- The $933 Price you saw on [redacted] is actually correct- the rent amount is $1099- the special we are offering is a $2000 Prepaid [redacted] that...

when broken out over the 12 month lease equals $166.67 off per month, making your monthly rental payment $933 per month for 12 months. - [redacted]- this is an outside company, not managed or hosted by Ardent Communities.  The information on there is from last year- requests have been submitted several times to the managing company of [redacted] to please remove the old information.  In your case, the $50 Partial Security Deposit will be refunded as you did not qualify to move in on your own.  We would require a cosigner, so if you are not able to obtain one we will refund the partial deposit.  We will mail a check to your current address.  If you will notify your bank to cancel the dispute, we can issue the refund check today and get it in the mail. I do apologize if you feel mislead, in this industry most communities will post ads using the special they are currently offering to reduce the monthly rental rate.  Just want to get the $50 back to you to make it all good for you. Thanks- Jeffrey F[redacted]Ardent Communities

I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find the resolution is satisfactory to me.

Thank you for bringing your complaint forward for review.  I have attached the Lease that you signed on 5/19/2013 that expires May 30, 2014.  The Terms and Conditions (Page 2) of your Lease Agreement # 13 Move-Out Notice- states that you must give a written 60 day notice to vacate at the...

end of your lease.  You gave notice on March 1, 2014- which was 90 days before your lease expired.  Your lease is a Legal Document and has the official dates of your lease term on it.  You also received via email on 3/7/2014 Page 5 of Addendum A where it showed the amounts of rent due for March, April and May rent. 
On behalf of[redacted] and Ardent, I do apologize for the typo on the renewal letter.  However the Legal Lease Document has the term on it. 
I hope that you understand that the lease is the primary document and the only legal document involved in this complaint.
Thanks-
Ardent Communities

That is not correct. I even asked via email this week to have someone show me how to 'wiggle' the lock and have received no response. Access to the facilities was promised upon movin. I have not used them in 3 months of a 1 year lease. Since your folks won't answer email or phone calls and will not help me figure out the situation that is why I went to the Revdex.com with it.Again, the maintenance tech told me that his key wasn't working either. Your team needs to get their stories straight. Why will no one make time to even meet me at the club house with this? I was not provided a key at move-in. I was provided one two days later via an envelope stuck in my door because they forgot to bring it. This is the third key I have received and not the second. If you would like to receive documentation of the email I sent this week, send me an email address and I will provide it.

Moved in to their Groveport location on October 8th, 2016. With being new to the area, my identity had to be established with the local utilities company. On December 8th, or shortly after, I received my first utility bill showing a past due amount for the initial, and not full month of October, and the charges for November. On December 21st, I received an email from Ardent stating the following
Please contact your utility and make a payment. A fine of $50.00 which has been added to your account and can be paid with next month’s rent payment.
When I contacted the office, I was told that I was behind and would be receiving the fine. At the same time, my rent has been paid in advance, and much of January has already been paid.
I find it completely unprofessional, and borderline corrupt, that a business would add fines when no previous bill was receiced. When contacting the utility company, and situation was explained, they communicated that they would contact Ardent. No response from Ardent

Mr. [redacted]'s synopsis of the situation is not correct.  I did not originally want the Kinsail property.  I wanted to be at the property I was promised by paying a security deposit. However, at this time I would love to have the Kinsail property because I don't have a place to live.  I asked Ardent properties to lease me the Kinsail property for the price of the condo I was promised and they refused.  Mr. [redacted] is either being dishonest or he has not talked to his regional manager.  I have reached out to Mr. [redacted] by phone and I have not heard from him.