Review History for SanMarinLoverNot

Just Say No

OK so where do I begin? Note that this reveiw has been a work in progress since I decided to buy my own place and not renew. So I've added to this over the course of 6 months. Let's start from the beginning. Move in day. I call the day before to make sure everything was good and they confirmed. I show up with the moving company and go to the office at 1:30 and the office is closed. All employees are at an awards banquet or some sort. I had to get maintenance to call an office worker to get me my keys. And when he showed up, it was like I was inconveniencing him! Jerk. So I get into the apartment and I smell cat piss and smoke. I was getting Camel Bucks in the mail so it was obvious the person living there before me was a smoker. So much for the new carpet I was promised. Oh yeah, the garbage disposal had a hole in it and leaked all over the kitchen until I could figure out where it was coming from. So much for like-new move in conditions. As I lived there, every morning there was trash in the parking lot. Apparently from the raccoons getting in the dumpsters. Not to mention dog crap EVERYWHERE. But some of that comes with apartment living and I'm easy to please. But it got worse. First time I renewed they said they would come to do a once over and clean carpet etc..... I scheduled it, but it never got done. I called a few times but it just didn't happen. I soon just gave up as the management was not too concerned. Afterall, I had already renewed. Second renewal time comes and they offer me a "great" deal jacking my rent for a 1BR by $80/mo and saying I have 60 days to give notice. Then... with LESS than 60 days before I need to renew, they send me a better deal by raising my rent by lesser amount. Nice logic there. Also, they have done nothing about the underground poker rings that go on there at night (this was told to me by a member of the old management--which is a reason parking is so bad) as well as dogs running around without leashes and homeboys cranking up their stereos and spinning their tires in the parking lot. Not to mention the 1980's Cadillac body shop being run out of one of the garages. Over the last 4-5 months, I felt less and less secure. As I would walk my then girlfriend back to her car at night (~11:00PM) there would be people just sitting in the parking lot by the garages in the back of the complex. VERY CREEPY. New management came in and they decided to paint. And they did paint. Including my sliding door out to my balcony. Thanks for the new view. Also, the painters would hit on my girlfriend saying very vulgar things but not in English. However, both of us are fluent in Spanish. I mentioned it to management, but no response. In fact, the new management's answer to anything was "Well that's not really our fault because that happend with the old managment." So new isn't necessarily improved right? Finally, the complex decided to re-seal the countertops in a unit directly above another unit my friends lived in. The sealant is very toxic (at the management's own admission) and the fumes seeped into their unit below. So much that they were unable to stay there that night because the info sheet on the product they used said it was potentially fatal if inhaled or not ventilated. So basically, they were forced out of their apartment, without warning or notification. Luckily I had a place for them to stay for free. Other general notes: On average, you will receive one notice a month either saying someone was mugged in the parking lot while checking her mail, a car was broken into or there have been break-ins and to tell you to be "on the Look-Out". One neighbor of mine I met at the pool decided to start packing heat because of it. MICE! The folks across the hall from me have caught 3 mice in the last 48 hours of me writing this! And they are on the 3rd floor. You know it's bad if the mice can make it all the way to the thrid floor. Go to the office at least 2 times a month and ask for packages. Because they NEVER tell you one has arrived. I've had packages sit there for 2 months. AND... make them check twice, because they'll go back there, rummage around then say you don't have one, even when you have the sticker the UPS guy left on your door. Buy your own lighbulbs and window screens. I have some that are missing and asked many times for them to replace to no avail. Buy your own propane tank if you want to grill by the pool. The complex's is always empty. And some goofball thinks it cool to use charcoal in a gas grill. Expect a large crowd of people at the pool. They come from all up & down Duval Street. They did, however fix my A/C once when it went down. Relatively quickly too. But that was in old management times. Any good reviews you read here.. I would take with a grain of salt. The "Just a thank you..." poster below..... personally, I can't believe that. And it was written at the time the old management was there. Final note.... LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE. I'm buying my own place so good riddance San Marin. Definitely not the best place I've lived.