Taluswood Apartments

Dear Resident, I received your review of your experience while here at Taluswood Apartments for the last yearI went over your work orders and saw that we did go into your home to resolve the issues that you had been experiencingWhen it comes to mildew in homes in Western Washington, it is important to keep airflow in your home, either with having windows open or fans onAdditionally, because the temperature inside your home is higher than outside, that causes condensation and that condensation needs to be cleaned up daily to avoid moisture issues in that area Specifically regarding the water coming from your ceiling, we did check for excess moisture and the levels reflected normalWe did ask that if you continued to have issues to let us knowWe did not hear from you again regarding that, and in turn were not aware you still had issuesIn fact, this is the first time we have heard about it since then I understand that it is very frustrating to be given misleading information and that was never the intent of the office staffThere are different procedures for every type of notice that can be given, and that was where the confusion came fromAlthough you have had access to your lease since you signed it a year ago, and that lease explained exactly what you wanted answeredAfter your lease expires, there is nothing that we can do to change what it statesAt that point you are on a month to month contract and the lease and the state laws are very strict and are not changeableWe have to follow fair housing laws and those do keep us from treating any one differently from the otherWe do wish that we could prorate your final month here, but it is beyond us Lastly, we cannot refund your whole security deposit, because there are final charges that have to be assessed, your apartment needs to be restored to the condition in which you moved inThis includes carpet cleaning, apartment cleaning and other potential repairsAdditionally, your final water/sewer/trash bill will come out of that as w***Anything that is remaining will be refunded I do want to ensure you that we do understand where all your frustrations are coming from and empathize with youWe are unable to provide you the refund that you requestWe do appreciate your residency while living here at Taluswood and wish you the best -Taluswood Management Melanie B [redacted] Leasing Manager Taluswood • [redacted] 236th St SW • Mountlake Terrace, WA T: • F: [redacted] com • www.taluswoodapartments.com

Complaint: [redacted] I am rejecting this response because: I have heard this all beforeIf you truly cared about my well being and appreciated me living in Taluswood, you would do something to show it (more than take weeks to draft an email response) I did not bring the mold issue to your attention again, because we are moving out and you did nothing to fix it before, so why would I devote my time to trying to resolve something with you, when you give me nothing in return? When my husband and I moved out this weekend, we were horrified at all the places we found moldThere is mold on every wall where there was furniture, there is mold on every window sill and wall surrounding the windowsThere is mold on the backs of our couch, dressers, picture frames, desk, etcWe were so upset that our furniture is ruined because of living at TaluswoodThis is not normalWe treated the apartment better than a residents would; we opened windows, turned on fans, hung Damprid bags in each closet, put kitty litter around the apartment in jars to absorb moisture, even bought our own dehumidifier that runs all day, every dayI had to wipe down the window sills every day because of the standing water that appeared overnightI have lived in north Seattle my entire life and have never had issues with mold like thisThis is a huge health concern and the fact that it's being ignored and downplayed is horribleI will be taking photos of all the mold we found and submitting it to the health departmentI will not be cleaning the mold off the walls or the windows because I want to show the evidence of what we lived in for a year during our final walk through I understand the language of the lease we signed, and I understand that there are fees associated with cleaning an apartment to make it ready for the next tenantsI also understand that we were given information, when you had access to our lease, as well and could have done the proper research to answer our questionThere is no excuse on your end for giving us informationIf it was't clear, you should have told us you didn't know the answer or consulted with someone before replyingYour mistake cost us $As a company, you do have the authority to waive a fee and eat the expense in order to reimburse usAfter the way we've been treated I am shocked that you are not giving us anything in return.Sincerely, [redacted]

This will be our last response, as we have nothing further to discuss after thisLet me provide you some exact words from your lease agreement that you signed upon moving into unit O-
Page 7, Section 34: Humidity and Moisture Control.“You are responsible for keeping the apartment clean and habitable, including maintaining proper ventilation of the apartment and preventing conditions that are conducive to mold growthYou shall control humidity and moisture levels in the apartment through your proper operation of the heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) system and all plumbing fixtures, and you shall notify us immediately upon the discovery of any water leaks, standing water, condensation on interior surfaces, high humidity, musty smells, and visible mold anywhere in the apartmentWe are not responsible for damages that result from your failure to maintain proper humidity and moisture controls or failure to timely notify us of problems relating to moisture, humidity or mold“
Page 21, Mold and Mildew Addendum.“Resident acknowledges that it is necessary for the Resident to provide appropriate climate control, keep the unit clean, and take other measures to rd and prevent mold and mildew from accumulating in the unitResident agrees to clean and dust the unit on a regular basis and to remove visible moisture accumulation on windows, walls and other surfaces as soon as reasonably possibleResident agrees to not block or cover any of the heating, ventilation or air-condition ducts in the unitResident also agrees to immediately report to the management office: (i) any evidence of a water leak or excessive moisture in the unit, as well as in any storage room, garage or other common area; (ii) any evidence of mold- or mildew- like growth that cannot be removed by simply applying a common household cleaner and wiping the area; (iii) any failure or malfunction in the heating, ventilation or air conditioning system in the unit; and (iv) any inoperable doors or windowsResident further agrees that the resident shall be responsible for damage to the unit and resident property as well as personal injury to resident and occupants resulting from resident’s failure to comply with the terms of this addendum.”
The issues of mold and mildew are so important that there are two separate locations in your lease in which it is addressedDuring your walk through, there were pictures taken of the mildew in questionThese were all in one location, the master bedroom, and were surface mildew, and were not cleaned up upon move outWe took care of the leak you had when it happened, and addressed the mildew at the same timeIt is your responsibility to clethese areas upon vacatingWe hear that you haven’t experienced the moisture that you have before while living in Washington, but there are so many other factors that take place in every apartment or home, that no location is the same
Regarding ‘incorrect information’ it is not the responsibility of the Taluswood staff to tell you when you are to give noticeThat responsibility rests on your shouldersIf at any point you or Matt were not clear on how or when to give notice, all that was needed was for you to reference your leaseThere are laws that are put into place for a reason, and we cannot ignore thoseWe do apologize for the financial burden this may have caused, but we cannot waive these feesPlease understand that our stance is not one of malice, but of fairness and legalityThank you again for your residency while at Taluswood, and enjoy your new home
-Taluswood Managment
Melanie B***
Leasing Manager
Taluswood • Waterton
236th St SW • Mountlake Terrace, WA
T: 425.672.*** * ** *** ***waterton.com • www.taluswoodapartments.com

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response because:
I have heard this all beforeIf you truly cared about my well being and appreciated me living in Taluswood, you would do something to show it (more than take weeks to draft an email response)
I did not bring the mold issue to your attention again, because we are moving out and you did nothing to fix it before, so why would I devote my time to trying to resolve something with you, when you give me nothing in return? When my husband and I moved out this weekend, we were horrified at all the places we found moldThere is mold on every wall where there was furniture, there is mold on every window sill and wall surrounding the windowsThere is mold on the backs of our couch, dressers, picture frames, desk, etcWe were so upset that our furniture is ruined because of living at TaluswoodThis is not normalWe treated the apartment better than a residents would; we opened windows, turned on fans, hung Damprid bags in each closet, put kitty litter around the apartment in jars to absorb moisture, even bought our own dehumidifier that runs all day, every dayI had to wipe down the window sills every day because of the standing water that appeared overnightI have lived in north Seattle my entire life and have never had issues with mold like thisThis is a huge health concern and the fact that it's being ignored and downplayed is horribleI will be taking photos of all the mold we found and submitting it to the health departmentI will not be cleaning the mold off the walls or the windows because I want to show the evidence of what we lived in for a year during our final walk through
I understand the language of the lease we signed, and I understand that there are fees associated with cleaning an apartment to make it ready for the next tenantsI also understand that we were given information, when you had access to our lease, as well and could have done the proper research to answer our questionThere is no excuse on your end for giving us informationIf it was't clear, you should have told us you didn't know the answer or consulted with someone before replyingYour mistake cost us $As a company, you do have the authority to waive a fee and eat the expense in order to reimburse usAfter the way we've been treated I am shocked that you are not giving us anything in return.Sincerely,*** ***

Dear Resident,
I received your review of your experience while here at Taluswood Apartments for the last yearI went over your work orders and saw that we did go into your home to resolve the issues that you had been experiencingWhen it comes to mildew in homes in Western Washington, it is
important to keep airflow in your home, either with having windows open or fans onAdditionally, because the temperature inside your home is higher than outside, that causes condensation and that condensation needs to be cleaned up daily to avoid moisture issues in that area
Specifically regarding the water coming from your ceiling, we did check for excess moisture and the levels reflected normalWe did ask that if you continued to have issues to let us knowWe did not hear from you again regarding that, and in turn were not aware you still had issuesIn fact, this is the first time we have heard about it since then
I understand that it is very frustrating to be given misleading information and that was never the intent of the office staffThere are different procedures for every type of notice that can be given, and that was where the confusion came fromAlthough you have had access to your lease since you signed it a year ago, and that lease explained exactly what you wanted answeredAfter your lease expires, there is nothing that we can do to change what it statesAt that point you are on a month to month contract and the lease and the state laws are very strict and are not changeableWe have to follow fair housing laws and those do keep us from treating any one differently from the otherWe do wish that we could prorate your final month here, but it is beyond us
Lastly, we cannot refund your whole security deposit, because there are final charges that have to be assessed, your apartment needs to be restored to the condition in which you moved inThis includes carpet cleaning, apartment cleaning and other potential repairsAdditionally, your final water/sewer/trash bill will come out of that as w[redacted]Anything that is remaining will be refunded
I do want to ensure you that we do understand where all your frustrations are coming from and empathize with youWe are unable to provide you the refund that you requestWe do appreciate your residency while living here at Taluswood and wish you the best
-Taluswood Management
Melanie B[redacted]
Leasing Manager
Taluswood • [redacted]
236th? St SW • Mountlake Terrace, WA?
T: • F:
[redacted]com? •? www.taluswoodapartments.com

This will be our last response, as we have nothing further to discuss after this. Let me provide you some exact words from your lease agreement that you signed upon moving into unit O-206.
Page 7, Section 34: Humidity and Moisture Control.“You are responsible for keeping the apartment clean and habitable, including maintaining proper ventilation of the apartment and preventing conditions that are conducive to mold growth. You shall control humidity and moisture levels in the apartment through your proper operation of the heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) system and all plumbing fixtures, and you shall notify us immediately upon the discovery of any water leaks, standing water, condensation on interior surfaces, high humidity, musty smells, and visible mold anywhere in the apartment. We are not responsible for damages that result from your failure to maintain proper humidity and moisture controls or failure to timely notify us of problems relating to moisture, humidity or mold. “
Page 21, Mold and Mildew Addendum.“Resident acknowledges that it is necessary for the Resident to provide appropriate climate control, keep the unit clean, and take other measures to rd and prevent mold and mildew from accumulating in the unit. Resident agrees to clean and dust the unit on a regular basis and to remove visible moisture accumulation on windows, walls and other surfaces as soon as reasonably possible. Resident agrees to not block or cover any of the heating, ventilation or air-condition ducts in the unit. Resident also agrees to immediately report to the management office: (i) any evidence of a water leak or excessive moisture in the unit, as well as in any storage room, garage or other common area; (ii) any evidence of mold- or mildew- like growth that cannot be removed by simply applying a common household cleaner and wiping the area; (iii) any failure or malfunction in the heating, ventilation or air conditioning system in the unit; and (iv) any inoperable doors or windows. Resident further agrees that the resident shall be responsible for damage to the unit and resident property as well as personal injury to resident and occupants resulting from resident’s failure to comply with the terms of this addendum.”
The issues of mold and mildew are so important that there are two separate locations in your lease in which it is addressed. During your walk through, there were pictures taken of the mildew in question. These were all in one location, the master bedroom, and were surface mildew, and were not cleaned up upon move out. We took care of the leak you had when it happened, and addressed the mildew at the same time. It is your responsibility to clean-up these areas upon vacating. We hear that you haven’t experienced the moisture that you have before while living in Washington, but there are so many other factors that take place in every apartment or home, that no location is the same.
Regarding ‘incorrect information’ it is not the responsibility of the Taluswood staff to tell you when you are to give notice. That responsibility rests on your shoulders. If at any point you or Matt were not clear on how or when to give notice, all that was needed was for you to reference your lease. There are laws that are put into place for a reason, and we cannot ignore those. We do apologize for the financial burden this may have caused, but we cannot waive these fees. Please understand that our stance is not one of malice, but of fairness and legality. Thank you again for your residency while at Taluswood, and enjoy your new home.
-Taluswood Managment
Melanie B[redacted]
Leasing Manager
Taluswood • Waterton
4208 236th St SW • Mountlake Terrace, WA  98043
T: 425.672.[redacted]waterton.com • www.taluswoodapartments.com

Dear Resident,
I received your review of your experience while here at Taluswood Apartments for the last year. I went over your work orders and saw that we did go into your home to resolve the issues that you had been experiencing. When it comes to mildew in homes in Western Washington, it is...

important to keep airflow in your home, either with having windows open or fans on. Additionally, because the temperature inside your home is higher than outside, that causes condensation and that condensation needs to be cleaned up daily to avoid moisture issues in that area.
Specifically regarding the water coming from your ceiling, we did check for excess moisture and the levels reflected normal. We did ask that if you continued to have issues to let us know. We did not hear from you again regarding that, and in turn were not aware you still had issues. In fact, this is the first time we have heard about it since then.
I understand that it is very frustrating to be given misleading information and that was never the intent of the office staff. There are different procedures for every type of notice that can be given, and that was where the confusion came from. Although you have had access to your lease since you signed it a year ago, and that lease explained exactly what you wanted answered. After your lease expires, there is nothing that we can do to change what it states. At that point you are on a month to month contract and the lease and the state laws are very strict and are not changeable. We have to follow fair housing laws and those do keep us from treating any one differently from the other. We do wish that we could prorate your final month here, but it is beyond us.
Lastly, we cannot refund your whole security deposit, because there are final charges that have to be assessed, your apartment needs to be restored to the condition in which you moved in. This includes carpet cleaning, apartment cleaning and other potential repairs. Additionally, your final water/sewer/trash bill will come out of that as w[redacted]. Anything that is remaining will be refunded.
I do want to ensure you that we do understand where all your frustrations are coming from and empathize with you. We are unable to provide you the refund that you request. We do appreciate your residency while living here at Taluswood and wish you the best.
-Taluswood Management
Melanie B[redacted]
Leasing Manager
Taluswood • [redacted]
4208 236th St SW • Mountlake Terrace, WA  98043
T: 425.672.4208 • F: 425.776.9664
[redacted]com • www.taluswoodapartments.com

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
I have heard this all before. If you truly cared about my well being and appreciated me living in Taluswood, you would do something to show it (more than take 2 weeks to draft an email response).
I did not bring the mold issue to your attention again, because we are moving out and you did nothing to fix it before, so why would I devote my time to trying to resolve something with you, when you give me nothing in return? When my husband and I moved out this weekend, we were horrified at all the places we found mold. There is mold on every wall where there was furniture, there is mold on every window sill and wall surrounding the windows. There is mold on the backs of our couch, dressers, picture frames, desk, etc. We were so upset that our furniture is ruined because of living at Taluswood. This is not normal. We treated the apartment better than a normal residents would; we opened windows, turned on fans, hung Damprid bags in each closet, put kitty litter around the apartment in jars to absorb moisture, even bought our own dehumidifier that runs all day, every day. I had to wipe down the window sills every day because of the standing water that appeared overnight. I have lived in north Seattle my entire life and have never had issues with mold like this. This is a huge health concern and the fact that it's being ignored and downplayed is horrible. I will be taking photos of all the mold we found and submitting it to the health department. I will not be cleaning the mold off the walls or the windows because I want to show the evidence of what we lived in for a year during our final walk through.
I understand the language of the lease we signed, and I understand that there are fees associated with cleaning an apartment to make it ready for the next tenants. I also understand that we were given false information, when you had access to our lease, as well and could have done the proper research to answer our question. There is no excuse on your end for giving us false information. If it was't clear, you should have told us you didn't know the answer or consulted with someone before replying. Your mistake cost us $516. As a company, you do have the authority to waive a fee and eat the expense in order to reimburse us. After the way we've been treated I am shocked that you are not giving us anything in return.Sincerely,[redacted]