Residents of Athens' newest apartment complex have mobilized against the management staff, circulating a complaint petition signed by more than 220 people out of the 418 who live there.
The Summit at Coates Run officials recently hosted town hall meetings to address resident concerns, but only 18 people came, said Jessica Nix, spokeswoman for Place Properties.
A lot of people seem to be congregating and speaking to each other rather than bringing it in the clubhouse
she said.
Complaints have accumulated to include lighting problems, insect infestation, miscommunication between residents and staff, scarce parking and trash build-up.
Nix said her company inherited many of the problems from former management company HHHunt.
Pat Macatangay, an Ohio University senior, said he expected overhead lights throughout the apartment, but there are only a few strips of track lights in the living room and none in the bedroom.
The confusion arose because students viewed a model that did not represent exact layouts because the actual building had not been finished, Nix said.
Most landlords are not liable for promises made orally, in a model apartment or in an advertisement, wrote Paul G. Wilkins, the supervising attorney for the student housing legal clinic at Ohio State University.
Other complaints involve maintenance.
Maris Watts, an OU senior, said she has all kinds of bugs in her apartment.
Nix said she thinks that the insects inhabit the apartments because the buildings were constructed in a wooded area. Exterminators will come out for free if requested, Nix said.
Other residents said the management has a history of poor communication.
Place Properties took over for HHHunt Aug. 17, but residents were not notified until Sept. 2. Place Properties drafted a news release, but never sent it, Nix said.
Had we have known that so many of these issues would have arisen we probably would have sent out (that)release to let everyone know 'Hey we're taking over
' she said.
Summit staff did not send e-mails to residents because the e-mails were marked as spam. The staff is fixing that problem right now, she added.
Residents also complained that they have trouble finding parking spaces, because workers are constructing new buildings that will open in January.
Nix said that parking issues will be resolved once the new apartments open, but the management can do nothing for the residents until then.
The management also has no control over the trash compactor's location, which has fueled other complaints.
The trash compactor is far away for most residents and if employees don't run it, the trash piles up, Watts said.
Nix said the management plans to buy a compactor that will crush the trash automatically, Nix said.
Residents pay between $585 and $635 a month for the apartments and have their own bedroom and bathroom and a shared living and kitchen area.
I'm sorry that anybody has had a bad experience and I just hope that everyone else will give us a chance
Nix said.
gb273306@ohiou.edu
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Gail Burkhardt
