Thursday, December 31, 2015

inept property manager

Months ago I pointed out to the property manager--on two separate occasions--the unsafe condition that exists in the Fitness Room. Some creep(s) keeps leaving barbells in the middle of Fitness Room floor--deliberately--for residents with poor eyesight and/or mobility issues to trip over. What kind of creep would deliberately leave barbells and other stuff in the middle of the floor creating a tripping hazard where residents with poor eyesight and/or mobility issues could get seriously hurt? Answer: an evil creep. "For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." 
Malachi 4:1 (Chapter 3 verse 19 in the New American Bible)

The Marque's property manager, Community Realty Company, Inc., Greenbelt MD, has been as ineffective in dealing with the Fitness Room safety problem as it has been in dealing with the evil neighbor from hell over top us who has run-stomped and made other noise during "quiet hours" every day for the past six months since we moved here.  

As obvious as the safety problem in the Fitness Room is, the solution to the problem is equally obvious. But, since CRC is clueless, here's the obvious again

If that isn't clear enough for CRC, then here it is "by the numbers":
  1. There's too much "loose stuff" in the small Fitness Room that becomes tripping hazards when evil creep(s) deliberately leave barbells and other loose stuff in the middle of the floor for residents with vision and/or mobility issues to trip over. Get rid of most of the loose stuff. 
  2. Move the remaining loose stuff to the far side of the room, out of the path between the two Fitness Room doors.
  3. Install security cameras at ceiling level in opposite corners of the Fitness Room.
  4. When barbells are left in the middle of the Fitness Room floor, review the video from the cameras, identify the evil creep(s) and ban them from the Fitness Room.
There--safety problem solved.  

You're welcome.







Thursday, December 24, 2015

neighbor from hell

Imagine what it sounded like after midnight last night when, over top of us, for well over an hour, sounds of furniture being picked up and slammed to the floor. The whole place was shaking.






The Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt, Gainesville VA
property manager: Community Realty Company, Inc.
owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC






Sunday, December 20, 2015

hospitapartments?

The Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA are advertised as "luxury" apartments. They also claim to have "Quiet Hours": 
 

The Marque has wood floors--unlike hospitals that have concrete floors. Noise doesn't travel through concrete floors like it does through wood floors. 

The Marque is managed by Community Realty Company, Inc., property managers with headquarters in Greenbelt MD. The owners of the Marque are Huntgain Marque, LLC.

Isn't it fraud to advertise the Marque apartments as "luxury" apartments with "quiet hours" when the Marque is actually hospital-apartments with noisy, hospital-type activities taking place 24-7? 

Needless to say, one looking for a quiet place to live, and to sleep at night, wouldn't choose an apartment in a hospital with wood floors, especially under a floor with 24-7 hospital activity. 

Renters beware!


  1. Does the property manager/leasing agent, Community Realty Company, Inc., know about this? (How could they not know?) If so, then how long have they known?
  2. Do the owners, Huntgain Marque, LLC, know about this? (How could the owners not know?) If so, then how long have they known?
  3. Providing ongoing hospital-type services from a residence in a location zoned for residential use is a zoning violation. Does Prince William County know about this? (How could the County not know?) If so, then how long has the County known? 
  4. How is bio-hazardous waste being disposed of, e.g., blood, blood-contaminated gloves, bandages and other blood-contaminated items, prescription drugs, etc.? in regular trash bound for the county landfill?
  5. What about unsuspecting renters like us who signed a lease at the Marque believing the Marque's claims that the Marque apartments are "luxury" apartments with "quiet hours"? We weren't told the truth--that hospital-type activities are taking place 24-7 in the apartment directly above us--continuously since before July 1, 2015 when we first occupied the apartment. We weren't told that the noise travels down through the Marque's wood-framed floors so that we hear all of the infernal run-stomping and hospital-type noise that takes place 24-7 on the floor directly above us. The noisemaker(s) above us act with impunity, as if they are isolated, oblivious to the reality that neighbors, us, live directly below them. How should people like us be compensated for the fraud, for the expense and for the sleep deprivation that has resulted from this fraud?

Bottom line: the situation is intolerable.







Tuesday, December 15, 2015

evil upstairs neighbor

41 Bible verses about Evildoers

The psalms have plenty to say about the fate of evildoers. 



An evildoer is one who greets complete strangers on their first day in their new apartment by run-stomping around 24-7, and making other noise including dropping and dragging heavy items on the bare floors, slamming cabinet doors and drawers, opening and closing the sliding door to the balcony every few minutes, etc., knowing full well that the noise can be heard through the Marque's paper-thin, plywood flooring and wood-framed sub-flooring. 

An evildoer is one who lies to their downstairs neighbor when told that her noise-making keeps us awake in the middle of the night by saying "we thought that we were being as quiet as possible, but we will try to be better." This evildoer responded with louder and longer noise-making. 

This evildoer has deliberately made noise 24-7 for the past six months violating the Marque's "quiet hours"
(which the Marque's property manager and owners have done nothing about) and tormented us--complete strangers--from our first day at the Marque six months ago.  

What could be her reason for deliberately tormenting complete strangers? Answer: evil. 

Evildoers are their own god; however, those who choose evil will ultimately face the consequences for their own evil actions. 

"For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch." Malachi 4:1 (Chapter 3 verse 19 in the New American Bible) 




The Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt, Gainesville, VA 
property manager: Community Realty Company, Inc., Greenbelt, MD 
owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC 






Saturday, December 12, 2015

3 biggest lies

  1. I gave at the office.
  2. I'll respect you in the morning.
  3. Quiet hours at the Marque apartments in Gainesville VA are from 10 PM to 7 AM.

Even the ostrich pillow can't block out all of the noise that the crazy, all-night, run-stomper makes. 

The Marque needs an exorcist




The Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt, Gainesville VA 
property manager: Community Realty Company, Inc., Greenbelt MD 
owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC 






Friday, December 11, 2015

Review: Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt, Gainesville, VA
























In 5.5 months I've seen the "property manager" for the Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville, VA exactly one time outside of her office, and then, only for a few seconds. Her office is in the "Leasing Center", which speaks volumes.

Property management is more than just sales. How does one "manage" property if they never leave their office? Answer: they don't.

As far as the home office for the property manager, Community Realty Company, Inc. in Greenbelt MD, is concerned, "Tenants/residents, Have a management problem or concern? ... contact our on-site property management team" says it all.


"If you're not part of the solution, then you're part of the problem."
Eldridge Cleaver



The Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt, Gainesville, VA 
property manager: Community Realty Company, Inc., Greenbelt, MD
owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC



Thursday, December 10, 2015

Miscreants


  • person who left a room-temperature package of unopened Johnsonville brats on the community table in the southeast side lobby of the Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA 
  • those who leave barbells and other equipment in the middle of the Fitness Room floor for elderly residents with poor eyesight and/or mobility problems to trip over (the clueless property manager doesn't realize that there's too much loose junk in the small Fitness Center Room--the adjacent room is EMPTY--DUH!)
  • dogowners who don't pick up after their dogs (bag and properly dispose of the waste after their dogs defecate) 
  • dogowners who leave their dogs to bark nonstop for hours from right behind the front door to their apartment, clearly violating the Prince William County VA noise ordinance    
  • those who don't dispose of their trash properly, leaving it beside dumpsters rather than in them (except when the dumpsters are full--that's on the clueless property manager) 
  • those who stomp around their apartments making loud noises knowing that sound carries through the paper-thin, wood framed floors 
  • those who slam doors 
  • and the biggest miscreant of them all--our upstairs neighbor who run-stomps around her apartment in the middle of the night, making noise like a crazy woman--every night since the first day that we moved into the Marque five months ago. After the first three weeks, when we told her that her noisemaking was preventing us from sleeping at night, she said "we thought that we were being as quiet as possible, but we will try to be better." That was a lie; it's only gotten worse.


In the age of digital clocks, many children learn to tell time before they start school. Those who don't know are taught to tell time in the first few grades. Most children know what "quiet" means before they reach school age--likewise, "noise" and "manners" and "considerate". It is inconceivable that an adult, much less a "seasoned" adult, wouldn't know what 10 PM, quiet, noise, considerate and manners mean. 
This is what the clock looks like when "Quiet Hours" begins.
(PS: it's dark outside.)
This is what the clock looks like when "Quiet Hours" ends.

The only possible explanation is that the seasoned adult is an inconsiderate, narcissistic, ill mannered, troublemaking, evil neighbor from hell.
They advertise the Marque as LUXURY apartments! ... not so much. The property manager for the Marque, Community Realty Company, Inc. in Greenbelt MD, is clueless. The owners, Huntgain Marque, LLC, don't care.

...one can only wish.





Wednesday, December 9, 2015

leak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsr5NFveuN8




ceiling leak 
The Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt, Gainesville, VA 
property manager: Community Realty Company, Inc., Greenbelt, MD 
owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC
http://marqueresidents.blogspot.com/



Monday, December 7, 2015

Poor communication

This is how the property manager of the Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA, Community Realty Company, Inc. in Greenbelt MD, doesn't communicate with its residents: 
Piss poor.


owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC 





Sunday, December 6, 2015

smoke detectors

As luck would have it, the smoke detectors began chirping around midnight Saturday night. After some difficulty getting to them (9 ft. ceilings), I got the batteries out. They were still chirping. After some more difficulty, I got them disconnected. They look ancient.

I put in an online maintenance request on Sunday. When I examined the back of the smoke detectors, I found the following note: "REPLACE IN 10 YEARS     2005 Dec. 30".

You may want to check your smoke detectors, folks. They are ancient.


It is interesting to note that the National Fire Protection Association says on its website that smoke detectors should be replaced when they are 10 years old. NFPA also states: "For many years NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, has required as a minimum that smoke alarms be installed inside every sleep room (even for existing homes) in addition to requiring them outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home." 

Our apartment has only two smoke detectors, both in a hallway, located about 10 feet apart. There are no other smoke detectors, including none in the bedrooms.

***UPDATE***

On Monday the man who responded to the maintenance request replaced the batteries in the two smoke detectors and remounted them. One chirped. I explained to him that the old batteries test OK and that the problem is with the smoke detector itself, not with the batteries. He removed the chirping smoke detector. I also showed him the back of the smoke detector that reads "REPLACE IN 10 YRS.   2005 Dec. 30", and told him that both smoke detectors need to be replaced. Although he did not respond, I believe that he understood me.

I also sent an email to Captain Tyler Cirillo, Code and Compliance, Prince William County VA Fire Marshal's Office, in which I cited the NFPA directives above, and asked him if smoke detectors are required in bedrooms at the Marque.

I received a reply from Captain Cirillo that says:"We need to research your questions and I will get back to you soon." 

There is a confidentiality statement in Captain Cirillo's reply that reads as follows: 
I've asked for clarification from Captain Cirillo if this applies to my neighbors at the Marque. I said: "Needless to say, some (of my neighbors at the Marque) are interested in knowing if the County requires that 10 year old smoke detectors be replaced per the manufacturer's instructions and if the County requires smoke detectors in the Marque apartment's bedrooms."

*********************************************

Wednesday, 12/9/2015, 2:30 PM - two new smoke detectors installed in hallway. 

********************************************

I will paraphrase the County Fire Marshal's Office's response to my question (asking if smoke detectors are required in the Marque's bedrooms) when I receive it.

***********************************************

12-21-15. The Fire Marshal's Office says that the Marque complied with 2005 PWC requirements when it was built, which did not require smoke detectors in bedrooms. The Fire Marshal's Office recommends that smoke detectors be installed in bedrooms; but, PWC cannot require the Marque to provide them.

All construction in the Commonwealth of Virginia must adhere to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) and the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC). If someone was so inclined, then they could research the requirements of these two codes in 2005. I'm not inclined to do so--you can't fight city hall.




The Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt 
Gainesville, VA 
property manager: Community Realty Company, Inc., Greenbelt, MD 
owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC 
Prince William County, VA Fire Marshal 




Monday, November 23, 2015

Noisy crazy woman

  • stomps around her apartment in the middle of the night
  • every night since the day that we moved to the Marque apartments in Gainesville VA five months ago
  • makes other noise
  • throws things on the bare floors
  • slams cabinet doors
  • opens and closes the sliding door to the balcony every few minutes
  • washes clothes
  • etc.
  • After the first three weeks, when I told her that her all-night noisemaking was keeping us from sleeping at night, she said "we thought that we were being as quiet as possible, but we will try to be better." 
  • That was a lie--it only got worse.

That pretty much sums it up.

Is there an exorcist in the house?

Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt 
Gainesville VA 

property manager: Community Realty Company, Inc. (useless)
owners: Huntgain Marque, LLC (don't care)





Sunday, November 22, 2015

Sleepless in Gainesville VA


  • Why would someone deliberately stomp around their apartment in the middle of the night?
  • When they know that their neighbors under them are sleeping (or trying to sleep)?
  • When they are perfectly capable of walking softly?
  • Why would someone deliberately be a pain-in-the-ass towards perfect strangers?
I don't know the answers to these questions. All I know is that the day that we moved to the Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA that the person in the apartment above us, who doesn't know us, stomped around and made other noise all through the night.

After three weeks of her nonstop stomping and other deliberate noise-making in the middle of the night (dropping heavy things on the bare floors, moving furniture, washing clothes, slamming cabinet doors, opening and closing the sliding door to the balcony every few minutes, etc.), I saw our upstairs neighbor for the first time when I told her that her noise-making was keeping us awake at night. She said, "we thought that we were being as quiet as possible, but we will try to be better." That was a lie--it only got worse.  
  • Why would she lie to me--a new neighbor who she is meeting for the first time?
I don't know the answer to this question either. I can't explain why she stomps around all night deliberately making noise to disturb us, perfect strangers, from the first day that we moved in. I don't know why she continues to do so--every night--after nearly five months. All I know is that she does what she does. (In one hour, from 10 PM to 11 PM, she opened and shut the sliding glass door to her balcony no less than a dozen times, in freezing temperatures, spending less than a minute on her balcony each time. This behavior alone makes me wonder about her mental state.)

Before we moved to the Marque we were told by the manager that the Marque is quiet at night. 
 

That lie is easier to explain--$. Unfortunately, we have also found out that the Marque's management company, Community Reality Company, Inc. in Greenbelt MD, doesn't enforce its rules and the owners of the Marque apartments, Huntgain Marque, LLC, don't care. 

We still have more than a half-year on the lease. It's a long time to go without sleep.








Saturday, November 21, 2015

Imagine

Imagine that THIS VIDEO LINK is the apartment above you.
Imagine that you can hear every step.
Now imagine that instead of a hedgehog, that it's Bigfoot. 
Now, imagine that it's the middle of the night. ... 

You've got the picture!

Don't rent at the Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA. The management company, Community Realty Company, Inc., Greenbelt MD, doesn't enforce the rules
and the owners, Huntgain Marque, LLC, don't care.

Last night the stomper above us began well before 10 PM, went through 10 PM, past 11 PM when we turned in, to past 2 AM, like she's done most nights in the nearly 5 months since we moved to the Marque. In addition to her nonstop stomping, she makes other noise, e.g. drops heavy items on bare floors, moves furniture, washes clothes, slams cabinet doors, opens and closes the sliding door to the balcony every few minutes, etc. Needless to say, her nonstop noise-making makes sleep impossible.  

Is there an exorcist in the house?







Tuesday, November 17, 2015

If you like to sleep at night, then don't choose the Marque at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA

If you like to sleep at night, 
and, if you're unfortunate enough to rent an apartment under someone who doesn't, 
then you're not going to like the Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA.

The wood-framed floors at the Marque are paper-thin when it comes to noise. It was our misfortune to discover on our first day in our new apartment that we have a heavy-footed stomper above us. Unlike most normal people, who kick back after dinner, she stomps nonstop around her apartment, sometimes all night long, moves furniture, drops heavy objects on the bare floors, opens and closes the sliding door to the balcony every few minutes, slams cabinet doors, washes clothes, etc. This has happened nearly every night in the 4.5 months since we moved here--we can count our nights of uninterrupted sleep on one hand. 

After the first three weeks of nonstop noise at night, we told our noisy neighbor that her noise-making was keeping us awake at night--the result of our conversation being that her noise-making only got louder and longer. Welcome to the Marque. 

An article in the Washington Post has other suggestions, one of them being: 
"If you’re not comfortable talking with your neighbors..., take your noise concerns to your landlord or building manager. “If you let them know about your problems, they should be more than happy to investigate them,” says Doug Culkin, president and CEO of the Arlington-based National Apartment Association (4300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 400, Arlington; 703-518-6141). “And if there is a legitimate concern, they will go to the neighbors.”

Forget about this suggestion, because the Marque's management company, Community Realty Company, Inc. in Greenbelt MD, doesn't enforce the rules: 


and the owners, Huntgain Marque, LLC, don't care. 

So, if you like to sleep at night, and you're not a betting person (that you'll be fortunate enough to get an apartment under someone who sleeps at night), then, trust me, the Marque apartments at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville VA is not the place for you.





The Marque Apartments at Heritage Hunt 
Gainesville VA
Community Realty Company, Inc. (CRC) 
Huntgain Marque, LLC 






Sunday, November 15, 2015

Consideration


Being considerate of others is always important. It's especially important when living in close quarters. 

The Marque has wood floors--not concrete. Sound travels through the Marque's wood floors. Considerate people learn to walk softly when they live in an apartment. At night, they walk particularly softly, and avoid dropping or dragging heavy items on the bare floors. They are considerate of those who are sleeping below them.

Considerate people don't leave their dog alone in their apartment to bark nonstop for hours from right behind their front door. They are considerate of those who live around them.

Considerate people don't use the Marque's exercise equipment, and then walk away without wiping it down, or leave stuff (barbells, weights, weight benches, TV remotes, etc.) on the floor, failing to put it back where it belongs. Considerate people realize that others use the equipment, and they realize that some of their neighbors have mobility issues and/or poor eyesight, and can seriously injure themselves on stuff that's left on the floor for others to trip over.

When their dogs defecate, considerate people bag their dog's waste and dispose of it properly. Considerate people don't throw stuff from their balconies. Considerate people don't litter. Considerate people don't slam doors. Considerate people don't make noise in their apartment (TV, music, etc.) that can be heard by those outside their apartment. They realize that their irresponsible behavior affects others. 


antonyms: uncaring, unfeeling, thoughtless, unsympathetic, unfriendly, uncharitable, selfish, disrespectful, scornful, rude, disagreeable, hateful, privileged, spoiled, brat. 



The Marque Apartments at Heritage Hunt
Gainesville VA
Community Realty Company, Inc.
Huntgain Marque LLC

Friday, November 13, 2015

exorcist

stomp, stomp, stomp.
CRASH!!! (another heavy object crashes to the floor)
stomp, stomp, stomp.
grind, grind, grind. (furniture and/or other heavy objects being dragged over the hard floors)
stomp, stomp, stomp...

all day long.
all through the night.

Is there an exorcist in the house?
you're needed in apartment 441.






The Marque Apartments at Heritage Hunt
Gainesville VA
Community Realty Company, Inc.
Huntgain Marque LLC






Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Finish the job

Yesterday the fitness room was in the worst shape since we moved here. I witnessed another man trip and almost fall while trying to navigate around the clutter on the floor. That makes three people just this week who I've seen trip and almost fall while trying to navigate around and/or through the fitness room.

Today the fitness room is in as good a shape as I've seen it for months. Now it's time to finish the job.

More than two months ago I spoke with Yalexa and Aseil on two separate occasions about the dangerous situation in the fitness room. I suggested moving weights, weight benches, barbells, etc. away from the path between the two doors. 


It's  simple. Because invariably it's weight benches, weights and/or barbells blocking the path between the door from the hall and the door to the empty exercise room, move all of the weight paraphernalia (benches, weights, barbells, etc.) to the far (outside window) side of the room. Exercise bikes and treadmills will stay pretty much where they are now. Move the ellipticals in line with the treadmills (3 treadmills + 2 ellipticals). The remaining space at the window end of the room can be used for the rest of the weight paraphernalia and storage (crates, exercise mats, large exercise balls, folding chairs, etc.)

The path between the two doors in the exercise room has a better chance of being clear of tripping hazards with the weight paraphernalia and storage at the far (window) end of the room, away from the path between the two doors.

Simple.

Inconsiderate residents who don't return exercise equipment to its proper place, the management company and owners prefer to see someone fall and get hurt, and deal with the lawsuit that will follow, than to prevent the accident before it happens.


The Marque at Heritage Hunt 
marque apartments 
Gainesville VA 
Community Realty Co., Inc. 
Huntgain Marque LLC