Plaza at the Arboretum
2200 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Worst Staff, Worst Apartment, Worst Price
From: -Anonymous-
Date posted: 12/7/2009
I’ve lived here for almost a year now. Since I’ve lived here, the following has occurred:
1. My car has been towed to the top floor of the parking garage when they were repainting and washing the lines to the garage. I parked on the designated floor, but apparently they decided to change what they were doing that day, and towed all the cars there to the top of the garage. WITHOUT NOTIFYING ANYONE. I went to go get in my car to make it to a meeting, and it was gone. I went to the office, panicked, and said “Where is my car'” They said, “Oh, it got towed to the top of the garage.” I said, “Oh, you couldn’t have notified people that what you put in your notice had changed’ This is unacceptable.” They said, “Sorry. If you want, we can have the towing company come back and take your car to the lot instead.” HOW RUDE. Needless to say, I was late to my meeting, and they didn’t give a flying flap.
2. I have been woken up by the FBI raiding a neighbor’s apartment.
3. I have been woken by the cops after they arrested two resident’s for raping a girl (public record), to which they never notified or said anything. By the way, I was actually the person that heard the girl screaming, and called it in to the “SECURITY PATROL,” which never answered the phone. When he finally came around, he casually walked around the yard, saying “oh, it was probably just some drunk girls.” No, sir. It wasn’t. If it weren’t so echoey in the courtyard, I would have gone after her myself.
4. My sink flooded in my bathroom, which I noticed when I got back from a conference. It hadn’t gotten to the point of hitting the floor yet (9pm), so I called emergency maintenence. I left a message. No one got back to me for an hour, so I tried going through the prompts when you call the actual leasing office number. I finally got to an answering service, who said she would page the maintenence man. No one ever got back to me. I kept calling all night, no response. By the time morning came, my entire floor was covered in water. I had to wait until 10 AM when the office opened, to which it took them another 30 minutes to get there. The maintenence guy and the cleaning lady did a great job fixing/cleaning, but now the wood is punky–and it all could have been saved by having a proper answering service. She said from then on to call security–had another piping issue less than a week later, called security–but they weren’t on duty yet. Let the message crap continue! They even left improper numbers on the door at the leasing office. If your answering service doesn’t work, FIX IT.
5. It took them over 3 weeks to finally come in and fix my garbage disposal after unanswered messages.
6. They sent me a renewal notice for my lease that attractively offered a “no increase” in rent. I currently pay almost $2,500 for rent. If you look on the availabilities section on the website, my same floor plan now ranes from $1700 to $2100. You want me to continue to pay $2500 for —— service, when you have not once tried to make any of my issues right, when you’re offering my same apartment for much less. Let’s think again, shall we’
7. The security guard is never reachable.
8. The staff is rude (except the manager–she always seemed nice, but I rarely ever get to talk to her). They repeatedly down talk to you, and are never very friendly are helpful. They only seem to care about money. In fact, one time when I was walking in, I happened to look up as the asian girl was saying “here she comes” and making an embarrassed look. Nice way to feel welcome, huh’
9. I had guests in town, and requested an additional key fob for them to get in and out of the community while I was at work. They said that they couldn’t do it because it posed a security threat.
10. The fire alarms have been punky for almost the entire time I lived here. It was average for the fire alarms to go off at least four times a month, regardless of the time. Today, they’ve gone off inconsistently for almost two hours. FOR NO REASON. Almost a year of inconsistent fire alarms, blaring incessantly and waking you up’ Unacceptable.
11. If you live on the first or second floor, you are not allowed to park on the first or second floors of the garage. So you have to park at level three and above and then walk down to your apartment, or they will tow you. I find this unacceptable.
I’m sure there’s more, but I think 10 is enough. This place is the worst. Stay far, far away. I’ve lived in over 20 apartment complexes in my life, all over the country, and I will NEVER, EVER live in another Riverstone Residential apartment.
User Responses
From: Anonymous Date: 12/08/2009
Hi I stayed in the apartments until May this year and had the same experience with the car being towed because they asked me to move it to wash the garage and then towed it from the spot they asked me to move it to. I was so stressed about the whole incident and having to walk to find my car (then I had the wrong paperwork) the guys at the tow place told me to get off their property because I had my small ‘liability’ of a dog with me. They called the police when I refused to leave without my car. And what caused all this? The management at the Plaza who told the tow guys ‘it is fine, move the cars’??!! I actually left my apartment early and this incident was one of the main reason why I left California and my work there and returned to the UK (with my dog). I was disgusted that people could behave like that. Tell you to move your car and then let it be towed. Time has passed and it still annoys me.
Information on Riverstone Residential knowingly exposing tenants to extreme amounts of mold toxins at Toxic Mold Infested Jefferson Lakes Apartments in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Toxic Mold Infested Jefferson Lakes Apartments managed by Riverstone Residential
Riverstone Residential Litigation
“Changes in construction methods have caused US buildings to become perfect petri dishes for mold and bacteria to flourish when water is added. Instead of warning the public and teaching physicians that the buildings were causing illness; in 2003 the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, a think-tank, and a workers comp physician trade organization mass marketed an unscientific nonsequitor to the courts to disclaim the adverse health effects to stave off liability for financial stakeholders of moldy buildings. Although publicly exposed many times over the years, the deceit lingers in US courts to this very day.” Sharon Noonan Kramer
Katy's Exposure 
they also ‘bait and switch’ advertise a price then raise it after the deposit is paid. Specifically at The Palms in Turlock CA the tenants get billed for water, sewer, gas, garbage, tv, internet by a company in Arizona. (comptrol technologies) none of these charges were disclosed initially, after you pay your deposit, it is on the lease agreement.
Stay away from any of their properties, it is difficult as the management companies name is only on the lease agreement.