I was a previous tenant at The Smith Valley Forge and started living there right as the pandemic hit in March of 2020. During the course of that, we have been through 3 management changes with the last one being self-run by the new owner, UDR. There have been issues from the beginning but it has recently gotten much worse as now not only are there unclean areas, but also it has become increasingly unsafe due to safeguards not being put into place.

The most recent being a shooting in the building that we were not informed about but the Children's Hospital behind us was in lockdown. Yet we heard nothing from management until noon the next day which said nothing more than that it wasn't a resident. However, at that point you could only get in with a key FOB so someone had to have let the people in and not only that but police detectives were still posted at the apartment on the 6th floor that morning. Something doesn't add up here. There was blood all over the parking garage, in the elevator areas and through the stairwells that were never properly cleaned by a company that specializes in that. They just left it to the janitorial staff and there is still blood splatter in the garage.

I know that many residents had asked for cameras in the parking garage where the shooting started for months before that as we didn't feel safe even before that. Then after speaking to maintenance in the building I found out there were other shootings and acts of violence in the building as well. There is constantly a police presence and it's not only caught the attention of residents but also the other community members as well. This building also sublets out through Kasa which is an Airbnb and that has been nothing but issues as well. 

Another safety issue is the fact that the common areas are easily accessed by people who don't live here but are invited by residents. That parties have exceeded 50 people. Police have been called to these as well. Then add the domestic disputes that not only come out of the parties but also just within the building. I'm wondering if background checks were even done. 

Another safety issue is the parking garage door that is never working so people can come in and out and often park in resident's spots. 

In addition to the safety issue there are cleanliness issues as well. We have had problems with the trash being picked up and piles and piles of garbage in the garbage rooms to the point where you can't even walk in them. We are supposed to have a trash service that picks up Sunday through Thursday between 6-8 that is hit or miss and then there is garbage left in the hallway all day and it smells. The dog spa is atrocious as well. The bays are not clean and don't drain and the shampoo that's in there is now brown instead of clear. There is dog feces in the common areas and not just the outside ones but also inside as well and often the elevators. 

There is also a flooding issue which has been ongoing since I moved into the building and it's so bad that there have been mold issues as well. One of my friends had to move out of her apartment to another because of the flooding because when she opened her closet there was actually mold on her clothes and shoes. The people that lived on that first floor courtyard also experienced health issues. The first floor has had a constant sewage smell ever since on that side of the building and has never gone away.

When we moved in we paid an amenity fee of $600 and rarely does anything even work in those areas. They did finally replace the grills before I moved out, but these areas have never been kept up and look rundown. The TV's in these areas don't work and haven't for at least a year. The fireplace in the courtyard hasn't worked either in over a year. They keep saying they are going to renovate it but we had been hearing that since UDR took over almost a year ago. The landscaping hasn't been kept up and the furniture out there is gross as well. 

And to top all of this off, those of us that have been living here for a long time have now become part of the rent crisis because the renewals they are sending out are hundreds of dollars more. In the case of a 2 bedroom anywhere between $700-$800. And when asked about that the response is they are trying to get closer to "market value." But sure, let's let the drug dealers live there who are renting through their family, girlfriends, etc. 

Any time an issue is taken to the lease office the response is "we will look into it" and nothing gets done. But it took them absolutely no time to put in a pay for parking machine to further gouge our family/friends that come to visit for the visitor parking spots. 

I tried to address these things before I moved out, but now I just ask that The Smith let those that are still living there or owe money to release them of the financial responsibility of this rent due to gross negligence and the refusal to fix these issues. No one should have to feel unsafe on so many levels and have to pay thousands of dollars to get out of it. I know between Google and Facebook reviews that I'm not the only one dealing with this and The Smith (UDR) is getting away with it. 

Please sign this petition. Thank you!