General Services Corporation

Review: I have been a resident at Somerset Glen apts since late November of 2014. I was quoted by Shanita for an apartment at $540 and was told that I would be paying about $585 a month. When I came to get my apartment after receiving a prorated quote I that was more than I was first quoted I had to wait another week before I could move in. A week later I came back, was told to get a money order in the new prorated amount. Once I returned thirty min later I was told that they did not possess a key to my apartment that I was told I could move into a week prior. After being offered several different apartments that they had the keys to I realized that they were ALL unsatisfactory. Some were not cleaned; a couple I took pictures of the mold and mildew inside. At the end of that day, I was forced to borrow money from a family member to get a hotel room because I was left homeless due to the staffs error. The next business day I returned and they still did not have anywhere for me to stay. Unfortunately I was forced to move into an apartment with no HVAC unit (I was compensated $50 on my next bill for that) and was also about $50 a month more than I was originally quoted to pay. I told the employees that I could not afford a $626 a month rent but as I had nowhere else to go I had to sign the lease and move in. I had a whole in my bedroom wall that I had to call about twice to get fixed a week later. The employees have been very rude whenever I had questions or concerns. My drains are always clogged. My apartment is a huge patchwork quilt. I have a terrible gap in my door that I have called about several times without a response since November. I can literally push my door open if it is unlocked. Sometimes it wont even close without being locked. I do not have A/C. My rent has now gone up to $679 due to "corporate changes". I received notice in the mail but could not make a change either way. I contacted the corporate office about service and maintenance issue a couple of months ago and have gotten no reply!Desired Settlement: I would like my rent to be deducted back to the original price in which I agreed. I would also like my maintenance issues to be addressed in a respectable manner. I do not want to be mistreated again.I was refused the corporate number several times and when I did get it, I did not get a reply or resolution. I would love for the grounds to be clean and to receive an A/C unit.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern: Thank you for the letter you sent to General Services Corporation (GSC) regarding our resident, [redacted] Per my conversation with [redacted], Property Manager for Somerset Glen Apartments, it has been discovered that Ms. [redacted]'s unit is in fact without an AC unit. Soon after Ms. [redacted] moved in there was a change of staff involving the Service Supervisor. Prior to the previous supervisor's departure, there was no information relayed to the property manager of this situation. As time went on, I would assume, Ms. [redacted] did not report this to the office as she was under the impression this information had been forwarded by the previous supervisor (and she had no immediate need for an AC unit during the Winter months). Ms. [redacted] did call my office in mid December, but, I have not been able to reach her as the number provided ((804) 496-0190) is out of service. As of today, Ms. [redacted] had the new supervisor, [redacted], visit Ms. [redacted]'s apartment. They have ordered a new AC unit and will install it upon delivery. He is also currently working to resolve her drainage issue mentioned. In regards to her claim of her rent increasing, previously, residents were responsible for paying for their gas utility separately through a 3rd party vendor (NWP). Recently, the owner has made the change to eliminate sub-metering and to provide residents with a flat rate charge that they pay with their rent monthly. While this did increase her rent she can find on page 2 sectioll 5. "Utilities" of her Standard Leasing Pages that it states "Owller reserves the right to adjust the utility charges, at any time, based Oil increased costs, consumption and/or utility rates, as is deemed necessary at its sole discretion". There will be no adjustment made to her rent for this reason. Should you need any further assistance please feel free to contact Somerset Glen Apartments at [redacted] With regards, [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.The service that I recieve is completely unacceptable! I purposely waited this long to reply in order to give them enough time to fix the issues. Thursday morning the maintenance tech came with my new ac unit. I did not know he was coming and reluctantly let him come in. He informed that he was told that I contacted Revdex.com and was here to install my ac unit. I have no idea as to why he was informed that I contacted Revdex.com which made embarrased and uneasy as he said this aloud in front of other guys in which I did not know and also because I specifically asked that I would be treated respectfully. I did not know that the office could disclose that information to a service tech. On the other hand, he was at my apt all day and did complete the job. As I was locking up my apt at approximately 4pm, I informed him that I would be leaving for the weekend. He assured me that he had a key to enter himself, and that he would ve finished before I returned on Sunday. I have attached pictures of my back porch. Not only was the job incomplete but he left a mess. As you will see trash from the unit as well as his SNACKS/LUNCH was left. This is the exact thing that happened when my HVAC was installed. I was left with the mess to clean! This is the kind of service that I am expected to pay almost $700 a month for. Today is Tuesday. ALL THE ATTACHMENTS WERE TAKEN TODAY. I woke up in sweat. My apartment was 83 degrees. When I took the picture you will notice the thermostat reads 78degrees. I provided them with a contact number months ago. [redacted]. My application also lists contacts/references that have never been contacted. Not to mention that I LIVE ON THE GROUNDS!!!! The fact that no one has contacted me is unacceptable. I have refrained from contacting them directly as I want everything to be documented. How is this ethical or fair? If Revdex.com cannot help me then what is my next option?

Regards,

Review: Flooding in apartment numerous times, through walls, up through the closets, out of the sinks and dishwashers. Mold in apartment utility closet with small children in house.Desired Settlement: Want out of apartment lease

Business

Response:

The Revdex.com spoke with [redacted] from the business. The excess water was been extracted, the leak taken care of, and the carpet and pad were replaced. They have sprayed for mold, but none was found.

I am writing this review in attempts to assist individuals thinking about renting at Old Buckingham Station. I encountered many issues while living at Old Buckingham Station, but the following take the cake:

- Upon move in we discovered the apartment had not been cleaned. There was a layer of dust on everything and we had to deep clean the entire apartment before moving a single box in.

- During move in contractors came in to do paint work that had not been finished prior to our move in - they said their records showed the apartment vacant.

- The items we marked on the move in checklist were never rectified. A month later I had to contact the leasing office to fix them.

- I requested the closet doors for the washer/dryer be replaced for 3 straight months because they were not on track upon move-in. There was a different excuse every time, and when they were actually replaced, the doors were cheap and did not work any better than the broken ones.

- A couple months into our lease the hot water heater started leaking on a Friday evening. The problem was not rectified until Tuesday afternoon, and the water that had seeped into the carpet was not extracted until I specifically requested it.

- I complained about the heat not working properly for 5 months. They "fixed" the problem every time, but the frigid temperature and $300 electric bills never changed. After 5 FREEZING months (the winter that Richmond experience 9 degree temperatures) I demanded a new heat pump, and threatened to involve my lawyer. Only then was the heat pump replaced. I requested a refund for the electric bills and was only given $140 in reimbursements for 5 months when the bills and energy usage clearly showed the heat pump was faulty.

- When spring arrived there were dozens of carpenter bees inhabiting the porch, so I called (and spoke with the manager) to request extermination. Her response to me was "You must not be from the South.", and the bee issue was never rectified.

- Several times contractors were hired to do work, and they left a mess inside the apartment (boxes left on the floor that they took down, mud tracked into the house, standing water inside the apartment). Management took no action.

- I requested for the weather stripping and door jam to be replaced because the main door into the apartment was not sealed properly, allowing bugs and a snake into the apartment. It was never done.

I lived at OBS for a year, and there were 3 different managers - all of whom did not express a particular concern for residents. They do not take ownership of any problem, and that attitude trickles down to the leasing office staff. Phone calls are not returned even when requested, and most phone calls that are answered are greeted with a non-caring, rush-you-off-the-phone attitude. The apartments are gross - period. They feature outdated appliances, old carpet, black mold, drafty, dark, and buggy. The "resort style" pool they boast had mold growing in the skimmer in July 2014. You would also be MUCH better off paying $40/month to go to [redacted] across the street if you really use a gym - the gym at OBS is a joke considering the number of people that live in the community.

I will commend the maintenance staff for their diligent work and great attitudes - their hands are tied by management to get stuff done, but their constant smile and communication made the aforementioned issues somewhat bearable.

This could be such a wonderful community with the beautiful surroundings and great location, but the management, outdated apartments, and cleanliness issues cause me to suggest you NEVER rent here.

Review: I live on this property about one year and 6 months.

I pay my rent no problems include pet rent and deposit.

I am a cleaning services business person and I know what when the carpets is new or not. Well when I moved to 9152 center way Dr. The carpet was not new, and the Apt was not well clean. The Manager of the property have a beth aritud but we try to get long. When I move out I clean the place very well, I wash the carpet and I replies some blind. Hoping to have my Deposit back, I request to the Manager that I would like to walk through the inspection and she get me twice excuse. I whan to fix or to do what is wrong. Now I resived a bill for carpet pet Stan for.$486.64 I have foto the I take for the Apt. and I think is not fair.because I can do it without paying too much. and I denied the charges.Desired Settlement: I don't like the way they treat me I always pay my rent on time.

Business

Response:

GSC/Legends @ Virginia Center is in receipt of the dispute listed above. The charges of $486.64 assessed have been reviewed and determined to be accurate. The charges are for carpet replacement in the apartment and a final water bill. The replacement cost was prorated based on the age of the carpet at move-in and move-out. The carpet had to be replaced due to pet stains that could not be removed by simply cleaning the carpet. Our company is willing to settle the account for monthly installments agreed to by all parties if payment in full cannot be made timely. There are photos of the condition of the carpet if you wish to review those. Please feel free to contact the office. Thank you, [redacted]Collections ManagerGeneral Services CorporationPO Box 8984Richmond, VA 23225Office – 804-320-5306Fax – 804-327-9416

Review: Hello,

My name is [redacted] I want to bring to your attention a local apartment complex in the City of Richmond that is using unreasonable tactics to allow residents to vacate their apartments. The name of the complex is [redacted], located at [redacted] My experience with them is as follows.

On the date of December 27th, 2014, I visited the apartment complex to view an apartment there. I was greeted and shown a unit that was clean, in a well lit building, and a clean, quiet living structure. This was appealing to me; I pursued a lease based on what I was shown.

On the date of January 15th, I began the process of signing a lease with the complex. I was greeted as usual by the agent and given the address to a unit to rent, when I inspected it I noticed it was not the type of unit I had requested, so I went back and notified them. The agent scrambled to find something that met my minimum requirements.

They found one of two available units that fit the requirements I had listed in my application. A maintenance quickly showed the apartment to me, there was no lighting and no ample time to truly inspect the apartment within the two minute period or so I was there.

I returned to the leasing office and reluctantly paid my first month’s rent and signed the lease, I received no copy of the lease.

On the 16th I began to move my items into the apartment and immediately had severe concerns for my health and safety. The walkway into the building was littered with garbage, the interior spaces in the structure smelled of animal feces. I continued to my apartment and began to review some of the details more closely. Upon close inspection I noticed poorly patched holes in the walls, broken trim pieces with insects underneath, dirt over nearly all surfaces, and dried bodily fluids on bathroom fixtures.

Before continuing my move I contacted the leasing office and let them know of my concerns, at this point it had been less than 24 hours since I had signed the lease and paid them. I requested termination without penalty based on the conditions and timeframe, they denied me without question.

Since then I have attempted to contact them numerous times to seek a solution to their unreasonable rules regarding lease terminations before a term has expired.

The leasing office requires the following to end a lease before it’s term:

1. Payment of two months’ rent at the time of the cancellation- $1,260.00

2. Repayment of any concessions (even if not used)- $500.00

3. Continued payment of rent for an additional 60 days- $1,260.00

This totals to an amount of $3,020.00 not including the $474.00 I had already paid before inspecting the apartment. I have offered to concede several times to the company and requested termination of my lease and elimination of additional penalties and rent as I am not occupying the apartment!

This is a real concern to me due to the circumstances this places residents who are not in financial positions to pay these high amounts. I am not staying in a place like this, therefore I do not feel I should be held to these unreasonable circumstances.Desired Settlement: Change of the existing policy and refund of monies paid.

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern: Thank you for the letter sent to General Services Corporation regarding our resident, Joshua Elkins. I spoke directly with Mr. [redacted] regarding his concerns and displeasure with Somerset Glen Apartments. According to the property & Mr. [redacted] he had requested a unit with a washer/dryer included. Prior to signing his lease Mr. [redacted] inspected his apartment only to find that the unit had no washer/dryer setup. He presented this information to the rental office in which they acknowledged the mistake and selected a different unit for him that included a washer/dryer. Mr. [redacted] was taken to the new unit, prior to signing his lease, to inspect. He then returned to the rental office and signed his lease. The next day, Mr. [redacted] contacted the rental office stating that he wants to cancel his lease. His reasoning was due to “ambient noise from residents, presence of insects, & potential mold”. In addition, he claims a man in the parking lot made a derogatory comment to him and he does not feel safe. He also felt that the model he was shown prior to applying was nothing like his rented apartment. Upon speaking with the property, they explained to me that the items Mr. [redacted] complained of were either cosmetic (light being out, breezeway needs cleaned, dirty light fixtures) or items out of the properties control (noise/behavior of residents). Also, there was no sign of mold nor any pest control issue found within the apartment. While GSC is dedicated to providing comfort and peace of mind to all of our residents, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the safety or happiness of anyone. In addition, we cannot make specific arrangements or exceptions to our policy for any one resident, that we will not extend to everyone, due to Fair Housing Laws. I explained to Mr. [redacted] our Early Termination Policy as GSC has no lease cancellation clause once signed. Should you need any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me either at this e-mail or the phone number below. I thank you for your time. With regards, [redacted]

Review: I have been a resident of St. John's Wood for almost 3 years until recently vacating on 8/31/13. The apartment in question is [redacted]. My previous address was [redacted] I began experiencing a leak in my ceiling resulting from rain, which began in April. At this time I began reaching out to the maintenance office requesting the leak be fixed as it was directly over my bed and would leak in the middle of the night while sleeping. From April to August I continued to call the office with the request to fix the leak as by that time another leak developed in the second bedroom and mold began to grow in there as well. After countless attempts I finally received a call back stating the contractor will be out to fix the roof. This was in August. My initial decision was to vacate the property back in May and June when the problem hadn't been fixed and myself and my family began getting sick from the mold. I have paid for medical visits to Patient First in which myself and my family were treated with upper respiratory infections resulting from the mold. Instead of vacating I continued to pay my rent on time as a responsible resident in hopes the problem would be fixed. (I have pictures as well as videos that are date stamped that shows the roof leaking and mold continuing to grow.) There were a couple times where maintenance came in spray painted over the mold but did nothing to fix the roof. Needless to say that after spray painting the mold it would show directly through within 2 days. The [redacted] provided me copies of the work orders showing the calls were responded to, however no work was actually done. (I am able to provide copies of these) I also brought to the attention of the [redacted] of the laws being broken with the lease and tenant laws, as well as the information written in the GCS manual regarding mold and other hazards within the properties. When asked if I would be renewing my lease shortly after I was offended. I have had nothing but problems from day 1 since moving to the address in question. For example, the day I was set to move in, the apartment wasn’t ready until later in the afternoon in which I was only given a few hours to move from one apartment to the other in order to have the keys returned on time from the previous address. I advised the [redacted] that I would be vacating the premises on 8/31/2013 as I was fed up with living in an apartment with mold and leaking ceiling. Though my lease ended on 9/6/13 I was in no way able to continue to put up with the health risks as well as the stress. I was told on one occasion that the contractor would be visiting the apartment between 8-9:30am and would require me to be home. I stayed home from work and waited until 10am and the contractor never showed. The leak in the ceiling also ruined some of my wood furniture. When I brought this to the property manager's attention, she asked why I hadn't filed a claim with my rental insurance provider. I again was offended as I would be submitting a claim for damages that resulted from the negligence of the maintenance division and [redacted]. I was then advised that would be responsible for the pro-rated rent, sewer, and water for the remainder of the lease. I advised the [redacted] immediately that I would not be paying it as I would no longer be there as of 8/31/13 and also returned my keys the same day via placing them in the office drop box. I phones in 3 days later to follow up and ensure that the keys were received and NOONE could locate the envelope. I later spoke with a representative in the office who advised me that I would not be charged as it was their fault they could not locate the keys. I am requesting to be refunded iao: $3,375 @$675/m for the months of April - August in which I continued to pay my rent on time while living in a harmful and unhealthy environment.Desired Settlement: I am requesting to be refundediao: $3,375 @$675/m for the months of April - August in which I continued to pay my rent on time while living in a harmful and unhealthy environment. Also, I am requesting that the final balance of $148.50 be deleted from my account and not be reported on my credit due to the financial, physical, mental, and emotional strain I have experienced this year from dealing with this company.

Review: I submitted a payment per [redacted] on June 5th, 2014. The payment apparently was returned 5 days later which was the 10th of June. The day I submitted the payment I received a payment confirmation email so I thought that the payment had been authorized and approved. However I received a nasty letter last night when I returned home from work stating that they want the $771 + $50 Non Sufficient Funds+ $71 dollars which approximately $900. I checked my bank account and the money was still there. A bank representative confirmed with me that there had been no attempt to draft any payment at all and that if there had been, the bank would have issued a return check fee. I emailed London Towne's [redacted], she assured me that she would not be able to do anything about the fees. I asked for her managers number which I received. However, the person I was told to ask for which was[redacted], was no easier to deal with. She told me that she would not remove any fees. She also said that typically, they can waive a past due fee but would not for me because I have previously been past due. It was not that she was not able, she simply did not want to waive it for me. I have never requested a fee waive or had a returned payment. I paid the returned payment amount $771 as soon as possible which was today 6/11/14. This company's mission statement is, " To exceed the expectations of our residents in satisfying their community apartment needs. Our guiding principles are trust, honesty, integrity and ethical conduct. We believe that sensitivity and responsiveness to our residents are necessary to the growth and long-term success of our company." It is a lie. It is un-ethical to bill someone $120.00 of fees after they explain to you that there is an error in processing because the funds are in the account. I told [redacted] that I was on the way down to the office to pay the rent and she would not work with me. That is not a display of sensitivity (per the mission statement displayed on [redacted]). This company lacks integrity in operation. When you cannot see and address someone's personal needs before addressing the company's financial need to collect an extra $120.00 past what was actually due, you clearly have forgotten who made you, YOUR RESIDENTS!! This sort of treatment will not keep them, like me and many others I will be seeking residency elsewhere due to the poor customer service, not the unnecessary rent increase. The company's slogan says, "Residents are people first"; This is true but I am being treated as an opportunity....To earn more money. Completely unethical.Desired Settlement: I would like my $120 in fee returned to the account or any combination there of. Thanks.

Business

Response:

[redacted]called and said that these fees occurred because the tenant bounced a rent check. He was told that if he could provided documentation that the funds were in the bank at the time the check bounced the fees would be removed. The tenant did not respond to that request but has since paid the fees in full.