Complaint Review: River Park Apartments - Hammond Indiana

This is a letter that was given to MR. David Blair Property manager of River Park Apartments, and he still have not tried to help us out. And here it is one month later and we are still no happy or satisfied.

On April 24, 2004, I talked to Elizabeth Beaudreau at the River Park Apartments about the availability of an apartment. Elizabeth and I discussed the monthly rent and the condition of the apartment. She explained to me that all of the apartments were in the process of being remodeled. She also told me that there would be a $35 application fee and a $100 holding fee. She recommended that I pay the $100 holding fee. I asked Elizabeth if I could see the apartment, but she told me that there were none available for viewing because they were being remodeled. She said she could show me a layout and promised me the following for the apartment that I would be renting:

New carpet in the entire apartment

New Blinds for all of the windows

Closet door for all of the closets

New vanity top sink in the bathroom

She did tell me that the apartment she showed me was being converted from a 2-bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment to a 2-bedroom, and 1 bathroom apartment. We then went back to the office and I gave her the $35 application fee and the $100 holding fee. She assured me that the apartment I had just viewed looked nothing like the apartment that I would be renting it would look much better. I asked Elizabeth if I could come back to view the apartment, and she said no. She said she would walk through the apartment and if the apartment was not done to her satisfaction, then she would call me to let me know and she would have them repair it to her satisfaction. I told her I could wait until June to move in to give the repairmen enough time to finish the apartment, but she said she would not be able to hold the apartment for that long and assured me that it would be ready on May 1st.

On April 28, 2004, Elizabeth called me at work to make sure that I was still interested in moving in the apartment. At that time I asked her if everything was ok with the apartment. She said yes, and told me that everything was fine.

On May 1, 2004, I went to the rental office of the River Park Apartments, signed the lease and was given the keys to Apt 23, Building 15. This is when she informed me that she was not able to do a final walk through but everything should be fine. When I went to my apartment the following is what I found:

ROACHES WERE (AND STILL ARE) EVERYWHERE

No closet doors

Carpet was old and filthy with holes and paint on it

No blinds to the windows in the bedrooms

Lamps shades were left on top of the refrigerator with water in them

ROACHES ARE STILL EVERYWHERE

Freezer was filthy with frozen blood from prior food storage

Kitchen sink is coming away from the wall

There is a deadbolt lock on the children's bedroom door

No vanity sink in the bathroom

ROACHES ARE STILL EVERYWHERE

The enamel on the tub is chipped and the faucet is disturbingly filthy

Windows were filthy inside and out

The light switches and phone jacks were completely painted over

New tile laid over old, dirty tile in the kitchen, bathroom and the doorway entrance

The air conditioning does not blow out cold air

I have spent over $60 on cleaning supplies, and I am still buying cleaning supplies. I have two small children and both have bronchitis. The carpet in my apartment is dirty with all kinds of filth and germs on it. My children will not stay healthy with the condition of the carpet in my apartment. Certain things (which are mentioned above) were promised to me when I signed the lease for this apartment. I moved in based on those promises. I was told that the apartments are a lot better, but if this is what's considered better, it is still unacceptable for my family and me. By assuming that this apartment is livable and would be acceptable to my family and myself, you have put me in a category with a group of people that I have nothing to do with.

I'm not sure who or what kind of people lived in this apartment before I move in, but I have to deal with people knocking on my door at all hours of the night looking to buy drugs.

If Elizabeth or anyone else walked through this apartment and then considered it acceptable for someone to move into, then she should be ashamed of herself. I now know that I should have insisted upon seeing the apartment before paying my deposit and moving in, but Elizabeth repeatedly told me that the apartment was being remodeled. To my detriment, I have found out that this was not the case. Elizabeth has been completely dishonest with me throughout this whole process!

Also, I am still waiting for the back of the sink to be fixed, the roaches to leave, new door knobs and the light shades to be installed. This is not something I should be dealing with this early in moving into a remodeled apartment. This is completely unacceptable. I don't think it is fair that my children and I have to live somewhere in which we can't sit on the floor, take a bath or walk around on the kitchen floor without shoes on and not feel comfortable doing so. I can't cook in the kitchen with out being nervous that roaches are going to crawl in my food.

I can't sleep at night without worrying whether roaches will crawl in my children ears while they sleep--- YES, it is just that bad! One night, my baby had a roach crawling on her when she woke up. It totally freaked us out. The condition of this apartment is deplorable and unacceptable for humans to live in. I have not enjoyed one moment in my apartment, not one moment! I feel like I am living in a dirty, disturbingly filthy, nasty motel. Even though I signed a lease, l cannot and will not live in this apartment and under these conditions. This is not good for your business! I would not recommend anyone to move in to River Park Apartments. This is my first apartment and I expected more and feel horrible that this is what I have to offer my children.

At this point, 18 days into living here, I am requesting that I be refunded my total amount of $1150 and my lease canceled with no negative effects to my credit.

April

hammond, Indiana
U.S.A.