Camden Development Inc

I moved into a Camden apartment years ago It has gone from a wonderful place to live to a place I would never recommend Management has gone from enforcing the rules we agreed to in our rental agreement to not enforcing and giving excuses on the community website The pools are closed for days at a time because management won't enforce "no glass" rules Glass breaks, pools are closed Cable TV is billed through the apartment complex as part of the rental agreement (unable to opt out) When the cable reception is interrupted to the entire complex, management tells the residents to call the cable company themselves Packages can no longer be left at the office (corporate decision) so residents have packages stolen every day Management is not interested in finding a secure solution for package delivery Lastly they will "nickle and dime" you at move out for at least $100, sometimes more for things like carpet replacement, counter refinishing, "days rental" when you move out two days before your lease endsPublically traded corporation - had great potential when we moved in, sadly the door didn't hit me when I moved out

I was told that I could pay a holding fee for an apartment and get my money back if my roommate and I didn't want to sign a lease.after leasing agent [redacted] let me view an apartment, I explained to her that I would need a day to make a decision on the apartment since I was having a roommate moving from Ohio and I wanted to be sure that the floor plan worked out for each of us[redacted] advised that I could pay to hold the apartment and if my roommate and I decided to not sign a lease, we would get our administration fee back. When my roommate and I call the office a day later[redacted] claimed she never told me any such thing and no funds are refundable. Since I completed my information on her computer, with most of the screen facing her and being rushed because she said she had another client waiting, I was not able to read the full disclosure on the website, bu[redacted] assured me that if we did not sign a lease, the only fee we could not get back would be the application fee of $50.00. I called back the next day and she told me something completely different. To assure my credit and rental history was not ran, I checked my credit monitoring and nothing was ran from Camden, I also checked with my rental office and they assure me that no one from Camden asked for a rental history. Since that is the only apartment I have had in my name in north Carolina in the last 7 years, I am sure a rental history was not ran. Basically, the application process had not started. They even sent both me and my roommate additional paperwork explaining that they could not start the screening process until we completed the form and sent it back to them. I then attempted to take this matter to the [redacted] manager who did not call back but ha[redacted] call back again, she lied to my roommate saying I has already spoken to her manager and wanted to completed the application process. none of this had taken place. Once I did get her manager [redacted] on the phone, he was very rude and advised that we were never told that we could get a refund and he advised that I was approved for my rental portion of the lease but still had missing information from my roommate. I advised that I was sure that no credit or background information was ran from Camden. I asked what was ran that could cost $300.00 and we not be able to get a refund since we didn't sign a lease. [redacted] just decided to repeat that the fees were non refundable and refused to give me an explanation on where my money went and how it was applied. We were lied to, if we simply paid a hold and application fee and no lease, I would like a breakdown and print out of where and how the remaining $250.00 was applied. Most apartments holding fee is simply a holding fee and no hidden fees included. I even attempted to contact the corporate office for a better understanding of this matter 2 weeks ago and have yet to get a response. This apartment complex has provided by far the worst customer service experience and has operated with such dishonesty that I decided I my business would be best elsewhere. I am requesting a refund of $200.00 of a full breakdown and copy of administrative fees for both me and my roommate.Desired Settlement I am requesting a refund of $200.00 of a full breakdown and copy of administrative fees for both me and my roommate. I would also like a call back or e-mail from corporate for such a horrible customer experience.Business Response The applicant applied online. When applying online you agree through electronic signature that all information you are entering is accurate and that all fees are non refundable. The roommate entered incorrect drivers license number so we require a paper application if we have to change information that was entered electronically. This was explained to [redacted] and she stated she was told monies were refundable. The person they dealt with was my assistant manager who has been with the company for over 11 years and knows fees are non refundable and would not have stated that. Either way they accepted terms and conditions on the website when they applied and were screened.

I paid a pet deposit. Left apartment, never got deposit back.My lease began with a girl named [redacted] and I. Upon lease expiration, [redacted] moved out, [redacted] moved in. That year, I bought a dog. Paid the $250 pet fee and the $250 pet deposit. After my lease was up, I moved out, and [redacted] moved in with. Camden refuses to give me my pet deposit back. The dog and I moved out 2 years ago. Camden has told me that, since I am not currently on the lease, they cant give me MY pet deposit for my dog back. So, they will issue a check to WHOMEVER is on the lease whenever THAT lease expires a check WITH THEIR NAME FOR MY MONEY THAT I PAID THE PET DEPOSIT FOR. Camden, a multi-million dollar agency will not budge and give me my $250 deposit back even though I have referred numerous residents, was a stellar resident and donated money and my time to help Camden fire victims. Im disgusted by the fact that they are giving my money for my deposit for my dog to someone else. Desired SettlementI just want my $250 pet deposit back as my pet and I left 2 years ago. It was my money for my deposit for my pet, my pet deposit money should not be issued to ANYONE but me.Business Response Dear Ms. [redacted],We appreciate that you have supported Camden in [redacted] and for the many referrals. The problem with deposits is that they become attached to the apartment and the lease holders. That said, we can't take money out of the account and pay it to a non-lease holder. It is up to your former roommates to reimburse you for the deposit. We can't release funds that aren't technically ours. Nobody wants to leave $250 on the table but it is up to them to do the right thing. Sincerely, [redacted]Consumer Response Still, unclear how you are legally able to take my money, from my bank, my check for a deposit for my animal, and after I have moved out, give my money, my deposit to someone else? You received my deposit check with my name on it for my dog, how can you return my pet deposit to anyone but me?

We recently leased a Camden Crest apartment [redacted] on Summit Manor Lane in Raleigh, NC over the past 7 months - September 30, 2015 thru April 30, 2016. We recently vacated the apartment as our new home was available in late April. We had an approved pet in the apartment the entire period. Our pet whom also occupied the apartment is a fully grown and ?house broken? German Shepherd with no bad habits. Upon accepting our short term lease we completed the attached Inventory and Condition form. We also requested that Camden replace the carpeting in entirety due to obvious wear and odors present at the time before moving into the apartment. Camden declined and stated that carpet is only replaced on a periodic schedule or if there is obvious damage. We accepted that position and outcome for two reasons, 1.) we had a large breed dog that most apartment complexes in the area would not allow, and 2.) we knew we were only going to be in the apartment for a short time until our permanent house became available. Two weeks ago (May 19th 2016) we received an email notification from Camden Crest notifying us that we now owe $1369.58 for carpet replacement due to pet damages caused during our rental period. The Camden representative making this claim is [redacted] on behalf of Camden Crest. This claim is simply not accurate by any measure - we have two additional witnesses that will testify that carpet was cleaned, stainfree and not damaged when we moved out. We immediately asked to speak with the property manager who was not available. We also immediately requested any form of proof that substantiated the damage claim. To date we have not heard back from the property manager nor have we received any supporting documents, photos, evidence of any kind that this claim is valid. Upon doing some googling on our own, we have come across several similar stories in the blogosphere that are very similar to ours below (actually there are many, many similar?)Desired SettlementWe are requesting the immediate removal of the $1369.58 charge for carpet replacement on our close out bill with Camden Crest Apartments. Business Response The consumer moved into the apartment on 9-30-15. The carpet and pad in the apartment had been replaced with new carpet 4 months before their move in, on 5-28-15. After the consumer vacated the apartment on 4-30-16 we inspected the apartment and found extensive pet urine damage throughout the apartment. We have provided the consumer with a copy the invoice dated 5-28-15 when the carpet was installed as well as a copy of the invoice when the carpet was replaced again after their move out. We also provided the consumer with 19 photographs showing pet urine stains throughout the apartment.We estimate the useful life of carpet at 60 months so when we assess charge backs they are done only on the remaining months of useful life. This debt is valid and we consider the matter closed. Consumer Response We paid for the carpet damage. However could not believe the carpet was only 5 months old when we moved in. It was nasty and matted. And to think they said that old apartment had sparkle. Since they produced invoices what could we do other than pay it. Glad to own a home now and never have to deal with Camden Crest again!

I moved into a Camden apartment 3 years ago. It has gone from a wonderful place to live to a place I would never recommend. Management has gone from enforcing the rules we agreed to in our rental agreement to not enforcing and giving excuses on the community website. The pools are closed for days at a time because management won't enforce "no glass" rules. Glass breaks, pools are closed. Cable TV is billed through the apartment complex as part of the rental agreement (unable to opt out) When the cable reception is interrupted to the entire complex, management tells the residents to call the cable company themselves. Packages can no longer be left at the office (corporate decision) so residents have packages stolen every day. Management is not interested in finding a secure solution for package delivery. Lastly they will "nickle and dime" you at move out for at least $100, sometimes more for things like carpet replacement, counter refinishing, "days rental" when you move out two days before your lease ends. Publically traded corporation - had great potential when we moved in, sadly the door didn't hit me when I moved out.","neg-1

We are being charged money for more damages than we were responsible for.We recently moved to Seattle from Raleigh where we lived in Camden Overlook apartments. While driving across country my husband and I received an email stating the final charges that we owed on the apartment. The bill included an $874.92 charge to replace the carpet due to pet urine damage. The original amount they wanted to charge was $1244.25, but they pro-rated the carpet based on the life of it and that brought the total to $874.92. I called the office to ask why the charge was so high and they said because there was pet urine damage throughout the entire apartment and they couldn't save any of the carpet so they replaced it all. I find this to be a false accusation against myself and my pets. Our dogs are both potty trained and very good dogs. One of our dogs did have some accidents when we first moved in because he gets anxious when we love but he kept it in a localized area. I myself steam cleaned that area several times after he had his accidents and fully understand if that area needed to be replaced. Camden Overlook is stating that there was urine in the master bedroom as well as the living room and throughout the rest of the house to a point where they couldn't save any of it. I asked them to send pictures of the damage in those areas. They sent three emails containing pictures of spots but not their locations in the apartment. These are all close ups of spots with a black light shown on them and they could be the same spot for all I know. The pictures also do not show where in the apartment the spots are located, therefore leads me to believe we are being taken advantage of. I then asked them to tell me a time when I could send a family member to view the damage and if the damage was confirmed by someone I trusted we would pay the money. They responded we wouldnt be able to do that because they had already replaced the entire carpet. All of the emails they have sent state the same things such as we always try to save as much of the carpet as possible but due to the urine damage throughout the apartment they couldn't save any of it. I know this is untrue because there wasn't any urine in either of the bedrooms or the living room. There is no proof and the pictures are unreliable. I am very upset about this charge and fully believe it's a scam to get our money. The company doesn't care because they wil just send it to collections and move on. I don't want them to get away with this and/or happen to another tenant.Desired SettlementI have offered to pay half of what they are asking and their response was that they have already pro-rated the carpet and are unable to reduce the price more. I do not believe they are a truthful company and refuse to pay for something I know is a lie. I do admit that my dog had accidents in the beginning and that is why I am willing to pay half. Again, I know where those accidents occurred and try were all in the same localized area. there was never any urine in either of the bedrooms or the living room, therefore they would not have needed to replace the entire carpet. Again, I am willing to pay half of the $874.92 which is $437.46. This is what I feel is fair since they have not provided sufficient proof on the matter and were unable to allow me so send a family member to view the damage.Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted]Contact Phone: [redacted]Contact Email: [redacted]When having pet damage (urine) on carpet the pad has to be replaced as well as the carpet in said area, also the floor has to be sealed. This keeps anyone with future pets from being able to smell the spot and trying to mark their territory. With carpet it is not possible to just replace the small section where the accident may have occurred, you have to replace an entire area and have it meet up to a door way or natural opening so that it matches correctly. We prorate carpet off of a 5 year life and if carpet has to be replaced that is the formula we use. Most apartments are turned for move in within 4 days of move-out, this does not give us the opportunity to wait for someone to come by and inspect. On day 1 we walk the apartment for damages and then it is painted and sometimes cleaned depending on the condition of the carpet. If carpet has to be replaced that happens on day 2 and then cleaning on day 3 and maintenance on day 4. We only change carpet when it is necessary based on damage or wear, I am sorry that this was more than expected. Consumer Response I understand the process of replacing carpet. There wasn't any pet urine in either of the bedrooms, therefore that carpet should have been fine and left because there was no need. I do not think we should have to pay for the replacement of the entire apartment. The pictures do not show where the damage was and I still haven't received a response from the company stating whether the carpet was new when we moved in. If those documents could be seen that would be great.Final Business Response We have removed the charge that [redacted] was disputing. He has agreed to pay the remainder.

Contract is arbitrarily enforced, resulting in unfair charges to tenants on move-out.Upon move-out from my apartment, I was finished cleaning and vacating the apartment at 6:30 pm the day my contract expired. The contract requires the unit to be vacant on or before the final day of the lease. I met this requirement. However, because the apartment office was closed, I could not turn in the keys until the next day. Keys were turned in approximately 15 - 30 minutes after the office opened. To my knowledge, the complex does not have a key turn-in box for after hours dropoff. If one exists, its existence and location has not been shared with me. On the day of key turn-in, the apartment complex emailed me to ask if I was turning in keys that day. I indicated I was on my way, to which they replied "No worries. We will see you soon." The Contract states that, if the Resident fails to turn in all keys, they "...may, at Owner's option, be charged Holdover rent...". No indication of this was given until several days after keys were turned in when the move-out bill was sent, with a full day's extra rent at a much higher than normal rent price was charged. The email of "No worries" certainly gave the impression that the Owner was not choosing to exercise that option. The apartment was vacant at 6:30 pm the previous evening and keys would have been turned in the day that the lease stipulated if a means to drop off the keys was provided. Further, had the move-out day been on a Thrusday, when the office is open until 7pm, the keys would have been returned on time. The keys being turned in late are solely due to the apartment complex's chosen office hours and lack of drop-off box.The contract is arbitrarily enforced. For instance, there were regular instances of cars being parked in the handicap spot outside the apartment without proper identification. Despite providing the complex with the make, model and license plate no. of the offending vehicles, the complex would take no action against these vehicles as they were only parked there after the complex's office hours. Despite the fact that the apartment manager lives 4 buildings down from where this occurred and it was a regular occurrence, I was contacted by the apartment complex to leave a letter on the offending vehicle. Although the situation with that particular vehicle was addressed, other vehicles also used the spot. After numerous complaints, the apartment complex permanently removed the handicap parking spot from the building.The garage I rented, which was rented separately from the apartment and only rented the last 3 months or so, was not ready. The first day of the contract, I could not get to the office to pick up the garage opener due to work hours, the second day, I could only get by the office during lunch. The opener was not ready and I was not able to go by the office again that day to pick it up once it was ready. It was not until the third day of the garage rental that the garage was available to me. However, I was charged for both days it was not available. The second month, the garage door opener broke and the garage was unavailable to me for two days. This is covered in the contract and I do not expect the apartment complex to return rental money for the days it was being repaired. However, the door failed in a way that left my personal vehicle stranded in the garage. This is not covered by the contract. Although the complex's contractor had the door open within a half hour, I was not offered any damages for the loss of use of my property, although this is exactly the same time frame that I am being held accountable for a full day's rent of the apartment. Most garages, almost certainly in full knowledge of complex are used for storage, which is in violation of apartment contract, yet owner takes no action against residents, even allowing apartments with 2 adults to rent 3 garages for one vehicle.Desired SettlementTo avoid damage to my credit rating, I have paid the full move-out invoice which includes the disputed amount.I would like either a full refund of all move-out charges or a refund of the extra day's rent for late key return.Business Response Our contract is not arbitrarily enforced and we will address each point our former tenant brings up. We were given no communication from the resident that he might not be able to turn in keys before we closed. If we had, we would have gladly told him he could leave them in the apartment for us to get in the morning as we understand that moving can take time and that sometimes a couple more hours may be needed. As explained to the resident, when he inquired to us about the comment of "no worries" prior to contacting the Revdex.com on the matter, the statement was letting him know it was fine to bring them that morning as he said he was on his way. It was simply meant to be polite and nothing more. The email he responded to clearly stated his scheduled move out was the day prior. We cannot be held responsible for inference and assumptions the resident made from our response. We would also like to mention the paperwork he signed when he turned in his keys, stated that the rent responsible through date of 5/2, not 5/1, which was his original move out date. He also signed notice to vacate paperwork which stated the exact same thing. That he would be responsible for any days past his move-out, notice given date and it is also stated in his contract. Lease end dates are not chosen based on hours of operation and which day we are open later than others. The move out dates are very clear in the notice paperwork and our hours for each day of the week are posted on multiple sites, outside of our office. In regards to the handicap parking issue the resident brings up, this is entirely untrue. We have the emails conversations between the resident and the assistant manager. He was not asked to leave the note on the vehicle, he actually offered to do this because of the time frame the offense was happening. On multiple occasions, the resident was told that we did not have some of the vehicles in the system, so we did not know who to contact directly for the offenses. When we were able to find out who a couple of them were, it was addressed directly with the tenant, holding true to our word. Let it be known that the assistant manager had gone out multiple times in the morning, after receiving emails from the resident, only to find those vehicles would be gone so no notice from the office could be left. To say that we took no action is false. We would like to separately address the statement where the resident commented on a member of our staff living four buildings away. Where a member of our staff lives is irrelevant and they should not have expectations put on them when they are not on duty. At that point, they are a resident, just like him, and that should not be held over someone's head or used as a fault in this matter. Lastly, in regards to the resident's garage, we have that his garage lease started on 2/1/16 and his paperwork was signed ahead of time stating he was responsible for the garage rent as of that date as well. The resident had chosen 2/1 as his start date on the garage. If he was going to have a conflict in his work schedule either knowing ahead of time or even the same day, he could have communicated that to us via email or by phone and we could have left the remote in his mailbox or apartment. We would have gladly done that for him however were not allowed the opportunity as we did not know this was an issue ahead of time. The resident states that it was due to his schedule on both days that he was not able to come the first day or come back the second day. Should the remote have had a working battery? Yes. However scheduling conflicts do not warrant a credit being offered on our end. For his garage door service order, we promptly corrected this issue and the resident even states this in his own words. This situation has no correlation to the situation with the resident turning his keys in late and being charged for the extra day.We allow the residents to use the garages as storage as a management decision and we are consistent in that fact and management has the right to do so. Just as we are consistent with charging for any extra days past an originally scheduled move out. There are Fair Housing Laws which prevent us from treating one resident different over another and we take that into account with every situation. Garages are able to be rented by any resident, no matter how many people are living in the apartment. If you should have any further questions or requests, please do not hesitate to reach out. Consumer Response Despite several inaccuracies in the apartment complex's response, they admit the very point that I am making and that my complaint is based upon.The company claims "our contract is not arbitrarily enforced", but demonstrates multiple times that the contract is indeed arbitrarily enforced.From dictionary.com, the definition of arbitrary is "subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion". The company states "we allow the residents to use the garages as storage as a management decision and we are consistent in that fact and management has the right to do so." The Contract disagrees with this interpretation. Quoting from the rental contract, Item 32.b. "Garages and carports. In the event the community offers the use of a garage or carport in addition to your Unit, Resident acknowledges that the garage or carport, as the case may be, is for parking Resident's vehicle only; neither garages nor carports are to be used for storage. The storage space, if any, provided with the Unit is to be used for storage needs."The company clearly admits that "we allow the residents to use the garages as a management decision". With the contract strictly disallowing the use of garages as storage and not stating that this is a management decision, this interpretation is, by definition, an arbitrary enforcement of the contract. The first of many such instances demonstrated in the company's response. The issue of the company renting multiple garages to an individual residence is not the issue, the fact that they do so to allow those residents to use them for storage, instead of parking, in clear violation of the contract, is. This "management decision" harms all residents, forcing some (like me) to resort to renting a garage for a parking solution as the parking lots are overfull, in part because so many of the garages are used for storage, in clear violation of the contract.The company admits that I agreed ahead of time and signed an agreement to the effect that I would rent the garage starting on 2/1/16 and admits that they did not have the unit ready until 2/3/16. A contract is an agreement between two parties to exchange items of value, not just any items. To imply that the garage itself, with access denied by their own lack of preparation, is an item of value cannot be supported. The value in the garage is the ability to park within it, not an aesthetic pleasure of standing outside of it and admiring it. I paid for the garage from 2/1/16 and 2/2/16 and was not provided the value of the contract that I paid for during those two days. For the garage to not be ready by the second day necessitates that they failed to prepare the unit prior to or upon the start of my period of rental of the garage. To claim that it is my responsibility to inform them that I did not have the ability to wait for them to complete the basic tasks that should have been completed prior to the date I agreed to rent the garage is ludicrous and a second example of how the contract is arbitrarily enforced. The company also states that I could have let them know that I had a conflict ahead of time and they would have left the opener in the mailbox or apartment; however, the issue is that the opener and therefore the garage, was not ready, even by the second day. Does the company intend to imply that they would have left me an non-operational device in exchange for the money to rent the garage? The Contract does not state that the Resident is responsible for paying for the garage, regardless of whether the company, who has sole access to and responsibility for preparing the garage for readiness for the next renter, is an arbitrary enforcement of the garage rental clause. In regards to turning in the keys during office hours on the expiration of the Contract, the company asserts that they were given no communication before they closed. This is true. I did not inform them for multiple reasons: 1) As I was cleaning the unit, I lost track of time; 2) I had forgotten that on Sundays the office closes earlier than normal; 3) the contract does not state that Residents should or need to inform the office of this fact, the contract does state that "At the expiration of this Lease, Resident shall (i) return all keys, gate openers and remotes to the office" and "Resident may, at Owner's option, be charged holdover rent" implying that the company may choose to waive this at their discretion. Unlike storage in the garage, the contract does give the company the ability to waive this fee but does not state that alternate delivery methods of the keys, etc. are available. Without stating that other steps need to be taken, it is therefore reasonable to assume, especially based on the email response of "no worries", that the company will exercise its option to not apply the charges. By stating that there are additional steps that must be taken, outside of those stated in the contract, is another example of arbitrary application of the contract. It is not unreasonable to expect that being told there are "no worries" in regards to a clause that allows the company to not apply a fee would be interpreted that the company would waive this fee.The issue with the handicap parking is far from "entirely untrue". On October 7th, I was conversing with an employee of the company by email. I reported a vehicle that was parked in the handicap spot without proper tags. Their response was "I feel like I should give you the letter I wrote for them LOL since we don't have the plate and we can never get them in the act". Until this time, I had not volunteered to deliver the letter, but the company raised the issue and was unable to take effective action since they apparently take no action after their office hours, so I accepted their offer. I responded that I believed their offer to be in jest, but would take them up on it, but in retrospect it is clear the company had no intention of fairly enforcing their contract. I did not lead this offer, the company did. This followed by several months, the company's assurance that, in response to people parking in the handicap spots, they would "begin towing going forward", which apparently never occurred. Both the enforcement of their contracts and the enforcement of their policies is arbitrary.Additionally, the company was made aware numerous times of after-hours offenses (handicap parking). The company, however, never acted after-hours on these complaints. The Contract does not state that the Contract will only be enforced during normal operating hours, yet the company chose not to provide any services to enforce the contract during off-hours, even during periods when a simple walk-by during the late evening or early morning hours would have allowed them to catch the perpetrators and enforce the contract. The company arbitrarily chose when the contract provisions would be applied.As documented above, the company treats the contract as an instrument which is moldable to its will, and demands that residents adhere to its tenants and additional conditions not stipulated in the Contract, while deciding on its own what conditions apply to itself and when, to its sole benefit. This is the definition of an arbitrary situation: "subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion".I again call on this company to rescind the additional day's charges for the Unit or the entire move-out charge to acknowledge that it has acted arbitrarily. I further encourage the company to re-evaluate its contracts and/or practices to cease the arbitrary enforcement of the Contract which they do not have the authority to unilaterally apply.As a sign of good faith and to acknowledge that a Contract cannot be arbitrarily changed, I paid the move-out charges though I did not agree with them and made such intention clear to the company via email prior to filing this complaint. I call upon the company to similarly acknowledge that a Contract is not a one-sided instrument intended solely for their benefit and to rectify this unfair, arbitrary enforcement.Final Business Response We understand what the term arbitrary means, however, we again state that is not the case. Enforcement is not chosen at random, by personal choice or on a whim. When we enforce certain things, such as holdover day charges or the allowing of storage in a garage, we do the same for each and every resident. Fair Housing Laws prohibit us from allowing one resident a different outcome than another based on the same situation. Therefore all residents are charged for additional days past the lease end date and all residents are allowed the opportunity to use a garage as storage. As for the other points stated, we believe that we have addressed these on our previous reply.