ComplaintsforThe Aspens Apartments

• Initial Complaint

  01/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In January 2024 I submitted a maintenance request for a back sliding door that can be forced open easily just by pushing on the door from the outside. The maintenance person came by and tried to fix it. He said he had fixed it but when I checked it out in front of him it still opened when it was supposedly locked. He then said they would have to call their vendor to have it looked at. A few days later, when I wasn’t home, the vendor apparently came out to fix it. When I noticed that nothing had been fixed or changed out I called the front office. They told me that the vendor told them the lock is fixed. With the apartment worker on the phone I tried it out. It did not work. I asked her to come over so I could show her. She refused. She says I could put a stick to keep it from opening. They would not provide the stick. I expressed to her that this is a safety issue for myself and my 5 year old son. I asked to speak to the apartments owner(s). She refused to connect me with them. I did offer to get the issue fixed myself if they would deduct it from my rent. Once again she refused. I was told it was not an important issue.

  Business response

  02/05/2024

  Contacted resident so I could go take a look at the issue myself since our maintenance team and paid vendor came out and did not find anything wrong. Resident stated he would like to be home and would give me a call but have not heard back from him. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I placed a work order for an inoperable refrigerator on Sunday, 18 June. After spending a week out of town. I lost about $500 in meats and perishable foods. $600 in medication. The medication has to be refrigerated. I followed up every couple of days. Explaining the issue. The "guy" will check it out and see if it needs replacing. I followed up with another few call with a response of refrigerator should be delivered this week. A refrigerator will be installed Thursday or Friday. That was last week. As of today, Monday I still do not have a functional refrigerator. 3 weeks since I placed the work order. I called again today, tomorrow the refrigerator should be delivered. Install Wed or Thurs. I chuckled and said delivery on the 4th, not happening. So I will be living out of an ice cooler until I end my lease at the end of the month. I honestly believe that I am being blown off due to not renewing my lease. So the new occupant will have a new fridge, while they are on the ball for the rent is due emails, but not completing work orders. I always paid my rent early, I have always been understanding. But this is now unacceptable. I asked for the property manager today and got blown off. She will call you back. Not very, I have to call back repeatedly to get ahold if her. She is no better at resolving issues. I am dissatisfied with this place.

  Business response

  07/24/2023

  This issue was addresser with the resident and he received a new refrigerator 

  Customer response

  07/24/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It took 3 and a half weeks to replace. I lost $500 in meat and food products. Plus $1200 in medication. 

  They gave me no monetary relief and basically shrugged their shoulders. A refrigerator isn't a requirement. Was some of their response.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** **** 

   

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, the consumer must give a reason why they are rejecting the response. If the consumer does not provide a reason the complaint will be closed Answered]

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dates: May 30th - July 14th (present) Money: $1224/month Business committed to providing a habitable living space for tenants and keeping advertised amenities working at total capacity. Nature of the Dispute: HVAC continues not to work and is unreliable. Business refuses to make long-term, lasting changes. The Business accepts "recurring issues" such as building electrical issues blowing a fuse every other week. Also, advertised amenities that tenatns pay for, such as the community pool, have been inoperable for 9+ month. The Business makes superficial efforts to resolve the HVAC issue. According to management themselves, many other residents have the same issue and are backed up. This is UNSAFE in the ABQ desert heat. Order Numbers: Maintenance Request #******* Maintenance Request #******* Maintenance Request #******* Maintenance Request #*******

  Business response

  07/29/2022

  *****,
  
  I have received your complaint through the Better Business Bureau.
  
  We have been in contact with you throughout the process of repairing your air conditioner.
  We did apply a rent abatement of $220.21 to your account.
  
  We apologize for the pool not being opened earlier in the season. The pool operates from June to October.
  We did have delay in opening this season as we needed repairs done by a pool company. The pool company, like many other businesses, did not have adequate staffing to address our concerns in a timely manner. Once the repairs were completed, and inspections done, we were able to open the pool safely for our residents.
  
  We apologize for the delay, and hope that we have addressed all of your concerns adequately.

   

  The Aspens Apartments 

• Initial Complaint

  06/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have had numerous issues with repairs, including a roof leak causing damage to my ceiling and water leaking since 3/22/22. I contacted the office and maintenance immediately on 3/22/22 and it is now 6/28/22 and nobody has fixed this, or even looked at it. My air conditioner has not been working/cooling since 6/8/22 and has still not been fixed. After this rain, the unfixed leak has resulted in my ceiling opening up and the hole spreading and pieces of ceiling have dropped on my floor. The apartment staff are aware of these worsening conditions and still haven't done anything to fix it or help me. I am also out of a working microwave and garbage disposal. I have put in maintenance requests (which they have canceled in the online maintenance portal multiple times), and contacted the office multiple times, and nothing is getting done. I emailed the property manager again to make her aware of this and there has been no follow up or resolution. I have had to leave a large trashcan under my ceiling and air out my apartment because of the moisture and odor from the leak. I have come home from work twice to an overflowing trash can because of the leak. I work 12-hour shifts and can't be home all the time to monitor this issue. This is dangerous and inconvenient. I live on the top floor and this leak is dangerous to my neighbor below as well, not to mention the potential for mold or injury since the ceiling has a structural compromise. Please help me. Nothing is being done, the property manager is rarely there, and other staff aren't honest about when things will be fixed. I haven't been able stay in my apartment at times because of the leak and the heat, since nothing is being fixed. I had to borrow a portable air conditioner/fan just to be able to be in the apartment because of how hot it gets without my apartment's air conditioner working, I can't microwave any food, and my garbage disposal doesn't work.

  Business response

  08/16/2022

  ********,
  
  I have received your complaint through the Better Business Bureau.
  
  We have been in contact with you to complete your work orders. 
  

  We apologize for the delay with the roof repairs.
  We did have delay in these repairs, like many other businesses, did not have adequate staffing or supplies to address our concerns in a timely manner.

  Once the repairs were completed on the exterior we can schedule a time to complete the ceiling repairs inside.
  
  We apologize for the delay, and hope that we have addressed all your concerns adequately.
  
  The Aspens Apartments 

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Apartment complex refuses to remedy A/C claiming staff shortages and vendor delays. This has been 3 weeks since our original request, and we have been living in temperatures from 90-100 degrees as a record breaking heatwave crosses the southwest. I have threatened abatement and collected signatures from other tenants who also site this as a recurring issue - maintenance requests going beyond the 7 days allowed legally by tenant/landlord rights in New Mexico. We should not be required to pay rent for the days this issue has gone unresolved.

  On Saturday, May 28, in the mid-afternoon, we noticed that our AC fan was not kicking on. We called the emergency 24-hour number provided to us by the Aspens and a technician came out. He attempted to repair the unit but left and told us to contact PNM as it was their box that was preventing the unit from turning on. I called PNM, who came out later that evening, and attested that he flipped a switch and all should be fixed. The fan kicked on, but no cool air blew out. He told me to contact the apartment maintenance again. On Sunday, May 29, I submitted a request for maintenance and stated the above situation had not resolved our problem and that our A/C was still not working. On Friday, June 3, I called the front office to check on the status of this request. I spoke with Olivia. She told me that my order was still in the system, and that maintenance was behind on work orders but I would hopefully hear back the following week. She told me that she would put in a reminder for my request. On Wednesday, June 8, I called the front office to check on the status of this request again. I spoke with Alexis. She told me that my order had been marked "completed" the day that I submitted it, Sunday, May 29. I know this isn't true, because the maintenance request in the system says it was marked "completed" on Tuesday, June 7. I also know it isn't true because I have been working from home and have been personally sitting in our 90+ degree apartment every day since the request was submitted, and no one has come to repair or take a look at the unit. It also isn't clear why Olivia would tell me that my request was in the system when I spoke with her on Friday, June 3, if Alexis claims it was already completed on May 29. Even further, May 29 was Memorial Day weekend, and the office was closed both May 29 and 30, so the maintenance request could not have been completed in that time frame. When I spoke with Alexis (June 8), she informed me that she would put in a new maintenance request for our apartment, but that we would be at the bottom of the list. I found this completely unfair as it is very clear we had a work order that was incorrectly marked complete against our own knowledge. She submitted the request and I then contacted the property manager and assistant property manager, Theresa and Meaghan respectively, to file a complaint and express that I would be looking into rent abatement and that I believe they prematurely closed the request in order to avoid me doing so. Theresa responded that the office is short-staffed and she would ensure we were on the vendor’s list for the following day, June 9 at 3 pm. Meaghan responded with the following explanation, “I just went over your work order information. Yes, maintenance on call did come out and recommended that you give PNM a call. A tech from PNM did flip some switch and called it a day. I believe maintenance did check out your unit from the outside (without having to enter the apartment) and everything else seemed well. If that was not the case, I do apologize.” It is still not clear to me why a maintenance request that specified that the air was not cool, would be resolved by a simple outside inspection of the unit. But again, Meaghan assured me I would be on the vendor’s list for the following day. On the afternoon of June 9th, I received several text messages and phone calls from the apartment complex that the vendor had looked at our unit and determined that a capacitor was missing. He ordered the part and would be returning Saturday. On Saturday, June 11, I called the apartment complex mainline around 3:30pm to inquire about when the vendor would be out. I believe I spoke with Gabby. She told me that the vendor had rescheduled for Monday, June 13. I asked that they keep me updated when changes are made. It is worth noting here that on Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11, temperatures reached over 100 degrees outside and our apartment's thermostat was at the max temperature of 90. It was undoubtedly hotter. We both experienced heat exhaustion, and I had a heat stroke, passing out for 10 seconds and then vomiting for hours after. We cannot afford emergency medical treatment, so we relied on our knowledge to treat heat stroke at home by spending the day in cold water in our bathtub. I decided to pay for myself to stay at an Airbnb for the two nights as I was concerned for my safety. On Monday, June 13, I contacted Theresa & Meaghan to inquire about missing mail and noted that our A/C had still not been fixed. Theresa responded at 12:50pm that she would follow up with me. Around 2:30pm, my partner arrived home and discovered that the A/C was still not fixed so he went to the front office. He spoke to a front associate who told him the vendor had rescheduled for Tuesday, June 14, and that the apartment’s maintenance crew was not qualified to make the repairs needed. I emailed Theresa informing her of this contact with the front office, to which she responded, “I am sorry for the miss communication from the office- We do not have a vendor coming out we are waiting on your new compressor to come in. I just spoke to the vendor, and he stated it will be in our hands first thing in the AM and maintenance informed me they will install once they have it in hand. If you don’t mind communicating with me directly, so I can make sure you have the correct information and there is no confusion.” After receiving this message, I inquired with the New Mexico Legal Aid and then spoke with a friend who is an attorney. He helped me understand my rights as a tenant in this situation. He informed me to call the State Health Department as these temperatures are uninhabitable and My attorney also encouraged us to seek rent abatement for this and reimbursement for the Airbnb we rented. Those forms are included in this packet. He also encouraged me to get in touch with a local tenant union, which I did. They helped me draft a letter to represent tenants in the building who may also be experiencing this issue. On the evening of Monday, June 13, I spoke with several residents about this issue and collected signatures in solidarity demanding this be fixed within 7 days, which is more than enough time when we consider the original date we began this journey was May 28. I will continue to collect signatures and inform tenants of their rights until this issue is resolved. While not every signature represents someone waiting on a maintenance request, these signatures represent the witnesses to this event. Many residents we spoke to also cited similar issues with having maintenance repairs completed in the past. On the evening of Monday, June 13, I emailed Theresa & Meaghan letting them know that I would be pursuing abatement and hiring my own technician if the issue was not resolved by Tuesday, June 14, at 12 pm. I will also be filing for reimbursement if that is the case. I will continue to document each communication with the apartment complex regarding this matter until the issue is resolved. Thank you, ***** ******* & ***** ********, #****

  Business response

  06/16/2022

  We understand your frustration and again apologize for the inconvenience and delay.
  
  Please know we are trying our best to complete work orders.
  
  We have relied on an outside vendor to help us, but they were unable to get your apartment on the schedule in a timely manner.
  
  The new AC was installed yesterday. 

  Please feel to reach out to us directly if there are another questions or concerns 

  Aspens Ranch Apartments 

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After filing several maintenance requests with our apartment complex that went unfulfilled and many conversations with front office staff, our air conditioning has been out of order for over three weeks. While we routinely have an issue with our air conditioning every summer due to a continually unresolved leak, the first instance of repair during this season was initially requested April 22nd and completed on the May 6th. 8 days later, the unit was already failing to function at all. Being that this is summer, the lack of functioning air conditioning renders our apartment unlivable and qualifies as emergency maintenance that must be attended to within a week. Maintenance has arrived on two separate occasions to turn on our air conditioning unit that only dispersed 85 degree air into our home; the worker did not return or otherwise act on the problem. Shortly after the first occasion our maintenance request was closed without any actual remedy for the issue. We do not anticipate receiving the abatement of rent we are entitled to, considering that this inaction breaches the New Mexico Uniform Owner Resident Relations Act and we mistakenly paid our rent in full despite the value of our apartment being diminished, but we would simply like some form of remedy made by the apartment complex; preferably, this entails the maintenance actually being completed on our unit.

  Business response

  06/16/2022

  We understand your frustration and again apologize for the inconvenience and delay.
  
  Please know we are trying our best to complete work orders.
  
  We have relied on an outside vendor to help us, but they were unable to get your apartment on the schedule in a timely manner.
  
  The AC has been repaired  

  
  Please feel to reach out to us directly if there are another questions or concerns 
  Aspens Ranch Apartments 

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩