Sloppy Construction at The Texan Shoal Creek
Do these builders forget that people live here? This is Kristina’s home. The voice you hear is her.
Feb 8, 2008
Feb 8, 2008
Peppermint Brownie Mix
It has been called to my attention that my blog is “way too newspapery.” *sigh* I’m torn. I feel like the professor wants me to take this blog thing very seriously. Admittedly, my first post was very straight up. Just the facts, if you will. I’m a broadcast journalist, not a print journalist. I’m taking a stab at web publishing, because I find it interesting. Not only that, but I will probably be expected to have a professional blog to accompany my broadcasts in the future. I’m just not sure where the line is. Should I insert opinion? It feels like that’s going against the grain of all that my professors have drilled into my skull. I’ll try and keep my blogs shorter and let my voice out. So, yea, I’m searching for the perfect recipe. The right mix. This post’s for you, Mike.
Feb 6, 2008
Residents up Shoal Creek and hiring lawyers
by Vanessa Castañeda
A new school year means a new apartment for many U-T Austin students.
In the area west of the University of Texas at Austin, new apartment complexes are being leased out faster than they can be built.
Reason being: students want to be able to walk to class which makes finding an apartment highly competitive.
Pre-leasing begins in January for move in dates in August. Some students feel like management companies know this and are taking advantage of the fact that many students cannot afford to hire lawyers, nor have the time for a legal battle.
However, residents of the Texan Shoal Creek apartment complex which opened it’s doors to residents in August of 2007 are threatening to sue Ely Properties for breach of contract.
The first week she lived in her apartment, Kristina Creinin couldn’t walk to her refrigerator from her bedroom to get a drink of water without putting on shoes, because the floors were not in yet and nails were strewn across the floor.
For $1770 a month Creinin, expected her apartment to look new.
“You can see there’s holes in the door by the molding. There’s yellow stains on the counter from where they caulked it and didn’t take it out,” Creinin said.
Creinin’s thresh holds are still not complete as of today.
The move-in date promised by the Ely Properties was not honored, she did not have hot water and the air conditioning unit did not work-in the middle of August, Creinin said.
“It was 90 degrees in this apartment…I would think paying this much for an apartment I’d receive better service…we haven’t,” Creinin added.
On the floor above Creinin, Resident Sandra Dever said that when she first moved in, construction workers turned down her air conditioner, leaving her with a $250 electric bill.
“We’d come home from class and it’d be like an icebox in here. We didn’t leave it that low,” Dever said.
Creinin suspects maintenance crews are responsible for her abnormally high water bill.
“Normally the bill is $46. This month it’s $76 and we weren’t here [during the holiday break from classes] ” Creinin said.
Austin Utilities has declined to comment.
Since the complex isn’t finished being built, two crews are on site. One crew is responsible for finishing construction, while the other is responsible for regular maintenance such as clogged sinks.
Residents have stated that their maintenance requests go unanswered and the manager Denise Peterson verbally abuses them when they approach her to resolve the unanswered written requests for service.
It took months for the maintenance crews to change a light bulb in her apartment, Dever said.
The Texan Shoal Creek lease states that when maintenance crews come into an apartment they must leave written notice of entry in a conspicuous place.
It is unclear whether the construction crews, headed up by Jackie, are subject to the same requirement.
Creinin says they are not doing it.
When Creinin returned to her apartment after the Christmas break, she had new sinks; but, there was no notice that anyone had been in her apartment.
“Our valuables are in here, so I would like to know when people are coming in and out in the case that something goes missing,” Creinin said.
Interview requests to Jackie and Denise Peterson through phone and e-mail have gone unanswered.
Travis Skweres, Ely Properties leasing agent said, “It’s the transition of building a brand new place. You know, once things settle down, everything’s fine. But that first year, there’s always going to some turmoil because everything’s new.”
Misrepresentation about the condition of the units, poorly organized maintenance and construction labor divisions, as well as abnormally high utility bills, and unreasonable retention of security deposits comprise the complaints of more than 130 residents who have joined the a Facebook group to share their horror stories.
Stay tuned for Chapter Two: The Facebook Group. I’ll post stories written by members as well as videos of the insides of these apartments. You’ll also hear other perspectives from current and former residents.
If you haven’t done so already, RSS my page.
You don’t want to miss this.
Jan 31, 2008
Journalism Alarm
Hey there. My name is Vanessa. I’m sitting in Web Publishing class right now. This is the first of a series of posts which, hopefully, will fascinate you. You’ll get to know me and my work. As the semester progresses, I will upload photos and video to this bad boy. Stay tuned. Much more to come.
The Latest- ohmyafly: @ Peeps in the Page Mill office Tweetback if you want in on a foosball tournament.
- ohmyafly: @Hi_Dan That's wild. It occurred on a PA system during a public comment session last week. How do you fix it?
- ohmyafly: Can a hearing aid create audible feedback on a mic?
- ohmyafly: @mufferaw Hi Tom, can you share this freelance opportunity with your students? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/wri/1907608159.html
- ohmyafly: @journalismjobs Freelance writers needed http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/wri/1907608159.html
