Sage Terrace Apartments-Group Five Management Poor handle of water instrusion, horrible customer service Kalamazoo Michigan

On Monday, March 24^th, 2014 at approximately 7:30 A.M. a 3” city water pipe burst in the laundry room of my apartment building subsequently flooding the four apartments located on the first floor. At the time I left my apartment, there were at least five inches of water in my unit and more rushing into my apartment. At approximately 8:30 A.M., I received a call from Sage Terrace, informing me that they were finally able to stop the water. The water had been flowing for over an hour.

Upon my return to my apartment later that day, there was a team from American Restoration removing the water from my apartment. Upon speaking with the American Restoration employees, they indicated that the carpet in my apartment was not salvageable and should be replaced to prevent the growth of mold. There were only two air blowers in my apartment at this time. My apartment is 935 square feet.

The next day I returned to my apartment to find the apartment VERY humid with condensation dripping off of my windows. My clothing, bedding, and other fabrics were wet to the touch. There was still standing water on the bathroom and kitchen floors and inside my kitchen cabinets. There were only two air blowers in my apartment. I was very concerned about the growth of mold and why dehumidifiers were not being used in my apartment.

On Thursday, March 27^th, I went into Sage Terrace’s Main Office and spoke with Jessica, the general manager. I expressed my concerns about my apartment’s condition and the condition of my property. The moisture in the air was also starting to soak into the walls. The carpet and carpet pad were STILL soaking wet after four days. Jessica informed me that everything was getting taking care of and the carpets did not need to be replaced.

 As a manager at an apartment complex myself, I know the importance and necessity of having dehumidifiers as well as air blowers in the units to properly dry after a water intrusion. I insisted on having two dehumidifiers in my apartment (because of the size of the unit) as I wanted to prevent to growth of mold. Finally one household dehumidifier was placed in my apartment. It was not an industrial size dehumidifier. On Saturday, March 29^th, all air blowers had been removed.

I have been out of my apartment for nine days with no accommodations offered. The staff indicated that I could move my things into another apartment but I would have to move back into the original apartment. I work full time and this was not a realistic option for me. Overall, the way the water intrusion has been handled is completely unacceptable. Because the proper amount of equipment was not used in a timely fashion it caused a bigger problem, expanding the timeline as to when I can move into my apartment.

On April 1^st I returned to my apartment after Jessica informed me that my apartment was ready to move into. Not only was the dry wall peeling and mold was behind it, I also took moisture readings of the walls and carpet. The readings indicated that the apartment was STILL wet after nine days which, of course, is increasing the chances of mold growth. At this point in time, I have tried to contact the corporate office 4 times in 24 hours as well as sent two emails with NO RESPONSE.

I expressed my concerns to the office staff and they said that they would call me later. At this time, I am still without a place to live as my apartment is unsafe and still has moisture in the walls and carpet. I was told that if I turn in my keys today I still have to pay rent until someone is able is found to live in this apartment. They are also still requiring me to pay the rent for the days in which I have not been allowed to stay in my apartment.