not so great..." readability="114">
by Pam
(Mt. Clemens, MI)
The balcony crumbling
The rebar rust
More balcony crumbling at joint
Bathroom vent
Okay, so I found what I thought would be a great little place for quite a while.
Actually the apartment is cute at first viewing, one bedroom, living room/dining area combined. Really too small for living room and dining area but nice for LR. Small kitchen, but great for one person.
However the appliances leave something to be desired, the stove is a Caloric and 16 years old, parts broken, all scratched up on dial panel, timer and clock not working and they can't fix it, frig is just as old as stove. It has a huge balcony, goes end-to-end of the apartment. That is great!
Bathroom is good sized for a one-bedroom place. Shower, tub, the usual stuff in bathroom.
Things I noticed I did not care for: The sink/vanity has no drawers, or cupboard below it, so you have to get a shelf or small table for the bathroom. The carpeting, although it was new when I moved in, is indoor/outdoor carpet not pretty, but well-padded due to floors being cement. The walls between the apartments are concrete, so it is somewhat soundproof. Huge gap under the entry door to the apartment. All closet doors are metal, all the shelves in the closets are metal, and some are rusted at the hinges. There is a huge doorwall to the balcony, and one large window in the bedroom. They were not easy to open or close, so they told me just use some WD40 on them? Huh? I thought that was their job.
There is a small vent in the bathroom, that is so caked with stuff, dirt etc., that you cannot see the inside of it.
During a severe storm a few weeks ago, the ceiling in the living room leaked so badly I had to cover my computer with plastic, it leaked from the seam at the doorwall ceiling, and in the bedroom, it leaked from the middle of the room at the seam to the floor, and all over my bookshelf and books. The bedroom window tracks were clogged, because the water poured in under the windows to the floor.
Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. So, I reported it to the management team, and they sent the maintenance person to my apartment. She showed up with the cleaning lady, and they actually had the audacity to stand in my apartment and tell me that it leaked from the wind shears directions. That the force was so strong it caused leaks?? Huh? Concrete does not leak, or at least it is not supposed to.
So, I go out to the balcony, and the concrete is compromised, it is crumbling, and chunks missing, and rust stains down the sides of the white walls. Rust stains are from the re-bar rusting. Something is seriously wrong here. My move-in inspection was the whole front of the list and the entire back of it.
So far, to date (9/05/2010) they have only fixed one thing, I fixed two myself.
I could go on and on, but why? The reason I am writing this, so if you are looking for a place to live, look closely, check the ceilings, the doors, everything! You will be living there, if you are not happy with it or even a little bit hesitant, don't sign anything, keep looking. I wish I had!
So, in closing would I pick this place again, no. I would certainly look closer at the apartment before I said I wanted it, like for leak spots on ceilings, rust, etc. So, I am currently applying for residence at three other places I have seen, so by the time my year here is up I can move out.
The name, I am sorry to say is Park Place Towers in Mount Clemens. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
On a scale of 1-10, I rate it a low 1. On top of all of that, I have only been here 1 month!!
Wendy's Two Cents: Pam, Believe it or not, that is the same low income senior apartment that my father lived in, we loved that place! I wrote about it (but didn't name it) on my website here!
It sounds like it's falling into disrepair, he had no leaks, though I do remember the balcony was crumbling a little bit.
Dad died in December 2005, so its been five years since I've been there... I'm kinda not surprised as so many organizations just don't have the money to do things like they did a few years ago. It's a tough economy out there,....
You might try the Macomb County Senior Citizens Dept. Call to see if they can help, or scroll down the page and click on Senior Housing for a huge list of senior low income apartments!
Best Wishes!
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short-term money often trumps ideal long-term planning. Like with a regular IRA, you can get your money anytime from a 401(k) plan, since it is your money. (An exception to the general rule is matching contributions which have not yet vested.)