Ed Fernandez Architects

After researching your account it looks as though our records indicate that you did move out on July 2nd and the new resident moved in on July 6th. A refund has been submitted to our corporate office and you should be receiving that in the next 30 days. The refund will reflect the prorated rent for...

July ([redacted]), relet fee ([redacted]), and any outstanding charges pending on your account. Should you have any further questions please feel free to contact our office.Thanks,[redacted]General Manager

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:Once again I am in disagreement with the response I received on August 5, 2015 from American CampusCommunities. You choose to ignore all of the facts that I have stated andmerely assert some basic business laws. There are exceptions to theenforceability of such laws when the mistakes, misrepresentations, deception,trickery, incompetence, and the like are the fault of the leasing businessemployees. It is most unethical and perhaps unlawful for an employee of abusiness entity to make such verbal misleading statements to trick an unwillingperson to sign a lease document by making the representation that it is not theactual lease document. I made it most clear on February 23, 2015 that I did notwant to sign any lease. Is this really the way you need to conduct your leasingoperation?I look back and now question yourbusiness strategy. Is it really reasonable andappropriate to have a prospective tenant in one site visit listen to verbalsales representations, fill out an application form, and then fill out aresident profile form, and then slip in a lease document for my signing? Why would your corporate policiespermit the signing of a lease document before a background check is performed?Why is the lease document written with suchlanguage that encourages lease documents to be signed before a background checkis performed? Why are the lease document andits addendums written with language that does not completely conform to OregonRevised Statutes?Why was I not given a copy of the leasedocument on February 23, 2015?  Why was I not greeted with a,“Welcome to 2125 Franklin” on February 23, 2015? When my Dad became aware on July14, 2015 that a lease document had been signed, why had that lease document notbeen signed by any employee of American Campus Communities? Why does American CampusCommunities not perform a background check of a prospective tenant before thesigning of a lease? If even the most basic consumertransactions generate transaction receipts, then why would I not be immediatelyentitled to a copy of a lease document?If the sales office at 2125Franklin would have given me a copy of the lease on February 23, 2015, then Iwould have had the appropriate notice that I had a lease agreement. I would nothave continued looking for housing and then subsequently signed a lease with anon-American Campus Community property. I did not willingly sign this leasedocument and my complaints have been most clear that I was misled into signingthe lease document. Your business practice appears tobe most predatory against young adult college students. This is very similar tothe business practices of the credit card companies that try to entrap youngcollege adults into consumer debt. American Campus Communities can simply statethat they made mistakes and void the lease document immediately. My position isthe lease was always void. This response time is really consuming my valuablesummer school study time.
Regards,
[redacted]

To Whom It May Concern:   We apologize for the ball being dropped on our end by not getting a duplicate statement out to [redacted] per his request.  We removed [redacted]’s file from collections as a result of our poor communication.  The outstanding bill consists of the following:  utility bill for 6.16.16 – 7.16.16 - $33.50, Utility bill for 7.17.16 – 8.6.16 - $22.69, 1/3 of the charge for trash left in the common area (22 bags @$25 each) - $183.33, 1/3 of the charge for kitchen clean (heavy cleaning was needed) - $16.67.  Balance comes to $256.19.  The common area is the responsibility of all residents and they are required to leave unit in good shape with no trash left behind as stated in the lease.  We are willing to offer [redacted] the 30% discount we do all outstanding accounts prior to sending to collections.  With the discount, [redacted]’s balance will come to $179.33.

We will remove your account from collections and they will remove it from your credit report in the mandated time frame. They will report immediately that the debt has been paid in full.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. please provide payment method 
Regards,
[redacted]

Notice was provided to tenants via their mailbox and telephone. Our staff, per section 19 of the lease, is granted access to the tenants mailbox as it states “Mail is delivered by USPS and distributed by management and staff”. It is not illegal for management to open mailboxes as these boxes are not owned or operated by the USPS. Secondly, we were granted permission by you verbally to enter the apartment that day to perform thefurniture extraction. All furniture was inspected for personal belongings prior to removal. The claim of having belongings in the dresser was not made until after the extraction was over, not prior to. Both [redacted] and [redacted] were inside the apartment the entire time the vendor was in there. If Mrs. [redacted] believes that the property was stolen, then the [redacted] Police Department needs to be called. We have offered to assist in the investigation in any way that we can. Per the lease, management is not liable if property is stolen which is why renters insurance is suggested.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because these charges are categorically false I lived in that same apartment from 08/25/2012 to 08/03/2015 the common area carpet was changed from carpet to flooring during the 2014 to 2015 renewal year with the introduction and adoption of pets on your premises. there was also a unit condition form signed and turned in at the start of my lease. this is also a false statement. there were no damages done to the walls, no holes. I lived in that same apartment for 3 years and the walls are repainted every year as Common maintenance. any late payment stated is also false because I was told my account was paid in full when I turned in my key...you have made this determination without offering any proof of damage detailing the condition of the preposed damages. in regards to the holdover fee please provide documented proof that the move out packet was signed and turned in on August 4th as well as my signature agreeing that holdover fee. without that evidence you have no legal basis for charging me that holdover fee. All Charges are NOT valid and categorically false until validated with sign documented evidence.   
Regards,
[redacted]

November 3, 2015Revdex.com1005 La Posada Drive.Austin, TX 78752RE: [redacted] Complaint ID [redacted]University Village does its best to keep our residents informed of our policies and procedures from theday. the Lease Agreement is signed until the day residents move-out [redacted]...

signed her LeaseAgreement on February 25, 2014 at which time she was given the opportunity to read the leaseAgreement and ask our representative questions• about our policies.The $50 administrative fee[redacted] is disputing is outlined on page 6 of 9, section 5 of the Lease Agreement. Residents arerequired to turn an utilities in their name, failure to do so results in a $50 administrative fee. [redacted]initialed the bottom of this page indicating she read and understood the clauses on the page.Additionally, when [redacted] moved in on August* 2015, [redacted] Waschecked in by staff. Eachresident that moves in is read a move-in guide by staff. The move-in guide has six boxes that are initialedby the resident stating they uriderstandthe key items listed. The fifth box on the gUide initialed andsigned by [redacted]states„ 'I understand that it is collectively the responsibilityof myself and myroommates to turn on andkeep on the electrical service to my apartment through the City ofTallahassee. I also underStand thatit the. re-spanSibility of Myself and my roomMates tb settleFailures to turn on electrkity, may result in a monthly fine.of $50 per resident in the-apartment as well aseventual eviction prOceedings."7 The third line on the move-in guide states [redacted] also received a:resident handbook whith also lists our policies on utilities and other impOrtant information.When the first utility bill for August 25 September 3 came in UniversityVillage's name, it was splitamong [redacted] and her roommates and put on their accounts; a notice with the amount due was sentto the unit. As a courtesy, the admjnistrative fee was not charged since it was the first month oftenancy. When the. September 4 — October 2 bill came to University Village again, it was put on [redacted]and her roommate's accounts along with the administrative fee in accordance with the lease.agreementWhile we understand the discomfort in paying additional fees, policies and fines are put in place to pushfor Compliance. We have our utility policy clearly outlined in the Lease Agreement, Resident Handbookand Move-in Form. The fees will not be dropped at this time.Sincerely,University. Village ManagementENC: Move-in Form and Utility Bill Notification for [redacted]CC: Resident File

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because it is merely the apartment manager reiterating their same emails to me.  I was present when she was promised new carpet.   I have sent pictures of the original carpet.  Also, the other roommates checked the carpet was in bad shape.  In regards to the email, I do not accept that this was a mistake.  The email was sent to her husband immediately after I replied to her previous email.  This email has nothing to do with my complaint, although it shows the lack of professionalism on the part of the manager.  I will only accept the charges for cleaning, and will not pay for the carpet replacement.  The bill I was sent did not show any information whatsoever.  Everything was blacked out except for the apartment number and type of carpet used.  When I went to the carpet company website, the carpet shown on the receipt is not on their website so there is no way to prove this carpet was used or what the actual cost is.  I would appreciate a response from the actual corporation, not the apartment manager.  I will mail a letter to the corporation, and hopefully someone will respond as they do not seem to respond to any emails.  
Regards,
[redacted]

We have received and reviewed the most recent Revdex.com complaint along with the contents of the past Resident’s account ledger, file documents and corresponding emails. From this review, it has been determined that the past resident re-let the lease agreement to a new resident on January 6th, 2017. In...

the process of this re-let, an email was received from the past resident on January 6th, 2017, stating that they would like to transfer the remaining balance on the account to the new resident taking over the lease agreement.    The past resident’s file does not contain any hand written documents detailing any account balances or payments. The University Village Staff does request from any resident going through the re-letting process to provide a written statement of any incentive agreements that were agreed upon between the two residents involved in the process. If any hand written document is given to our Staff, we do request that a Photo ID be copied with the hand written statement to be placed in the files involved. However, at the time of move in by the new resident taking over the past resident’s lease, we had no documentation of any agreement.   Our Bookkeeper then received the email from the past resident that stated any balance remaining be transferred to the new residents account. Being that this statement was received; the new resident was able to complete the move in process with our Staff.   All communication with the past resident has since been reviewed again and it has been determined that the past resident’s intentions with the email received on January 6th, 2017 was to cover the remaining charges due on the past resident’s account first and then any remaining funds were to be used for the new resident moving in. Therefore, at this time University Village has made the necessary adjustments needed to the past resident’s account. The past resident no longer has any balance due with University Village. Thank you.

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:  I am a student and can't afford to pay this lease without a job.  I can offer help here finding sub-lease but again can't pay this rent.  You have to provide an oppurnity for students to have lease per semester.  I will be reaching out to TX Attorney General office here to get some help as well.   I would also like to point out here that your charge is unreasonable for some items e.g. replacing a key where you have charged $75. 
Regards,[redacted]

[redacted], I do apologize that you did not receive prior notice that package pick up would be closed May 9th- 13th.  All letter mail and small packages are  still accessable though your mailbox, once we have process the packages for the day.  If you have anything deievered before...

May16th, we can provide you personal assistance in picking up your package.  Please email me at [redacted] to schedule a time to pick up your package between 2pm-6pm. I do apologize for dissmissive response you received May 11th. The professional staff that supports the front desk works for ASU Housing.  I will forward your complaint to ASU Housing so they are aware of your experience.  I did follow up with my staff and they were able to assist you. I was informed that you were able to pick up a package May 11th.  If you are looking for another package, please let me know and I would happy to help you and coordinate a time with you to pick up your package. Sincerely, [redacted], Area Manager   [redacted] Tell us why here...

We are very sorry to hear that you misunderstood the contract you were signing. When a lease is signed in our office, the person signing the agreement is asked if they would like to read the contract themselves or if they would like us to review it with them. In most cases the resident chooses...

to have us review this with them but that is not always the case – hopefully you chose to read the agreement before you signed. If at the time of your lease signing you were unclear on the agreement, this would have been a very appropriate time for you to ask questions and clarify what you were signing. It’s never in our interest to misguide someone into signing an agreement with us. In fact, we want it to be so clear that you are signing a lease agreement that on the top of the first page of the lease, the contract reads “Lease Agreement”. In addition, the front page also states in very bold and capitalized font, “RESIDENT AND GUARANTOR ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THEY HAVE CAREFULLY READ AND UNDERSTAND THIS LEASE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS LEASE CONSTITUTES A BINDING AND ENFORCEABLE CONTRACT BETWEEN LANDLORD, RESIDENT AND GUARANTOR.”You willingly signed and initialed 15 pages of a lease contract that in very clear terms states that you are entering into an enforceable contract. We do understand that it is probably frustrating for you to be in a contract that you no longer want, however, the enforceability is legitimate and the contract you signed is valid. It is your responsibility to pay for the contract or follow the proper procedures for having someone take over your lease. Please feel free to contact our office if you have any further questions as we are happy to assist.

The resident in question signed a lease agreement that showed his monthly rental rate would be $710 a month plus $25 for his monthly pet fee. The property was sold on 8/31/16 and current executed lease documents were provided to us by the previous management company. Parking is not included in the...

lease agreements at the property therefore to park onsite residents must pay a $35 per month parking fee. This fee is not automatically added into the lease as not all residents require a parking permit. If a resident requests a parking permit the change can be made on the lease agreement and added to their account. The resident’s parking permit was deactivated when an audit of the garage was completed and the resident was found to not be paying for parking. According to the signed lease agreement the resident had not requested parking for his 2016-2017 lease term. If the resident would like to add parking an addendum can be drafted by the Leasing Office to have that added to the resident’s account. I apologize for any miscommunication that may have occurred regarding any “back charges” as the resident would only be charged from this point forward. The new ownership is working diligently to fix all of the issues from the sale of the property in addition to improving the community. Some of those improvements include adding guest parking and updating the gating system. The current pet policy will remain in place throughout the remainder of the current lease term. Effective in August 2017 the property will no longer be pet friendly due to multiple issues that have arisen in regards to pets on the property. The property is unable to refund the pet fee as it is a non-refundable fee paid to the previous Management company at the start of a past lease. We apologize for any inconvenience that these changes may have caused as we work to improve the property. This has been explained to the resident however if they have any additional questions they can reach us at the Leasing Office.

Residents are responsible for any utility charges
incurred in their apartment during the duration of their lease agreement. Resident
is under a lease agreement until July 31, 2016. Thus, resident is responsible
for any utility charges generated even in his absences from his apartment. Resident
may contact the office and request copies of the Georgia Power electric bills.Blanton Common delivered Resident’s mail according
to standard mail delivery practices and federal law. If mail is addressed to Resident,
the mail must be delivered to the Resident’s assigned mailbox. Late fees were not assessed to Resident’s account
until August 6th, the date in which late fees are assessed per the
lease agreement. Eviction notices are delivered to any resident that has not
paid rent by the 10th of each month. Resident did not pay rent until
after the 10th of August in this instance.

To Whom It May Concern:   [redacted] dispute: University Trails follows a collections schedule in which we send out 4 closing statements prior to sending to a collection agency.  University Trails confirmed the mailing address with [redacted] through ACC Customer Service Rep [redacted]...

[redacted].  University Trails never received any returned mail for [redacted].  Without any returned mail, we moved forward with our collections process as usual.  [redacted] reached out to ACC Customer Service after finding out he was in collections.  An agreement was made to remove [redacted] from collections on the agreement he would pay his balance in full by February 15, 2018.

Management was present in the apartment during the entire furniture extraction and installation as is our company policy with vendors in partially occupied units. Proper notice was sent out to the residents in regards to the furniture extraction and installation. Management had not yet heard from...

the tenants of apartment 905 so our staff called to verify we could make the extraction without them being present. We were given permission to do so. After the extraction, the tenant reported to Management that they had personal items in their dresser. As soon as the tenant brought this to our attention, we contacted the furniturecompany immediately. The furniture vendor has a company policy that states they are not allowed to enter an apartment or remove any pieces of furniture if the unit is partially occupied or the furniture has personal belongings inside or on top of the furniture. All of the furniture was inspected for personal belongings before being wrapped up and removed. Once the furniture vendor learned there may have been personalitems inside the dresser, the vendor checked each dresser extracted from the complex 3 times and reported back that there were no personal items found in the dresser. This was reported to Ms. [redacted] and it was explained to her that if she feels there were items stolen from her apartment that she needed to file a police report and Management would assist the [redacted] Police Department in any way possible.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: The reply makes no sense. Why would an apartment incur overages when they have vacated the apartment for the summer break, turned in keys to the office, and didn't have any roommates during the time overage was incurred. Am I to believe that although the resident has not occupied the residence, Blanton Common allowed someone else to occupy the apartment during Summer Break? If that is the case and Blanton Common sublet the apartment then the ille**l resident during my son's absence should be responsible for the overages. Is that what happened? I'm not sure, but I can tell you that something very suspicious is going on if an apartment incurred overage when it was actually vacant. This alone is a reason the suspect that the power company is overcharging my son's apartment, then Blanton Common should question the power company's tactics. I would also hazard to guess how many other apartments have incurred overages when the units were not occupied. Blanton Common should want to resolve the "perception of impropriety."  What's behind these billing errors and overages for unoccupied apartments.  
Re**rds,
[redacted]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:I do appreciate [redacted]’s help with waiving the $250 re-let fee. That was kind of her. I understand that the feature of electronically signing is a convenience but you should have in place that someone from The James should follow up the next day by phone to go over the lease and all the terms to “lock in” the application and put a checkmark next to the clause “American Campus Communities indicates that all leasing agents are instructed to thoroughly review the lease and all its stipulations with their perspectives tenants”.If I had been in the meeting with my friend and The James, I would have asked for the 3 bedroom 2 baths for $659 that I could actually afford to not have to rely on a guarantor. I regret letting “creative urgency” pressure me into signing immediately something that I knew I couldn’t afford on my own but was hoping that my parents would sign.I thought that signing a lease was like buying a car. It wouldn’t actually go through without having a co-signer. The application can be cancelled if both parties agree. I am PLEADING with you to do the morally decent thing here. I signed electronically and within 24 hours asked to cancel, giving you over 6 months to fill that room.
Regards,
[redacted]

At this point, we will go ahead and remove the $87.50 carpet replacement charge because we cannot confirm the claims of when the carpet was replaced during your residency as there are no longer carpet replacement records onsite. In regards to the holdover fee, it is stated in the lease contract that you signed. We have attached a copy of the original signed lease along with all renewal amendments of the subsequent leases. If you will look at Page 4 of 8 under the Lease Term section you will see where we have highlighted the specifics for the holdover fee. It was handwritten on your packet so that the correct charge was placed on the account by the bookkeeper. At this time, our final resolution is to remove the two damage charges. Your account balance would then be $100.00 should you agree to the final resolution we can offer.