New owner, management vows to correct problems at two Cedar Springs complexes
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
Since Venterra sold 4123 and Park West on Cedar Springs Road to Sun Equity and Lincoln Property Company took over management, the complaints have been piling up — and so has the trash.
Lincoln Property issued an apology with an excuse. But within hours of Dallas Voice running a short piece about the problem online, five code enforcement officers showed up and began writing citations.
The pools at both properties were filled with algae and closed to residents. One resident sent an email that said,
“We just received a notice that the pool is closed — see attached. Hours after claiming all was well and they fixed it.”
The attached note reads, “The pool area will remain closed as some repairs are made. We are working with the necessary vendors so that we can reopen the pool as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.”
The pool area was closed on Thursday, March 31, after code compliance officers cited it for unhealthy conditions.
Lincoln Property said the problem began before they took over management.
“There were various maintenance issues throughout the communities that needed immediate attention, such as inoperable pool pumps. We hired the appropriate maintenance and had the pools back up and running within days of the transition,” Brandy Lawrence, senior regional property manager wrote in a letter to residents on Thursday.
Poop bags in the dog parks were another major concern, especially at Park West, which has always been marketed as a great place for dog lovers and owners. Renters there are allowed to have up to three dogs with no breed or size restrictions.
One resident said he ended up going to a pet supply store and getting bags for cleanup himself after six days of more than 100 dogs using the pet park. “We pay dog pet rent for this,” he noted.
Another resident, who asked not to be named out of fear of retaliation by the property managers, said the garage door has been broken and left open at Park West. He blames that for his bike and other property being stolen from his storage unit. He believes a non-resident got into the property and took his belongings rather than the thief being one of his neighbors.
Several people contacted Dallas Voice about deliveries. One resident said he never had problems with packages being left at his door. Now, the property uses a locker system. To access the locker, either someone from the office needs to be there, or a resident can gain entry with a code from an app. But the app isn’t working, and someone’s only in the office during business hours. The resident said he’s normally at work during the hours someone’s available.
Another resident said the office isn’t notifying residents that they have deliveries. It’s one thing if you know you’re expecting something, but one resident was surprised with a dozen roses. By the time she learned, days later, they were waiting in the office, the roses were dead.
The resident payment portal is another contentious issue for residents. The old portal was closed, and the new one was not available until late in the month. One resident claims that it is illegal or, at least that it violates the lease agreement, to change the payment process without proper notice and tenant agreement. In order to change how payments are made, the person said, residents must agree in writing, either with a new lease or an addendum that is signed by all parties.
One tenant told Dallas Voice he wants to form a tenant’s union. He suggested tenants find an attorney to hold rent payments in escrow until all the problems were corrected.
He also questioned whether the management company, Lincoln Property Company, is in breach of its contract with Sun Equity, the company that actually purchased the properties from former owner Venterra.
Another resident complained that her lease was up, but the new manager couldn’t find her old lease to renew it.
A former employee said they offered to work with the incoming staff to let them know where things were, what vendors they used and special things they’d need to know to run the property smoothly. She said Lincoln turned down the offer.
Meanwhile, code compliance officers spent time at both 4123 and Park West at the end of last week. Dallas Voice filed an open records request for copies of any violations. We’ll post those online if the city responds.
We also asked Lincoln Properties Senior Regional Property Manager Brandy Lawrence when residents could expect various repairs and remedies would be complete. We will post a response from the company on our website as soon as we have it. Lawrence had said she was committed to correcting problems.
Here’s the response we received from Lincoln Property Company just after we went to press:
Dear Park West Residents,
We wanted to reach out to follow up on the initial letter that was shared on Friday, April 1st and address some concerns that have been brought to our attention.
Our garage door was damaged by a vehicle on March 21st. We immediately engaged with a vendor and signed a bid for a part replacement. As of this afternoon, this replacement has been completed.
The pool is undergoing capital improvements but is still being maintained by a pool vendor and cleaned regularly. These improvements will ensure the pool is ready for the heavy use we expect in the summer months. We will send a notification once the pool is open again for resident use but will continue to keep you updated on progress.
We are cleaning the pet parks twice a day Monday through Friday, and once on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, we do have bags available in the pet stations around the community and in the office for resident use. Please feel free to stop by the office and pick up bags or let us know the stations that need to be refilled.
We have not made any changes in trash service since the transition and have addressed the handful of concerns with the District Manager of the vendor as they have come up.
As mentioned previously, we are committed to delivering the highest level of service at this community and are available to address any issues and concerns promptly. Please continue to reach out to myself at 214-890-5049 or call the community directly at 214-219-3100 if there is anything we can do to improve your living experience.
Sincerely,
Brandy Lawrence
Senior Regional Property Manager
This community is marketed with a heavy emphasis on luxury living. I’m not saying it wasn’t without problems before, but this present living experience is anything but luxurious. Exactly what are we paying for of most of the amenities we’re supposed to have aren’t available to us? The “prestige” of living in 4123? I want to give this new company the benefit of the doubt, but I am not impressed. The staff don’t seem to know anything and the woman they’ve placed at the front desk seems very rude. The living conditions need to improve considerably for me to consider maintaining my tenancy.
I feel like alot of apartments are not up to Par in the neighborhood and yet rent prices keep rising ….rising for what? Amenities that dont exist and havent for the longest time. Its truly frustrating to think if they slap some paint on your balcony, that will help you overlook all the negative issues that consistently dont get addressed.
Lincoln Properties and Brandy Lawrence don’t seem to know how to manage anything. Multiple, similar situations around town such as 3227 McKinney Uptown Towers. If Lincoln is the manager steer clear!
Lincoln Property had similar issues at The Nash! Non existing management and overflowing trash bins throughout. Amenities fee w/out any amenities and excuses left and right. Not surprised.