Hightree Townhomes

Management (read: Andrew Studebaker) billed my next door neighbor for a 'missing items' fee at the end of the year. They alleged that a shelving unit was stolen - a shelving unit that was not in the building plans and was not present in the apartment when my neighbor moved in. Conveniently enough, management 'lost' the move-in checklists so my neighbor could not prove the shelf wasn't there when she moved in. She was not alone in being fined - There were several other people slapped with this bill. (Those nonexistent shelving units must be made of gold, because everyone seems to be stealing them nowadays!)

Those that questioned this arbitrary fine had their e-mails blocked and were threatened with legal action.

tl;dr version- landlord is awful, stay away!



Let me start with the very few positives. The units are nice, and you will be close to campus with a Rapid bus stop right at the front of the complex. And that's it.



Hightree is now owned by S & M communities, and run by Andrew Studebaker. He changed the lease multiple times after taking over from the previous landlords. He paid to have as little plowing done as he possibly could, and only ever had the sidewalks cleared if the truck could get to them, meaning you had to move your car. The parking lots were always a huge mess because he wouldn't pay for salt, claiming the plowing service didn't provide it because it was inefficient. We contacted the company (after a long search) and found out he was flat out lying about this. When he found out a tenant had contacted the plowing company, he freaked out and sent a nasty email telling residents not to "harass" them and only contact Hightree.



His favorite thing to do is act as if every time someone questions his authority, he is being harassed. Somebody left a note on the office door asking them to shovel the sidewalks, and he sent out a mass email threatening legal action to anyone "defacing" company property. Whenever anyone had the audacity to contact him asking for fair treatment, he would respond with a condescending email implying the resident didn't know how the world works because they're a college student, and threatening legal action if they keep "harassing" him.



After moving out, myself and other residents were charged for shelving units that were never provided for us. When questioned, he responded with a condescending email saying that he never got our move in checklist (the same line he gave to everyone else) and told us we should be thankful he didn't charge us more.



So basically, DO NOT LIVE HERE! This is not anything new for Andrew- reviews for his other properties show he had the same problems, and at one point he apparently even bribed his residents with gift cards to write him positive reviews... Stay far far away from this place and any other place that has the S & M Communities name attached to it. (And S & M Communities... really??)

Terrible business model to threaten your tenants and ignore basic requests. Leases are not legally binding, snow is never shoveled and garbage overfloweth. AVOID!

DO NOT RENT FROM S&M CORPORATION!

The S&M Corporation employee and are led by the most arrogant, unprofessional, and condescending groups of people.

Few things to note:

1.They will wait up to 3 weeks before they cash your rent check.

2.Charge you for any missing paint on the walls (from hanging up posters)

3. They do not shovel the sidewalk

4. They do not plow the driveway

5. In the new lease agreement (2014 and up) The people you sign with are attached to your account. This means, if someone doesn't give you their share of the $1,200 at the beginning of the month all of you and your roommates will be threatened with eviction. All court fees will be charged to everyone in your unit.

6. You must put utilities in your name at the start of your lease or you will be fined $30 everytime the bill comes into the S&M Communities office. Everyday that it isn't switched into your name, you will be charged $2 a day.

7. Andrew Stubaker believes that what he says we must do, and that he owns your personal belongings. If you ever go into the office he will not meet with you, unless you have money to give him.

8. The office will not print out your statements, receipts, or return your phone calls. They only do this through email.

9. If they cannot reach you through your cellphone, they will call all of your roommates then proceed to your emergency contact number. This has happened when a former tenant sent a package to the home by mistake.

10. DO NOT RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE! They do not care that you are a college student. In fact, they like the idea because you are naive to what is worded in the lease, and they will take everything you've got. Including your financial refund.

The Landlords are terrible. They are the rudest people I have ever met. I'll just leave it at that. Don't ever sign a lease with them at any of there apartment complexes in Allendale. (s&m communities). You will thank me later. Don't get screwed over like me and all of the other tenants that got stuck with them after our previous landlords sold the place this past year.



If I could rate them less than one star, I would.