Town Square Apartments Dishones, Lying, Horribly Miserible People Palmdale Ca
These people: Doug Levitt and the Levitt Family Trust (Owners); Beverly and Mike Haywood (Managers); and Larrs Ardell Briggs, BRE #01930001 (Asst. Manager/rental broker), associated with The Town Square Apartments, 38521 5th St East, and Expressions Senior Living, East Ave Q-5, Palmdale, Ca 93550, are LYING, CHEATING, HORRIBLY MISERABLE PEOPLE that take advantage of disabled seniors, only to steal their money then kick them out!!
I am a disabled, senior citizen with a service animal. When I, and my nephew (he was temporarily living with me to recoup from surgery), applied for this apartment in February, 2013, I told Beverly Haywood, manager, that I have a service animal, Gizzy. Heck, I even showed her pictures of Gizzy. I asked “Bev” is she wanted to see Gizzy’s paperwork for being a service animal and she told me not at this time.
When “Bev” showed me the apartment, OMG(!!) it was in a horrible condition. As you enter, you see where they changed out the old thermostat. How can I tell? Old thermostat was 3”w X 5”h, new thermostat is 6”w X 3”h. The wall is smooth stucco and where the old thermostat was glued, the area is rough/pitted, discolored and with different layers of paint showing, wall is dirty. There is a bleach stain on the brown, 1980’s, carpet in front of the bathroom door. There is a tear in the linoleum on the kitchen floor. Hole in wall at the wall heater and the heater of covered in Cobwebs.. These are items you can see without entering the front door. It gets worse as you walk in. The ceiling of the downstairs bathroom was on the floor(!) and there is a hole on the inside of the bathroom door. As you walk upstairs, you can see the different times the wall has been “Touched up”, the walls are dirty with finger marks at different heights and there is a hole in the wall, at the top, around the handrail, possibly from a long past repair. In the upstairs bathroom, there are yellow spots {Bev said nicotine, (NOT, it’s yellow mold!!)} on the ceiling, it smells faintly of sewer. Under the vanity, there is a BIG, GAPING hole, where they had a water leak repaired last month. The first bedroom has 2 small closets. The first closet has fan fold doors. 1 door is broke and hanging at an angle. The 2nd closet has a small child’s pencil scribble on the walls. This room is missing 3 electrical outlet covers. The vertical blinds in both bedrooms do not open/open properly. The ENTIRE apartment is dirty from years of use and desperately needs PAINT.!! There is a musty smell throughout the apartment.. Deposit $600.00 rent $625.00, 1 year lease, and “Bev” guaranteed all repairs would be completed before we moved in and the carpet cleaned (not replaced), “All Fresh and Clean, Just like a new apartment!” Hahahahahahaha LMAO lol
2nd week in March, 2013, “Bev” called and said that we got the apartment but security deposit will be $900.00, rent is still the same. Move in date is Monday, Apr 1, 2013. I jokingly remarked, “April Fool’s Day, hope you’re not planning on fooling me.” Oh how right that comment was!! On Saturday, March 30th, “Bev” called and asked if we could move in on Tuesday instead of Monday, “We still have a FEW things to do”, and the carpenter is coming in at 8:00am to install the new vanity in the downstairs bathroom. Sorry, my three sons had arranged to take Monday off work to help me move. When “Bev” gave us the move in date, I gave my then current landlord, Peggy, the date. Peggy agreed, If I was moved out by 5:00 pm on 4/01, she wouldn’t charge me any additional rent there. I had a U-Haul reserved!! It had to be Monday. “Bev” finally agreed to meet at 10:00am to sign papers, give her the deposit and rent, get the 2 set of keys, and 2 parking remotes.
All excited, we went to meet “BEV” so we could move into our Freshly Painted, apartment!! When she opened the front door, EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME!! The dirty walls, the bleach stained carpet, the holes!! I will admit, the ceiling in the downstairs bathroom was, now on the ceiling but, the hole in the door is still there!! “BEV” said she was in a real hurry, late for a class, so, instead of letting us handle the papers, she flipped through them, pointing where to sign, date or initial. Whole meeting took 5 mins. She did not give us an opportunity to walk through the apartment. Said she did not have all the keys or remotes. I wanted to turn and run and I should have!! But, I had no other place to go. My sons were loading the U-Haul truck. On Social Security Disibility, I had no money for storage & motel until we could get approved for something else. “BEV” said that she would be back that evening with the other keys, remote and 5 electrical outlet covers “3 to replace the missing covers and 2 to replace the yellow covers in a white kitchen”. NO SHOW!!
2 days later, “BEV” comes with a month to month rental agreement for us to sign and asked when I was getting rid of “The Dog”? Said I wasn’t, she is my service animal I had told her about and asked, again, if she wanted to see Gizzy’s documentation?. “BEV” informed me that she didn’t care what I called IT, it’s still and animal and I don’t allow dogs!! Animals are an automatic 30 Day Notice to Quit. So, “Get rid of the dog or MOVE!”
I asked, “If I move now, how long till I get my deposit?” “BEV” smiled, ever-so-nicely, as she told me, “After you move out, I will inspect and fill out a damage report. Once the owners get my report, in 4-6 weeks they will mail you a check, minus any charges for damages.”. CHARGES, HOW MUCH DAMAGE COULD I DO IN 3 DAYS?
Every time I saw “BEV”, she made comments and threats of eviction about my service animal. Once, while walking Gizzy, “BEV” got out of her car to yell at me. This has gone on for 5 months. I keep offering to show documentation, asking her to quit harassing me but, it won’t stop!!
On July 1th, while I was out walking Gizzy, “BEV’S” husband Mike yells at me and comes running out through the desert, waiving a piece of paper. “Here, “BEV” wants you to have this.” Before I can say anything or open the paper, Mike runs away. I was just served a 30 DAY NOTICE TO QUIT!!
These people just wanted my money!! Started threatening me after only 3 days and continues to harass and threatening me. I told Ardell, that having a Real Estate license, he should know better about Disability Rights and harassing tenents. THEY DON’T CARE, THEY GOT MY MONEY!!
1 Updates & Rebuttals
stukhere
palmdale,California,
They are still harassing disabled seniors
#2Author of original report
Sun, September 01, 2013
On the 30 Day Notice To Quit, the line stating: the unit is not a rent controlled property. No Specific reason is required. (Cannot be used in municipalities with eviction restrictions.) was marked. The area marked, THE SPECIFIC FACTS ARE: was left blank (between you and me, we know the real reason!)
After I was served my 30 Day Notice to Quit by Mike Haywood, I went home and called HUD to file a Housing Discrimination complaint based on the harassment I have received by the management at Town Square Apartments regarding my Doctor Prescribed, Nationally Registered service animal. Case number was assigned in 15 days and the case was referred to Ca Dept of Fair Employment and Housing for handling and investigation. I paid August rent and was given a receipt. I thought everything would be calm for awhile, I thought wrong!!
Back on the evening of June 20th, I asked Ardell Briggs if I could have my apartment sprayed for roaches. I saw (and killed) 2 roaches crawling in the crack of the front door and I was sure more had crawled through at night when I hadn’t seen them. I told him that I put out 24 Roach Bait traps throughout the apartment and the gentleman in #5, sprayed around my front door a few nights before, but the inside still needed a spray. Ardell told me that he would tell “BEV” so she could schedule it. Weeks went by and like the other repairs, NOTHING happened.
On the morning of August 21st, the front security gate was blocked open by the pest control man that was spraying another apartment and the outside area. I went out and talked to Andy and asked if he was going to spray mine, also. He said that “BEV” needs to call the office and schedule the spray and he was only to spray #2. I went back inside, leaving my front door open. A few minutes later, I heard a knock at the door. A lady, identified herself as an L.A.County Environmental Health Inspector and she was here to inspect my apartment. I was FREAKED!!
The inspector said she was looking for bugs, holes in walls, other safety issues. As she looked in the cabinet under the sink, she said I had roaches and asked if I told management? I said yes but haven’t heard back from them yet. She saw 1 outlet without the cover and asked if there were any others missing? I said 3. She didn’t go in the bathroom or look further and I didn’t point out the holes in the walls or the mold in the bathroom. I was scared and flustered. I thought that someone had called this dept and filed a complaint against me. The inspector then went to talk to Ardell Briggs and the manager,”BEV”, about her findings.
I later called Environmental Health Dept. and found out that the inspectors come to this area 1-2 times a month and picks random apartments to inspect. This was the first time this apartment complex security gates were open so that they had access. Management had 2 weeks to comply. On the evening of 8/27/13, a Notice of Intent to Enter Dwelling Unit (a 14 hour 24 hour notice) was hand delivered by Ardell Briggs, asst manager. During normal business hours on Wed, 8/28 between 10am and 11am.The notice was marked Necessary or agreed repairs: Pest control to inspect the premises and take care of any issues. Install missing cover plate in upstairs room. No instructions were written on the notice. I asked Ardell if I needed to do anything in preparation for the pest control and Ardell said, “No.” He did ask if I had a roach problem before I moved in. I reminded Ardell of our conversation in June about the roaches. How they were crawling all over, outside, at night. I had commented about having to watch where I stepped at night walking Gizzy, the roaches were so big you could hear them crunch when you stepped on them. Ardell said he told Doug and “BEV” that he thought they were from outside and he was just making sure. Ardell said that Doug Levitt (owner) asked if there were any other repairs needed, and could I fill out a form? I said that, not only could I fill out the form but, I could give him copies of the 20+ pictures we took when we moved in.
As I waited on Wednesday for the repairs, I filled out the form, wrote out descriptions, with location, of each picture and attached in 4 e-mails to Ardell Briggs. Andy, the exterminator, came around noon on Wed, 4/28/2013. When he walked in, he asked me what he was suppose to do? I showed him my paper and said that he needed to get rid of the bugs. Andy said that he couldn’t do anything because I didn’t pack and clear my entire kitchen. Andy said “BEV’S been doing this enough years, she knows the kitchen needs to be cleared. She told #2 last week so I could spray them.” I told him, that in 60 years, I have never had anyone spray my place, I asked if there were preparations I needed to do and was told, no! I apologized and asked if there was anything else he could do? Andy attached another 4-5 roach bait traps and told me to watch out the next few weeks and if I still see roaches, have “BEV” set another appointment. I did see Ardell that afternoon but, no one came with the cover plates.
With my bad luck, on Thursday, the room A/C unit stopped working. It was 94 degrees in my apartment and rising. At 1:50pm, I sent Ardell a text to let him know. At 5:05pm, I was handed, by Ardell Briggs, my 2nd 30 Day Notice to Quit, No reason given, move out date given as Sept 28th.
On Friday, 8/30/2013, I frantically call HUD, Ca DFEH, and keep calling until I got in touch with a real live person. I was told that The Respondents (the apartment manager and the owners) in my case said the reason I was being evicted was because my nephew moved out in May. They knew, without my nephew, I couldn’t afford to live here. Oh, and it will be 12-18 month till they get around to my case. EXCUSE ME? From the beginning, I told “BEV” that my nephew staying with me was a temporary situation. I have never been late with my rent. My utility bills are paid in full with a credit balance on 2 of them. If anything, I can afford it easier by myself!! My nephew received a very small amount of General Relief monies that covered his personal expenses and gas to go back and forth to the doctor at Harbor UCLA General and a food stamp benefit to cover some of his special diet and food needs. He did not contribute any monies toward the rent or utilities. No one has EVER said anything to me about a concern of me paying rent. As I said, my rent is paid on time and my utilities are paid in full each month. I wonder, if I was anyone else, if I was working, got laid off but still paying rent, if I would be evicted because of a decrease in income? NAH, I DON’T THINK SO!!!
My advice to anyone, especially if you are applying at either Town Square Apartments, Expressions Senior Living Apartment, or with any other business the Jean Levitt Family Trust, Doug Levitt, Beverly and Mike Haywood or Larrs Ardell Briggs is associated with, be very very careful. They are not to be trusted in any way. They lie, misrepresent the apartment, take your money and try to stick it to you. If you do make the mistake of applying with them, make sure the repairs are done before you move in, take pictures of the apartment before you move in and have your apartment sprayed for COCKROACHES and other bugs!! They leave the empty apartment doors open to help eliminate the musty/moldy smells and bugs are everywhere. There are 3 apartments in this 12 apartment complex, that have sat empty since January.