I am a single parent and a full time graduate student. My 4 children and I moved into this community because 1) it is close to my folks, 2) they pitched a great rent to own program and 3) my children are close to the school I wanted them to attend. However, 5 months later it is the biggest regret I have. I should have known in July there were going to be serious problems. We had to stay 2 weeks in a hotel because there was always one reason or another that our unit wasn't ready. I asked them to reimburse the hotel costs because we were told (and our paperwork indicated) a July 5th move in date. They looked at me like I was crazy. That was just the beginning. Below is an itemized list of everything that is wrong in my house:

1) the back door is jammed shut--won't even budge with 2 burly guys both throwing their weight against it.
2) the toilet in the master bathroom constantly runs.
3) the small strips on the walls are constantly falling off (1 has broke already)
4) the bedroom doors on either end of the house do not stay open unless propped.
5) the glass to my storm door shattered--has yet to be replaced.
6) water bills are outrageous--I have never had a normal water bill

Most of these problems I reported the day after we moved in. I was told they would have someone out 'within a few days' to make the repairs. That was in the middle of July. It is now the week before Christmas and absolutely nothing has been done. I'm pretty sure my back door not opening is a code compliance issue and I have filed the necessary complaint. I was told to 'just sweep up the glass to the storm door and they would replace it when they had a chance.' What they didn't say was that it was going to take a full 2 weeks before anyone came out to remove the insert that held the now shattered glass--I ended up taking my broomstick and knocking as much glass out of the door as I possibly could, but kids were still getting cut. My first water bill here was $380. The next one was $957. Because I don't own my house, I cannot get a plumber to even come look at what is going on. When I complained to the manager he told me I must have a leak somewhere and he would send one of the maintenance guys to look. 5 months later...still nothing. Except that my water has been turned off because I cannot afford a $1000 water bill! The door to my bedroom does not stay open unless it's propped. My dog (a daschund) got stuck in my room one day when I was gone and he tried to dig his way out, ripping the carpet near the door to pieces. I was told that because my dog did it, I am responsible. I argued that had they come and fixed the hinges on the door (neither of the two doors that don't stay open are hung correctly--it is obvious) instead of telling me 'just to prop it open, ' my dog would not have gotten stuck in the room, and he would not have felt compelled to try to dig his way out.

This has been one heartache after another (except that I have terrific neighbors). Please, please do not move here. You'll never get any repairs made, and if you're renting to own you are doubly screwed as you cannot go outside to get the work done without voiding your manufacturer's warranty. Whenever I've seen the maintenance men, they've always told me they'd be back to take care of the repairs...they times they've come I've either been on my way out to school/work or to get my kids from school. I've complained to the corporate office and I've gotten the same treatment. This clearly is a corporate-wide problem.