Arbor View and The Pines

Current Resident 828493

Resident • 2012 - 2013

Rent a house in beechstone if you dont have any problem staying in an old building community with the rats,ants etc else Just stay away.

Current Resident 724583

Resident • 2011 - 2013

Pretty freaking terrible. The office does not know what it's doing. Our rent changes every other month. The maintenance men either show up unexpected, or not at all. Hot water is a joke. Our neighbors are REALLY loud and obnoxious, but TGM will do nothing about it. Police have shown up near our unit 3 times in the past few months. Kids set fire to a storage unit this past summer. Laundry facility is a joke. Gym is a joke. And the actual apartment slowly falls apart with everyday living. Lived here for 2 years too long. The dumpsters are pretty much the best part of Beechstone. Do yourself a favor and buy a house before paying rent here. A mortgage is a better option.

Current Resident 941368

Resident • 2011 - 2012

REVIEW: This was our general experience: the staff is negligent and irresponsible. If they make a mistake, you can trust they'll somehow put it on you. They're never reasonable when you have a legitimate reason to pay rent a day or two late, they don't respond to phone calls - especially when they begin to recognize your number and they know you're calling about a problem they haven't addressed. They're condescending - they have no respect for you, no matter who you are. There could be no greater nightmare than Beechstone - the only match is any other apartment complex managed by TGM Properties: you'll quickly realize, if you call the parent company, that these people are the leasing company equivalent to one of the big banks: abusively and systematically creating ways to assess fees and create problems that generate more revenue for them on your back. The apartments look alright from the outside or at first glance - but they're a money pit and the company will never take accountability for this. I cannot stress how badly you must avoid these people. Under different property management this might be a great place... under TGM Properties it's a lost cause. 1) When you need help from management, have something to report, or you attempt to follow-up, you get a 'deer-in-the-headlights response' with greater consistency than anything else. 2) Maintenance is nearly anonymous: the staff is constantly turning over except for a person or two and you never really see them around because much of what goes reported goes unfixed. Either TGM makes their jobs thankless or they're well-paid for not doing much at all. It's one of the weirdest relationships I've ever had with maintenance taff in any apartment complex I've lived in. 3) Our apartment was smaller than the square footage claimed on account of slanted floors and ceilings: half of one room was useless because shelving units would tip over with weight - and the cupboards in the kitchen would scrape the ceiling. Why these dwellings are slanted is beyond us - but we have pictures that might help the reader understand what we mean. 4) Spaces designed for specific things in the original unit designs are no longer serving those purposes, resulting in awkward space distributions, e.g., there was laundry space in each apartment at one point: these have been turned into some bizarre space they claim to be a closet or desk space when they give you a tour of their apartments. In reality, it's become a pretty useless space that nothing really fits into properly. Another detail that wastes space. Adjacent walls are covered with wood pieces that are, presumably, covering the space where pipes were once placed for laundry machines. 5) Carpeting was not properly affixed the entire time we were there (see pictures)creating undulations in some spaces and fraying in corners all over the unit. It was something that was easy to overlook at a quick glance but once you live in these circumstances you begin to find it's quite evident and annoying. 6) Paint is cheap, throughout the entire unit: it feels chalky and is easily stained with even the most casual brush of an item on the walls. The minute you move in you will end up putting marks on the wall by simply leaning things against it in the process of moving. 7) Beechstone and TGM Properties avoid coating before painting between tenants: tobacco stains stream down the walls if you move into a unit where a smoker has lived. See attached pictures. 8) The company's (TMG Properties and Beechstone) priority is to make money at any cost, not to produce a loyal relationship with a tenant. They will find every opportunity to charge extra fees, e.g., if you are late on rent they charge $15 per notice to EACH tenant, though one notice would be perfectly fine for the dwelling (they are PERMITTED by law to do this, but they will defend their practice by stating they are REQUIRED to do this by law: this is NOT true, but they assume tenants are too ignorant to understand legal procedure with any clarity). They're never reasonable when you explain why you might be a day or two late for rent, instead they put you into a domino effect of fees they then try to tack on to you - fees they will tack on even when they make a mistake, as they did with us, of losing a rent check (we're not the only ones whose checks have been "lost" - more reviews on this and other sites will show that they tend to lose checks and then impose fees claiming that made the rent for that month late). I could write an entire book on issues like this. It's too tedious, but there are many, many stories like this spanning just a few months for us - I can't stress how much more I would have to write to enumerate many other situations like this in detail. 9) You might be more educated, come from a much better place, be well-traveled, influential, (and in the case of many residents: an Armed Forces member), whatever: the staff is arrogant and act entitled when you confront them with issues repeatedly. They basically act as though you're a complete ignoramus. If you're used to being treated with respect and expect that from someone you pay a lot of money to each month, you may want to avoid this place. 10) The staff is uncommunicative and will eventually stop answering the phone when they recognize your number. The parent company (TGM Properties) is the same once you elevate the complaint to their level. You then realize, it's the corporate culture. They go out of their way to find people who need these jobs and are more than happy to adapt to these behaviors: ask if any of them live there, however. By now you should realize none of them do. 11) We had a loft, which comes with the most expensive units. It's not useful: they're very hot, impossible to move furniture into, and the space is too narrow as the roof slopes. They seem nice at a glance. They're not practical at all, however. 12) The loft stairway is very dangerous: narrow and slippery due to the carpeting, which is not even fastened properly on the steps. (A lawsuit waiting to happen: read below to familiarize yourself with the attorney who represents Beechstone: Matthew G. Stachowske. This is who you will deal with when you feel compelled to sue this apartment complex and the parent company, TGM Properties). 13) You will be surrounded by pet waste: some neighbors just don't care and management will not confront them. Neighbors will sometimes have to stick signs next to pet waste with such charming messages as "will the ***hole who let their dog take a dump here come back and pick it up?" Some neighbors actually stand at the door for their building while on their cell phone, act all aloof while Cujo takes a gigantic dump right in front of all the other units, and then just flagrantly walk back to their unit like they bear no responsibility for this dog crap. TGM, Beechstone management, and Stachowske should be the ones picking this fecal matter up. 14) The teenagers in the complex stole minor things from our vehicle - hitch tabs, for example... 15) The teenagers there have also caused some issues that are reported in news media, such as fires. (Google "Beechstone Portsmouth Fire"). (https://www.google.com/search?client=gmail&rls=gm&q=beechs portsmouth fire). We're talking more than ONE fire. 16) The hallways are dirty, hot in the summer, and cold in the winter. They make a terrible impression on visitors and seem abandoned by management. 17) The laundry and gym close far too early for busy people. The laundry (at least) should be open 24 hours since tenants have electronic keys for it anyway (it's otherwise inaccessible to non-tenants, but management has a master lock that controls overall access hours to these facilities through the allocated electronic tenant keys - they could be far more flexible with hours given the existing security arrangement). 18) It would be nice to use the back exit in each unit but it's reserved as a fire escape. This limits your ability to move things in and out or to go out for air if you need to without going out into the parking lot. 19) For some odd reason, criticisms of the complex, which abound in reviews and in fact at the complex, are taken very personally by the staff and even TGM Property folks who will often respond to these reviews, on websites like this (it's very evident)and attempt to justify their actions despite the volume of consistent criticism. 20) Essentially, the staff at Beechstone and TGM Properties is part of the weirdest, most cult-like, zomby-like corporate and management culture where fees are the key target revenue - not rent. Please note ALL the reviews so you can pull this picture together in the aggregate beyond the examples we give here: be careful to note how reviews worsen over time, and watch carefully for reviews that are obviously written by Beechstone and TGM Property staff members. RATING ITEMS: In terms of the things we're asked to rate here, I will say the following... The problem with parking is you often get people parking in your spot. People really just won't learn until they are towed. As far as noise - it's very quiet - sometimes it's actually a bit eerie. The landscaping is basically adequate - it could improve, substantially, based on what they charge - including the pet rent, which should cover some mechanism to protect residents from those who let their dogs go to the bathroom anywhere and never pick their waste up. In terms of lighting, it seems safe. The presence of police officers driving around is something to be torn on: you need to ask yourself why they are constantly there and then you need to worry about some level of harassment: pretty much the feeling you get when you're on the highway and a cop is right on your tail, even if you're going the speed limit. As far as construction - these people band-aid everything - see my review. Regarding maintenance: most if not all reviews will suggest that maintenance at this complex is weirdly absent. You see the folks who work maintenance around but the repair work is never consistent - things go unresponded to and the work done is never thorough. The staff at Beechstone is nothing less than the worst, least professional, malicious and vicious puppets for a larger company that is pretty much the same: don't avoid Beechstone alone... avoid TGM Properties at any cost, anywhere in or outside of New Hampshire. This is probably the most evil company I've ever had to work with as a tenant. See my review above. Summary: Portsmouth is nice - but overpriced downtown. Beechstone seems tempting on account of this - the price seems fine for Portsmouth but in reality this is not worth the money paid each month and they will find every possible way to tack on fees - every chance they get (when they ***claim*** you're late with a rent payment, you will start receiving bills that include charges, for example, for emails between a Portsmouth attorney by the name of Matthew G. Stachowske and Beechstone for upwards to 60 to 70 dollars - ***per email!*** - when they try to scare you with a "summons"). You'll walk away refusing to pay fees (we needed an attorney to put Beechstone and Stachowske in their place more than once - and even then they still try to get you for bogus fees through collectors, once you leave), because you will realize that most of the charges are completely bogus. The location is great, but without proper management this will be your worst nightmare. We would add more pictures but the site limits us to the amount already uploaded.

Current Resident 445275

Resident • 2012

Bugs! Oh my god the bugs! The day we signed the lease the leasing agent walked us through the apartment. As soon as we walked in we saw a bunch of dead sow bugs in the kitchen. She came back and cleaned them before we moved in but now that we are in the apartment the onslaught is never ending. Killed more than 30 of them tonight. I understand a few bugs getting in the house, but this is an infestation. The hallways smell and the carpeting is dingy and gross out there. Repairs done to the apartment before we moved in are half assed and look like crap. And yes, most the management team is extremely unprofessional. The week we moved in the place was in the local paper because someone kicked in a girls door and stole her underwear. I read these reviews and still chose to move in here because I was in a tight spot and this was available and within my price range. Do not make the mistake I made. Stay well away from this place unless you are an avid entomologist.

protection_needed

Resident • 2011 - 2012

The management is very Poor. Not having proper system for leasing. Each one at office will tell their own leasing terms and conditions. For no means they will give you tough time if there is any change in the lease (addition or deletion of any memebrs). The manager is rude and arogant. The management just want money, your comfort is not their goal. Not worth for the money. Laundry is a nightmare here. No tennis court, no poo, no community hall, nothing. They are having one small childrens area. That too did not have proper equipments and not safe for kids. White Cedar near to this community is better than TGM. It was worth for the money. Lots of facilities you can enjoy there. By the name of the security deposit they will hold your money. When you move out, if they want to do any cosmetic changes to the apartment, they will try to find the reason to charge. Because of water leakage in the top floor, my neighbour's bath room ceiling had fallen down. Luckily nobody was there inside. The maintenance guys will not give you proper fix.

Current Resident 256237

Resident • 2010 - 2012

Do not move in! Management is terrible. They are extremely unorganized. They lost one of my checks and lost my application with all my personal information on it! I had ants in my bathroom in the winter time, and mold growing on the ceiling from the above apartments leaking toilet that they just painted over! When i moved in they never mentioned community heating. I never turned on my heat and my heat was over 200 a month. they divid the cost by only the units occupied. Parking is horrible. someone else was always parked in my designated spot. For the amount of money you pay, go elsewhere!!!!

Current Resident 189804

Resident • 2012

NICE PLACE AT FIRST. THE OFFICE STAFF WELCOMES YOU WITH WATER AND COOKIES. THEY SMILE AND ACT NICE.YOU SIGN YOUR LEASE AND MOVE IN. ITS ALL OVER AFTER THAT. IF YOU CAN GET THERE ATTENTION THEN YOU CAN TELL THEM YOUR COMPLAINTS, BUT THEY TALK TO YOU LIKE YOUR STUPID. ALL COMPLAINTS NEED TO BE IN WRITEING. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT WAS THE NOISE FROM THE GATHERINGS NEXT DOOR UNTIL 5:00 IN THE MORNING. THIS IS A WEEKLY THING. CALL THE POLICE WAS THERE SOLUTION. I THINK THE POLICE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THEN BABY SIT BEECHSTONE. ITS LIKE A COLLEGE TOWN OR THE PROJECTS. THE DOWN STAIRS PEOPLE SMOKE OUTSIDE AND THE SMOKE FILLS THE KITCHEN.SMOKE FREE APARTMENT IS ONLY THE UNIT YOU RENT. IF YOU RENT HERE AND I WOUDN'T EVER AGAIN, PUT ALL THINGS IN WRITEING AND COVER YOUR BUTT. 12 MONTHS IS A VERY VERY LONG TIME. BEST OF LUCK.

reinalynn

Resident • 2010 - 2012

We lived in Stonecroft for about 19 months and just left because we moved out of state. I don't have any idea what these apts were like in the past, but we actually really like living here. We had a fairly large space for the money, and they were extremely helpful whenever we needed maintenance or had a question. They have a very reasonable pet policy and the grounds were nice and shaded with several little (well-stocked) doggie bag dispensers to prove they truly cared about both pet owners and keeping the area nice. Oh, and our kitchen was remodeled fairly recently and was AWESOME!!! Our only complaint was actually the noise level of our neighbors, who were very nice but couldn't keep their visitors from talking loudly in the hallway late at night. I would definitely recommend this apartment complex!

Current Resident 258194

Resident • 2012

Havent been renting long BUT when I moved in there was a list of things that needed to be fixed. No water pressure shower and complained twice. The screens to sliders were ripped and handles to windows were broken and was told a stick would do. Apartment is infested with spiders. Maintenance comes in and dont leave a note when they have been there and leave a mess on the floor. If you a day late with rent that charge $75 late fee plus $15.00 LAWYER letter fee for each person renting the unit so I was out $90 becaue i had a roomate on the lease. One day late but its ok for them to have you wait 2 months to fix the buzzer on your front door to let you know someone is outside wanting to visit. The hallway smells terrible and even the postman told me the office people are nice until they get you to rent there and then they act like they dont know you. And if you like stepping in dog poop then this is the place for you. Even though they provide bags, dog owners will look all around to see if people are watching and if not then they walk away.Also had people enter my apt when i was home for an inspection and they told me they notified people. I did not see the letter and was startled when i found a group of people unlocking my door and walked in!! Thiis doesnt please me in the least. And dont get me started on the recent fire they just had from kids playing with matches. I think they place is overpriced with slow repairs. If they are going to average a tentants heat bill with all other units in one builing then people should just pay a flat rate with untilities included. Why the hell should I pay for someone who wants to crank the heat all day while others are being conservative??? Expect to pay about $160 a month for gas and hotwater. And one bedroom the cable outlook doesnt work and said there was nothing they could do and the other outlet in the other bedroom sparked ans smoke poured out and already ruined 2 tv's. I even had maintence tell me the place is not wired correctly but they are just too cheap to fix it. Thats my review. There are better places out there so dont be fooled.

Current Resident 300604

Resident • 2006 - 2012

Dog Poop in the Hallway!

I have a dog, I love dogs...with that said, there are way too many dogs here! Really big dogs too. A huge dog pulled away from it's owner and attacked my little dog! Pet owners are not responsible, there is poop everywhere and this morning I found poop in the hallway. Personally, I survived the apartment fire and was treated terribly. They refused to change the carpet after the fire, only dry it. It smells really moldy in the apartment. The ceilings leak, toilets run constantly, water pipes break, etc and they expect the tennants to pay for the water! Now, a whole bunch of young coast guard folks have moved in and it is extremely noisy...loud parties, running up and down the stairs in the hall, fighting, drinking parties. Management has done nothing to remedy this issues. Horrible Place to Live...you've been warned.

Current Resident 135498

Resident • 2007 - 2012

Safety concerns with recent fires & police activity

I agree with the negative reviews listed in this forum, unfortunately. My main issues are: 1. Quality of tenants let in past couple yrs- punky kids lighting fires (i.e. the shed burning down a couple days ago). Suspicious building fire a couple years ago. Frequent police activity. 2. Punky kids left unsupervised (of all ages!!) on playground. 3. Of course the way the heating and water is billed. Being charged for everything including garbage and sewer. 4. We've put in numerous complaints about noisy neighbors (WAY above and beyond "normal" apt noises i.e. screeming, fighting, which always go seemingly unaddressed. I think what's most upsetting is the number of complaints on this forum and management not addressing the very common shared concerns. Do they read the reviews??? With the amount of online marketing they do, I'd think they'd want to do some damage control at some point.... It is one of the only rentals in the area allowing dogs. It is a great, convenient location. Could be nice, but changes need to be made.

spanishdaisy08

Resident • 2009 - 2012

May 2012: The apts are super nice, but that is where the happiness ends. They charge you for EVERYTHING & not fairly (one person in an apt pays the same as 4 for water/sewer/trash). Pet fees are $30/month/pet REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE S DAMAGE. AND my cats got FLEAS when we moved in (NEVER HAD THEM BEFORE) but all I was told was "Well, you have no proof."...should ve been a warning then. When neighbors are having screaming fits @4am, they don t care. When you re in the hospital & your rent is a day late, they don t care & charge you an extra $75. When you lose your job & can barely get by (my rent was $1034/month for a 2br & after finally getting a job at Target, I was/am only making $1100/month...they told me to go to a food bank so I could at least make rent. I even offered free translation services to supplement, but they weren t interested in any compromising). Your rent WILL got up EVERY TIME YOU RENEW YOUR LEASE NO MATTER WHAT! New residents were getting the same apt I rented for $200 less! They care only about the money & nothing more. It was heartbreaking. Go to Cimarron Apts in Seabrook (no ratings on here)...not as nice a town as Portsmouth, but I lived there for 5 yrs & never had a problem with safety or the landlords. They cared & left you alone! Update April 2013: I have tried calling this complex multiple times because they decided to charge me when I moved out, even though they still had my security deposit. I tried to find out what I was being charged for, but no one ever called me back. I have been harassed by collectors for the last year & almost couldn t rent another apt because they put those charges on my credit report! I m still trying to fight it, but can t get a response from the complex. If the company is reading this, PLEASE CALL ME BACK! I should NOT be charged for anything, especially considering the original charges were less than the security deposit you still had! The major stain on the carpet in the hallway was from when the water heater busted & caused mold, which you specifically told me you would NOT be charging me for. CALL.ME.BACK.PLEASE.

Current Resident 734203

Resident • 1999 - 2012

Never again

I've lived in this complex for 20 years. Before the new managment company took over I probably would have recommended this place to everybody. Now I can say that this place is the worst. They had the audacity a few years ago to make tenants who's apartments burnt down re-apply for apartments, put down new deposits and even raised their rent. DO NOT RENT HERE.

Current Resident 615132

Resident • 2011 - 2012

Worst Place Ever!!!

Do yourself a favor by not living in this apartment community. I have took up a 1 year lease and have been repenting ever since. 1. The management staff are so arrogant and don't care about the residents' concerns. 2. The fittings in the apartment are at least 50-60 years old. 3. Although each apartment has an assigned parking spot, I had a nightmare of a time parking because my spot was usually taken by other residents or their guests. In spite of giving a written complaint to TGM Associates, they gave an impression as if it was my problem and they cannot do anything. 4. Another big concern is the utility bill. It not based on your usage, but based on the entire community usage. Even though you do your best to save as much electricity as you can, if someone else is overusing, you will be charged for it because it is divided by the entire community usage. I stayed alone and per month, my electricity bill was between $170-$210, which is ridiculous. I can just go on and on, but to cut the long story short, I would definitely not recommend this place for anyone.

bhagat.ali

Resident • 2006 - 2012

Hi, If you read this review, you probably done something right today!! Save yourself and find another place to live. These apartments are not worth the money they charge for rent. The apartments are really old and make a lot of noise no matter how softly you walk. They did remodel the kitchen and put in new appliances but they did that because they were probably paying more to repair the old ones. The thing i hate about this apartment is the leasing office, especially the director of this place. Do yourself a favor and try not to pick up any conversation with her. I dont know what it is about them, I dont know if it is the nature of their work or they are simply that bad. They think they are the royal family of Portsmouth. Their wish and rules are meant to be followed. You get penalized even if you deviate an inch. Their motto is "No Exceptions!!". Bottom line is...dont stay here. You will definitely find a better place than this. Regards.

Current Resident 398535

Resident • 2011 - 2012

petition for beechstone apartments and AMERICAN UTILITY MANAGEMENT

the heat and water is not billed per unit. It is recorded for the entire building and split amongst the 339 units. Some units have washer and dryers while I do not, which means im paying for their water and heat. The bill is consistently a $160 each month even when I go away on business trips. Please file a complain and petition. Thank you New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission Consumer Affairs Division 21 South Fruit Street, Suite 10 Concord NH 03301-2429

Current Resident 34936

Resident • 2010 - 2012

Beechstone Apartments a Dismal place to live

I would not recommend this apartment complex to my worst enemy. The children at the playground are not monitored by any adults and the noise from teenagers "playing" there goes well past 9pm. Only to be woken up by screaming teenagers the next morning at the bus stop. Often work orders are logged with the office and magically disappear. They have no sence of urgency or concern for there tenants, especially when it comes to break -ins. I have known of multiple break ins that have been reported yet nothing is alerted to the community to make them aware. The office places no urgency in assisting the victom. Bathroom and wall quality is poor, they actually used clear tape to cover a huge hole and then painted over it upon my move, thinking i wouldn't notice. The tri-fold doors are consenstly breaking - due to poor quality. I currently have 4 broken doors that are just propped in. The heat and water is not billed per unit. It is recorded for the entire building and split amongst the units. Some units have washer and dryers while I do not, which means im paying for their water. The bill is consistenly a $100 each month even when I go away on Holidays. During the winter while it snows you are not allowed to park in your assigned parking spot and have to park in the visitor section. If the plows come and your car hasnt been moved they will tow you. Beechstone does not provide tenants with a time that the plows are coming so this becomes and all day/night event. Very unorganized. There is not enough visitor parking to accomodate the tenants so cars just end up on the side of the road. Do yourself a favor a dont live here.

Current Resident 553010

Resident • 2009 - 2012

Worst place ever. When my husband and I first moved in, you couldn't beat the price of Beechstone. Unfortunately the rent goes up every year. And it doesn't go up in small incrememts, it goes up by $100 or more at a time. We moved out right before the price would have raised to over $300 of what it was when we moved in. No way is Beechstone worth that kind of money. Especially seeing as upon moving in our air conditioner, toilet and garbage disposal were all broken and needed to be replaced. The buildings at Beechstone are OLD and very run down. The apartments may look decent with fresh, white paint and new carpet, but the mold comes through soon enough. My husband and I were "fortunate" that our apartment had only a few small patches of mold. I heard several horror stories of people having to be moved to different apartments because of mold and rainwater destroying walls and ceilings. The maintenance workers are prompt and they do try to fix what they can, unfortunately their hands are tied by management (who only think about the budget) and they usually just leave a note saying what they PLAN to do to fix the issue, and then it never actually gets fixed. For example: one of the parking spots in our building's small lot had a large pothole in it. Instead of filling in the hole, they blocked off the spot with a series of traffic cones, and when they kept getting knocked over, a row of wooden rails. The spot remained blocked from use for well over a year and was still blocked off when we moved out. One more example: when we first moved in, the carpet in the hallway wasn't fitted into the bathroom doorway properly so when you closed the bathroom door it was starting to push back the carpet, exposing the cement floor below. We notified maintenance and their solution was to haphazardly refit the carpet by slicing up the linoleum bathroom floor, leaving about an inch-wide gap of exposed cement between the carpet and the linoleum. Sure, it stopped the carpet from getting pushed up, but it looked terrible! The utilities are very expensive at Beechstone. The heat is electric and the ancient doors and windows are extremely drafty, even with draft guards and shrink wrap. The building hallways are ice-cold in the winter, just a few degrees warmer than outside! Light from the hallway could be seen around all four edges of our door. It was completely unacceptable. the door should have been replaced years ago. We routinely received electric bills over $200 in the winter months, just to keep the temp at 65. When we first moved in we were told that we would receive a $40 bill for water/sewer/trash removal every three months. Soon after they changed to a different company, which was located in Illinois, and without any notice we started receiving $50 bills every month! The bills would be received around the 18th, and they would be due on the 2nd of the next month. Even if we mailed it out within a couple days of receiving it, it wouldn't be cashed until the 3rd and we would get hit with a $10 late fee. The company also charged a $7 fee to pay the bill online. It was ridiculous! Lastly, the community went way downhill in the few years we lived there. At first I would walk my dog around the complex and I would see other people walking their dogs and lots of friendly people. Slowly but surely most of those people have moved out. Towards the end I hardly ever saw any dogs out walking. A wave of recent immigrants have moved in, and to say that they don't like dogs is an understatement. My husband had a woman scream and slam the front door of our building in his face when she saw our small dog, and we both had people cross the street to avoid us on many occasions. Once a woman picked up her child and ran away screaming as I approached them. Having entire familes stop what they were doing and blatantly stare at us was a common occurance. Even grown men would leap back if you crossed paths with them. These are not exaggerations. It got to the point where I dreaded taking my dog out of the apartment. It really was a shame because dog-friendly apartments are rare. I did not include this in my review to be offensive, I'm simply being honest about our experience and you can take from it what you will. I would want to be warned if I had a dog and were considering moving here.

Current Resident 552886

Resident • 2012

No redeeming qualities.

When my husband and I first moved in, you couldn't beat the price of Beechstone. Unfortunately the rent goes up every year. And it doesn't go up in small incrememts, it goes up by $100 or more at a time. We moved out right before the price would have raised to over $300 of what it was when we moved in. No way is Beechstone worth that kind of money. The buildings at Beechstone are OLD and very run down. The apartments may look decent with fresh, white paint and new carpet, but the mold comes through soon enough. My husband and I were "fortunate" that our apartment had only a few small patches of mold. I heard several horror stories of people having to be moved to different apartments because of mold and rainwater destroying walls and ceilings. The maintenance workers are prompt and they do try to fix what they can, unfortunately their hands are tied by management (who only think about the budget) and they usually just leave a note saying what they PLAN to do to fix the issue, and then it never actually gets fixed. For example: one of the parking spots in our building's small lot had a large pothole in it. Instead of filling in the hole, they blocked off the spot with a series of traffic cones, and when they kept getting knocked over, a row of wooden rails. The spot remained blocked from use for well over a year and was still blocked off when we moved out. One more example: when we first moved in, the carpet in the hallway wasn't fitted into the bathroom doorway properly so when you closed the bathroom door it was starting to push back the carpet, exposing the cement floor below. We notified maintenance and their solution was to haphazardly refit the carpet by slicing up the linoleum bathroom floor, leaving about an inch-wide gap of exposed cement between the carpet and the linoleum. Sure, it stopped the carpet from getting pushed up, but it looked terrible! The utilities are very expensive at Beechstone. The heat is electric and the ancient doors and windows are extremely drafty, even with draft guards and shrink wrap. The building hallways are ice-cold in the winter, just a few degrees warmer than outside! Light from the hallway could be seen around all four edges of our door. It was completely unacceptable. the door should have been replaced years ago. We routinely received electric bills over $200 in the winter months, just to keep the temp at 65. When we first moved in we were told that we would receive a $40 bill for water/sewer/trash removal every three months. Soon after they changed to a different company, which was located in Illinois, and without any notice we started receiving $50 bills every month! The bills would be received around the 18th, and they would be due on the 2nd of the next month. Even if we mailed it out within a couple days of receiving it, it wouldn't be cashed until the 3rd and we would get hit with a $10 late fee. The company also charged a $7 fee to pay the bill online. It was ridiculous! Lastly, the community went way downhill in the few years we lived there. At first I would walk my dog around the complex and I would see other people walking their dogs and lots of friendly people. Slowly but surely most of those people have moved out. Towards the end I hardly ever saw any dogs out walking. A wave of recent immigrants have moved in, and to say that they don't like dogs is an understatement. My husband had a woman scream and slam the front door of our building in his face when she saw our small dog, and we both had people cross the street to avoid us on many occasions. Once a woman picked up her child and ran away screaming as I approached them. Having entire familes stop what they were doing and blatantly stare at us was a common occurance. Even grown men would leap back if you crossed paths with them. These are not exaggerations. It got to the point where I dreaded taking my dog out of the apartment. It really was a shame because dog-friendly apartments are rare. I did not include this in my review to be offensive, I'm simply being honest about our experience and you can take from it what you will. I would want to be warned if I had a dog and were considering moving here.

Current Resident 514973

Resident • 2011 - 2012

Cant wait to move

My boyfriend and I were new to this state we have a dog so apartment shopping was found to be difficult we moved in this summer and will be moving OUT once the lease is up. The maintains is awful your problems do not matter, aside from when we signed the lease no one in the office is friendly. My apartment did have new carpet as stated at lease signing. The unit is not bad but noise and parking are big problems. Doing laundry also presents to be a problem.

saubrey82

Resident • 2011

NO WAY!!!

I have lived here for 4 years and it was ok the first year. It went way downhill from there. The place was dirty when I moved in. There where little things wrong all over the apartment: door missing of a closet, toilet clogged, cat hair everywhere, creepy bugs wondering around... Around year 2 it all hit the fan: convict neighbors having brawls downstairs, another set of neighbors having weird freaky fights and leaving weird porn material on each other's cars. Both people had serious run ins with the police and where still rented to. So there is no screening. Another man told me he was going to shoot my dog while I was walking her around the block. Beechstone said I could have my washer and drier hooked up when I moved in and then turned around and said the rules changed and no I couldn't anymore. When the snow melted this year and we where getting rain, my apartment had leaks everywhere. One of the bedrooms was so soaked that the ceiling burst open and there was water damage everywhere. It stunk, the carpets where saturated. Their solution was covering it up with a coat of paint and having me use their industrial size water vac every time the carpets filled up with water. I told them the conditions where unlivable and they said everyone else was dealing with these issues too like I wasn't close to a priority for them. I was pregnant at the time and sick all the time. they could care less. Now that I have gotten smart and moving out at the end of my lease, they have given me this itemized list of what they will charge me if they have to clean my bath tub 40$, sink 30$, If my blinds are not dusted they charge me 30$..... This place was filthy when I moved in. Don't move here! It's overpriced and crappy!

ConvictJones

Resident • 2010 - 2011

Do not live here.

They tried to make us sign the lease before we even saw our apartment stating that it was to allow the maintenance crew to clean. When we moved in there were bugs on the floor. Most of the outlets where faulty and needed to be replaced. The windows had a ton of dead bugs stuck in them. The shower door doesn't work in the stand up shower. Over time they had thrown out my girlfriends laundry that had sat overnight. They had charged us more rent after we renewed our lease. And most importantly, and I cannot stress this enough, the management is completely clueless. They have always made everything a hassle, and I have been so frustrated at times I wished that I could leave.

Current Resident 434501

Resident •

Look somewhere else

I lived there for 12 years and can say that it's gone WAY downhill over the past 3 years (new management) Buildings are run down, issues go unaddressed (mold in your walls ? sure - cover it up with a coat of paint and re-rent to somebody else !)They try to squeeze every last penny out of tenants and offer nothing in return. Repairs are cheap half-baked band aid fixes and big issues (like flooding) go unaddressed. Some of the office staff is good and others completely useless. You have to get everything in writing and even then it's usually a battle. Apartments are extremely noisy, they do a terrible job at plowing, rent/storage/pet fees/trash removal goes up every year with no real rhyme or reason to it. I will say the grounds are kept fairly nice but that's honestly about the only positive I can say. The negative reviews here are not rantings of a ticked off tenant, they're the truth and should be given some serious consideration before deciding to move here. (Beechstone,Stonecroft and Colonial Pines are all the same complex - don't be fooled) May 2012 - recently read in the paper that police were called to Beechstone 3 times. 2 domestic abuse calls and 1 drug bust. They no longer care who they rent to as long as they can make some short-term money off of them.

hooru

Resident •

Depressing

Nobody is happy here, and management doesn't help. The spirit here feels more like a prison than a community, as rules are constantly changed or added (one assumes) for managements lack of interesting ideas that would actually make paying tenants happy, comfortable, and want to stay. The place is grey, bland, uninteresting, and with all of the hidden fees and costs in addition to rent (which they do not disclose at move in, even if you ask, and increase seemingly randomly and without notice or explanation), it's no wonder the vacancy rate is so high here. Probably the only reason people actually moved in here was because of the old rental manager, who was great! Now that she is gone so is anything good this place had going for it. If you must move in, bring your Prozac. You will need it!

Current Resident 95148

Resident • 2011

You are last on their lists of priorities...

I have been living here for a couple of months now and one day, my front door would not close and lock properly. I would use my key to lock the door and when I pushed it slightly, it'd open. I called the front office at 9:30am and was told that someone from maintenance would fix it in a few hours. Hours went by and I called back at 6:30pm and was told that maintenance was off duty. I stayed up all night just to make sure no one came into my apartment at night. I was not comfortable sleeping with an open front door. The next day I called the front office again and they told me the same thing, someone from maintenance will help me in a few hours. As a resident here, you are last on their lists of priorities. They do not strive to please the tenants nor help them in times like these. Please keep that in consideration...