Only 111 days to go…

Revised 2/19/2025

I moved in around the middle of June 2024.
Within 2 days, the main water pipe for the fire sprinklers in the common hallway broke and flooded a few of the units, including mine. Luckily, only about 5 to 10 feet were flooded along the length of my unit, so I didn’t have to move out (unfortunately).
It took over a month to start repairs on my unit.
I think the priority was on repairing the units that had to be vacated so that they could be rented as soon as possible. Makes CENTS…

Once they started working on my unit it took about another month because they would work on several units at a time and complete only specific repairs at a time. I think for efficiency purposes.

2 months later, my unit was finally in what I would consider a livable state.
After more than a month, I was finally able to start unpacking the remaining boxes. Luckily, I moved all my stuff to the dry half of the unit, then I would move it back after repairs were made, then I would move it away for the contractors, over, and over, and over, and over…..

About a week after flood repairs were made, the pump attached to the air conditioning unit broke and flooded about 7 feet of the living room.
Repairs were made, carpets dried (again), padding replaced (again).
After a few days, the pump broke again.
More flooding and related repairs. A new pump was installed.

During the flood repairs, there were large fans running in the common hallways and in the units of those of us who were lucky to have been flooded but didn’t need to move out.
Now granted, those loud fans were akin to white noise and would have been very relaxing – IF I LIVED ACROSS THE STREET!!!
I also got electric bills as high as $400 the first couple months because of those fans.

Also, after the floods, it occurred to me to look at the air filter for the air conditioner. It was supposedly new when I moved in about a month prior. The filter was brown…
I guess that sort of explains the difficulty breathing and constant sinus problems.
I immediately ran to Home Depot and replaced the filter myself.
The air conditioning units in the common hallway also have brown filters…

Now for the best part!!!

There is a 10 foot tall troll that weighs about 1,000 pounds who lives in the unit above me.
I always know when he gets home because he slams the door which resonates through the ceiling and walls. I’ve actually heard my dishes rattle a few times.
I haven’t had a full nights sleep since moving in, except when he went out of town for a week.
I think he has some serious prostate problems.
He wakes me up at least once, usually twice or three times a night with a loud thump then stomping to the bathroom.
Granted, the flooring is soft and when I walked the halls in the second and third floors I can feel the plywood hit the subfloor. Perhaps better maintenance would help keep renters longer and happier – I’ve talked to many people who say they can hear their neighbors.
Another issue is that he sits at an open window and talks on the phone all day long.
That’s just a total lack of consideration for his other neighbors.
I’ve actually heard him at the furthest corner of the courtyard that I back to.
I’ve spoken with other renters in the complex that are also located along the courtyard and they also hear him throughout the day.

The rental office manager returned from being on leave since I’d moved in and contacted me about the issues I’ve had. We discussed, possibly moving to another unit, lowering the rent or breaking the lease.

About 2 months later I haven’t heard anything else from them…

Oh, except the management company was kind enough to offer me $600 for the what they referred to as “reported issues, real or imagined (contrived?)”. I’m paraphrasing because I’m not an attorney and I didn’t get to keep a copy of the form they wanted me to sign which also included a hold harmless phrase in purpetuity.
I didn’t sign the form just in case I get the cancer from breathing wet, dirty moldy air from the hallway and in my own unit
Probably not a healthy situation.
Come to think of it, I hear a lot of people coughing around here.

After the repairs were completed, my only issue now is with the neighbor upstairs. Unfortunately there’s nothing he can do about it due to the poor quality construction and maintenance. He told me he’s been there for 10 years with the same fair quality carpet and padding.

I’ve started wearing ear plugs at night and headphones during the day.

Oh, my rent is about $2,500 for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath unit.
Electricity was outrageous due to the fans after the great flood.
I also have to pay for trash pick up and water which is about $67 a month.
There is no covered parking – I miss my garage.
There is no security.
You can do so much better for this price range…
I left the condo I’d rented for 13 years on Mission Viejo Lake for this, what a major disappointment…

Only 111 days to go . . .