Bait and Switch

This is when the Pennbrooke Community Manager “Baited” my family into moving into Pennbrooke using employment as an incentive.  Of course the potential of having our rent reduced by a few hundred dollars by working every other weekend was enticing.  I was hired to work in the office as a part-time Leasing Agent.

The “Switch” was after we moved in.  It was demanded that I work the weekends that I had off... cleaning apartments.  When I would not make myself available I was fired.  Six days after we moved in I was fired.  After I trained for 2 months for this office position the truth came out…

"Bait and Switch" 

For updated details visit:

http://pennbrooke-apartments-bloomington.blogspot.com

Smoke and Mirrors

We were sold on great community, great place to live and 

great place to work. The Pennbrooke Community Manager

 seemed so passionate about the community, 

residence, and staff, but I found that it is an act.  The smile 

that greets you is not sincere.  The probing questions and 

conversation is all a micromanagement technique for control. 

You will notice open-ended probing questions. 

“How do you feel about that?” 

“How do you feel about working here?” 

“How do you feel about your spouse working here?” 

Potential renters will be asked, 

“Can you picture your furniture in this room?”

"Can you picture living in this community?"

These few examples are part of the training model within Highland 

Management Group.  Within my training period my fiancé was asked at least 4 times, “How do you feel about your spouse working here?”  These questions were not sincere they were part of a technique.

The Pennbrooke Community Manager is paranoid

about the residence actions, the staff’s willingness to comply with 

all her demands, and her place with Highland Management Group,

the company that she works for.  I will share more about this later.  

I will also share some of the extreme examples of micromanagement.

Smoke and Mirrors 

Don’t Be Fooled!! Office Hours

Pennbrooke Apartments offers office hours, 

but you will notice many times when you stop 

by the office it is dark and closed.  Many times you 

will see a sign that says, “….I’m out Leasing….”   

There are three main signs, 

“I’m out Leasing…” 

“Office Closed” and 

“Office Open…..”

There are some facts you should know!  Highland Management Group and Pennbrooke Apartments 

want you to always think that they are working 

hard for you.  When you see “…I’m out Leasing…” 

they are not always leasing.  Because the office is understaffed and the Manager is doing everything we as residents are not served efficiently. 

In our busy lives we may have one opportunity a day

to stop by the office, only to find it closed or unavailable. 

Because the office is only one room many times you cannot enter because there’s a meeting going on or something else, who knows.

One thing for sure, during my training, I saw both 

the manager and her part-time Leasing Agent go 

home to there apartments during office hours.  

(Remember "All" staff lives on site) When they went 

to their apartments the “I’m out Leasing…” sign was up.  When the Manager or Leasing Agent is out 

cleaning the grounds the “I’m out Leasing…” is 

what you will see.

On May 26 the Pennbrooke Community Manager the and Property Manager went for a walk to the 3^rd Floor Party Room.  During their 45min meeting the “I’m out Leasing” sign was up.

                   Don’t Be Fooled 

Great Question!

Thank you for you comments and concerns.  There have 

been many great comments and questions.  The question 

was ask about the motivation behind what has happened 

and the treatment of my family and I.

I can't tell you Pennbrooke Apartment's or Highland 

Management Group's motivation.  I will say that after all

my family has experienced I do not trust their motivations 

not to be self-serving.  

One bit of information that came to me was from the 

Part-time Leasing Agent.  She told me that a manager from

another building was looking for an apartment.  After looking 

at some of the different options the manager saw my current apartment.

Pennbrooke's Part-Time Leasing Agent told me that the

manager wanted the apartment I currently live in.

I truly believe that they are doing things to try to push

my family out.

                    This is our Story!! 

Deception

    Does the Head of Maintenance Live on Site or Not??

-You have been or will be told that all Pennbrooke Employees 

live on site. The Pennbrooke Community Manager prides herself in shareing this information, but it is not true. 

-While in training, I was told, by he Manager, not to reveal that 
the Head of Maintenance lives elsewhere.  Why not just tell folks the truth?  

If an employee lives 10 minutes away just tell the truth.  Adults 

can handle, ‘the maintenance man lives up the street…if there’s 

a problem he’s 5/10 minutes away.’  People can handle that, but 

if your pride is in, "all staff lives on site", then it’s just a little 

white lie.

  If you lie about this to get people to move in

          what else will you lie about? 

A Potential Gas Explosion at Pennbrooke

This was a very difficult experience and I must stick 

with the facts because it is under investigation. 

The Pennbrooke Community Manager called us 

Friday May 6^th explaining that our apartment unit was fill 

with gas and the stove was left on.  Since I was an employee she knew my schedule for the month and knew that our family was in California. 

Just to be clear we left Thursday morning around 4 a.m. for our flight. We never used the stove that morning.  In fact we had not used the stove since Monday.

When we were called Friday morning and told that she and her staff were in our apartment unit for a gas leak I felt very concerned, but you must understand we just moved into Pennbrooke the week before, Monday she fired me, then Friday she calls with this gas leak!  All of this happened in less than two weeks. 

The Manager  knew we were not home and out of town, but still asked ‘can you come to the apartment to look at things?’

From California I called Bloomington police and they dispatched a unit.  Bloomington emergency response was concerned because protocol states that Fire Rescue should have been called.

Could our Apartment and Apartment Building have blown up??  Why didn't The Manager call 911??

Was this an attempt to harass our family?? 

These are real questions.

The Manager said that the whole unit was filled with gas.  I called other apartment complexes that use gas stoves, some within the Highland Management Group, and they consistently told me if a unit was fill with gas that they would evacuate the building.

Bloomington Emergency dispatch and the police officer I spoke with told me that they should have been called.

On top of all this we come home from vacation and find an empty Caribou Coffee cup, on my 11 yr. olds desk… and a empty Arizona Tea bottle in the kids room.

                               These are the facts!!                      

   

BEWARE!!! Anyone looking to rent at Pennbrooke Apartments LLC, Bloomington Minnesota or work for Highland Management Group Inc.

This site is here to benefit all current residents, future residents, and future employees.

My family is not the first to have had a poor experience with this company, there are others, but we may be the first to warn others.  This information may save you time, money, and energy!

For updated details visit:

http://pennbrooke-apartments-bloomington.blogspot.com