Ardent Property Management, Inc

Thank you for bringing your complaint to our attention.  Parking is on a first come first serve basis per your Lease Agreement.  At this time your complaint is the only one that we have had regarding parking.  We do offer garages if you want assigned parking, they are an additional...

fee, however they are available to those that want a guaranteed parking spot every day.  As far as the Resident Services Coordinator or "superintendent" that you are referring to, they are under direct management of the Property Manager and I have met with them and ensured that they know any of this behavior is completely out of the question.  Actually she was at a loss, since prior to accepting the position you were all friendly with each other.  Our Resident Services Coordinators are asked/compensated to enforce the Policies and Procedures that are in place for the community.  Those include- parking, noise, after hours emergency maintenance, dog waste, cigarette butts, ect.  The position is not easy, as enforcing any policy is not fun, however we must as a Property Management Company.  Not only is parking in front of garages an inconvenience to the person paying for that garage, but is a fire hazard as well as it makes it difficult to maneuver through the parking lot.  Unfortunately the Property Manager and Resident Services Coordinator are doing their job and keeping the community in order.  [redacted] has been a Property Manager with Ardent Communities for several years and does a great job.  She does believe in following policy which is what makes her a great manager.  I do understand you are frustrated and do not agree with the policy, however in Property Management we must follow Federal Fair Housing Laws, in which we must treat every resident the same, with that said if we allowed you to park anywhere you want to, we would have to let every resident do the same. 
I hope that you can find solution in this, I do understand you intend on putting in a notice to vacate at the end of your lease.  You may turn in your 60 day notice to the office anytime. 
Thank you-
Ardent Communities

Response to Ardent is below:
I will agree to this settlement if a payment plan of $50/month can be set in place. Just to clarify total would $901 due to $99 in deposit already paid.

Ms. [redacted] and Ardent Communities has come to a mutual agreement to resolve her complaint. 
Sincerely-
Jeffrey F[redacted]
Ardent Communities

This resident has paid rent and late fee, due to not being in on time.  In the future if you need to make payment after 6pm on the 3rd of the month, you can do a FREE ACH through www.ardentcommunities.com
Thank you -
Ardent Communities

Thank you for bringing your complaint forward for review.  Unfortunately
Ardent Communities does not schedule walk appointments with residents at move
out.  We have been in business for many years, built and managed...

over
40,000 apartments and have served thousands and thousands of residents over the
year.  So when you see the few complaints out there, overall we make most
of our residents happy.  No one wants to be charged for any damages when
they move out whether they know it was damaged or not.   For residents
that meet the credit requirements for a $99 deposit, that does not cover much
if something is damaged or beyond normal wear and tear.
In your specific case,  I have attached my this response the Move In
Condition Form that you signed on 11/20/2011 when you moved in.  This is
used when grading and determining what damages if any were caused during your
stay.  It is great that you have pictures, and we always recommend that
our residents take photos the day of move out, time/date stamped so that if you
are charged for something you feel is not valid, you can show supporting
photos.  Our Turnover Division also takes photos of any and all items we
charge for. 
It sounds like you have your ducks in a row and know that your apartment is in
good condition, so therefore you should not be worried.  I assure you if
you saw the photos and or walked some of the homes you read complaints or
reviews on, you would have a totally different thought process.
I hope that you find this information helpful.  We network with a lot of
different Property Management Companies in the Columbus Market and there are
very few companies that do schedule or meet with residents when they move
out.   We appreciate your business over the past few years, and hope
that you find your move out process to be just as good as your stay! 
Thank you-
Ardent Communities

Mr. [redacted]-Thank you for bringing your complaint forward.  I have reviewed your file as well as the statements made in your complaint.  To address your concerns, I have attached Addendum A Pages 1-5 as well as other move out paperwork stating the issues found within your unit at move...

out. First I would like to state the fact that no Move In Condition Form as turned in at the time of your move in noting any issues.  However after working for the company for over 10 years- I am more than confident to say that the unit you occupied from 2012-2016 did not look like the photos attached.  We take pride in what our units look like for our residents.  There are not any "upgrading" of units happening at Sawmill Ravine, over 10 years ago the owner did do some upgraded units- but nothing else- those units are noted as updated on our books.  Upon move out we grade our units based on Addendum A Page 1-5 and will charge the resident for issues that were not present at the time of their move in- hence why we ask for the Move In Condition Form to be completed within 48 hours of moving in. In the photos I have attached you will quickly see that the unit was not returned to us in a clean respectable manner.  The carpet had large urine stains on it, bleach stains, etc.  The carpet was new and floors sealed 7/2011, you moved in 10/2/2012.  The tenant prior to you did not leave the carpet in ill shape, I was able to verify that in photos from their move out report.  We only charged you 30% of the carpet in this instance for the age of the carpet including the years you resided.  The sealing of the floors is always required to remedy pet urine stains to avoid odors returning.  The carpet was not original from when the property was built.  I will not go through each photo that I have attached- but you will see the bathrooms being very dirty- we have not had any other toilets look like that upon someone moving out, etc. If the water in the community stemmed this issue- our other residents would be complaining constantly.  During your stay- you had 3 work orders called in- none of which referred to any issues with your toilets or any other components in your complaint.In your instance, the unit was not upgraded, renovated, rehabbed etc as you stated- the unit was turned as we would do at any site we own/manage.  I do hope this helps explain the charges- per the lease agreement and addendum's you signed- it does state that any damages beyond normal wear and tear will be your responsibility.  Sincerely-Ardent Communities

First of all it doesn't seem you keep track of verbal communications.  After moving out and receiving the final statement we called several times and asked for pictures of damages and a more detailed description of the problem areas and we were told that we could not be provided them.  Seems as though nobody at Albany Landings is on the same page and if I am able to be provided pictures now I don't understand why I was not able to be provided them after move out.  After reviewing the pictures I do see nail holes but all look very minuscule.  The picture of the shower looks pretty clean to me and I am not seeing ANY discoloration in the carpet.  Nothing I am seeing constitutes over $400 of charges.  I think we can all agree that is excessive.  This is part of the reason we asked to have a walk through at the end of our lease and were told that we could not be present when the apartment was being reviewed.  The turnover department called me back and I paid my balance AFTER I reported to the Revdex.com.  It's a shame that the only way to get a response from the company is to report to the Revdex.com but I'm willing to do that and the public should know the run around and unprofessional nature of Albany Landings.
Yes, I did get my paper with the number to call for payment but when you are at work and don't have the paper with you, you expect that the company you are paying can point you in the right direction without giving you the run around.

Both my wife and I have tried to contact [redacted] after said date March 7, 2014. My wife called and left several voicemails for [redacted] in April, we stopped complaining to the apartment office once I had the face to face with [redacted] and tried to communicate with [redacted] directly, this didn't work any better than the apartment manager.
[redacted] also stated as soon as she received this Revdex.com complaint (we had no other way of making her communicate with us) that she emailed myself and tried calling. I have yet to recieve an email from her or anyone at Ardent Property Management. As far as the phone, yes I have a new company phone, however my wife's phone number is also on the lease, as is she and [redacted] has never called or left any messages. We both have tried to call her to the number she gave us for months without any return correspondence. 
As for the Worthington oridinance we will video tape every morning if we have to, as we have complained many times before they are emptied and banged around before 6am. This includes the dumpsters right outside our back door as well as the one next to our exterior wall. You think if you don't answer people's complaints that eventually they will stop complaining. You have never resolved any of our complaints about the noise. It effects our every day life when you are so rudely woken up every day anywhere between 4:45 and 6:30 am, they shake and bang the dumpsters so loudly it shakes the wall which our bed is against. We have had one overnight guest who couldn't believe how loud the noise is from the dumpsters and the continuous noise all day long from the trucks, fork lifts etc coming and going, beeping etc right at our back door.Not even earplugs that we wear every night is enough to drown out the noise. We have never lived in a property poorly managed as these are.
The lease that we signed when we left here was for [redacted] Drive which is not the unit we were given when we came to move in with our moving truck and movers. [redacted] redid the paperwork and had us sign it after we moved in as we were not given a choice of what unit we were put in, saying that unit wasn't available, in reality it was. 
As far as your pairing with the condo association, that shouldn't effect us but has greatly. You don't work closely with them otherwise you would know the grass is taller than our dog, there was no snow removal, shoveling, or salting. and this attached picture is our daily view from our dinning room table. 
This is unacceptable and we were told the property was new and to give you patience which is all we did for 6 months, nothing has changed, no issues have been resolved, nor has there been any return correspondence from [redacted], these being the reasons we are vacating our lease.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention.  I have reviewed your file as well as the pictures taken by our Turnover Department of the items you addressed.  I have attached your Unit Condition Form showing what items you were charged for and what items were the responsibility...

of the owner as well as the price paid to the vendor for completing the work.  I also attached the actual walk form , your Move In Condition Form, Addendum A Pages 1-5 that you initialed and signed at time of move in reviewing the associated charges for damages beyond normal wear and tear, and a snapshot of your ledger again showing the items you were responsible for.  Paint- B Rating- we charged you $109 of $275.  This was due to 37 nail holes, curtain rod being left in place as well as the black marks on the walls as seen in the pictures attached. Carpet- Restorative Clean- $268.75- as you can see in the pictures the black stains in the carpet including the black outline around where your area rug was.  The carpet was brand new when you moved in.  Carpet Cleaning is not something that we do on renewals, unless it is offered as a renewal incentive.  Carpet Cleaning during your stay is your responsibility, unless offered as an incentive/concession.  Clean- $57.00- If you review the attached pictures you will see the items that we based this charge on- including the oven, floors, etc 4 Drip Pans- $17.20- you will see an attached picture of the drip pans that were beyond just cleaning, stemming the replacement. Final Electric Bill- $70.02. Unfortunately after reviewing your file as well as the photos of the damages to your unit, the charges seem very fair and legitimate.  I do apologize that you feel differently, however normal wear and tear is expected when a tenant moves out, but the items we charged for were beyond that.  We provide you with Addendum A Pages 1-5 at time of Move In so that you understand what we look at upon your move out.  If you have further questions or concerns please let me know and I can explain anything you need further.

I think its been turned your way, I don't have energy to argue with you, I cant fight any more,I have my own life and job and problems,you are been paid for this I am not paid for the what I am doing. Your answers don't convene me,  and my another mail seems will not do good, out of many thing its strange and funny "Federal Fair Housing Laws" don't let you inspect the unit in presence of leaving tenant, very fair, but as long as paid people like you are there, I assume they you can twist the law and threaten regular people of less knowledge of law. I have seen Ardent threatening people with legal stuff earlier also , want to keep my self away and through the money you want, In between I forgot the threatening email from your company about putting me in collection and hitting my credit. So you win call me the number you have on your file and I will provide me credit card details and you can take the money you want, Do remember to email me if call was unsuccessful, take the money and don't hurt my credit history, hope I never need to face ardent communities in life

In addition to my response on yesterday, despite your mentioning of an attached Mutual Release, it was not attached. If it is the same release received in the recent past, it is not necessary to resend.  The issue is the clause that states "now desire to settle all matters among them."  The only matter that needs to be addressed as a result of your unlawful termination of a lease is the TERMINATION of the LEASE.  There are no other matters that led to the termination of the lease. Focus on the issues at hand: lease agreement, deposit, moving expenses, lease termination, additional moving expenses.  Those are the ONLY MATTERS that should be cited or considered in your mutual release proposal.  Your attorney could save himself and you all some time by ceasing with the clever act of including blanket phrases and clauses to protect your company. I am not out to get anyone. Compensate me for my expenses and we're done. Again, I did not request reimbursement for loss wages, personal injury, or anything else. I will not engage in frivolous back and forth discussions with you. A judge would laugh your proposal out of the courtroom and hold you liable for much more than $715.00.  
 
I will not sign the drafted document. An attorney did not draft your notice of illegal termination of lease. Perhaps you should have consulted with him/her prior to sending it to me on June 3rd.  You can save time with any letter or proposed settlement at this point unless you're capable of focusing solely on the LEASE.  Your redundancy is unnecessary. Your continued actions speak for themselves. Simply compensate me the moving expenses. Nothing more. Nothing less.  
 
Regards,
Lashanda Burden

I rented an apartment from an Ardent Property for three months (winter). The walls were very poorly painted, the countertops stained and burned, trim pieces missing - generally a lack of proper upkeep. Even though I seldom stayed at the property and it was left in the same shape it was delivered - it was thoroughly cleaned before I moved out - I was charged $200 for painting and cleaning. I feel cheated and scammed.

1. A 60 day notice was provided to Ardent.
2. I have never agreed to make any payments to Ardent.
3. Prior to moving in, Ardent stated they would replace the carpet and they did not. Previous tenants had 3 dogs and a cat. Urine odor was smelled everywhere. There cleaning staff even admitted to this to me. There should not be any carpet fee charge whatsoever.
4. Ardent stated they would clean up the massive mess (2 rotted wood stockpiles, bundle of hay, broken vases, rotted wood fencing on ground, massive weeds) in the yard prior to moving in and they did not. I personally cleaned up the mess plus filled multiple holes in the yard. Added fence around back porch to prevent rodents from entering.
5. Ardent stated they would remove the ivy growing all over the entrance to the garage. They did not. I removed the IVY.
6. Ardent stated they would removed the large amount of branches blocking the entrance from the back gate to alley and they did not. I removed the large branches.
7. Ardent never removed leaves during the autumn season and never removed snow/ice during the winter season.
8. Ardent did not provide waste removal. I had to take the initiative to request city to provide.
9. Ardent never gave regards to safety concerns. No railings on the inside stairs. No railings on the outside porch steps which is against code.
10. My out of pocket fees and free labor to clean up the property was due to creating a healthy living environment for my pets and I. Ardent gave no regards to this concern and repeated this when the AC unit failed during extreme warm weather. It took almost one week to repair and Ardent only provided one unit not two for a 2 story home. I had to buy a second unit. Temps inside the house exceeded 90 degrees during this tenure.
12. My out of pocket fees and free labor to clean up the property greatly enhanced the value of the property which exceeds the amount Ardent is requesting.

Due to the number of photos etc, I felt it would be easiest to email you our response for Complaint [redacted]Ms. [redacted]-Thank you for submitting your complaint with the Revdex.com.  I have reviewed your file and all of the move out information including photos of the damages to your unit.  I have...

attached several items to showcase the damage etc.After reviewing all the information, I have found that the charges are accurate-  if you view the photos you will see the damages you were charged for.  I have also attached the walk form noting the damages in conjunction with the photos, your Resident Move In Condition Form with 3 items noted- none of which were items you were charged for.  I also attached Addendum A Pages 1-5 where items you will be charged for if damages in the unit. To cover each item you addressed specifically-Paint- Page 1 of Addendum A- you will note the cost of a C Paint- is $305 for a 2 Bedroom Townhome- under that it is noted that additional charges assessed by contractor-  there was drywall repair required when your curtain rod and the baskets on the bathroom walls were removed- they had to patch and sand etc.  This is where the additional charge stems from.  These items are noted in the pictures as well.  There were also stains, scuffs etc on the walls noted in the photos.Carpet Replacement/Sealing of Floors- you were charged 40% of the carpet replacement- as that is a pro rate of the cost.  The sealing of the floors was due to the pet urine- there were stains noted and photos to show in multiple areas of the carpet.  Unfortunately pet urine stains soak through the carpet and pad to the concrete if not cleaned up.  Cleaning Charge- C Clean due to the multiple aspects that were not cleaned.Oven Cleaning- See photos as well.After reviewing the file and photos the charges do reflect the damages and condition of the townhome when you moved out.  We provide you with Addendum A to review when you move in and sign your lease so that you are aware of the items we look at when you move out.  Normal Wear and Tear is expected but when there is damage/holes from items on walls that are not removed/repaired by the resident and pet urine/stained carpets the charges are applicable. Thank you-Jeffrey A. F[redacted]Director of Sales & MarketingArdent CommunitiesOffice- ###-###-#### Ext [redacted]

Again, this one is fairly extensive and I have a lot of photos and docs to share- if you will please post this as our response to Complaint- [redacted] Thank you for submitting your Complaint through the Revdex.com.  I have reviewed your file and the photos taken of your apartment.  I...

have attached 35 photos showcasing the damages and condition of your apartment when it was turned over to Ardent Communities.  I will break down the charges below with a explanation for why we charged you.o   CCOS Final Water Bill- $401.13- not paid directly to CCOS so Ardent paid your bill and now the monies are due to Ardent Communities.  This bill was not only the current amount due for the final bill, but the account was delinquent.o   APL Final Electric- $239.32 (The final bill was $459.32, you paid $220 leaving $239.32, this account was delinquent prior to move out as well)o   Paint C- $271.00 – per Addendum A Page 1 that you initialed at Move In- does state that it is a unit that needs considerable prep work- an A that is no charge to the resident- is touchup paint only- we do account for up to 10 nail holes as normal wear and tear- however the damage to the walls as documented in the photos- you can see that there were several issues that stemmed this charge.o   Replaced Carpet- 80% charge- The carpet was new when you moved in- as you can see in the photos- there were red stains, black stains, very worn and dirty carpet throughout the carpets.  o   Refrigerator Cleaning- reflected in the photos- the fridge was dirty and food items left behind.o   Oven Cleaning- noted in the photos- the oven was dirty and required more in depth cleaning than a standard wipe out.o   Parking Pass Not Returned- no parking passes were returned- the site staff documents exactly how many keys, parking passes etc that are returned.  o   4 Drip Pans for the stove- as you can see in the photos- again standard wear and tear would require a light clean on the drip pans- however the ones that were in your unit were rusted and dirty from not being clean. I would like to point out that there were items not charged for that were damaged- hole in interior door, trash removal, face plates missing/off outlets/switches etc Notice was given in writing for your apartment, however it was given and signed by someone not on the lease- we have 2 names on the lease and neither were the signed name on the notice given.  Verbal Notice to Vacate is not accepted per your lease agreement.   Several items in your complaint are not items that you have been charged foro   Ice Cube Trayso   Kitchen Tileo   Filter Change (Free filters were available at the office, per your lease it is your responsibility to replace as needed)o   Smoke Detector Batteries (Free batteries were available at the office, and per your lease it is your responsibility to replace as needed)          I do hope that this explanation helps you understand why you were charged for the items in question.  The damages and condition of the apartment that was returned to us is far beyond normal wear and tear, therefore the amount due on your account is fair and valid.  Should you have any further questions please let us know. Thank you-

1. Your rental office is not telling the truth, I gave the keys back on 2/12 and not 2/11. Attached is a copy of the check I gave on 2/12 (day I handed the keys).
2. No one in my household is a smoker. Your comment about the Odor is absolutely wrong.
3. Carpet replacement - I've nothing to say, the story on NBC4i (http://www.nbc4i.com/story/22797626/nbc4-investigates) tells the scam your company is running.
Please do not waste my time with false charges. Send me the refund of the excess deposit and the overage I paid on 2/12 for the electricity. The rental office was not transparent in their dealing either, they simply denied to show the bill when demanded and instead tried to harass me and asked to give the check of the amount they calculated. My Average bill is never that high for any month, they charged me $184.52 for 18 days of usage. THIS IS JUST RIDICULOUS.
DO NOT WASTE MY TIME.

Thank you for bringing your complaint forward and giving us an opportunity to further explain the charges behind your disposition.  I have attached several photos of your unit, which you can see that the paint, carpet and cleanliness were not as you stated in your claim.  I have also...

attached for review the breakdown of what items you were charged for versus what we kept in house.  We have reviewed all documents and photos and the charges are fair and valid.  We have a very standardized grading system for our homes when vacated, and you signed and initialed at move in acknowledging the expectation at move out. 
 
Please review the photos and documents, I hope that they will shed more light on the charges that you have incurred.
 
Thank You-
 
Ardent Communities

Our family used this community as a temporary place to live when we sold our house and were continuing our house hunting search. From the beginning, this organization reeked of disorganization. A month after signing our lease agreement, we were given a letter stating we owed more than we wrote our first months rent check for. After speaking with several employees, we were told that we had to pay the extra because "that's what was in the computer". Even though I showed them the SIGNED agreement, they insisted we must pay. So we paid, although I intended to request a refund after moving out. Upon giving notice when moving out, we asked what we needed to do besides writing our pro-rated check for rent. We were told not a thing - just write the check at the first of the month, and hand write a note saying when we were moving out. So that is what we did. About a month after moving out, I received a bill stating we owed $350+ for several screens that were missing, and 3 days of prorated fees after we moved out. I disputed theses claims and they replied that I had 48 hours to return a form stating what was wrong with the apartment when we moved in. I also stated that we were given no further information regarding our move-out. (I returned the keys 3 days after move-out, which is the reason for the fee. We were not told to return the keys). I also stated they need to recheck our signed agreement and that there was money that was owed to us. They replied, taking off the additional money that was owed, but ignoring the fact that we did not get the 48 hour form, and the extra pro-rated days. Their letter stated this was their final correspondence and this matter was closed. I emailed them again with no response. This business is unorganized and untrustworthy. Be very wary if you decide to move into this community.

I have confirmed with the property that your exhaust fan has been replaced, and that all pending maintenance is taken care of.  Our Upper Management Team has addressed the other issues in your complaint and taken the necessary action needed.  This issues surrounding this should be ceased and not continue moving forward.  Maintenance and the Onsite Property Staff are one team working toward the same goal of providing excellent service to our residents.   
Again, I appreciate you letting us know about your issue.

Thank you for bringing your complaint forward to be reviewed.  I have gone over all of the pictures, your Move In Condition Form, the unit walk and the disputes you have submitted to our Turnover Department.  I have attached your Move In Condition Form, Addendum A Walk Through Form used by...

Turnover on every single walk through.  This form notes what the condition of your unit was.  Items that are deemed beyond "normal wear and tear" are documented in the photos.  I have attached 9 photos for you to review (date stamped), I have additional photos as well.  Turnover has removed 5 of the line item charges as well as reduced the Carpet Replacement to 40% versus the original 50%.  I believe the attachments will explain the charges that are beyond "normal wear and tear".  If you would like to submit photos, please ensure that they have a date stamp on them from your move out.  I appreciate the opportunity to review this for you, and hope that my explanation helps.