Complaint Review: AIMCO Twin Lake Towers - Westmont Illinois

Two weeks prior to June 22, 2013, the date we signed our lease, AIMCO showed us apartment that is empty on the second floor. We liked it but because we have a little dog, we preferred ground floor unit. The only round floor unit that will available would be B102, our unit now. We were told it is still not vacant but will be vacant in 10 days. So we stayed in a hotel and put our stuff in storage. We moved in June 23, 2013. The unit looked fine though we found later last year that on resident, Jason Hicks, no longer a resident either, moved out from B102 into a different unit, why? We don’t know and soon we will found out.

 So 1 week after moving, about 9pm, our kitchen sink started to sound like being choked up, and in seconds it was filled up to the top with skunk, dirt, disgusting smell. We called the emergency repair and came. It was so scary, like a death experience. Again, it happened after two months and again on Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2013, apprx. 10am, preparing some food for dinner, kitchen sink begun to sound again like a choke and I was screaming to myself, “oh no!” and so I was hysterical and frantic called repair emergency guy again. I remember calling like 20 times before finally he came. That was the breaking point. This unit seemed like doomed, mosquitoes and bugs so terrible on summer time, our dog taken to vet twice last year and got bugs in his ears, we suffer the coldest ever temperature we have never experienced in our life, such a poor insulation between the walls by the porch and around the porch areas.

 We also experienced in this apartment building no hot water in March, 2014 still cold temperature for 3 consecutive days without notice. Many residents were angry.  The exit doors left open and defective during the whole winter season which was a safety issue for us, no one fixed it till recently when the weather got better. I was scared to come home at night knowing someone can follow me behind from the unlock door. AIMCO did not care at all about their residents safety. Oh of course they send letters for rent collection, make sure you pay on time on the very first of the month or you get a fine of $80.00.

 There are plenty of vacant apartments here, would that be a red flag? We didn’t know better then, sorry.

 We called and called the toll free number 888-335-9103, visited the Leasing Office in Westmont, no one wants to talk to me. Was given a calling card to call. Finally, I sent the attached email, still no response for 4 days. Finally, on 5-6-14, someone picked up the phone, Alleluia! About 10:45 am, I was transferred to a “Ted” no last name, very apologetic but flatly said no after reading my email. He said, he will refer me to a guy in Westmont, named “Ryan”. It is weird, all these people has no last names when it comes to complaints. “Ryan” never called me back, but Stephanie Walker, new manager called me back and said she talked to their regional manager, no name and said no again, we cannot break the lease, and so I told her, we are left with no option but to file a complaint with HUD for all the aggravations we endured. Again, I begged, we are not asking to break the lease for 3-4 months inspite of what we encountered here, its only a matter of 3 weeks lease we are asking and they said, NO, because we signed the lease for 15 months, and yet they do not want to accept the fact that we were never told or disclosed the kind of unit we were given we are faced with. They do not care what we have experienced, its like telling us – “you guys pay us till September 22, 2014 and leave, period”.