Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/29/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This building has become impossible to live in due to the constant false fire alarms that blare. The fire department is unable to turn the alarms off, so they go off for hours until a technician from the alarm company comes. Below is a record of just some of the instances:-11/13 at 2:00 am for over 30 minutes -11/23 for 3 hours 6am-9am -12/28 for 1.5 hours 12am-1:30am -1/14 for 2 hours 12am-2am -1/22 4 pm- 20 minutes -1/22 for over an hour at 2 am This is just one of the big problems with this building. They refuse to allow us to break our lease.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/10/2025

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns regarding the recent fire alarm incidents at State Thomas Ravello. We sincerely apologize for the disruptions and distress these alarms have caused. We take the safety and well-being of our residents very seriously,and we understand the impact this situation is having on your experience at the property.
  
  Weve recently upgraded our fire alarm system, and while that was an important step, we were addressing the separate fire pump dry system. Each incident had a different issue that was resolved either same day or the next business day. Our ************************* alongside the Dallas Fire ******** and a fire pump specialist,performed key repairs. Weve been cleared for normal operation and are continuing to monitor the system closely.
  
  As far as early lease termination options, 3 methods were provided.
  
  I know that recent issues may have raised concerns, but please know we are committed to resolving every part of the system. Our Facilities team is working closely with experts and local authorities to ensure that we address each issue as it arises. Its a complex system, and while progress is being made, some repairs can lead to the discovery of other needs along the way.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/29/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In Nov 2023, as a tenant in Apt 1510, we notified Building Maintenance of an issue with the ***HEAT unit. It was not heating or cooling and constantly running.The bill had trippled in one month, which was our tip off. Every month since then...the bill has doubled our trippled from an average of $75 to over $200 in some months. We were told KWH went up...not true...kwh was the same, the usage went up., They told us to call TXU. *** said they have nothing to do with the power at teh building as they only delivery it to ONCOR who runs the meters and BM is responsible for the unit itself. I asked BM to check meter, they told me its fine, it was new in October 2023. I was told to call ONCOR. I had Oncor do a meter check....they told me power fine, SmartMeter fine, it was the **** broken. I put in another call-ticket to BM....they finally in Feb said, " Oh yeah, unit is broken, we have to replace, They replaced. I asked for a credit of all of the overcharges for power in the 700 sqaure ft apartment which is approx $150/mth for 5 months $750 for their lack of followthru that cost me overbilling from the Energy companies due to the broken unit. I provided all my year over year bills to them to show the increase in usage and costs, with no KWh increases, providing the unit was defective to them to fix it 5 months later. I have called 6-7 times, left messages, spokie to ************, ********************* Some guy name ***, and everyone says the Building Manager is the only person who can issue a refund or credit but this person has not returned a single call in months. I have tried to find out who her boss is and best I can tell its *******************************, SVP Operations who has no contact phone number, I have however left an email as their website directs for ******* to call me, This is going on 6 months with ZERO return calls.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/04/2024

  I met with the building Manager, *****, who was very nice , but who has no authority or power to settle any disputes. All disputes go up to her boss.  Their explaination for the trippling of the power usage even tho NOTHING had changed ....its always set at 70 in the winter and 72 in the Summer is that the Appliances  such as the toaster, blender, lights being plugged in are using power. This is a 700 sq ft one bedroom apartment that for 2 years was 60-80/month electric and shot up to over $200 on average. For 6 months we kept  asking for them to fix the broken unit because it was constantly running but not pumping heat or AC they FINALLY said, your right, its broken, after I had ONCOR come and do a meter check at the request of the power company.  Oncor proved the meter was working, newly installed in july 2023 and that the actual apartment unit was broken. They replaced last month...Refused to do anything for the 6 months of $150 or so overcharges....after i sent them year over year statements from my power company TXU and they offered a $250 GIFT card for our troubles.  They even insinuated that TXU was scamming customers with higher USAGE  when I had 2 years of consistent billing on a MONTH over MONTH basis comparison.  This is NOT A PLACE I WOULD RECOMMEND to any person looking for an apartment. They dont care ONE SINGLE bit about good tennants. They only care about MAXIMIZING profit and jamming it down the throat of tenants...or just move out is their approach. So I am moving out. PS- $1650 rent goes to 1950. in the 3rd year of tenancy but the website shows EXACT units at $1810.  Their excuse????....It changes daily, you have to look every day to see what the real rent is in a similar unit.  Just constant gamesmanship. Dont rent at any GABLES in ****** is my opinion only.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/18/2024

  Hello,

  We have since worked with the resident and come to an agreement for lease termination that the resident has agreed to. However, all work orders placed have been completed and checked in a reasonable time frame. The resident's unit was checked and found the lights were on, AC unit set to 71, and high voltage items were plugged in (i.e a massage chair and foot massager). We tested all other appliances, and they were working correctly. Upon relaying these findings, we suggested that when not home to turn lamps and other lights off and to adjust the thermostat so that it would not be continuously running and that should conserve energy. We require residents to obtain their own electricity provider. All units are individually metered and reported back to the energy company. We do not do anything with the billing and have done our part on ensuring the appliances are working. They are and are still reporting high bills, therefore the charges, based on usage, seem to be accurate. There are new management team members in the office now and no prior complaints were expressed of high bills until 2024, but they are stating that it started back in 09/2023. We ask this be closed as we are doing what we can to resolve the issue the best of our ability.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/23/2024

  Hello,

  We have since worked with the resident and come to an agreement for lease termination that the resident has agreed to. However, all work orders placed have been completed and checked in a reasonable time frame. The resident's unit was checked and found the lights were on, AC unit set to 71, and high voltage items were plugged in (i.e a massage chair and foot massager). We tested all other appliances, and they were working correctly. Upon relaying these findings, we suggested that when not home to turn lamps and other lights off and to adjust the thermostat so that it would not be continuously running and that should conserve energy. We require residents to obtain their own electricity provider. All units are individually metered and reported back to the energy company. We do not do anything with the billing and have done our part on ensuring the appliances are working. They are and are still reporting high bills, therefore the charges, based on usage, seem to be accurate. There are new management team members in the office now and no prior complaints were expressed of high bills until 2024, but they are stating that it started back in 09/2023. We ask this be closed as we are doing what we can to resolve the issue the best of our ability.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/25/2024

  What a complete garbage response. Lights were on and made the electric bill go from  $70/month to $200/month. The high voltage stuff is complete nonsense. 71 is what the unit was set on for 2 years summer and winter...and it never changed year over year.  I moved out because they are scam artists. Massive 5th floor flood, elevators out for months, broken ac/heat units causing 24 hour running of the units. The KWH  from TXU never changed and Oncor agreed it was 100% a broken unit they never fixed due to poor maintenance.  This place is a MUST AVOID for young renters.  I co-signed with my daughter and they completely tried to take advantage of her.   Their offer for 6 months of $150+ added to the electric bill or nearly $900 and 4 months broken elevators was a $200 gift card.  What a Joke. Renters beware. And yes, moving out due to their complete BS. and dont even get me going on Rent from $1675 to $2100 if your a new renter over 3 years...If you can lock in your rate for as long as possible or be ready for a constant increase for NO reason other than they can...Glad they were able to renovate the front office tho...and finally fix the pool.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/28/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had to file seven written maintenance requests and multiple emergency phone calls regarding our ** unit.The week we moved in, a year ago, the ** was deemed broken and the freon was completely out - and we were told that was due to a leak. In November 2022, we were keeping our ** unit on ***** degrees and received an energy bill stating ***** kWh of usage for the month. We stated in the maintenance request that we were concerned we had a leak and that it was causing our bill to be so high. As it got warm again in May 2023, we again sent in a maintenance request that air flow and ** is very limited and not functioning correctly. In July 2023, we again submitted saying the ** was not cooling. In August, we submitted yet another request saying our bill was over $500 and it was still hot in our apartment. Yesterday, we made an emergency call to maintenance, as our ** was over 80 degrees when we came back in. When I emailed with my concerns, I was told I needed to "call my electric company and ask for tips on how to conserve a little more energy." My request for the freon to be checked has been ignored multiple times. Our apartment has never gotten below 71 degrees - even if we turn it down to 68/69. We were so concerned that we even changed our electricity provider a month into living here. I have now been told the following excuses from various members of your team: we simply use too much energy and that is what caused the high bill, we chose a wrong plan with our provider, the freon was out, the freon was leaking, our unit is 'just hot because it is on the end, need to get our meter checked - which we did, the freon isn't an issue because it had been replaced when we moved in, the vents in our unit are too small, the humidifier was not functioning, and lastly - the most unacceptable - that Ravello knowingly installed ** units that are not powerful enough for our unit.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/19/2023

  To Whom it May ************************ residents in apartment #****, *********************** and *************************, moved into our community on 9/17/22. Throughout the duration of their lease, they placed multiple service requests regarding their **** system and electricity bills, each of which were addressed by our team, and even by a professional **** technician. There were occasional issues that we resolved,but both our technicians, and the **** vendor, were unable to find a problem with the apartment home that was not resolved. Below is a brief recap on the service requests entered throughout the lease:
  
  -9/24/22 ****/Electric bills closed on 9/26/22
  Problem Description: We moved in about a week ago and just got our electric bill and it is obsurd. Our unit is not getting cool and the water was not getting hot this morning when I went to shower. Given these instances I think that something is wrong. Can you send someone ASAP on Monday to come look at it? It needs to be addressed because TXU said everything looks correct on their end. **** is not cooling home.
  
  
  -9/27/22 **** closed on 9/28/22
  Problem Description: Check run capacitor per maintenance
  
  
  -11/1/22 ****/Water Heater closed on 11/3/22
  Problem Description: When we moved in we had issues with our AC and you all replaced our free-on, however we just received this months energy bill for our apartment and the usage was nearly **** kw which is so high given that we do not have our AC cranked (it stays on 72) all the time and keep our lights off while we are at work. Can you please send someone ASAP to look at the AC/Heating along with our water heater to ensure that everything is functioning properly? We are very concerned that we have a leak or something that is causing our bill and usage to be so high.
  
  
  -5/9/23 ****/Filter Change closed on 5/11/23
  Problem Description: The airflow in our guest bedroom is very limited. Can you send someone to look at our filters? It is noticeably warmer as soon as you cross the rooms threshold compared to living room.
  
  
  -7/10/23 **** Not Cooling closed on 7/10/23
  Problem Description: Resident called saying A/C not cooling. When they check the Nest system it isn't showing anything. It's blinking.
  
  
  -8/2/23 ****/Electric bills closed on 8/3/23
  Problem Description: Our AC has had issues since we moved in. Our electric bill this month was over $500 and it is still hot in our apartment. The air is not blowing enough air in the second bedroom, the bathroom in the master bedroom, the living room or the master bedroom. Please send someone to come check the *** Thank you!
  
  
  -9/25/23 ****/Electric bills closed on 9/28/23
  Problem Description: AC not cooling - Called into Emergency Maintenance line on 9/24/23 at 3:45p.
  
  
  The residents confirmed in writing via email that they kept their thermostat at a temperature of ***** degrees all day/night. We have seen an increase in all electricity bills (including apartment homes and the common areas) due to the record-breaking high temperatures ****** saw this year. The **** vendor feels that another factor that could be playing into their bills was the fact their home is a corner unit, facing the direction that receives evening sun. We have explained all this information to the residents and explained that even throughout the duration of their lease, there were different issues addressed (freon, run capacitor, AC filter), none of which were the cause of high electricity bills over a prolonged period.
  
  To help ease the frustration, and due to the quantity of service requests entered throughout the duration of the lease, we issued a $500 gift card to the residents ($250 given to each resident). We believe we have resolved this issue as we have confirmed with both our on-site technicians, and a licensed **** vendor, that there is nothing wrong with the **** system that is causing increased or high electricity bills, as well as offering a monetary compensation for the frustrations incurred throughout the duration of the lease.
  
  If there are any further questions or concerns that I have failed to address, please let me know.
  
  Thank you, 

  ************************* - General Manager

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/23/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We rented at the state Thomas Ravello after visiting their property. The tour they gave us was glamorous and they showed us the beautiful apartment model and told us the pool and renovations would be ready by the time we move in. We move to ****** and have noticed that the reality of the property was completely a scam. The elevators were out most of the time , the pool was never finished , our mail/packages always got lost and were misorganized by the property and there were never adequate parking spots . Worse of all , it never felt safe. They said they hired a private security company which we never saw and we have seen homeless people in the garage because the outdoor locks were never repaired. They left the whole property unsecured the whole time we were there. Despite us trying to reach out to the property many times about those issues , they were never resolved and my wife always walked around the property with a pepperspray given lack of security and safety. At that time based on the Texas law we asked that break the lease. They hesitantly agreed and forced us to sign a document saying that we are responsible to pay an early termination fee worth two months of pay. The rent was 3000 dollars . This in my belief is against the law given that we are allowed early termination given lack of safety and given that the property didn't fix the issues that we pointed out . On top of all we signed a document to give us a payment plan over 6 months , for which they agreed to give us. A month later we were called by corporate that we didn't pay our due fees and that they are going to send collections to pick them up.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2023

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/12/15) */ **** ******** and **** *********** moved into the home at Ravello on 5/28/22. We exchanged emails with them on 5/27/22 in preparation for move in and did not hear from them again until 9/5/22 when she presented a list of 9 concerns about the community. In addition, throughout their tenancy, they only placed 4 service requests, all of which were addressed within 2 business days of entering. The concerns they have presented regarding the elevators, pool that's under construction and gate system upgrades were communicated to the residents on 5 separate occasions between Jun 13th and Sept 23rd. In addition, we held a Crime Awareness/Community Update meeting in both Sept and Nov that neither resident joined. We communicated the local crime stats, things to be aware of, and updates to the community improvements. Upon emailing in Sept with their concerns, we emailed them back addressing each of their questions. We also spoke with them over the phone, and I had a sit-down meeting with them to address their concerns. During that meeting, they divulged that they are no longer interested in coming to a resolution because they purchased a home and would need to move. This gave me the impression that their home purchase is the catapult for the complaints and the desire to terminate the lease early. Throughout Sept and Oct, we shared approximately 80 emails with the residents' answering questions, giving explanations, and providing resolutions. At the end, we agreed to back-date their notice, allow them out of their lease early, and set up a payment plan for 6 months to pay the early termination fee, which is typically due on or before move-out. Official notice was not received until October 18th, but we allowed them to move out on November 1st, ultimately only asking for a 2 week notice to vacate. We feel that we've been more than fair given their dissatisfaction with our community and the ongoing renovations. Regarding the projects mentioned, here is a brief description of each and what was done: - Elevators: We currently have a platinum level contract with **** ********** and as soon as we were made aware of an outage or issue with the elevator, we called it in, but **** has struggled this year to find the cause of some of the outages, or we've been required to wait on parts that were on back order. Since 2020, we have put over $900,000 into elevator improvements and renovations, on top of monthly PM and service calls. We have expedited and elevated this matter as much as possible and have been able to slow the number of outages drastically over the past year. - Pool: We have a pool that is in the courtyard that's been open since Memorial Day weekend, but they're referring to the rooftop pool addition we are adding. We have encountered numerous setbacks and terminated the original contractor that we went under contract with. We have had to find another vendor to almost rebuild the pool as the original work was not done to code. Since the change in contractor, we have not advertised a finish date for this pool, so I do not believe they were told it would be done prior to move in, as stated. The ground floor courtyard pool was, however, under renovation prior to their move in, and was opened on time, as advertised. - Package Thefts: We have been hit with package lefts several times this year, as have the other apartment communities in the area. After the first theft, we held all packages in the office for the safety of the residents' belongings, until we were able to replace the package room door with a commercial-grade steel door and frame that could not be pried open. We have cameras installed at the package room and do our best to help keep the area organized and secured. - Parking Spots: Our community has 454 parking spaces on property. We allow for one space per resident with the option to reserve a space if they want a designated, guaranteed space. We currently have 447 residents on property, which would allow for available parking for every resident if everyone had a vehicle. The lower levels do fill up quicker, however, so they may have had to go to a higher floor at times. The resident stated to me that they work long hours and wanted to park on their level (3rd floor) when they got home, but I explained the only way to guarantee that would be if they chose to purchase a reserved space, but they did not want to take advantage of that option. - The guard service we employ ******* *** has been in place since July 2020. They come by nightly, approximately 3-6 times, to drive through the garage and the perimeter of the community. We have never offered security or safety, only a nightly patrol to aid in after-hour checks. Unfortunately, crime happens everywhere, but we hold quarterly Crime Awareness meetings in addition to giving Awareness tips in the lease contract. - Fob/Gate System: We are in the process of upgrading our outdated analog phone line system to a new, internet-based system. We signed the contract for the upgrades in April of 2022, but it took until Sept/Oct for the parts to arrive from overseas. Our contractor began rewiring the community in Sept and has almost finished. While we have had gates go out due to the aging wiring the current system has, we find that most of the time a gate is found unsecured, it is due to it being propped open. We have sent out several notifications requesting the residents and vendors to close all gates and not to prop them open, but that is not something easily able to be monitored or policed. We also have a Courtesy Officer **** Officer living on site) who checks the gates nightly and reports back if any are broken or not securing properly. Given the fact that there has been action taken by our team to address all their concerns, we have not defaulted on the lease, as the resident states. There is not a lack of attention or funds on the community. We are still in progress with some of the concerns mentioned above, but we have been very open with the residents about the projects and estimated timelines that we've been given. If there are any further questions or concerns that I have failed to address, please let me know. Thank you.