As maintenance requests pile up, residents at Madison apartment complex grow frustrated

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Residents at an apartment complex on Madison’s north side are frustrated, saying it’s been months since they’ve had steady property management.

People living at Ridgecrest Apartments say no matter whether they submit a maintenance request or ask for accommodations relating to a disability, nobody is in the leasing office during business hours, and no one can be reached by phone or email either.

“The property is not even worth what they’re asking for, but we pay it because we need a roof over our head,” Titania Reynolds said. “We haven’t had management in this property for a whole year. It’s been people in for a week, a day and they’re gone.”

Constance Aguero has lived at the complex for about two years. She says she was promised a handicap accessible apartment, but her current unit doesn’t suffice.

“The fact that they’re insensitive to people who are disabled, they’re insensitive. They expect us to pay rent and put it in the box when we have no clue who’s getting this money,” Aguero said. “I’ve been sitting with no closet shelf in my apartment since Christmas Eve. It literally fell on my head three times. And I put in six different maintenance requests.”

Latoya Greer has lived at Ridgecrest Apartments for about seven years. She says she noticed a lack of attentiveness when she first moved in.

“My carpet has never been cleaned, I have holes in my door from when I first moved in,” Greer said. “I had to literally move the people’s property out of my unit when I moved into my unit. But I was homeless and coming from a shelter so getting an apartment was amazing.”

Friday, District 18 Alder Charles Myadze met with residents to hear their concerns about the apartment complex. He says he will bring the complaints to the city in hopes of finding a resolution.

The Tenant Resource Center (TRC) says Ridgecrest isn’t the only apartment complex in Dane County facing these issues, adding several management companies have overturned lately.

“We’ve seen that with some places where there is a management transition. And particularly if there’s a management transition with a company that’s coming from out of state and there’s some logistical issues with that. So that does come up,” Interim Executive Director Hannah Renfro said.

Renfro adds residents should keep physical copies of requests made.

“A paper trail is very important whether it’s you have been paying your rent and you have been depositing in the money in the envelope slip, taking a video of you doing that, making sure that the video shows the date and time you did that. It’s the little things that essentially will help you with compiling information,” Housing Counseling Services Manager Chrisbelly Antimo said.

If issues persist, Antimo says to contact their organization or a city alder.

“Unfortunately, there is no quick fix and it’s something that can get a little frustrating like I said earlier, but there is things that tenants can take and there’s filing complaints,” she said. “We always suggest that people come into our office or give us a call. Right now, coming into the office is a lot better, you know, getting the one-on-one interaction and being to fully understand where you’re standing to be able to give you the correct resources.”

NBC15 crews made contact with the apartment’s current management company who says they are filtering through the many requests that have been filed, adding they only recently took on the property.

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