Heatherwood Communities

Review: My husband and I applied for an apartment at [redacted] in [redacted]. We gave the $150 check for the credit check, and a separate $300 binder check to hold the apartment upon running the credit check and offering us the apartment. They ran our credit and required a three month security because we have "bad credit", which we do not. We have fair credit. When speaking with the representative about getting my binder check back she explained that the check was already deposited and I would receive a refund within two weeks. I contacted the main office yesterday and spoke with [redacted] who told me that the binder takes three weeks to be refunded but he will call the accounting office and call me back leaving a message of the outcome. 24 hours later when I did not receive a call back, I called him again. When he picked up the phone he was annoyed to hear from me, and immediately defensive. When asked why he didn't call me back he said, "I have more important things to do." He explained that this was company policy and there is no way to go around it. I told him I didn't like my money being floated by the company in an interest bearing account for a month. He said that it wasn't in an interest bearing account; but back peddled when I said that NYS law requires that ALL tenant deposits are required to go into an interest bearing account. [redacted] told me he is trying to help me, and that he called accounting to make sure that my check was going to be issued in the three week period, which tells me that the refund could take longer. Then I received a call from [redacted], the [redacted] who told me the same thing, but explained, "We have this policy because of the clearing house. It has happened to us in the past when people get their refunds and then stop checks if it's within a three week period." First of all, this insinuates that I am a criminal who intended steal from Heatherwoods. Second, I told her the same thing, that this was just a way for the company to float my money in an interest bearing account, and she told me that the money isn't put into an interest bearing account; and again back peddled when I cited law to her, and then had the nerve to say that she never said it wasn't in an interest bearing account. Beyond all that, I have the agreement signed between myself, my husband and [redacted] which says, "...all monies paid by the Applicant hereunder, except the credit check fee, will be refunded..." with no indication that the refund would take the better part of three weeks. It is reasonable to assume, based on the verbiage of this agreement, that upon the lease not being signed, a refund would be issued immediately.Desired Settlement: Refund IMMEDIATELY!!!

Review: Hi,

My name is [redacted], I have been trying to rent a unit in Heatherwood's Spruce Pond complex. The first time a unit I wanted became available, I told the leasing agent, Terri, that I would drive through there and take a look at where the unit was in the complex that day after I left work and would let her know the next morning if I wanted it. At this point I did not make any appointment to put down a deposit or sign paperwork. I called Terri in the morning to let her know I wanted the unit and she informed me that someone already made an appointment for 3:30pm to come in and fill out an application and leave the $300 application fee. I asked if it would be possible for me to come right now and pay the fee and sign the application, and she said I couldn't because someone already made an appointment that morning before I called. I understood this, and while it was annoying, I felt it was fair because that person made an appointment before I did and that was fair.

Now yesterday (9/**/15) I was told another unit became available and Terri told me the building/unit number so I could take a look at where it was in the complex after I left work. This morning (9/**/15) I called her around 9am to tell her that I wanted the unit. I was willing to leave my office right then this morning when I called, but she informed me she had to go to a meeting at the corporate office and wouldn't be back until this afternoon. I asked if 1-2pm would work and she said 2pm would be better. So we locked in that appointment. About an hour after we made the appointment she called me back and told me that right as she was leaving to go to the meeting, a guy walked in unexpectedly and gave her the check for the application fee. She told him she didn't have time to sit down and complete the application since she was on her way out, but she took his check.

I feel that this is EXTREMELY unfair and very unprofessional. This is the same situation as the first time, just opposite. I made an appointment for 2pm today, and then this guy came in before my appointment without having an appointment and without calling beforehand. I'm very confused why he wasn't told the same thing that I was told a couple of weeks ago, that someone already made an appointment for this afternoon?

Please reach out to me, and help me resolve this issue. I will take this situation as far as needed since I feel as though I have been treated extremely unfairly and an injustice was done today by this company. If I were in the wrong, I would suck it up and get over it because I got beat by someone and that would be no ones fault but mine, but that is NOT the case here, I am in the right in this situation.

I locked in an appointment and the only reason the appointment was at 2pm and not 9am is because the leasing agent told me she had a meeting until 1:30pm.

This is the same reason I didn't get the first apartment here because I called in the morning that day and was told someone made an appointment for 3:30pm to fill out an application and pay the application fee, and if someone makes an appointment they have to respect that; which I am fine with and understand, so I am not upset I missed out on the first unit.

But this time, I'M the one who had the appointment made, and it is not fair that someone came down before my appointment and slid in before me and paid the application fee. I would have came that morning, the only reason I didn't was because I was TOLD by the leasing agent to come at 2pm because that's when it was convenient for her. Which is fine, i'm ok with the fact she's busy, but I should be locked in for 2pm then. She should have told him no and to call back after 2pm to see how my appointment went. Just like I was told the first time, she told me to call back after the appointment at 3:30pm to see how it went and that I couldn't come before the appointment because that person already made the appointment.

This is a very unfair situation that happened to me and the only way it will be resolved is if I get that specific unit. If I do not get that unit I will take this case as far as I need to take it.

I can be reached at ###-###-####.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Best Regards,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: The only way I will be satisfied with the outcome of this case is if they give me the unit that I had the appointment to pay the deposit for.

Consumer

Response:

At this time, I have not been contacted by Heatherwood Communities regarding complaint ID [redacted].Sincerely,[redacted]

Review: I went to the [redacted] location called Norwich Gates to rent a 2 bedroom apartment. They told me they had a 2 bedroom apartment downstairs coming up on September ** and there was 1 person on the waiting list before me but they weren't sure if he was going to take the apartment and advised me to call in approximately one week. Due to the fact that they told me an apartment would be available soon, I left a $300.00 deposit and they charged me $150.00 to do a credit search. I called one week later to check on the status of the apartment and then they told me a different story. During this phone call, I was told that there aren't any apartments available and that the person on the waiting list before me did not want the apartment so now I am first on the waiting list. A few days later I went to the apartment complex to speak in person with someone to see what was happening. Now they came up with a 3rd story. Now they tell me that there isn't any apartment coming up in the foreseeable future and there are 4 other people on the waiting list before me. When I asked her why all the different stories every time I speak to them, the response was just a shoulder shrug. I asked for my money back and I feel that the deposit and the credit search money should be returned to me because they took my money under false pretenses. I never would have left a deposit if they had told me that there weren't any apartments available never the less that there were 4 people ahead of me on a waiting list. I was lied to and I feel their deceptive practices should entitle me to a full refund of my $450.00Desired Settlement: I want a refund of $450.00