Complaint Review: Village Green at Fordham Glen

Village Green at Fordham Glen is an apartment community filled with negligent, uncaring and unprofessional staff members. There are maybe a couple who actually give a hoot about the residents there and they are NOT the ASSISTANT manager or the higher executives who think everyting is going just fine at this hellhole of a location.

When we first moved in, we were lied to about when the rent needs to be in in order to avoid a late fee (we were told it needs to be in by the 3rd but got 3 late fees for this), we were given the impression, of course, that management cares about its residents (via their "We Care" postulations on their website), and we were made to believe that all appliances were in order in the apartment. Upon getting there, the first time we turned on the heat it did not work. It broke down subsequently after that. One of the first things we noticed here are the horrible drafts that come in through ALL the windows. (not just one but ALL) Right away, we listed this as an issue on our move-in checklist. Their management, from the very beginning, denied that this was even an issue. I had to sit there for a half hour to try to convince some big-wig manager that the drafts are unacceptable. Finally, they sent out maintenance to put some plastic over the windows - which hardly helped.

Through our residence there we have had numerous issues with the condition of the apartment. We often refer to it as the Lemon-Apartment because it seems that every other day something in breaks down. From the HVAC system, garbage disposal (broken down twice), toilets constantly plugging up, bathtubs clogging, electrical outlets not working, doors and windows not even shutting all the way, gaps under badly leveled doors, faulty hardware like faucets, knobs, handles, to cheap flooring making scuffing inevitable, cheap counters making scratching inevitable, electric stove burning and smoking just upon being turned on (and releasing poisonous fumes into the air).

The apartments are crowded with college age kids who throw parties every weekend - whose content can be heard throughout the building. No matter how many times the cops are called on them, they still throw the parties. They don't care and neither does Fordham Glen to correct these issues.

And these are just a few of the internal problems. Outside, the parking is horrendous, snow plowing is a joke, the swimming pool is a festering, disease-ridden cesspool for grime, slime and whatever else people who bathe there leave behind which is not cleaned, the hot tub works every 3rd try, the workout equipment is falling apart.

They also CLAIM that there is something in place there called the Fair Housing policy which forces them to offer something to all residents equally but they also offer special things like no application fee, no pet deposit, no admin fees to all military background people. While this is a very noble and giving cause, it violates the Fair Housing Act directly in that it leaves out all the rest of the people who are subject to those fees. So how fair is that?

This winter, the drafts in all the windows got to be so horrible that the cold winds froze the window glass and caused solid ice to form on the INSIDE of the windows and panes. Of course, the sliding glass door and the rest of the windows let it such unbearable cold air that we had to have the thermostat pumping out at 80 degrees and it still felt like barely 60 in parts of the apartment. FORGET standing in front of any of the windows, you'd freeze through to your bones. With wind chill below 23 degrees (that's -23 degrees) we were freezing cold. The rooms aren't exactly big sizes and our beds are right next to the windows therefore through the night we had to keep heaters (as well as Central Heat) going in the bedrooms and then in the day we kept them going in the living room.

Again, when we went to the leasing office, we were given nothing but a headache. The two employees were made to feel that they had to pay for plastic out of their own pockets because this company is so cheap that it won't take responsibility for something of this caliber. All employees (non-management) confided in both me and my roommate that the window and drafts situation is an ongoing problem which management and owners don't want to do a thing about. After a whole lot of hoolabaloo, finally, a maintenance man came to put up some plastic of HIS OWN (because the office would not give him money for it), and left the remained for the following day when the manager would be in to give him money to get plastic with.

Initially, we did not go there to request plastic. We specifically asked for help with the drafts and informed them what was done last year. This year, with 20 below winds, plastic was not even a minimal resolution. In fact, it was not a resolution at all.

It took them three days to finish putting some horrible looking plastic over the windows and sliding door. Do you think this even remotely helped? Maybe by 1%. But this was hardly a resolution to the problem. We are still freezing cold. The cold, freezing air still blows in right through the windows. One of the windows doesn't even shut all the way.

What we have asked them, since we are moving anyway this month (thank god) is that they credit us at least half a month's rent for the problems they have caused us and a meager $75 toward the electric and gas bills - which are approximately $100 each. A total compensation amount of $600 was requested and they flat out refused to give it because they feel they are not being negligent in any way. In fact here is the response they gave:

"Elizabeth,

I am in receipt of your e-mail dated 2/7/2007 in regards to your concerns at Fordham Glen Apartments. I have reviewed all concerns including the history of work completed in your apartment and your request for compensation. Unfortunately Fordham Glen does not provide plastic to cover the windows however will be glad to install any supplies purchased by residents as a courtesy and gesture of customer service. I do agree with you in the fact that our staff could have explained this in a more professional manor and this will be addressed with every member of the site team this week. In your case we made an exception to supply and install plastic on your windows and balcony door, which is something that is typically not done. I also believe there was a miscommunication between yourself, your roommate, and the maintenance team which is why there was a delay in covering your balcony door. I have been in contact with the site team and understand that as of yesterday everything has been covered per your request. Please also note that a drafty window is not considered an emergency however in your case it was treated as an emergency as an on call maintenance technician was paged and came out to cover said windows. After a complete review of your concerns disclosed on your e-mail dated 2/7/2007 I have determined that Fordham Glen Apartments is not negligible under any circumstances and no compensation will be awarded. I want to thank you again for sharing your concerns and please feel free to contact myself and/or the site team if we can be of any additional assistance in the future.


Sincerely,

Scott

Scott Scharlach
Area Director
Village Green / CAMCO
312-335-2658 Office
312-335-2675 Fax
sscharlach@villagegreen.com
www.villagegreen.com"

Here are the email addresses I sent my original complaint to:

frdpropmgr@villagegreen.com; jholtzman@villagegreen.com; ksanders@villagegreen.com


So this person replying is just a page-boy (or the big-wig's go-to-bytch) for handling issues like this.

Here was my response to him,

"Scott,

Thank you for your reply. I'd like to address two points of your email.

Number one:
"Please also note that a drafty window is not considered an emergency"
IF this was a situation of a "drafy window," as you call it, I would have taken care of it myself. But what you people CONTINUALLY FAIL TO REALIZE is that these aren't just drafty windows. They are frozen, solid pieces of inadequately insulated glass through which winds of below 20 degrees easily blow in and cause ice cold drafts to filter through the entire apartment whose thermostat has to be kept at 80 degrees to keep it even remotely warm. Your description of calling ONE window drafty is like calling a village destroying tornado some "strong winds". Have you ever set foot into this apartment? You cannot possibly know how cold it is. And, yes, YOU (aka the company) are responsible for this because you are not changing out the windows and providing better insulation for the entire apartment community therefore YOU need to absorb ALL cost associated with the problem this is causing SIMPLY because if it were my own condo or house I would change the windows and take care of the arctic tundra air that is blowing in myself, but because YOU own the property, I cannot do that.


Number two:
"I have determined that Fordham Glen Apartments is not negligible under any circumstances and no compensation will be awarded."
You mean, except for the way your ASSISTANT manager treats people (to the point of tears as we have investigated among the other residents) as well as her completely inept conflict-resolution skills. And perhaps you can add to that the number of times management in general has been changed in this location - that doesn't portray negligence in any way, does it? They weren't changed because of their overal negligence which resulted in all the issues previously, right? We're looking into that too.

As far as you stating no compensation will be *awarded* - this isn't a matter of an award, Scott. This approximate $600.00 compensation we are demanding is OUR money. Money YOUR company does not deserve because of the inadequate living conditions it forces upon people. Since you have opted not to compensate us for your negligence, we will make sure we utilize our first amendment rights (as stated in our original email) and contact any and all parties that will benefit from the information we have to provide. We hope that, in addition to the $25,000, the further money and revenue you are about to lose will be worth the $600.00 to you."


I certainly hope it's worth it to them.


If you rent here, this place will RIP YOU OFF. Their apartments aren't even worth $600/month. Don't rent here if you can at all help it. There is a nice place right across the street you can rent from called Glen Lake. Go to any and all competitors of this place because here all that matters is your money. If you are even one day late with rent, they come after you like viscious sharks but if you have a problem with them, they're rude, negligent and defiant. This is not what "WE CARE" means to me.


They have gone through management 3 times in the year we have lived there - THREE TIMES! This place is a dump and I hope to let as many people as possible know this - a warning to my fellow hard workers who pay money straight into the pockets of people that just DON'T CARE.

Elizabeth
glendale heights, Illinois
U.S.A.