Complaint Review: University Park Apartments - ConAm Management Group

Since Conam has taken over University Park Apartments on 6/9/2006, several very unsettling pattens in the management team's dealing with tenants have risen. The bottom line appears to be that management is interested in nothing but keeping as many apartments filled at no matter the cost to tenants' quality of life. The maintenance of the property has slowly deteriorated, crime has gone up and long term tenants are becoming an endangered species. We have gone from having a beautiful lawn in front of our doors, to a dirt lot which turns into a dust devil at the slightest breeze, from chatting with twenty year residents of the complex to wondering what new group of two or three families will move into a vacant apartment near us. From lazy late night walks, to loathing waking up in the morning to witness what new graffiti or vandalism to cars has popped up overnight. Management should take note of these events and perhaps ponder why they are occurring here rather than in neighboring complexes, or why University Park resembles a slum(albeit a recently repainted one) while neighboring properties have all been revamped. The bottom line is that management has not kept its end of the lease contract, which is to manage the complex. Management's lack of initiative upon learning of residents' grievances has already resulted in tragedy and even potential deaths. While living at 4210 Fairfax Circle #4, we constantly complained about the residents in apartment #1, who would store gasoline and gasoline powered scooters inside of the unit and proceed to smoke inside. We were told that these residents have the right to do as they please and that our complaints are unwarranted. On June 18, 2007, the building went up in flames as a small explosion rocked their apartment and quickly spread flames throughout, leaving us trapped inside our apartment. After the fact, management would completely ignore us when we would remind them of our past grievances. The assistant managers of the time would simply pretend to not hear us. We hope that our current unanswered grievances will not lead to a similar catastrophe, for both us and for Conam, as it is in neither of our interests to see Conam's property degenerate into slum like, dangerous conditions. After this incident, we were transfered to an apartment  where again, problems arose. These have been outlined in a previously sent letter to the complex's management, and which have gone unresolved until the family of 13 living in a 2 bedroom apartment recently moved out. Following suit with the overall actions taken by Conam management at the apartment complex, since August, 2008, we have found ourselves in a conundrum in relation to the tenants in 4248 Chatham Circle #4 as the family moving in quickly turned into 2 to 3 households living in the unit. Along with the 13 people living in unit 2, yo can imagine the toll which this has taken on the noise levels, the wear and tare of the premises, and the overall decrease in quality of life for those of us simply seeking a decent place to live. Complaints of loud noise caused by music, long term visitors inhabiting the unit, drunken get togethers and turning the apartment into a mini daycare center have all gone unresolved. Nor has the fact that the landscaping(I use this word quite loosely) has been turned into an ashtray and make shift garbage dump. The fact that there is only one dumpster per 10 buildings in the complex is another problem altogether though. Instead of resolving the problem, management, simply ignores any mention of the amount of people living there, and as usual has blamed any noise we hear on the fact that it is an older building. A fact which might be relevant given that we would hear other tenants or previous tenants as well. Or that those in other buildings might hear everything their neighbors do. This however is not the case, a squeaking floor or thin walls are different from the noise of 2 or 3 families with small children on an extended stay in an approximately 700 square foot apartment, or loud music. Were the building to blame, we would have had to have problems with anyone living in the unit above us, this is simply not the case as until the current residents arrived, there was no such problem. In most complexes, or at least those which do not break laws, the number of individuals per apartment and the length of extended stay visitors is limited and regulated. Likewise, when management did hear the noise, the answer has been that since it doesn't bother people in neighboring buildings and since we're the only ones at home during the day to hear it, it is alright for them to be noisy if they please. The second strategy enacted has been to turn the situation into a tit for tat argument among tenants, rather than viewing it for what it is, the fact that no matter how many people live in an apartment unit, they do not have the right to infringe on the quiet enjoyment of anyone else and that management is responsible for enforcing this if the said tenants do not have the common sense to not let up tp 8 children run in the apartment and up and down the staircase on a regular basis, or to keep their tv/radio volume down to a reasonable level. Likewise, it is up to management to either ensure that tenants do not throw refuse around the premises, and if management refuses to enforce such common sense, then it must be responsible for cleaning the premises. The Conam management at University Park does neither. As most of the noise occurs after management has gone home, as onsite management has dissipated with Conam's arrival, we have called the security patrol and left messages which have to date gone unanswered. Management's reaction to these events has been that since they have not witnessed the events, they did not take place. Likewise, management believes that just because said events did not take place exactly at the moment they visit the tenants in 4248 Chatham #4, that no noise occurs at all. Further complaints are rendered as a game of tit for tat by management via being answered by the noisy tenants' responses, namely that they state that they do not do anything and that we call them names. Despite the fact that we do not speak to them and that we use Czech at home. Actually, the reason management has been notified of the events in the first place is because it is impossible to deal with the tenants in #4 as the first time we mentioned the noise, they refused to speak and later only responded with a f**k you and don't be an a*****e coming from one of their extended stay visitors and the tenant's teenage daughter. While management fails to acknowledge that said events occur, they have no problem utilizing whatever false information the troublesome tenants have shared with them in order to create the illusion of a game of tit for tat. While such an approach on behalf of management is illogical, it does allow management to shake off any responsibility and to keep rent for the unit coming in a few more months. The last time the police bothered to arrive after being called(as the police states that noise levels on private property are management's concern), on November 12, 2008, the drunken party quickly moved inside off the stairs as the police approached, only to have the woman from unit 4 explain to the police that we are overreacting and that management knows the situation and that they can do as they please. That we need to mind our own business and let them do as they please, that management agrees. Only to be angered at receiving a warning for the disturbance. From the way management has handled this situation, there must be some truth to what she said. Likewise, despite the fact that there is a police presence at various apartments on Chatham Circle at least twice a week, we have yet to witness anyone being sanctioned for the disturbances. The fact that these occurrences have not been curbed is a direct violation of the lease contract: A.(1) of Section 7, precisely states Quiet Conduct: The conduct of the lessee and such others for whom Lessee is responsible shall not, in any manner, disturb the quiet enjoyment of other lessees, minors, invitees, or visitors of the property including the pool area, recreation area and other common areas. Likewise, the sprinklers which our neighbors' children have broken have yet to be repaired. However, A.(2) of Section 7 of the lease contract states vert specifically: Damage: The conduct of lessee and others for whom the lessee is responsible shall not result in or cause destruction or damage to the premises, the property or any part thereof... Management also seems to approve of empty beer bottles, children standing on the stairs, spitting down in front of peoples' doors, spilled food and other refuse strewn around on a daily basis. Despite the fact that the lease contract strictly prohibits such acts. Section 10, A states that: Lessee shall keep and maintain said premises and every part thereof in good and sanitary condition... In all honesty, the only portion of the lease contract which management seems to uphold is enforcing rent payment. The most management has offered, has been to transfer us to a different unit, despite the fact that this is not a solution as anyone else who moves into the unit will suffer the same fate. It can only be deduced that management's goal is to fill up as many apartments as possible and to hope that the tenants shut up and take whatever affronts to their quality of life are given. One only needs to assess the demographics of the apartment complex to comprehend what is going on. Due to the fact that many tenants are not English speaking, and that more than one household is allowed to reside per unit(as is evidenced by the 12 people living in unit 1 of 4248 Chatham Circle, the fact that unit 4 acts as a makeshift daycare center and overnight drop off for children of the tenants' extended family, as well as unit 3 where long term visitors have been present for over 3 months), management takes advantage of the situation and does as little as possible to maintain the premises, while in return those said tenants are allowed to do as they please without fear of recourse in exchange for putting up with management's lack of efficacy. The theft of washing machines, increased burglaries, cockroach and bedbug infestations, even the theft of the gate to the swimming pool, a complete lack of care for the landscaping, the facades of the buildings and the disastrous state of the parking lot have all taken place under the present management. To compare what the property looked like before they took over, simply visit the University Park website, http://www.universityparkapts.com/unit_listing.html , where one can view photographs of what the complex was like prior to Conam's taking over, and simply look at the way it is now. The contrast is atrocious. What is troubling is that when compared to other Conam properties, it becomes clear that not every Conam management team is obviously the same. Having viewed 4 other Conam properties, which shall remain unnamed, in order to compare management styles and the upkeep of the property, we were astounded. Each of the 4 complexes were impeccably clean, had paved parking lots, units up to a third larger than those at University Park, had limits on how many people can live per unit, impeccable landscaping, and all at approximately the same rent as apartments at University Park, less actually when we look at the dollar amount per square footage.



Sefarad Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.

I can't believe I just found this. I lived next door to your building when it caught on fire. Tons of the smoke came into my apartment and I saw the fire engines up and down the street. I had no idea what caused the fire until I saw your post. I am sooooooo glad I don't live there anymore. When we asked maintenance what caused the fire he got angry and upset and told us apartment fires happen all the time. You probably should have called the police when you found out what your neighbors were doing, that's what I did when my neighbors broke the law. I know what you are saying sounds rediculous, but it's all true because I had to endure 2 years of hell living there! Also, the new management recently paved the lot.

I used to live at UPark many years ago. The place was a dump then, the only reason I lived there was that is was close to UNLV. Each 4plex was constructed out of cheap concrete blocks, which made for some cold January mornings. The things that made it bearable in the early 1980's were 1) It was cheap, 2) It was a short walk to campus so you didnt need a car, and 3) The place was filled with students, who pretty much went to class, studied at night time, and minded their own business.
Which brings me to my question. If the place has deteriorated that badly (as many older apartments over by UNLV have) why the hell don't you just FRIGGIN LEAVE?? I would not stay ONE NIGHT in an apartment where a guy in the building was storing gasoline and motor scooters. And smoking on top of it?? Unreal!
I had a problem with a business lease once. One of the neighbors created big problems for me, some of them safety related. I went to the management and said' "Look. Fix this now, or I am gone." "Oh no, you cant do that, you still have a year to go on your lease!" I said, "I don't care what it says on some piece of paper, I am leaving, period." "Oh, we will have to sue you" they replied. "Go right the hell ahead and do what you think you can do, I am leaving." Next week, I was gone. and I never heard from them again. Because if it ever would have gotten to court, I would have been easily been able to show cause.
Dude, just leave the stinking place and let the rats and scum live with each other!

Why are you still living there? Nobody has a lease for that long.