HOUSTON – Trudy Allen has buyers’ remorse after dealing with what she describes as ‘issue after issue.’ The trombone player sold her home in 2020 and moved to the Sunridge Villas condominium on Westpark Drive in Southwest Houston.
“It’s been very far from an oasis. I just stay in my house,” Allen said. “I regret [the] purchase of this property.”
Allen said it’s hard to avoid the issues, especially when she’s trying to watch television because outside her window: overgrown weeds.
“The lawn maintenance has been an issue over the last six to eight months,” she said. “Once weed takes over—like they are—the grass can’t recover. It’ can’t.”
As annoying as the overgrown weeds might be, she said the biggest issue is lack of lighting.
“All of the lights in the parking area are out,” said Allen. “There’s no lighting on the buildings. So, when I come home and if it’s nighttime, it is so dark, you can’t see anything around you. You just drive and try to get to your spot and get into your house, because you don’t have any lights to see anything.”
Allen reached out to KPRC 2 after not being able to get the property management company, who oversees the condominiums, to address issues.
“They know me by name and they’re very nice,” Allen said of her experience with Elite Association Management. “They’re very friendly when you go in if someone is there to greet you. If you try to call the office for anything, it goes to voicemail 90 percent of the time.”
KPRC 2′s Rilwan Balogun visited the management company and spoke with someone in the office who referred him to the company’s attorneys, Bartley & Spears.
Balogun left a voicemail. As of this writing, he hasn’t heard back from them.
In addition to, overgrown lawns and lighting, other people in the community shared with Balogun they’re unable to get their mail.
A sign on the cluster mailboxes reads, “STOP! Box is broken. Please pick-up mail from Post Office until further notice.”
33 units are unable to access their mail because the cluster mailbox is damaged.
“When we try to bring issues to them, they don’t know. ‘Oh, we can’t. We’ll try!’ It’s bad around here,” Cedric Johnson, who’s lived in the community for seven years said.
The USPS said they’ve previously fixed the cluster unit in the past, but it was constantly vandalized. A spokesperson said it is up to the HOA to reach back out to the Post Office to replace it.
David Kahne is a homeowners right’s attorney. He’s not involved with the Sunridge Villas condominium or Allen’s journey. However, he said for anyone facing issues with their condo they have two options:
Option 1: Call property management company - “Their first step should be to go to the management company and see if this is an issue they can resolve on their own, maybe by putting in new lightbulbs, for example.
Option 2: Reach out to board of directors - “The second step is to go to the board of directors, because the board is going to be responsible for how much money to spend and who to hire,” Kahne said. “Then, I encourage homeowners to form a group, a group of owners who share the same concerns. The more owners who join that group, the more likely the board will do the right thing.”
Allen reached out to one of the board of directors who told her the problems surround rising costs for water and insurance.
Allen said she and other people in the condominium pay $350 a month.
“What’s going on? Why can’t I get information on how the money is spent? Where is it going? Why can’t the HOAs agree on anything? Do something,” Allen said. “Something needs to be done around here. This place is going straight down the toilet.”
Balogun spoke with some other people at the property who understand the concerns Allen faces but said things the condominium is in better shape now than it was a few years ago.
USPS STATEMENT:
The Postal Service remains committed to providing world-class postal services to the American public. Safeguarding the security and sanctity of the mail is of paramount importance. This includes ensuring mail receptacles are secured, safe, and in good condition at all times. Postal Service regulations specify that the purchase, installation, maintenance, repair, and replacement of mail receptacles are the responsibility of the customer. In this instance, local postal officials are aware of the issue and will work with the HOA to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. In the interim, customers living at 10001 Westpark Drive may continue to retrieve their mail at the Deborah S. Schatz Post Office. We appreciate the opportunity to continue working with our customers and providing prompt, efficient mail delivery services. Customers are reminded that, if they need assistance with mailing or shipping concerns, there are a variety of options for contacting the Postal Service, including their local Post Office by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) or visiting our website at www.usps.com/help. Additionally, if they suspect mail theft or vandalism near a mailbox, they should immediately contact the USPS Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.