Michigan State University students on off

by: Darrylin Horne

Posted: Aug 29, 2023 / 05:55 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 30, 2023 / 09:40 AM EDT

EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — With the start of the school year, Michigan State University students are moving into their dorms and apartments. But some students were met with deplorable conditions at an off-campus apartment complex owned by Pierce Educational Properties, LLC.

A few students who moved into The Village at Chandler Crossings on Thursday said they were forced to wait in a line for more than three hours to get their keys. Then, when they finally opened the doors to their new homes, they couldn’t believe what was waiting for them.

“The floors are so dirty that my socks are turning black,” said sophomore Natalie Stoner.

It’s just day Five of living at the Village at Chandler Crossings for Stoner. She said so far, it’s been nothing but problems: leaks, mold, maintenance issues, and some of her roommates don’t even have keys.

“AC broken, dishwasher broken, dryer broken,” said Stoner. “We have a bucket under [the sink area] that we have to keep dumping out in the bathroom just so we can do our dishes.”

Part of the problem with all that, Stoner said, is that the conditions don’t mirror those of the model unit management showed her in February.

“The place that they showed was amazing,” said Stoner. “And it was great, and everything was clean. All the appliances were working.” Moving into her apartment this month, she said, was a different story.

Mari Kozlowski said she found her bathroom in a sorry state when she moved into her Village at Chandler Crossings apartment.

“No one wants to walk into a place that’s flooded or has mold in it,” she said.

Kozlowski has heard other stories about the apartment complex.

“Someone walked into their room and there was a squatter. And someone was just living there,” she said. “It’s just very dangerous.”

Kozlowski’s mother, Dawn, said now that her daughter is locked into a 12-month lease, she’s hoping management can at least lock up vacant units and clean those, too.

“I want something safe for my daughter,” Dawn Kozlowski said. “I’ve heard a lot of other apartments have mold. This is not healthy for these kids.”

The Village at Chandler Crossings spokesperson Bob Hetherington said crews are working to resolve and repair the issues with the apartments, and he said that the squatter allegation is false.

“There was no squatter,” Hetherington said. “Yes, a resident was surprised to find someone living in the apartment on move-in day. However, the individual was a returning resident of The Village who planned to move to another apartment but missed getting relocated in a timely manner. The confusion was quickly resolved.”

Hetherington said a leak from a broken bathroom pipe had been repaired by 12 p.m. the day after move-in day. “And crews have been contracted to replace the bedroom carpeting and repair or replace vinyl flooring elsewhere in the apartment to make things right as quickly as possible,” he said.

Spokesperson Hetherington also acknowledged that a resident had not received their keys on move-in day and had to rely on roommates for access. “There were issues with the locks and specialists have been called to replace them and issue new keys,” he said.

As for the issue of a hole in that same unit’s balcony–“Since the hole is relatively small, it did not appear to create either a structural or a safety issue, and was not immediately repaired,” said Hetherington.

He said the on-site management team had encouraged residents to make their concerns known so they are addressed in a timely manner, and that the on-site management team would follow up with residents to make sure their concerns were being addressed promptly.

Meanwhile, Mari Kozlowski and Natalie Stoner said that on-site management has been helpful, but they hope all of the issues are resolved soon so they can focus on school.

“I kind of felt like I was cat-fished by this apartment complex, for sure,” Stoner said.

Blog