Copper Beech works with tenants
Management had not heard of many of the complaints on Facebook.
Published Oct. 6, 2006
Management at Copper Beech Townhomes is contacting members of a Facebook group titled "Official Copper Beech Petition (Withhold your rent!)" since many did not report their complaints to the office, Sales Director Beejan Savabi said.
The Facebook group claims to represent residents with maintenance and parking complaints. As of Thursday night, it contained 124 members, an increase since Monday night's 115. Still, Copper Beech representatives say some members have left the group after speaking with them.
"A lot of the other people said that they were only on it for social reasons," Savabi said. "They thought that it was a big joke."
Property Manager Rebecca Williams said management of the complex had not heard many of the complaints listed in the Facebook group.
"A lot of the postings are things that have never been reported to our office," Williams said. "We are going to try and figure out a way to go on Facebook and let them know to report those things."
The complaints include moldy walls, holes in showers, water pressure and insects in basements. Savabi called these problems "isolated incidents."
Savabi said Copper Beech responds to maintenance requests within 24 hours, though some problems can take longer to fix, especially if a part must be ordered.
Sophomore Sara Holzman, a Copper Beach resident, recalled problems she had with delayed maintenance.
"They had to order a part, and the part didn't come for three weeks," she said. "We had to call them and try to get it out of them."
The central complaint of the Facebook group involves guest parking. Until Tuesday night, Copper Beech assigned each tenant a parking spot and required each guest to obtain a free parking permit from the office. Tenants were informed of this policy before signing a lease. Now, Copper Beech tenants who hang tags can park in any available space. Guests must continue to obtain permits.
"If we don't do that, then one person can have a big party with 200 people there, and no one else will be able to park," Savabi said.
He also expressed concern that without assigned parking, students might return home late at night and find no place to park.
The Facebook group's creator, Matt Rebackoff, said that he was given three options when he asked where his friends should park when they visited: They could park on Bearfield Road, double-park behind his car or park in the fire lane and hope not to get towed by Columbia police. He said he was advised to pick his friends up instead of allowing them to drive themselves.
"I spoke to Matt and got his side of it, and he believes he has a better solution to solve this that will better appease him that I don't feel will appease our tenants," Savabi said.
Rebackoff said he thinks Copper Beech is doing the best it can, considering its situation.
"I'd rather them buy a parking lot and have visitor parking," Rebackoff said. "But I think (the new policy) is really the best they can do right now with the amount of space they have."
Williams and Rebackoff scheduled a meeting to discuss the issue Thursday afternoon. Rebackoff's lawyer advised him against withholding rent, calling it drastic.
"For anyone who wants to do that, there will be late charges applied," Savabi said, noting that Rebackoff has always paid his rent on time.
Williams said many of Copper Beech Townhomes' 630 residents are MU students. Right now, 99 percent of the townhomes are leased, said Savabi. Construction began in August 2005 and was completed in August 2006.