I second everything Pam P. has said (with one exception*). Having lived here longer than Pam, I can assert that we would be better off with no management office at all than with the one we have. "Management" manages nothing but is inconsiderate, rude, and completely unresponsive to residents, leaving us insulted as well as ignored. Perhaps they do manage one thing: keeping the units as full as possible without regard to the quality of tenant they accept or allow to stay. They certainly pay no attention to reports of egregious aggression, harassment, and abuse by certain dangerous tenants against others. They do not enforce the age-restrictions that presumably afford seniors a quiet and safe home. The decline from the early days is disheartening and a serious blow to our quality of life. The non-management staff may as well not be there, either, in terms of resident support. One staffer is pleasant but utterly powerless and ineffective; the other one, who has been here for years, is condescending toward the residents, acts put out when approached, and is just as ineffective.
It's very telling that the only resident-friendly manager Shapell has hired in recent years bailed suddenly after just a few months. My guess is that he was too attentive and caring for Shapell's taste.
The online brochure for Tesoro Senior Apartments, not to mention the "luxury apartments" sign at the front gate, are, shall we say, exaggerations. The vaunted "view" of the Valley has been obliterated by the construction of apartments and a large shopping center. No appropriate fencing has been provided to keep us and our pets safe from the unfortunate starving coyotes who live up the hill. Parking is a joke: one slot per unit is allocated per the lease, with a small number of slots reserved for "visitors;" however, most of the visitor slots are casually occupied for months at a time by second or third cars of residents. (So don't plan on inviting anyone over if you live here.) Inside, our "luxury" apartments are small, with inadequate sound-proofing between floors (the vertical walls are okay), contractor-grade carpeting and mini-sized outdated appliances. The plumbing appears to be outdated, too, considering the number of water outages we experience ("Sorry for the inconvenience"). Storage (closet space) is a huge problem, so if you are down-sizing from a house, make sure you get rid of everything or plan to rent an outside storage unit. The limited communal laundry facilities are in frequent disrepair. Dogs: it's wonderful that Tesoro is pet-friendly; however, recently tenants with huge dogs are being granted leases, presenting serious danger and noise-pollution to fellow residents. Oh, and cell phone reception is virtually unavailable on the north side of the complex. I know I'm forgetting stuff, but you get the idea.
*The one highlight of life at Tesoro is the marvelous group of women who do the cleaning and most of the inside maintenance. They are very competent, thorough, and cordial. I give them kudos and thumbs up.
Why do I stay? Because I can't afford to move. Believe me, I check around every year. read more
