Sage Misadventures

Ok LinkedIn ...

I usually don't post personal business on here, but today is different. I need to shed some light on a negative situation and I also need your help. This article is about how poorly I've been treated and I need to find some resolution. Please read to the end and offer any advice and/or resources to remedy this situation. This story was too long to share in a post, so I have to write this article instead.

I recently signed a lease (Feb 6th) for my new apartment managed by Sage Ventures. I thought I found the perfect place to live, but I was clearly mistaken. Now before I get into all of the bullshit this company has caused, I want you to know that the vice president Sam Dinovitz is the cause of this post. His lack of empathy and respect has soured me to my core.

I waited a while to post my horrible experience with this company because I thought they would right all of their wrongs. I was very patient and hoping that human courtesy and decency would get me the outcome I deserve. Now I realize that this company doesn't care about how they treat people (their residents) and all they want is money.

So let me start by saying, that I have yet to have a functional washing machine. I can't even wash my clothes in my home because these people put me in a unit that wasn't move-in ready.

I have pictures and video of the condition my apartment was in when I got here. I couldn't use my bathroom for over a week because it was covered in dirt and mildew. So needless to say, I couldn't "live" in my apartment. It was mandatory for me vacate my place twice so they can do repairs and make this place livable. I had to find accommodations so I could have a place to lay my head.

So let's rewind. I started looking for a place for an immediate move-in at the end of January. I came upon the place I am currently in. Despite the 2 weeks back and forth with the leasing office, I was set to move Feb 2nd. I was sent a lease and was prepared to sign on Feb 1st. I had my money orders ready and everything. When I arrived at the office, I was told that the young lady I was working with no longer worked there as of that day. And I was told the amount I was quoted was wrong and the unit I chose was not ready. (1st inconvenience) I was then showed additional units that I wasn't shown before, and chose a bigger, more expensive unit that I was old would be ready for move-in on the 6th. I was assured more than once that this unit would be ready.

I signed my lease on the 5th and picked up my keys on the 6th. When I entered my apartment there was a leak in the half bathroom, which they did fix the same day. There were also two men touching up the paint in the living room. As I inspected my unit, I noticed more issues and reported them. The washing machine was soiled and missing a piece (that still hasn't been replaced. The sprayer on the kitchen sink was malfunctioning but was also very nasty looking, so they were supposed to replace it. The master bathroom was absolutely filthy and was not cleaned to anyone's standard. The tub was dirty and the shower was disgusting.

I couldn't live in my unit because I couldn't bathe in my own place. I had to shower and spend the night elsewhere until they came to fix it. They scheduled for the bathroom to be cleaned on the 11th and I was to be out of the unit for 24hrs while they reglaze the tub and shower. Sage Ventures emailed me that the work was done and that I could return to my unit Fri the 12th. When I got back, nothing was done. So I had the manager and the maintenance guy came and took their own video and said that I would now have to wait until Monday the 15th for them to actually do the work. So that meant I had to yet again stay elsewhere.

When I returned Tuesday the 16th, only the shower was reglazed. So ten days after I signed the lease, I had only stayed in my unit 2 nights at that time. The stress was so bad that I was getting headaches. You would think that a place like this that charges so much for rent would do right by its residents. Well, that's what I thought. I asked multiple times to speak with someone from corporate to help remedy this horrible situation. I expected to at least get reimbursed for the nights I couldn't stay in my unit or a good faith credit on next months rent.

I reached out to Moshe Crane (director of leasing) here on Linkedin who listened to my concerns and said he would look into the situation. After corresponding with him a few times, he stopped responding. So last week I finally got a call from corporate and spoke to Sam Dinovitz. I voiced my concerns and asked him if he knew what was going on. I also explained how there were outstanding repairs that still needed to be done and that the unit wasn't move-in ready like I was lead to believe. He acknowledged that he knew. When I asked him what was gonna be done to make me feel better, he told me nothing. In fact he said "We don't compensate residents." "If you're not happy, you can break the lease." I asked him how to get out of the lease if their company breaches it and he responded "I'm not giving you legal advice. I recommend you ask your attorney." So I told him to email me that in writing.

Just like that. No recourse. No empathy. No apology. So I paid my money upfront and didn't get what I asked for. To this day, I still haven't had my washing machine fixed and it's unable to use. The tub wasn't reglazed. They put me in a dirty unit but took my money. The faucet sprayer still hasn't been replaced. The lease states that all repairs must be done in 48 hours. I've had to spend money on hotels and laundry. My hard-earned money already spent. Now this arrogant individual is basically telling me he doesn't give a f*ck about my, my feelings, or the situation his company has (and is) putting me through. So in my opinion, Sage Ventures are run by money hungry people who don't put their residents first. All of these repairs and issues should have been done before anyone moved in. This shows what kind of people I'm dealing with.

So here's where the help comes in. I need to consult with a real estate attorney for advice. I'm asking for referrals. Please message me with any you know or forward this to your Linkedin connections to help me find one. I'm looking for any advice and/or expertise on this matter. I have over 14,000 connections. I'm sure one of you can help me. I have picures, videos, emails, and receipts.

Also, please be aware of renting property that is managed by this company. I wish I had done my research a little more before entering into a lease with them. Read the reviews! I wish I didn't have to write this article, but I shouldn't be going through this. And hopefully, this will make them think about how they're treating people. All I wanted was for them to make right all of the wrongs. A simple apology, show of concern, and a resolution. Customer service goes a long way. As a business owner, especially when dealing with people, you have to treat your clients and customers right. Sam Dinobitch didn't apologize or try to appease me at all. So if I can't get reimbursed or compensated in some sort of way, all I have are my words. This has been a very trying experience to say the least. I will not be renewing my lease here because they don't deserve my money. So this is the story of Sage Misadventures.