Day 112 - April 22

Goodbye and good riddance, apartment!  Can you believe that a month ago, this picture would have shown:

• kitchen table
• 6 kitchen table chairs
• big kitchen card
• smaller kitchen cart
• pink living room chair
• 2 couches
• an end table
• a coffee table
• a desk
• a computer
• a computer chair
• a pantry
• 2 DVD/Video game racks
• entertainment center under the tv (just barely to the right of the picture - you can see the TV's cord)

It was like a clown car in there.  And now it's empty!

The final "big, fat lie" they told us was that we had 2 choices.  #1 - pay $150 for their cleaning service which included the whole place and the carpet.  Basically, move out, say good riddance, and leave it messy.  Or, #2 - pay $50 for the carpet cleaning service and spend the hours cleaning it ourselves.  We thought we'd save the $100 and spent a Friday night several weeks ago scrubbing it.  Imagine our surprise when we called to make the carpet arrangements and it was $125!  There were many bad words spoken that day. 

And to this day, nobody can explain to me why it was cheaper to steam clean a whole house than the stupid apartment.

So - anyone who finds this via Google - DO NOT RENT AT DOMINION CONSTANT FRIENDSHIP IN ABINGDON MARYLAND.

Summary:

• We put a hold on an apartment, but another leasing agent rented it an hour later.
• We signed paperwork to move in, then the previous tenant decided not to move out and we no longer had an apartment.
• They "found" us an apt, but we had to pay more, it was in a different location, and we had to pay 10 days extra rent to move into it.
• They did nothing to take care of the cigarette smoke and wouldn't come and smell it
• They charged us more for water per month than the house's water bill per quarter
• They charged us almost $300 to join their "swim & exercise" club, even though we belong to a gym down the street
• The pool was only open 1/2 the times we attempted to use it (since we had paid, we figured we'd try)
• Their version of "2 months notice" to move out is actually 60 days - so if the end of February falls in there, be careful about when you give your notice cause you'll have to pay 3 extra days.
• The apartment we just left is on the market for $600 MORE than we were just paying for it.  If that doesn't scream rip off, what does?
• Every leasing agent gives you a different story every time, and it's never the same person twice.  The turnover is insane so nobody can help you because they're "Just helping out from another property."

Good riddance, indeed. :)