*Warning: This post may contain unpleasureable reading material

Since it was virtually IMPOSSIBLE to get anyone to talk to me, I wrote the email below to that cracked-out apartment property we lived in in McKinney:

To Whom It May Concern,

I have yet to receive a call back from the message I left on Saturday, November 1st, as well as the one left this morning, therefore I am attempting to contact someone via email.

Often when I call, I will not be able to get a hold of a leasing agent. I have been successful at speaking to a live person five times during my residency at this property (I have been a resident for a month and a half). Once I spoke with Jessica, another time I saw her in the office. I have spoken to Christina in the office twice on separate occasions and on the telephone the day we moved in. I have NEVER received a call back when I have left a message. The only time I am able to speak to Jessica or Christina, I call from my husband's cell phone. Attempts to go into the leasing office is a disaster since there is rarely anyone there to open the door. With the time spent out of the office, I would assume that the complex is bursting at the rim with new tenants, however, I am under the impression that my own building has 3 vacant apartments.

When I moved in originally, I waited for a full week to receive my lease. After several meetings with the locked leasing office door and messages kept by the voicemail machine Jessica left the lease attached to my apartment door. (She told me that it had been on Christina's desk for a week.) I watched her leave it there from my dining area table since I could see her through the window.

I called and left messages in regards to my extra apartment key, pool key, gym key and mailbox keys to no avail. I spoke with Jessica again, since Christina was unavailable (yet again) and was promised to have my keys left on my kitchen counter. No keys ever came. After 2 weeks of waiting, I journeyed down to the leasing office. I spoke with Christina and she was able to give me my extra apartment key and gym key. She explained that their was only one mailbox key available and that she would need to have one of the maintenance men make my copies. She handed me that mailbox key and instructed me to check my mailbox and bring it back to her so she could have my copies made. That mailbox key would not even open my mailbox! I had to wait an additional 2 days until my husband could go down to the office and get correct keys.

I called on Friday since my husband had his job transfer him from Dallas area to Houston and I wanted to get a copy of my lease agreement, as well as, discuss my options. I did not hear back from anyone so both my husband and I kept an eye on the leasing office while moving our belongings. On Saturday afternoon we caught up with Christina where she gave us the fax number to send a fax from Carl's company stating a transfer so we would not incur any early move out fees.

On November 3, yesterday, I called and left a message for "Christina or someone in the office" to call me back about the keys left in the drop box Saturday. No one returned my phone call. Carl called yesterday afternoon and spoke with Jessica. She stated that there would be a 60 day rent due since we had not put in any notice and there would be other charges. If there was someone we had to sublease the apartment, there would be no charges. Verbal agreements with your staff have been less than unsatisfactory, therefore I am requesting things in writing today for the record.

I am not sure of my relationship with staff is, I don't know if it's because I am a woman, I wouldn't think so, but I am also Asian.

Communication is impossible with your staff and it is imperative that I speak to someone today. My cell phone number is XXX-XXX-XXXX and I am emailing as a second point of contact. I am requesting the name/address/telephone number to the property owner and a call back by the end of today's business hours at 5:30 p.m.

Regards,

Rosemarie Brauning

Needless to say, the email hit home to someone and she was very upset with me. She then proceeded to YELL AT ME. She told me that calling her discriminating was a serious offense and that she was offended that I would ever make such a claim. I asked her why no one ever returned my phone calls and she told me that the office returns phone calls by the number on file for the apartment. I told her, "When I take down a voicemail I write down the name and telephone number that someone leaves on the message." Low and behold she didn't have a response and continued to tell me that she was offended that I would insist she didn't call me back because of my race or gender. was then told that she stays until 8 o'clock at night and drives an hour home, which she does not get paid over time for. She also told me she has seen me through the window coming and going. I asked her if she saw me coming and going, why did she have a sign on the door saying she wasn't in the office? She responded with, "I never take a lunch, I finally took a lunch today and I haven't in a really long time." Finally, I told her that I just wanted someone to call me back since I never hear from anyone. I needed a different approach and sending the email was obviously the only effective way for someone to frggin' call me.

Grrrr....seriously. If I would have ever leased apartments for a living at any time of my life I would have loved to say, "I did your job once and quite frankly, I did it better than you."

Oh well, it's over and all is settled. I wish there could have been a nicer way to diffuse the situation but at least someone finally called me back.