Preface:
In the almost 3 years that I have lived in my apartment, I have been a good resident, didn't offend anyone, kept to myself (friendly with neighbors), and paid on time. I had bounced 2 checks in 20 months... Not a bad average.
The manager recently changed and shortly thereafter, I bounced a third check in almost 3 years. I was notified (on the 16th of the month) via a letter rolled-up and stuffed in my doorframe that my rent check had bounced and needed to be replaced. I cheerfully replaced the check with a bank check the next day (17th of the month) only to be told by the receptionist that my name had already been submitted for legal action! She told me that if payment isn't received by the 15th of the month, that residents are now sued for the rent. But since I just paid, I had nothing to worry about, as the case would be withdrawn.
The next day, upon leaving for work, I found a letter from the court taped to the door, stating that I was being sued for non-payment of my rent. After some investigating, I found out that when suit is brought, the notice is posted on your door. I asked why this was done and was told by a gentleman in the management office that it was standard and that the case would be withdrawn.
Well, 13 days passed, and not having received any notification that the case was withdrawn, took the day off from work to attend the court hearing. When my case was called, the judge could not find my case on the docket. The judge went to check the records, and came back to inform me that the case had been withdrawn— the DAY BEFORE the hearing! I asked why I wasn't informed. The judge said that when cases are withdrawn the day before, no written notice is possible, unless I requested it and paid for a messenger to deliver the document. How would I know to ask..?
My point is that the new manager waited until the very last moment to withdraw the suit, knowing full well that I would not be informed in time, forcing me to show-up in court.
We also had a problem with a toilet that never stopped running and leaked. Eventually, the water leaked down onto an heirloom table that was a wedding gift from my dad to my mom. I was able to clean it up before any damage was done, but there was a series of brown stains on the white ceiling.
The master bathroom of the place also had a mold problem due to poor ventilation (no windows) due to a clogged air filter. The water knobs on the sink required extraordinary effort to completely turn off, usually ending up dripping or a slow trickle of water all the time.
I took digital photos of the problems and pasted them into a very nice, formal, professional letter to the management for repairs of these issues. It took 7 days for someone to come by. He was a nice guy and very personable, but he only fixed the toilet and the sink (water is either at full blast or off) and said he would put in a request for the masonry guy to come look at the stains on the ceiling. He also said that cleaning the bathroom air filter was our responsibility, even though there is no way for us to open the vent without damaging the ceiling or wrecking the paint around it.
Months have passed and the stains are still there...
If you are looking for an apartment in Chester County, PA keep looking. "The Fairways Apartments" are no fun! Every family who lived on my street when I moved in 3 years ago is gone. The turn-over rate on my street is enormous. Also, you have to pay $15.00/person to use the pool (via pool passes). We are moving out of here as soon as the lease is up...
Matt
Thorndale, Pennsylvania
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