Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My name is ****** ******. I moved into the Morningside Green property on July 29, 2022. The first few days I began to see cockroaches in my bathroom, kitchen and inside of the dishwasher. During the weekend more baby roaches kept showing up on my bathroom sink and on the floor. I informed the office and they sent the exterminator on Tuesday morning. I have been staying at my brothers because I have a roach phobia and could not be around them. When the exterminator was done he told the manager that he did not see any live roaches. I explained to the manager that the dead roaches that were in the kitchen and bathroom floor were all alive but I had my brother come with me to kill them and left them there for them to see that this is a real issue. The manager asked me to give her some time to solve the issue and I said okay. She asked me to share the roach pictures i took and so I did. She asked me if I had any of the roaches alive and I said no. I was gone for 2 days for work and returned back yesterday and there were more roaches in my bathroom walking around my sink and the floor so I killed them. They were small but they were alive. This morning I went over to inspect and there was a medium size roach in my bathtub and in the dishwasher. I took a video to show the manager today. She said that she does not understand why that is happening since the maintenance man did not see any when preparing the apt. I asked about moving out and getting out of my lease and the manager told me that they cannot refund my August rent even though I have not been able to live there since I moved in. I paid movers $500 to move me in and all my stuff is still packed up. I would like to be refunded $500 for movers, August rent and allowed to be let out of lease without affecting my credit. I have anxiety, depression and I take medication for this daily. This has added so much stress that I almost had a mental breakdown yesterday. I am now working with a psychiatrist because of this.

  Business response

  08/30/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/18) */ We strive to provide the very best in apartment living and would never want to cause anyone harm or force them to live in unbearable conditions. Upon receiving the pest complaint we acted quickly to exhaust all resources to try to fix the problem. We're happy to accommodate the Resident to prevent further discomfort and worsening their condition.

• Initial Complaint

  06/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  We have occupied unit ***** at **** ******** Court in ******** TX XXXXX since November 06, 2020 until present. The property was originally managed by Amli but has since changed to Madera Residential. From the outset, we encountered one issue after another which were thoroughly detailed and reported. We repeatedly complained of priority issues affecting our health such as mold and mildew, unsafe fixtures, leaks, rodents, electrical issues and fire-hazards. At each and every step, we took precaution to follow policy, allow time for an appropriate response and remain optimistic that our requests would be met with the standard of service expected for a "luxury apartment" which was advertised as being committed to our health and happiness. At no time did we ever withhold payment or deny access to our residence regardless of inconvenience or strain on our household. We endured many weeks of being unable to occupy a significant portion of the square footage for which we paid. When Amli was negotiating the sale to Madera Residential, I can assume that every detail of our file would have been audited, reviewed and relayed to the potential Buyer(s). With the detailed history of what we were forced to endure, we hoped a new management company would bring significant change. However, conditions here have rapidly declined. Due to having two children in local schools, managing a full-time career as a single parent and struggling to maintain some semblance of normalcy through natural disasters and a pandemic, I'd have applied every ounce of energy to bring both Amli and Madera to court and forced them to pay restitution for the criminal negligence both companies are clearly responsible for committing. No one from Madera has ever offered to meet with me regarding complaints about the extremely poor conditions in which we've been forced to live. I am seeking restitution, and appropriate correction to every maintenance issue reported. I expect this within reasonable time.

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/06/22) */ Madera Residential acquired Marcella Memorial Heights 10/1/2021. Since then, the resident has placed 35 work orders, 6 of which are still pending due to the resident rescheduling. The property is unaware of any declining conditions as described and would like to walk the apartment and assess to have a better understanding. This will take place by 6/23/22 and we will add an additional response once completed. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/06/23) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I DO agree that maintenance has tended to common work orders placed due to items breaking down/malfunctioning. 35 work orders in 9 months is a lot. I am working with the Manager to walk the unit with maintenance supervisor to further assess my complaint.(I cxld today due to Covid symptoms but tested negative so will reschedule for tomorrow) The new Maintenance Super (replacing ***** did view some photos and dilapidated items when he was here. The underlying issue here is that while New Management has been renovating units as they turn, we never received the renovations promised by former management and current management seems unaware that we should have been included with turned units. FINISH THE JOB: EX 1: we had to vacate our unit multiple (7) days while our bathrooms were allegedly getting a "TOTAL RENOVATION" including brand new cabinetry which we were told was being custom built for 3 months, and an all new shower enclosure where there was a thick build up of rust and mold. Upon our return to the home, we saw that the issues were simply painted over in highly toxic epoxy paint. Underlying mold and rust has now grown through the bad patch job(s). We were also promised new kitchen lighting when requests were made re: all the bugs inside the kitchen light fixtures. EX 2: After a broken pipe issue on the property occurred while we were out of town on vacation, former management broke into our storage unit and tore out sheetrock to repair the leak and restore water to affected units. However, they never entered my unit to see that they completely flooded both my children's bedrooms and left standing water for days. Again, we lost many days of occupancy and further damage was caused from mildew and giant fans blowing it all over the home. Subsequent carpet replacements were substandard (still not even tacked down in areas or installed over old padding) These are just 2 examples. Many more exist. Those include issues reported to new Owners/Management such as broken windows, blinds and outdated inefficient appliances. I believe that new owners inherit pending issues when they take over. I know that buyers were walked through my apartment during the audit period. (I realized this in hindsight when new ownership was announced) Therefore, claiming ignorance of my situation is basic CULPABLE NEGLIGENCE and culpability lies squarely with the current ownership. BILLING ADJUSTMENT: To further add insult to injury, there were ZERO offers to negotiate terms, offer a quid pro quo rent discount, provide fair restitution for lost occupancy, or indemnify and compensate us for the extreme inconveniences we have suffered. DELIVERY: As mentioned, I have had to delay or reschedule a MAJOR A/C duct overhaul due to being asked to vacate all pets and persons from premises for significant hours. I assume the same will be true to have the carpet replacements delivered as promised. I have already had to do this twice at my own expense as well as moving ALL bedroom furnishings into the living area BY MYSELF twice. I am a single, 50 year old, 130 lb woman with severe neck and back degenerative issues due to scoliosis. Accommodations should be made for labor and costs associated with making the repairs correctly. Documentation in my lease file would show the number of times we have mentioned that all occupants have severe allergies to mold/mildew, carpeting and dust. Documentation of what was promised vs. what was delivered is also readily available to validate my request for delivery. My rent was raised from $2,013 to $2,416 for the longest term offered this year. I should have already received restitution based on my original rental rate but I have not. And, comparing what Madera Residential/ Marcella Memorial Heights CLEARLY advertises in their marketing and website photos and refers to as "All the luxuries you desire", "Marcella Memorial Heights offers contemporary, sophisticated interiors with stunning finishes and plenty of desirable upgrades", "a world-class fitness center and a resort style swimming pool" (I just walked around our pool & hot tub yesterday and it is infested with massive amounts of live, green-algae, insects, dirt and debris); I should not pay a rental rate even close to what I am being charged vs. what they are currently selling. Fixtures such as ceiling fans, lighting, toilets, drains, cabinetry and all appliances are affixed with labels which indicate via serial and model numbers when the item was created and installed. If we were to compare all of those items versus what is advertised, there is a clear case of false-advertising. Therefore, unless the outcome of this complaint results in a SIGNIFICANT action on Owner/Management's part to provide backdated billing adjustment, restitution, delivery and finish the job requirements of my complaint, I will have no other option than to raise the complaint to the highest authority legally possible. I have spoken with Manager, ******** *****, and she is scheduled to complete a walk-through with her Maintenance Super at 9:00 AM central tomorrow June 24th. I will follow up with details of this scheduled visit. Respectfully, ******* ***** ***** Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2022/06/27) */ The walkthrough with management was extremely unsatisfactory. "*********" from corporate is the ultimate dismissive, non-concerned, flippant and rudest person I have ever met. After a few moments of her relaying to me excuse after excuse about why my complaints are of no concern, I remembered her having toured these same issues in my unit during the transition from Amli to Madera. I will elaborate further but I wanted to state for the record that if Madera continues sending this "corporate representative" in an effort to resolve any resident issues, they will be cutting off their nose to spite their face. Much more about her actions to be detailed further in my next response. She is dishonest, shady and doesn't even care to feign concern. ******* ***** ***** Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2022/06/30) */ The Portfolio Manager, Property Manager and Resident Service Supervisor walked the unit with the resident on Friday, June 24, 2022. We noted a few general maintenance issues in her apartment that needed to be addressed. None of these issues affect the health or safety of the resident or occupants. Maintenance has ordered the parts needed for the repairs and will be completing the work orders when they arrive. They are expected to be delivered within the next few days. Consumer Response /* (4200, 17, 2022/07/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) When the community manager, maintenance supervisor and corporate representative arrived at my apartment June 24th, I began to tour the areas of degradation and poor quality of maintenance in my home. I first showed them the shower and emphasized that I made numerous complaints about this and nothing was delivered appropriately for the issue I voiced. (Photo 1 attached) I then showed the "new carpet install" which was in no way acceptable and proceeded to go over the same issues I have been begging to be addressed. (Photo 2 attached) As I showed each item, the corporate representative continued to dismiss any of my concerns and repeat her statement, "these can all be repaired with a regular work-order". When I responded to her that all of these things HAD been previously reported and were not addressed or were repaired with shoddy results below expectations, she became even more aggressive and defensive. My response was to tell her if she had no intention of working with me toward a satisfactory result, they could leave and I would resume legal action against corporate ownership. She replied, "I AM CORPORATE". At the door, I mentioned that corporate should have been aware of all that transpired here when they took over the property from Amli. Her reply: "No, we don't check every file and we do not track any previous work-orders to check for any pending issues from the takeover". Suddenly, her terrible demeanor and attitude brought back the memory of her touring my apartment before the takeover with other executives from Madera Residential. She finally conceded in front of ********, Manager and ****, Maintenance Supervisor that she had indeed been here before. THEREFORE, to pretend that all of these "unknown issues" were the fault of previous management and ignore any culpability on part of Madera Residential, are COMPLETELY FALSE STATEMENTS. I am submitting photos and videos that reflect the complete farce of her statement that nothing in my complaint would be considered urgent or cause health and safety concerns for me & my family. Further, I would like to see this person removed from her position until she can be properly trained. ******* ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  6/12/2022 I moved in Kessler at Jersey Village in July of 2021 and since then I've had consistent AC issues that I've reported over 10 times. Maintenance state they've fixed the problem and replaced parts but the actual temperature inside my house ranges from 80-92 degrees with the A/C set to 75 degrees. My house is supposed to be one place I have peace and comfort, NOT A HOTEL I've been forced to get and pay for due to these inhumane living conditions. I'm paying $1500/month for rent in addition to $300+ for an electronic bill for a ONE bedroom apartment that's ALWAYS PAID IN FULL ON TIME. My daughter has chronic asthma and I have medical problems of my own that I've made the office and maintenance dept aware of. I will never recommend anyone to any of these properties! Based off the previous complaints against this company it seems as though this is an issue at all of their properties.

  Business response

  07/08/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/06/20) */ AC unit was replaced in 2021, resident lives in a 1 bedroom with a loft. The apartment is 2 stories and vaulted ceilings, maintenance has been out and Freon levels are good, unfortunately due the heat wave the last few weeks temperatures are higher than normal. Vents are blowing cool air out, all vents are opened, and no issues in the attic. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/06/23) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) It is impossible for the AC to have been replaced in 2021, and if so when? As soon as I moved in July 2021 I was unable to live in my place due to AC problems; the air was barely blowing out of the vents, there was no circulation whatsoever in the loft area upstairs due to faulty design (1 floor vent to circulate an entire HUGE loft area), and it was extremely hot throughout the apartment and unbearable to live in. The "heat wave" the property is referring to is Houston's well known HUMID summer weather being between 98-104 degrees. I had submitted a total of 13 service requests from July-November 2021 regarding AC issues. With that being said, I still paid my rent EVERY month on time even though I was NOT able to live in my apartment for months WITHOUT any type or form of accommodation from the property. Some type of accommodation needs to be made preferably reimbursement, or a free month's rent since I have spent well over that in hotel fees for my daughter and I to temporarily stay until they decided to do something about these inhumane living conditions. Technically the AC was properly fixed as of June 14, 2022 AFTER I reported the matter to the BBB and Houston Apartment Association. Which is unfortunate because I am moving out next month in July and out of so much money due to their negligence. Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2022/06/23) */ ***Document Attached*** Please see the attached individual service requests submitted to the property. Business Response /* (4000, 15, 2022/06/24) */ On 6/13/22 the capacitor was replaced, the last service request for the ac was in November. Consumer Response /* (4200, 17, 2022/06/27) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Evidently the AC was fixed this month (2022). However, your last rebuttal stated 2021 which is impossible due to me having AC issues and submitting service requests for it from July 2021-November 2021. There was a gap due to the season change; going into winter the temperatures are lower and outside is cooler making the situation more manageable. Once spring/summer hit a request was submitted AGAIN. With that being said what is the plan of action? As I've stated before I would like some type of financial accommodation i.e. refund or a free months rent to balance out all of the money spent on hotels from your property's negligence to have an issue properly handled.

• Initial Complaint

  06/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Madera Residential owns a property in Fort Worth Texas called the Braden on Fifth. I started the process to get approved for an apartment 1 month ago. I was told in email and verbally that i was approved and I that they need to collect my deposit. I paid the deposit and was supposed to move in on 6/10/22. I was told on 6/9/22 that they actually had not gotten approval and that they were still working on this process. Confirming that I had been approved and taking my deposit without actually getting approval is a deceptive business practice. I need to get my deposit back.

  Business response

  06/28/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/10) */ Zero deposit had been paid. The $200 admin fee was paid and was sent to accounting for refund promptly on 6/9 when **** canceled his application. He was notified of this refund as well. The income proof document he supplied was falsified and did not match the income amount on his paystubs nor W2 from last year. Final approval was never given and lease never sent.

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  Illegally charged pet deposit and pet rent for Emotional Support Animal. My animal was medically cleared as needed by a medical professional and registered in a national database. I did a third-party pet screening as requested by the community management company and was cleared and approved. Pet Deposit was turned into a fine because of a personal retaliation set forth by a now fired manager, for speaking out against his atrocious and unprofessional behavior. I have made management aware of the violations of the Fair Housing Act and they don't care. There are multiple other issues with this management company and their treatment of residents and negligence in physically managing the property. Embarrassing corporate culture.

  Business response

  06/22/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/02) */ Mr. ***** was found to have an unauthorized animal on property around the end of February/beginning of March 2022. Rather officially documenting the violation, and avoid other charges, there was a meeting between Mr. ***** and previous Community Manager. There is no documentation on the conversation but feedback from resident and office personnel's knowledge confirms that they discussed previous reports from surrounding residents of this particular dog not following pet policies(unleashed or picking up after) and that it was determined to belong to Mr. ***** (The actions accused were disputed). At that time the office required Mr. ***** to register pet accordingly and pay the required Pet Fee and begin monthly pet rent. Mr. ***** did make payments, however, did not supply any documentation that this was support animal until over a month later, still not registering him properly until 5/31/22. There was an email on April 12th letting Mr. ***** know that with once he registered him with our Pet Screening he would not further be charged, but previous non-refundable fee and monthly fees would not be reimbursed. We do not feel any further action is needed. Mr. ***** has now submitted in proper notice to vacate at the end of his lease. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/06/06) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The previous community manager made a sweeping accusation that all feces in the complex were the result of a newly adopted dog that belonged to me. I was on my patio with my new dog and the manager read me the riot act and blamed everything on me despite previous complaints of feces being in the courtyard, including from me with pictures. He told me it was my responsibility to police all my neighbors who come through the enclosed courtyard with their dogs off leash on a daily basis. The employee was told of my newly adopted dog the same day and mentioned nothing of the pet screening process that was newly adopted by new management/ownership. That was issued a month later, in which then I promptly filled out the necessary paperwork. I was then accused of having a dog for months. I submitted the adoption paperwork that showed that was completely inaccurate. What you are also failing to mention is my dog is a registered Emotional Support Animal and it is illegal to charge me a pet deposit and pet rent. Your company and the third-party pet screening service have both recognized his ESA status and continue to ILLEGALLY charge me pet rent and withhold my pet deposit. The Pet Screening was approved on April 21st, 2022 not May 31st. I have the approval available and time stamped. Another fallacy by your company. Dates seem to be stretched quite often with Madera. I was not informed of this process in any company email. Other residents are not aware of it either. I was not told to do this until after submitting a ESA letter by a licensed professional (verified manually by Madera Employees). It also states in the pet agreement that I agree to keep in on leash in an open area. The courtyard in question is enclosed and connected to my unfenced patio. While there are dogs who walk around off leash around the complex in an open area and in multiple courtyards, they have never heard a peep from the office. This is a personal vendetta set forth by the previous manager and his staff. Also, it is a shame that you continue to justify illegal actions that break a FEDRAL LAW (FHA). On top of the personal harassment carried out by your staff which now includes videotaping me in my home. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/06/08) */ After further review, Mr. ***** is correct and the approval date was in fact 4/21/22. The Resident Ledger has been credited a prorated amount for April Pet rent billing and Full May and June billing. Total Credited to account ledger is $70. The non-refundable pet fee was paid in March before any documentation was provided, and will not be reimbursed. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/06/09) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Is my landlord allowed to charge fees for my assistance animal? No. It is unlawful for landlords to (1) charge additional rent, (2) demand a pet deposit, or (3) charge any fees whatsoever for an assistance animal. The Fair Housing Act guarantees this protection. You are still responsible for any damage the animal does to the property. Can a landlord refuse an assistance animal based on breed? No. Service and emotional support animals can be any breed or size. However, the landlord may prohibit an animal if it is dangerous to others. Do I have to let my landlord know that I have an assistance animal before signing a lease? No. You may tell the landlord before or after you sign your lease. The above is an excerpt from TexasLawHelp.org. The animal was adopted on February 1st. Notified the complex on March 1st. I had 30 days to see if the animal I adopted from the SCPA was a good fit. I used those 30 days. The law also states as you can see as a person with a disability, I am not held to a particular timeline to notify the property I'm living at. Given that you were not the company I signed a lease with, and you acquired the property after I signed my lease this is even more so the case. This is all Federal Law, not Texas law as well. The point is not the money. $70 dollars is of no consequence. It is the behavior of your staff and the fact that this issue as gone this far because Madera refuses to acknowledge a resident might be right and ********* staff is mistaken. The need to bully and harass a resident is commonplace. With past employees and new ones. That shows it's not an individual employee's problem but a culture problem. I do not accept the response above and will take this issue to another place that is not arbitration based.

• Initial Complaint

  05/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  From November 10, 2021 until the day I turned in my keys (March 23, 2022), this business did not supply me with working AC. I paid rent for the entire duration of my lease. I informed them that I have a medical condition that causes me terrible heat flashes and a higher body temperature in general. They supplied me with a temporary portable unit, which remained in the apartment from December through March. I was assured that the unit would be fixed, as it needed a new part. I was informed that the part was on its way, and would be fixed upon it's arrival. This was early January. I relocated due to the longevity of the repairs, which was also relayed to the property. When I returned in March to officially move out, I was surprised to see that the repairs were still not made. Upon discussions with the manager of the property, and the VP of the area, they concluded that although I did supply them with months to complete the job, and 3 requests to have the unit fixed, because I did not stay on top of the repair (as I had moved out), they did not feel liable to return me my money, as requested. The VP even admits that her property was negligent, and would had even let me out of my contract, had I asked. However, aside from these statements, Madera Residential refuses to reimburse me for my rent money spent, from the months in which the repairs should have been made.

  Business response

  06/06/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/05/23) */ Request to service the air conditioner was responded to in accordance with the executed contract and temporary air conditioning was provided to the tenant in the duration. The request for full rent reimbursement came after moving out of the unit, many months after the request was completed by the onsite staff teams' records. There were no additional requests in the interim, even though there was communication with the resident, to notify them the job was not fully repaired. Due to this, and that a temporary fix was still in place, no rent reimbursement will occur per the contract. Consumer Response /* (3000, 10, 2022/05/24) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) An agreement was reached that the unit would be fixed once the new part arrived. I was given this assurance by staff; Thus I had no reason to believe Madera Residential would not uphold their end, and complete maintenance of the unit. Madera Residential clearly acknowledges and discloses that they are not a company to be trusted. They blame a paying tenant that it is their fault for not checking in on progress of a commitment to restore a piece of their property. The tenant (I), was out of town during the 3 months that the unit should have been repaired. Upon return, the unit was still out of service. Had I been physically present to see that repairs were not made, I of course would have escalated the issue. However, I foolishly believed Madera Residential to be the upstanding, caring company it portrays to be to its investors, owners, tenants and vendors. Thus prior to this, I had no reason to mistrust that the repairs would be made. If Madera Residential sought me to provide a service, I gave them a timeline of when they could expect it to be completed, I failed to do so to their satisfaction, would Madera Residential be withholding my agreed upon payment? Would they not seek out reimbursement for a job NOT well done? I am asking you, MADERA RESIDENTIAL, what would YOU do? Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2022/06/02) */ At Madera Residential, we strive to create healthy and happy communities that our residents enjoy calling home. We apologize that you were not fully satisfied with your experience in our community. We did provide a temporary resolution for your air conditioning in accordance with the TAA lease contract which is why we will not be honoring your request for rent reimbursement. Consumer Response /* (4200, 14, 2022/06/03) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Madera Residential's response to this case is about as lax as their business practice. I never would have imagined a business that "strives to create a healthy and happy community that our residents enjoy calling home" to be so negligent and impenitent about their actions. To future investors, residents, partners, whomever, strongly consider this business' mediocre practices before conducting any transaction. They will lie, mislead, and gaslight you. Consider researching their properties reviews and BBB page. The number of complaints against them is ludicrous and the C rating on their BBB page speaks volume. Their web page states: "At Madera Residential, we've built a culture around doing the right thing and creating value for the people involved in our investments..." Great job to their marketing team for spewing out that load of nonsense. Beware of Madera Residential.

• Initial Complaint

  05/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I live in Saddlehorn vista apartments i have been being charged full rent and have not had a working A/C unit in over a month. I have kept my records .I have also been told by ***** L over the phone that she knew it was against the law after i brought it up. and still had made us wait with only one window unit that was given as a quick fix several weeks after the initial issue. i am pregnant i have a pet and a toddler who have to live in these squalor conditions. I am outraged .To not be offered another unit or even a discounted rent is absolutely ridiculous. I will call the news station if thats what it will take for someone to make a difference in my living conditions.

  Business response

  06/03/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/17) */ On 3.25.22, a service request was submitted from Apartment #XXXXX. A lead maintenance tech added freon. Unit was working and we did not hear from #XXXXX until 5.10.22. On 5.10.22, an emergency after hour call was submitted on our on call technician responded and made repairs after hours. On 5.11.22, resident reported it stopped working again. A window unit was placed in the apartment and a new unit ordered. The new unit arrived on 5.13.22 and was installed the same day. #XXXXX now has a brand new unit as of 5.13.22. On 5.16.22, Our lead maintenance technician went to the unit to make sure it was cooling and the temperature was registering 40* from the vents.

• Initial Complaint

  03/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  I rent an apartment at Marcella at Memorial Heights. The unit above mine had a water heater burst and flooded the ceiling and walls of my apartment. I asked to be put into a comparable unit because I work from home and make calls and the unit I'm in would require serious work to fix that would cost me time at my job. My request to simply move units was denied, and then for Manager of Madera Residential (the management company for Marcella) told me she was only going to credit my a account for 3 days even though repairs would take a week which prevented me from working. She also said she was going to credit me with a gift card whatever that means. I make around $40/hour and she thinks that what essentially amounts to $60 worth of gift cards is comparable to the amount of work she cost me and then told me that she only did that out of courtesy and didn't even owe me that much. I am simply trying to get back to work. I was very reasonable in what I needed as an accommodation because of an issue that was outside of my control. Now I have three extremely loud blowers in my apartment that have been running 24/7 using my electricity that I pay for to dry out their walls. I can't sleep, these large blowers hurt my ears and my dogs ears, so I basically have to lock myself in my bedroom since the rest of the apartment is unusable. The moisture in the walls also creates a huge threat of mold. To fix it, she ordered her staff to cut open the walls and ceilings which also increase my health concerns. She has provided no alternative temporary housing option, and has neglected many emails and phone calls from me due to much more minor responsibilities like training new staff instead of communicating with me on a reasonable basis. I am considering pursuing legal action for violations of Texas Property Code 92.056.

  Business response

  04/26/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/31) */ There was a water heater that leaked from a vacant fourth floor into two lower levels on Sunday, March 20th after hours. Our Maintenance responded and had contractors on-site within an hour to an hour and a half and extracted all water and installed blowers and dehumidifiers. It was communicated these needed to be on for 2-3 days or until all effected areas were dried. On day 4 we would have contractors removed and replace all effected sheetrock. The resident said it was unlivable and complained that since he worked from home it was unacceptable to wait three days. It was explained that our obligation was to assess and repair within a reasonable amount of time based on the repair needed. The effected areas were not major and did not keep him from using his apartment. We offered a Gift Card in an amount equal to 3 days of rent for the inconvenience. When we tried to enter to remove equipment as communicated, the resident refused entry to our staff and demanded advanced notice. We made a special arrangement for sheetrock work to be performed the following Saturday so that his at home work would not be disturbed as well. When the contractors arrived, the resident told them it was not a good time and refused them entry. As of today, we have sheetrock repair rescheduled for this Saturday. Our Maintenance Supervisor will be present during the job and take pictures before and after the job. This was one of two apartments effected and no concession or transfer arrangements were made to (nor requested by) the third floor resident that took on more of the water damage. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/04/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The 3 large dehumidifiers placed in the apartment that ran all day and night each made about as much noise as an outdoor leaf blower. Now imagine 3 of those going in your apartment 24 hours a day that also blocked me from using the kitchen at all. Also realize that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) states on their website "OSHA requires employers to implement a hearing conservation program when noise exposure is at or above 85 decibels averaged over 8 working hours, or an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). Hearing conservation programs strive to prevent initial occupational hearing loss, preserve and protect remaining hearing, and equip workers with the knowledge and hearing protection devices necessary to safeguard themselves." So no, the apartment was not suitable to live in at the time, and I also explicitly stated in my emails how painful the noise was to my ears and disruptive it was to be in the unit at all. As stated, since I work from home and am bound by law to maintain certain privacy regulations involving my client's information, I demanded advance notice (as is my right by law) on that Wednesday, since you stopped responding to my emails. I then gave your staff a time the following morning on Thursday when they could come by and pick up the equipment when I would be away from the unit. Considering I had to leave my apartment beginning that Thursday morning and DID NOT RETURN UNTIL THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY EVENING, your statement that I " told them it was not a good time and refused them entry" on the original scheduled Saturday is factually and provably false. The privacy lock was not engaged and any staff with a unit key could have provided the contractors entry. You also never provided any communication on that Saturday because if you had, I could've told you the apartment was open to any staff member with a key. You also would not respond to any email communications or provide written notice, and instead only called me while I was working.

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