The Cottages of Columbia is a new student housing development in Columbia, MO. It only started operation in 1998.

I had just moved to Columbia, MO as student at MU that year and was the first person to ever rent the room I inhabited for roughly two weeks before I discovered how critically unworkable the situation there was.

This is the thing - I had no knowledge of Columbia and made the assumption in good faith that a property far away from campus (which the Cottages is) would be more quiet and free of disturbance.

I was dead wrong. What I encountered at the cottages was incessant loud partying, underage drinking, drug use and regular visits to the property by Columbia, MO police. There was absolutely no respite from the incessant noise disturbances, not even in my own room. Within 2 weeks it became quickly apparent that the living situation at the Cottages would most likely result in me failing out of school due to my inability to get work done in those circumstances. Thus, in self defense, I left the property in search of one where I could get work done.

Here is the kicker, however --- the Cottages insisted that they should be able to retain the over $6000 I paid them upfront to live there (paying a full year rent up front is highly unusually anyway), even though I had to move out in less than 2 weeks OWING TO EXPLICIT VIOLATIONS IN THE LEASE AGREEMENT THAT I SIGNED. I clearly stated in my lease agreement that loud parties were unacceptable to me, however within this entire development loud parties and other noise disturbances were inescapable.

Thus for two weeks of service (which was really more harmful than helpful owing to the incessant noise issue) the Cottages felt it was just to take my entire year's rent despite the fact that the conditions there were in CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE LEASE AGREEMENT.

This place needs to clean up its act.