Complaint Review: Hammond - Georgia

Deceptive slum-lords!

Hammond recently purchased a complex in which I was resident for several years during which the property had 3 different "owners" and 5 property "management" compaines.  

Hammond, a local Atlanta apartment rent extortion outfit, is the WORST of all prior owners and managers.  First lease renewal Hammond raised rents buy 20%!  Highest single increase ever and higher than cumulative increase over previous 5 years.

The huge increase was attempted to be justified by comprable properties' market value.  Among other problems the Hammond-Bryant Park Apartments were below market quality of the other properties.  Significant repiars required to my unit to bring it up closer to the other market condition included sink, floors, celing, screens, cualking, and mold.  If Hammond was going to increase rent closer to market-they should bring the property condition up to market.  Hammond agreed and enumerated the repairs to be done as soon as possible if I signed the new 20% increase lease.

Hammond did not do ANY, of the promised repairs during the entire 12 month lease except one.  All the while receiving the increased rent.  The one repair was after six months of asking and getting one excuse after another.

In the meantime the Gwinnett Police have advised me to move from the propoerty for safty stating it was a very dangerous place with many unscreened residents and felons.  The police state they are constantly called to the property.  They mentioned a recent incident involving a child kidnapping at gun point.

It seems the product of Hammond-Bryant Park's business model of increased rents with no repairs has caused a rapidly deteriorating slum type situation with dangerously increasing crime.  Bryant Park management recently circulated a flyer to all residents informing them that a murder occured on the property a day or two earlier.  The murder perfectly corroborates the warning from Gwinnett Police.  It most likely the nortice of the murder was only beacuse of legal advice trying to shield Hammond from liability for resident safty.

This business model now sees 3-4 and sometimes more in a one bedroom apartment in order to pay the increased rent causing more stress on delapidated buildings and infrastructure, poor parking, and an out of control situation increasing danger crime and bodily harm. And this year Hammond is seeking another approxiomate 20% rent increase-maybe causing 6 and 7 people to share a one bedroom and more to share a two bedroom unit.  

Good for Hammond from a business perspective for it's sole benefit to produce such extraordinary returns in a short time, head and shoulders above prior owners.  They may be creating a cash cow slum in the meantime.  It is getting dirtier and more filthy, fewer cleanings in the hallways, sometimes even garbage left out and other times what is left of garbage after a dog or racoon has gotten it.  It is getting scarier and more dangerous.

If you are considering Hammond's Bryant Park Aparrtments, pehaps their other property too, be very attentive.  Be very alert. Look past the new exterior siding and look at the police reports.  Talk to any residents who've been there for a few years and talk to the police.  Watch for weapons and pit bulls in the parking lot at night.