My move-in date for Oakshire Apartments was May 15. My lease began June 1. First of all, I'd had two appointments set up to see the place and were cancelled on me both times without my knowledge until I arrived at the appointment times. They say hindsight is 20/20, and indeed it is. Now that I look back on it, I can see red flags everywhere! Keep this little tidbit in mind for later, I was told that I couldn't see a townhouse while it was being cleaned. That was one of their excuses. The other was that somebody had moved into the place I was going to see. Imagine that! They'd also moved me into a different one from the original address they'd given me without bothering to call me and let me know. The way I found out was that I'd called them to verify the correct address for post office address forwarding.
To explain things more in detail, in April I believe it was, I had gotten a note on my door from my landlady reminding me I couldn't have a cat. I'd had a cat for 4 years and wasn't about to get rid of him. I wanted to move anyhow and had been wanting to for a long time. So I decided that it was time to finally move. I was quite limited to finding a place and didn't know how much time I had either. About 98% of the places I checked into either were too expensive, or didn't accept cats, or didn't have a washer/dryer connection. This place has all of that. I thought how bad could it be. I found out really soon just how bad.
These people would've had to have been both blind and deaf to not see there was something very wrong here. (and still is) The most noticeable, aside for the bug problem mainly in the kitchen, was the steady leak (literally a drop per second if not faster) in the bathroom sink, which is upstairs. The water might as well had been on. Oh and after they'd told me I couldn't see a place while it was being cleaned, it's odd that they let me come in here after I'd signed the lease while it was being cleaned (which I had to wait around on for 3 1/2 hours before they were supposedly done - they weren't! - even though they told me they were). Sounds pretty contradicting to me.
On the morning of May 28, I received an email from the office that had been sent that evening before. (I worked grave shift at the time so I didn't get the email until that next morning.) It stated that they wanted to set an appointment with me for that morning to go through and see what all was wrong. Um, they're supposed to do that thoroughly when you first move in? She wasn't anywhere near thorough, and some problems I didn't know about til later. I emailed her back to tell her as much as I'd like to sit around all day waiting for them to fix stuff that I had to sleep and had to work that night. Shortly after that, I had them on the phone. They copped an attitude with me making it sound as if they were threatening not to fix anything after I told them I had to have sleep for work. I'd asked if it could be done on my following days off. She used the excuse that "they", Makowsky I assume, had complained their water bill was too high and needed to get the leaks fixed. Yeah right, if that were the case there wouldn't have been leaks at all when I moved in here! So I said "fine!" and let them come over here. When the guy went to turn off the water under the sink, it broke! Water gushed out from the sink flooding my bathroom and hallway upstairs for at least 5 min. And more like 10. I was upstairs this whole time. The guy actually had to get in his van and leave so he could turn off the main water. Yeah, it gets worse.
Finally he returned and told me he needed me to help him move stuff out of the corner. Well there I was thinking he was talking about the corner in the bathroom seeing as there was stuff there. After I asked him what corner, he didn't answer so I went downstairs. When I came around the bottom of the stairs I found out what was going on. There was a downpour of water coming from the ceiling and pouring onto everything that was under it. There was still alot of boxes, especially in the closet, which was soaked too. My whole entire living room carpet was soaked. So then starts the waiting... And waiting. I waited mostly all day for the carpet people to show up to get the padding out from underneath it and to vacuum the water out. They didn't show til about 5:30pm.By the time they'd left I didn't have a chance for any sleep, but still went into work.By the time I got there I'd been up for 36 hours. I asked to leave and told them what happened, and got permission from 2 different people to go home. Oh and my AC also wasn't coming back on after all this.
I called the office after I got back home and left them a message about the AC. The next day the guy came to get it back on. Turns out, he flipped the breaker and didn't bother turning it back on. I just figured it had gone out, which later on it did just that. And before I forget, the electric company hadn't put the power in my name on May 20th like they were supposed to so on June 16th I found out from the electric company that Oakshire had called them that day before to have my power turned off. There was no word to me whatsoever about this. It was a total accident that I'd found out. And that was only because they'd hand-delivered the electric bill, already opened, at my door that morning, still in Oakshire's name, not mine.
Anyhow, June 8th, I took back bad mailbox keys to them that opened about 7 different mailboxes, but not mine. Can you believe that crap? I had to ask them if they wanted the bad keys back even. I guess they were gonna let me keep them. Lol It still took them til June 14th, almost a month after I moved in, (I didn't start living here til the 20th) to get me the right keys.
June 5th, I had the understanding that the carpet people would come on the 8th to put the padding back down under the carpet at noon. I waited til 3:30pm only to find out that they'd had me scheduled for the 7th, not the 8th, which was NOT a day off for me. I had specifically told them I needed it done on my days off. They ended up re-scheduling me for the 9th. Of course I was pretty hot considering that I had moved everything that would fit off the living room carpet into the kitchen. I could barely get the fridge open. It sat there overnight waiting for them the next day.
June 10th, my fridge went out and was 56 degrees inside. A little bit warm don't ya think? The guy was here 30 min. Later and found out the fan had stopped, and it hadn't been working properly since I moved in. July 6th, it went out again and was replaced with a new one 5 hours later. The guy had the nerve to ask me if I'd taken everything out of it yet. I told him "no, I didn't know when you'd be back!"
June 16th, the other maintenance guy, who looks like a Hell's Angel, came in on me without my permission. I would've normally been asleep of course and they all know this. I've made it crystal clear to them that I sleep during the day. He did knock, but I didn't answer the door. You'd think he would've left and tried again later on. Oh no! He let himself in, and mind you, the chain was locked also. Not to mention there's a table in front of this door. He had every intention on coming upstairs to supposedly look at the toilet that runs every 5 to 7 min. This was NOT an emergency! And that is the only time they are allowed to come in here without my permission. And besides, the other guy had already looked at the toilet and ordered a part for it. I think he came in to see about something else, and it wasn't maintenance. I flat out told him "if I had a gun, you'd be dead right now!" He clearly could see that I was ticked. Still he said while he was here, he'd go ahead and check the toilet. At least in the end he did change a knob that didn't lock at all to a locking knob, and had fixed my top step on the stairs that was about to come totally apart. When I asked him how did he get in without breaking the chain on the door, he grinned at me and said the chain was too long. I fixed that later myself with a keyring to shorten it.:)
June 20th, I came home from work at about 5am or so. I knew something bad had happened cause I saw that yellow tape all over the place (like the police line do not cross tape or caution tape). I parked and got outta the car. About halfway up the sidewalk, which of course is hard to see at night seeing as it's so dark out there that you have to let your eyes adjust, I smelled afterburn. The security truck was sitting under the tree right outside my door. Yeah they have security but I think it's mainly just for show. I haven't seen them very often at all, maybe 3 times. He told me that the townhouse right outside my front door had caught fire due to a faulty stove, at around 10pm that night before.
It's not my same building I'm in, but the building that's in front of mine, and the back part of it is only like 20 feet, maybe less, from my front door. That's way too close for comfort for me. So if I had reason to be scared of this place before, then I really do have reason now. It didn't burn that bad, but that family I'm sure won't be back.
July 14th, my AC froze up entirely around 10pm. There was even a sheet of ice around the hoses that run from it that I later saw. July 15th, I called to report the AC was out. I was told they didn't know if somebody would be here or not to fix it. I called back a few hours later, was told somebody would be here, they were not. July 16th, I called again and was told they didn't know still, and that there was 30 work order tickets in front of me. I had gotten thermometers and put 3 upstairs, 1 downstairs. It's been fairly hot since day one. So I was curious as to how hot it was. It stays around 84 degrees in the upstairs hallway, 86 in the office/computer room, and 82 in the bedroom. If it weren't for 2 standing fans that I've bought since I've moved in, I wouldn't be able to stand the heat. I've mentioned to them on 3 different occasions, now 4, since the guy finally showed up on the 19th to fix the AC. It was out for 5 days almost.
They know how hot it is in this hellhole, and still no improvement other than the AC is running again and not to mention running my electric bill up to over $200 a month for only about 800 square feet, 2 bedroom. That's rediculous! They make excuses, and have told me to shut off vents downstairs. That doesn't work. And I shouldn't have to do that to start with. On the 15th, it was 96 degrees in my computer room. I moved my computer and printer downstairs to keep them from having a meltdown. And... So I wouldn't have a meltdown. I was suffering from heat exhaustion. I went to work during that time and had asked to leave work early. They didn't need me there. I had been hallucinating on my way to work that night which was the first time I'd scared myself driving.
Even though I told my supervisor what had happened and that I felt really awful and that I felt I would pass out, she said no, and I decided she was telling me no for the last time. I walked out that night. I won't risk my health for any job, especially a casino that has no idea how to treat its employees in the first place, and better yet, supervisors who don't know either. This was after they'd taken me back after terming me for what? Because of May 28th, the night my water disaster had happened, and tried to say I'd called out when I hadn't. Tried to say the same thing on a different night, when I hadn't. Downstairs it stays about 80 degrees, the thermostat is set on 70. Isn't something wrong with that picture?
On Friday the 23rd of July, the guy had come back outta the blue to fix my dishwasher. He'd looked at it on the 19th, was supposed to had came back on the 20th and never showed. Figures. They've got a really good track record with not showing up and not fixing things. Can ya tell? Lol On the 19th, he'd also fixed my kitchen sink (replaced it cause it leaked), and had fixed the shower, yep, you guessed it, it was leaking too. It had gotten worse and while the showerhead was on the water was still running full blast out of the faucet at the same time. And get this... He fixed the kitchen sink BEFORE he fixed the AC. What kinda crap is that?
Now on to the list of other things... There's a huge bug problem, still! I'm sick of that. I've read other reports on here about that problem, believe me people, I know how you feel when you say you're afraid to cook in your kitchen. Same goes for me. The screen on the stormdoor is ripped. I was told the day I moved in that it would be replaced with glass. So where is it is my question. The toilet still runs. Water has been seeping up from under the kitchen floor in front of the dishwasher since it was leaking, it's not now that I know of, and needs to be replaced. It's buckled up from the water which is obvious. The floor upstairs that got all the water is weak, very weak in some places, and needs to be replaced. The ceiling where the water came from downstairs still has not been painted over, looks like crap, and looks like it will crumble and eventually fall through. Lucky me! And not so lucky them when it does. They will be sued! As I said before, half of the outlets are a fire hazard because of loose plugs, although nothing is plugged into them. I'm pretty big on surge protectors. Lol
On July 18th, I wrote two letters. One that was listing things to be fixed, and dropped it off at the office. It's amazing how fast they react when you put things in writing. Although this is 2 weeks later as of today and still everything hasn't been done. The other letter I mailed to Makowsky Ringel & Greenberg LLC. I STILL have not heard a word from them. My letter to them was also an official request to be released from the contract here due to all the problems. I've about decided to move everything into storage somewhere, stay with a friend or whatever, move out of here and dare them to sue me for rent. My lease is a 12-month lease, but as it stands right now, I'm sick and tired of this hellhole and am getting to the point of where I could care less about what they'd say or do.
Please, if you are in Memphis, Tn or are going to move here, Please DO NOT even bother to check this place out unless you're a lawyer. I've learned the hard way, and this crap will never happen to me again. I also haven't felt very safe here. I'm a female who lives alone and there have been ALOT of times there's been guys standing around the front end of my car. I can't possibly be the only one who hates it here. A drunk guy even told me he couldn't wait til his lease was up. I think that's about it. If not, then I'll update later. Thanks for your time in reading this. I know it's long but maybe it'll be of some help.
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