I learned about a new film-flam game this week, one that makes me particularly angry. It involves a smoke-and-mirrors production involving Joliet (IL) Junior College.
When I, as the parent of a prospective student, look up the college's web site, I am bombarded not with what my child can gain academically, but rather a full half page urging me to house my child in the Centennial Commons Apartments. Since my first-year student is not going to commute, this is a convenient and viable option for me.
We look at the model for the 2 bedroom furnished unit, and I am told of the gated, safe community, the ever-vigilant maintenance staff, and I meet some folks representing Centennial Commons,
presented as a separate entity. They will provide roommate matching; once my child's credit and mine are approved and some other vetting is done, moving is a snap.
My child attempted to use the shower on the first day there, and ended up standing in ankle-deep scum water. Proper procedures were followed for a maintenance request; after the term of my child's lease had expired, the tub still did not drain.
Security gates were never fixed to provide the safety I had contracted to receive. Laundry facilities were laughable: machines were open yet when a load of clothing was deposited and money inserted into the slots, nothing ever happened. A trip to the on-site office always netted a giggle and an "I forgot, it's broken." Refund requests were met with the ploy of never-present authorized personnel to help.
But the bingo-caller hit the jackpot at move-out time. A walk-through was done in my presence and I photographed everything as I had on move-in. A copy of the move-out sheet was requested, but just like the move-in sheet I am told it no longer exists.
That became crucial in August, after my child's May move-out date: my child and I have both been turned over to a collection agency for supposed damages of which we were never notified. Calling the Centennial Commons business office resulted in non-returned calls. Email was employed for communication but the result of that became my-word-and-photos against yours. I was eventually told to just call the collections agent.
In the meantime, I explore the background of Centennial Commons. They either are not registered with the Illinois Secretary of State as a corporation or under a different entity from the name on what I was given as a "legal document." There is a Centennial Commons Condo Association, Inc., with agents and officers listed in cities near to Joliet.
Following leads on their documents, I find that whatever name by which they are incorporated includes Joliet Junior College as a partner. By this point they're coming up as Foundation Housing LLC, at the same address as Centennial Commons. Notations on the so-called contract lead me to United Campus Housing of Austin, Texas, and United Campus Housing Management in Jacksonville, Florida. Both show as subsidiaries of a property-management group out of Austin,Texas. Continued research find another, larger corporation - at the same address, no less - who seems to be Big Daddy. Other leads can be traced to West Virginia.
I am small and they seem to be boundless. The so-called lease is rife with things like page 3 with no page 1 or 2. Pages are not titled in the same verbiage in which they are referred to within the document. Paragraphs begin in mid-sentence and go nowhere logical.
Can I fight the $150+ they unjustly want from me? After trailing these different corporations from state-to-state, I conclude I cannot without possible harassment for my child by the school. Looking at all of this, I am reminded of, "What did the president know and when did he know it?" from Watergate days.
In my child's apartment, each roommate paid $600/month to live there. So somebody got $1200/month for said rooms, and now unjustly want to tap everyone for security deposit charges plus court costs. Now there's good old double dipping, and for what? Their total breach of contract.
Keep your child out of there!!!!
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