Harassing a Tenant, Trust Betrayed

After moving in, the tenant was interested in getting satellite tv, whom he had been informed by the Manager when he signed the contract would be ok if it could be mounted on the balcony.

The tenant decided to order satellite television service, the installation of which required a waiver signed by the management. He tried calling the apartment office for a week and eventually sending this email:

I tried calling the office (several times...over the course of several hours) and your cell phone and on one's picked up. I'm getting satellite TV installed tomorrow and I need you guys to sign a contact OK'ing it. Because I can't get a hold of you, I'm emailing you now in hopes of getting it. When you do, please give me a call at [number redacted]

Eventually he got a call back from the Manager telling the tenant that they could meet together at 9 AM the day the installer was coming to sign the waiver.

Not only was the Manager not available or responsive on their cell phone at 9 AM, but even after the installer came and left hours later. The tenant had been stood up.

Days later the tenant went into the management office to get an explanation for the irresponsible behavior. Rather than meeting the manager, he met an assistant manager who explained that the Manager was rather busy and was also responsible for other apartment houses (despite living at this one). While not being convinced, the tenant told the assistant manager to not pass his concerns along as he didn't want to pursue the issue.

Days later he received phone call at work from the Manager who was screaming something along the lines of:

You have no right to ask about what I was doing!

My job is none of your buisness!

You have no right to tell me how to do my job! I don't come to your work and tell you how to do your job-you can't come to my job and tell me what to do!

I'm supercool, I signed off on your car. I'm not taking packages or signing off on anything else for you again.

The tenant was utterly confused as he had forgotten about the matter. Not only was he just called and harassed at work but his trust was also broken when they had told the assistant manager to not forward their concern regarding the availability of along.

In an email response the tenant asked to meet about the situation which was never followed up on (along with maintance isses that had not been handled since the move in). The tenant did CC their attorney which quickly prompted a change in behavior in the Manager who, while not apologizing, resumed taking packages.

Two Stories Regarding Disrespect of Privacy and Admited Criminal Acts

Both of these stories are involve two tenants, Tenant A and Tenant B, who are both neighbors which had been on rather poor terms. It was after these following events that the two tenants got to be on amicable terms and shared the information herein. One of the tenants was unavailable so I wasn't able to corroborate the story with her.

That said, the tenant who told me these stories is asserts that they happened and that she was told the truth by her neighbor. As soon as the other tenant becomes available I'll try to check the veracity-until then I'm leaving this statement as a caveat.

Store One: Disrespect of Privacy

Tenant A had filled out an application for an apartment in San Diego that she was considering; in this application, the Management or Manager at the Falls at Montrose was listed as a reference for Tenant A. At some point the apartment management from San Diego must have called the Falls to check to verify the tenant's qualities and status. The Manager construed that Tenant A had intended on moving out.

In a conversation with Tenant B, the Manager mentioned that Tenant A would be moving to San Diego (or that she would be possibly be moving to San Diego) in the context of the dispute between both the Tenants. Tenant B had not known this as Tenant A had not told anyone at the Falls that she had applied to another apartment.

Later, Tenant B mentioned it to Tenant A who was incredibly surprised that her confidence and expectation of privacy was betrayed.

Story Two: Manager Claims to Have Vandalized Tenant A's car

In another conversation with Tenant B, the Manager made two claims:

1. That they had peed on Tenant A's car
2. That they had put something in the gas tank of Tenant A's car to ruin it

While it's unlikely that either of these happened (in fact, Tenant A says their vehicle's gas tank door can only be operated from within the car) and that the Manager was being serious, this in no way appropriate. Moreover, the Manager was aware of the dispute between the two tenants and a joke like this is in no way constructive in mediating the dispute. As much as the Manager can claim to have been joking or acting in the capacity of a friend, there's no way to ignore her role as the property manager and the responsibility she has of resolving tenant issues.

In short in these two stories, the Manager not only violated a tenant's expectation of privacy but tastelessly joked about vandilzing property.