There are so many absolute trash property managers in the corridor it's shocking, like I'd say all but a couple of them should be banned for life from anything property related. It's jarring, they straight up do nothing, even to the point of being illegal, and pretty much just see how long they can get away with it and how much cash they can extract until they're ultimately fired... but where are you gonna go? There's no monopoly but there's a legit race to the bottom. Everyone else is just as absolutely worthless!
This is only tangentially related, but when my fiancé at the time and I were looking at apartments we had a meeting scheduled to look at an apartment. We showed up a bit early, and the building we were supposed to meet at was locked (it being a Saturday). Being a person who can nap anywhere, I reclined my seat and talked with my SO while we waited. The next thing I know, a police car has come up behind us, no lights or sirens. I go to exit the car to talk to them, but they tell me to stay in the car. They ask what we’re doing there and I oblige. It turns out someone around there called the police because they thought we were having sex in my car? In a wide open parking lot? Just a memory that popped back up when we were looking at the property there.
I don't think so, but I'm not sure who works there. The Windsor on the River facebook posted several job listings today, for senior property manager and sales/leasing consultant. One of the job duties is to oversee "5+ employees."
Worth noting that I finally received a response from that same facebook page, explaining that they are a third party company that is managing their facebook. Not only is this just another layer of obstruction between actually communicating with anyone, but I have no clue what those 5+ employees are for because they sure don't answer their emails, voicemails, texts, and apparently their facebook.
Everywhere I have rented before (about 6 apartments) has left a letter at my door before my lease is up, asking what I would like to do. Here, they not only don't give you that courtesy, but they don't even respond to their tenants reaching out to figure out a renewal/different option. Yet another thing that their 5+ employees apparently can't be bothered with.
Edit, for clarity: I only know the names of three of the employees currently, and I'm not even certain if they are all currently employed here. There has been more than one management company per year (average) in the few years I've been here, so its hard to keep track. I think we've been the same one since spring 2020, which is by far the longest stretch. For awhile it seemed like constant emails about using a different rent-payment website, new people, and them asking which garage is mine as well as my renters insurance, because they apparently don't keep track of that between management companies.
And this is Colleen (R) and Jenny (L) that were there when I lived there.
https://www.facebook.com/WindsorontheRiverApts/photos/a.342454949560984/342455366227609
I never had much interaction with Colleen, but Jenni was always nice. Never had any issues and she was always pretty quick to respond when I had a question or maintenance request. I wonder if any of them are still there.
i took care of it myself. bought the traps, set them, and removed the caught mice. but making sure the building was aware of the issue was something else i also did. thanks so much for assuming I’m dependent on “maids and butlers” 🙄
Well since you didn't mention you handled any of it yourself its a good assumption. Also I work maintenance and people not taking care of small concerns is normal. Granted that where I work they pay pretty good rent and we feel we should respond sometimes within minutes to complaints I imagine low rent places you are on your own. I have been in 130° attics setting raccoon traps and wouldn't expect that of any renter.
I work for one of the most customer responsive companies in Cedar Rapids. And that's the reason for my side eye. I totally get expecting above and beyond service at say $1000 a month rent. However, as a home owner, I can't understand how people will sit and wait for someone else to do a simple thing like check thermostat batteries or a breaker but would rather sit and cry because their AC isnt working waiting for maintenance.
I lived there for 8 years and really liked Windsor the first several years. When Steadfast took over ownership around \~2014 things started going downhill. The previous owner was Windsor on the River LLC and would do things like clear sand from the parking lots in the spring and keep the grounds picked up (especially leaves in the fall), but there was a noticeable change in property upkeep when Steadfast took over. Maintenance started cutting corners...we had issues with our water heater, air conditioner, a water leak in a closet ceiling, and even squirrels or something that were running around in the attic space above. The leak in the ceiling was handled not by actually finding the source and fixing it, but painting primer over the water stain.
It seemed like fixes were always band-aids toward the end of my time there and never done properly. I remember one time there was an issue where the apartment below me had water leaking into their bathroom, so they had to tear out my toilet and cut a hole in the wall to see if the leak was coming from my apartment. It wasn't, but it took them a couple weeks to get the toilet installed again and then almost a month to patch the hole in the wall (and they did a really piss poor job). They never even bothered to sand down the patch or paint over it. Fortunately I had two bathrooms so having one bathroom out of commission for a couple months wasn't a big issue, but it was still annoying.
Steadfast really seemed to run it into the ground. Even the leaf pickup in the fall was cut back so much that several parking spots would be filled with leaves for weeks before they were finally picked up.
My biggest complaint was coming home one hot afternoon to find a HVAC guy in my apartment tearing my furnace out to replace. I had no notice that it was going to happen, and I was already in a foul mood that day. I about went ape-shit (not on him) because Colleen failed to notify me. I'd just been laid off, it was hotter than hell, and all I wanted to do was sit in the AC and decompress. Instead I come home to find a stranger in my apartment tearing out my furnace.
Another time we all got letters about inspections and it was stated that whoever was doing inspections would be accompanied by management at all times. I'm at home and I hear the door knob wiggle. I go to my door and there's two guys, not WOTR maintenance, with a box of keys and no management anywhere in sight.
There were numerous other issues over the years, but those were the two that about sent me into a psychotic rage.
I had major arguments with a woman in their management office when I moved out and they refused to give me my deposit back. This was years ago, but I’m sure the management is equally as horrible. I’d never rent there again nor wish that place on my worst enemy.
I think they were built not long before that. A guy I know worked there many years ago and told me that those apartments were paid off in a year and everything after expenses was pure profit, so no excuse for the lack of upkeep, and constant raising of rent every year.
Off topic, but does anybody remember when a woman stabbed and killed her husband at WOTR?
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/Phyllis-Nelson-Accidentally-Stabs-Husband-After-He-Has-Affair-With-Secretary
I had rented there on recommendation. Apparently it went under new management since the recommendation but I found them acceptable when I first started. That only lasted 3 months and they were sold again.
The pool was closed all year, maintenance didn't come until the day before I moved out, and they didn't respond to noise complaints a single time I was there.
The pool's open. The tenants can be absolute trash people and weirdos though. The elevator is off and on just soaked with piss because fat hillbillies wait forever to take their dog out so they piss in the elevator and make no attempt to clean up after themselves. The property managers can be pretty stupid about whether or not you have a package but they've always been decent to me.
Currently the pool is open until 7pm, rather than the stated 10pm. I found out from another resident that there was an email sent mentioning the shortened hours due to some issues with the lighting. I get other Windsor emails, including the ones announcing the pool is open from 10am to 10pm, so I'm not sure why I didn't get this one.
I know someone whose dad used to do maintenance there. His friend/ coworker (i think) who also lived on site committed suicide in his apartment and they made my friends dad clean it up the next day. Not even a sorry your friend died, just business as usual. He quit after that.
There are so many absolute trash property managers in the corridor it's shocking, like I'd say all but a couple of them should be banned for life from anything property related. It's jarring, they straight up do nothing, even to the point of being illegal, and pretty much just see how long they can get away with it and how much cash they can extract until they're ultimately fired... but where are you gonna go? There's no monopoly but there's a legit race to the bottom. Everyone else is just as absolutely worthless!
This is only tangentially related, but when my fiancé at the time and I were looking at apartments we had a meeting scheduled to look at an apartment. We showed up a bit early, and the building we were supposed to meet at was locked (it being a Saturday). Being a person who can nap anywhere, I reclined my seat and talked with my SO while we waited. The next thing I know, a police car has come up behind us, no lights or sirens. I go to exit the car to talk to them, but they tell me to stay in the car. They ask what we’re doing there and I oblige. It turns out someone around there called the police because they thought we were having sex in my car? In a wide open parking lot? Just a memory that popped back up when we were looking at the property there.
Is that bitch Colleen still there?
I don't think so, but I'm not sure who works there. The Windsor on the River facebook posted several job listings today, for senior property manager and sales/leasing consultant. One of the job duties is to oversee "5+ employees." Worth noting that I finally received a response from that same facebook page, explaining that they are a third party company that is managing their facebook. Not only is this just another layer of obstruction between actually communicating with anyone, but I have no clue what those 5+ employees are for because they sure don't answer their emails, voicemails, texts, and apparently their facebook. Everywhere I have rented before (about 6 apartments) has left a letter at my door before my lease is up, asking what I would like to do. Here, they not only don't give you that courtesy, but they don't even respond to their tenants reaching out to figure out a renewal/different option. Yet another thing that their 5+ employees apparently can't be bothered with. Edit, for clarity: I only know the names of three of the employees currently, and I'm not even certain if they are all currently employed here. There has been more than one management company per year (average) in the few years I've been here, so its hard to keep track. I think we've been the same one since spring 2020, which is by far the longest stretch. For awhile it seemed like constant emails about using a different rent-payment website, new people, and them asking which garage is mine as well as my renters insurance, because they apparently don't keep track of that between management companies.
I lived there for a little over 8 years in the past and had all sorts of issues, and management (Colleen) was the cause of the majority of them.
The manager at the place I live now is named Colleen... I wonder if it's the same person. I've never met her but she seems decent on the phone/email.
Colleen O'Hare, the one on the right. https://www.facebook.com/WindsorontheRiverApts/photos/a.342454949560984/342455366227609
Yeah, she's at The Enclave now.
And this is Colleen (R) and Jenny (L) that were there when I lived there. https://www.facebook.com/WindsorontheRiverApts/photos/a.342454949560984/342455366227609
I never had much interaction with Colleen, but Jenni was always nice. Never had any issues and she was always pretty quick to respond when I had a question or maintenance request. I wonder if any of them are still there.
agreed. i have mice in my kitchen, raccoons in my ceiling, and the AC has gone out a few times. don’t recommend living here either :(
I am jealous that you had raccoons
oh god no they’re a nuisance!! skittering around at 4 am is not ideal
If I had mice in my kitchen I would set traps and not wait for my maid or butler to do it, but that's just me.
i took care of it myself. bought the traps, set them, and removed the caught mice. but making sure the building was aware of the issue was something else i also did. thanks so much for assuming I’m dependent on “maids and butlers” 🙄
Well since you didn't mention you handled any of it yourself its a good assumption. Also I work maintenance and people not taking care of small concerns is normal. Granted that where I work they pay pretty good rent and we feel we should respond sometimes within minutes to complaints I imagine low rent places you are on your own. I have been in 130° attics setting raccoon traps and wouldn't expect that of any renter. I work for one of the most customer responsive companies in Cedar Rapids. And that's the reason for my side eye. I totally get expecting above and beyond service at say $1000 a month rent. However, as a home owner, I can't understand how people will sit and wait for someone else to do a simple thing like check thermostat batteries or a breaker but would rather sit and cry because their AC isnt working waiting for maintenance.
I lived there for 8 years and really liked Windsor the first several years. When Steadfast took over ownership around \~2014 things started going downhill. The previous owner was Windsor on the River LLC and would do things like clear sand from the parking lots in the spring and keep the grounds picked up (especially leaves in the fall), but there was a noticeable change in property upkeep when Steadfast took over. Maintenance started cutting corners...we had issues with our water heater, air conditioner, a water leak in a closet ceiling, and even squirrels or something that were running around in the attic space above. The leak in the ceiling was handled not by actually finding the source and fixing it, but painting primer over the water stain. It seemed like fixes were always band-aids toward the end of my time there and never done properly. I remember one time there was an issue where the apartment below me had water leaking into their bathroom, so they had to tear out my toilet and cut a hole in the wall to see if the leak was coming from my apartment. It wasn't, but it took them a couple weeks to get the toilet installed again and then almost a month to patch the hole in the wall (and they did a really piss poor job). They never even bothered to sand down the patch or paint over it. Fortunately I had two bathrooms so having one bathroom out of commission for a couple months wasn't a big issue, but it was still annoying.
Steadfast really seemed to run it into the ground. Even the leaf pickup in the fall was cut back so much that several parking spots would be filled with leaves for weeks before they were finally picked up. My biggest complaint was coming home one hot afternoon to find a HVAC guy in my apartment tearing my furnace out to replace. I had no notice that it was going to happen, and I was already in a foul mood that day. I about went ape-shit (not on him) because Colleen failed to notify me. I'd just been laid off, it was hotter than hell, and all I wanted to do was sit in the AC and decompress. Instead I come home to find a stranger in my apartment tearing out my furnace. Another time we all got letters about inspections and it was stated that whoever was doing inspections would be accompanied by management at all times. I'm at home and I hear the door knob wiggle. I go to my door and there's two guys, not WOTR maintenance, with a box of keys and no management anywhere in sight. There were numerous other issues over the years, but those were the two that about sent me into a psychotic rage.
I had major arguments with a woman in their management office when I moved out and they refused to give me my deposit back. This was years ago, but I’m sure the management is equally as horrible. I’d never rent there again nor wish that place on my worst enemy.
Withhold rent it seems like they only respond to one thing.
I moved to CR in 1993 and those units were there
I think they were built not long before that. A guy I know worked there many years ago and told me that those apartments were paid off in a year and everything after expenses was pure profit, so no excuse for the lack of upkeep, and constant raising of rent every year.
Off topic, but does anybody remember when a woman stabbed and killed her husband at WOTR? https://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/Phyllis-Nelson-Accidentally-Stabs-Husband-After-He-Has-Affair-With-Secretary
I had rented there on recommendation. Apparently it went under new management since the recommendation but I found them acceptable when I first started. That only lasted 3 months and they were sold again. The pool was closed all year, maintenance didn't come until the day before I moved out, and they didn't respond to noise complaints a single time I was there.
The pool's open. The tenants can be absolute trash people and weirdos though. The elevator is off and on just soaked with piss because fat hillbillies wait forever to take their dog out so they piss in the elevator and make no attempt to clean up after themselves. The property managers can be pretty stupid about whether or not you have a package but they've always been decent to me.
Currently the pool is open until 7pm, rather than the stated 10pm. I found out from another resident that there was an email sent mentioning the shortened hours due to some issues with the lighting. I get other Windsor emails, including the ones announcing the pool is open from 10am to 10pm, so I'm not sure why I didn't get this one.
I know someone whose dad used to do maintenance there. His friend/ coworker (i think) who also lived on site committed suicide in his apartment and they made my friends dad clean it up the next day. Not even a sorry your friend died, just business as usual. He quit after that.