The new management (as of 1/25/15--Bozzuto) is not providing strong customer service.

I lived at Flanders Hill for many years and greatly enjoyed my experience there. The apartments are beautiful, the grounds in the summer are great, the complex is extremely pet friendly (including providing dog bones in the office if you bring your dog by for a visit while walking around or visiting the two dog parks--also, I HIGHLY recommend Gusella Family Petcare, which is located right across the street, Kristina and Mike are fantastic for day care, boarding, and dog walking), and the neighbors are very friendly and helpful. I was very happy here and encouraged my friends and family to look into living in this community, because it had so many positives and was a great experience.

It was shocking to me the changes that occurred when Lincoln Property Management sold to Bozzuto in January 2015, and Bozzuto replaced all staff on the property (except 2) with their own members. Almost instantaneously, the positive experiences that I and my neighbors had dropped significantly, and just walking my dog around the property, I would hear stories from other members of the community about how unhappy they were. Some were small things, work orders that were completed haphazardly and did not look professional, while others were significant. During the record snowfall, the property was hit with over 3 feet of snow over night for 3 weeks in a row. While I understand that this is a daunting task to move snow out of the way of the roads, the crew on hand was not sufficient to keep up with the snow. My apartment had a private entrance, and in order to get my dog out the morning after (once the snow had stopped for 6 or 7 hours), I literally had to kick my door 7-8 times as hard as I could to open it wide enough for my dog to slink out and for me to slip through the crack in the door so that he could get outside. Looking to my neighbors, who had doors farther back from the street, some had 4-5 foot snow drifts up against their doors, with no means of escape. One older man waved at me from behind a big drift and said that I was lucky that I could get outside, because he was trapped with his dog and had to dig with his hands a small spot for her to do her business on his stoop, because there was no way he was fit enough to dig out of the drive or crawl over the snow. A few days after the storm, another neighbor told me that she had called the office, because when she opened her front door inward, there was a snow drift up over her head and she had no way to exit her apartment. The office apparently told her that the crews were working as quickly as they could and that she just had to be patient, and that in the future maybe she should invest in a shovel. She said that she was fine waiting and understood their rationale, but it was almost 18 hours after her repeated phone calls that somebody finally dug out her door and gave her attitude about the repeated calls and her worries that if there was a fire she would be trapped inside with her family.

For me, the worst part of my experience came from when I gave my notice that I was moving out. Looking back, it seems that once you are no longer mailing a big rent check every month, the attention and customer service stopped. I notified the office of my intent to move out and received nothing for over two weeks, when I reached out again to confirm that they received my message. Their response was that they were adding 6 weeks to my lease because they did not have sufficient notice from me and that they were going to use my (second) email as my notice to move out. When I contended that my initial email should work and noted that it was referenced and included to the email they were referring to, they relented and said that they would adjust accordingly, and that I would receive notice on what my monthly rent would be for the extra 4 weeks that I was now responsible for. As my "regular" lease term drew closer to an end and the extra time began, I reached out again to notify them that they had not yet told me my monthly rate and that I needed to know it as soon as possible to work on my budget. Again, it was 12-14 days from my initial contact until I received a brief response that it was in the works. After another 10 days (and only days before the rent was due), I wrote back and said that nobody had followed up and that I really needed to know how much I was writing a check to them for, otherwise I would be unable to pay my rent on time. Finally, I received an immediate response with a figure so that I could pay and a promise that the move-out documents were in the mail to me as of that day so that I could prepare.

After not receiving any documents for 3 weeks, I reached out and asked that they re-mail the document and confirm my address with me. I also asked if they could send it electronically so that I would be sure to receive it, as I only had one week left before turning in my keys. I received no response and after stopping by my apartment, I found a soggy document shoved in the screen door that was my move out document. After peeling the pages apart and letting them dry overnight, I found the usual information about the definition of normal wear and tear, as well as how to turn in my keys. I completed all of the steps and left my apartment spotless and certainly within normal wear and tear for the amount of time that I lived in that space. I took extra care with cleaning the carpets after reading past reviews that this was something they were strict about, and I felt confident that I would be getting my damage deposit back in full, as I work in a similar field of visiting student living quarters and knew what they would be looking for in terms of damages/"beyond normal wear and tear".

After turning in my keys, I received no word from Flanders Hill that they had received any documents, nor any information on the status of my deposit. After giving them three weeks to review my apartment, I reached out and asked for an update on the status. For 14 days, I received no response, until my phone rang 3 times from their office and hung up (no voicemail). I sent an email asking for written follow-up on my request so that I could maintain a record of this process, and did not receive anything back. 14 days later, I received a letter in the mail notifying me that Flanders Hill would be keeping over $1,000 of my damage deposit because they wanted to market the space as "like new", and thus needed to replace all of the wall-to-wall carpeting in all rooms. They included a billing statement, as they waited until the new carpet was down and the old carpet was destroyed before informing me of this, and stated that since the average lifespan of a carpet is 5 years and since this carpet was not installed for the full 5 years, I was responsible for paying back the remaining "years" that the carpet had. I don't know about you, but how many carpets remain in "like new" condition for all 5 years of their life? I know that I cleaned that carpet very well, vacuumed it, and left feeling confident that there were no egregious stains or problems that were outside of what would come from living in the place for years.

I called my contacts to discuss this and was told that my only option to stop it at this point was to take legal action, but since the lease is clearly going to benefit Bozzuto, all I would be doing is wasting the pennies that they are eventually going to mail me on a case that I am destined to lose.

It is frustrating, because I had such a wonderful experience leading up to this point, and I was recommending so many people to look into Flanders Hill, but now that I see how I was treated after I stopped being a resident, I will no longer be recommending this location to my friends as enthusiastically. My last advice--visit with the new office staff and see what vibe you receive from them. Ask them about the entire experience from start to finish, and ask about the policies that are in place and how they view their customer service skills and how they address resident concerns. It is a beautiful place to drive through and live at, but I certainly am leaving this experience with a very bitter and bad taste in my mouth. I am not a person who writes bad reviews, but I find this behavior inexcusable, and I would want to know these experiences before considering signing a legal document with this management company.

This was a family oriented community. The grounds and common areas were well maintained. The apartments were spacious and quiet.

The property offered the standard amenities that are found on most properties. The landscaping of the property was acceptable. The leasing agent came across as more interested in leasing the apartment than wanting to get to know me. Though she described the property in detail, it appeared rehearsed and impersonal. Based on this experience, I would not want to make this property my home, along with the fact that the rental rate appeared to be very high. I would not be comfortable living here, nor would I recommend it to friends or family.

I would be likely to recommend this community to my family and friends.

I thought that the landscaping throughout the community was outstanding. The exterior of the buildings looked very clean and well maintained.

I thought the unit was spacious, with lots of closet space. The property had excellent landscaping and low density, which I thought would enhance the livability. I thought the rent was a fair price to pay for what I would be getting. I liked the fact that the upfront fees were very low. The security deposit of only $99 was a big plus. The only other cost was the Re-Key fee of $50. The property showed very well, with good curb appeal and the look of being very well looked after.

My experience with the associate and the community was excellent. I felt like the associate truly wanted to help me find value and comfort in this community. She was friendly and knowledgeable, and the grounds and apartments were very neat clean and comfortable as well.

The agents I spoke with were outstanding in their presentation and their professional demeanor.

Both leasing agents that I interacted with were wonderful. The community was beautiful and nestled in a country setting.

I was very impressed with the community and the agents presentation. She maintained a steady, warm, and professional manner at all times and welcomed questions.

The property was well maintained. The leasing staff was professional and friendly.

The management team at Flanders Hill is not good. From my experience they do absolutely nothing and from what other residents have said who have lived there before the new management took over have worse things to say than what was mentioned above.

The community was beautifully landscaped.

This is a lovely community. It is quiet, clean, well groomed and offers ambiance. There are nice amenities for recreation, and good customer service. I recommend it.

The community was well maintained and obviously cared for. The apartment model I toured was beautifully furnished and well laid out. It was spacious and comfortable. The amenities offered at this community were truly impressive.