#$*#%$ Apartment manager!!

Do you think this guy is in his right to do this??

Ok, today my kids were outside the apartment playing. My son was playing soccer, well just passing the ball back and forth with his friends, and my daughter had been riding her bike with her friends. Well, about 6:30 my son comes inside and tells me that the manager just took his soccer ball away, told him that he can no longer play outside, and threw his sister's bike, along with three other bikes, into the garbage.

WHAT??

So I asked the kids to calm down and explain to me what they were doing when the manager came by. My daughter had just set her bike down, propped against the fence of the building to get something inside her friends house when the manager came by. My son saw the manager pick up her bike, and the other bikes, and toss them into the garbage bin. Then the manager told my son to hand over the soccer ball, and then he drove off with his ball.

I called the police to file a report. Of course, a police officer called me back and said that he couldn't do anything because the apartment complex was a privately owned area, and that the manager was in his right to do whatever he felt was necessary if any apartment rules were being broken. One of my neighbors also called the police and the officer ended up coming out to the apartments. We were told that basically, the police have no jurisdiction over the apartment complex because it is a privately owned property, and that the resident manager has the right to do whatever he wanted to because he was the person in charge of the property.

Something else- Before I called the police, I called and left a message on the manager's cell phone. I said I wanted to talk to him immediately because I was upset and I wanted to know what had happened. 20 minutes after I called him, and about 5 minutes after I called the police, he drives up to the building. I said, "Sorry, but I actually don't think I should talk to you right now because I am so mad at what has happened, and I have already called the police." He just said "ok fine" and then peeled off- and by peeled off I mean drove away going well over the posted speed limit of 10mph.

I mentioned that to the police officer, and he just shrugged and said that he cannot enforce the speed limit on private property. Ok, and this police is a traffic officer. I'm not fully understanding this at all.

First of all, there has been an ongoing problem with this particular manager. I've lived in this apartment for over 2 years now and have not had one personal dispute with the manager until this very day. I have many hispanic friends that live here as well, but they all have had many disputes with the manager over the last few years. The main problem is that the manager has been extremely disrespectful and often times downright abusive in dealing with kids. These last couple of months the manager has suddenly decided to drive or walk around the complex and tell the kids they are not allowed to play outside. My son has complained to me on numerous occasions that the manager told him to go inside. My friends have also told me that the manager has done the same to thier children. Children need to be outside, riding thier bikes, playing tag, etc, not inside becoming couch potatoes. The apartment complex has no play ground for the children. On the side of the complex where I live there are signs posted that say "Caution- children at play" On the side of the complex where the manager lives there is a sign that says "no skateboarding, rollerblading, bicycle riding, etc" There is no sign whatsoever that says that on this end of the complex. Our complex is basically divided into to areas, with two separate entrances and exits. In between each area is the office, pool, and tennis court. The only way to get from one area to the other is to walk.

Well, when the police officer arrived to talk to me and my neighbor who also called the police, he seemed annoyed that we called him for a civil problem. We walked him to the apartment manager's apartment and the officer briefly talked to the manager to fnd out what happened. The manager told him he has repeatedly told everyone to not block the common areas with the bikes, and that he has had way to many problems with bikes being left laying around, seemingly abandoned. He claimed that my daughter's bike and the others were blocking the driveway. He also claims that the fire department has been out multiple times for inspections recently and has given the manager multiple warnings about blocked fire acess, etc due to tennants bikes and other stuff. It's supposed to be in our contract that we cannot block common areas, cannot leave items in the breezeway of the buildings, etc. Ok I understand that. But the bicycles were not blocking the driveway and were not in anyway left haphazardly in the path that people need to walk, and were certainly not left abandonded.

Now with the case of my son and the soccer ball- the manager told the officer that the boys were hitting the cars with the soccer ball. Did he just insinuate that the boys were doing that on purpose and that is why he took the ball away from them? I'd understand if that was the case. However, shouldn't I have been notified immediately by the manager if my kids were doing something wrong? My kids would never purposely hit a car with the ball. When I asked my son about that he said they were just playing and the ball had accidentally hit one car at the same time the manager was throwing the bicycles into the garbage. You play with a ball, soccer or anything else, and of course the ball won't always stay where you want it to go, and could hit a car or someone. Everyone knows that.

Now the manger also told the officer that in our contract/lease it states that children must be supervised while they are outside. He actually said that in a different manner, which the officer interpreted that the kids are not allowed outside ever unless an adult is with them at all times. Umm, ok. You can supervise your kids from your apartment. You don't need to be watching them like a hawk or be standing there where they are playing or following them wherever they go to play. I can hear my kids and know where they are and know what they are doing. They can hear me from the apartment if I call them. I can see out my bedroom window what they are doing. I can stand on my balcony and watch them do stuff. My kids are not left alone with no parental supervision whatsoever. I am a responsible parent. Now, some of the other kids on the other hand are not supervised whatsoever. In fact, thier parents assume without actually getting my consent that I am watching their kids for them.

Oh I am so mad still, and it's been 3 hours since this all started. I've called the landlord and tenant dispute office and the property managment office and left messages. I will be calling them back in the morning to talk to someone before they can call me back.

If I go into labor tomorrow or this evening, then the manager will have to pay my bills for me since it is his fault. I can't even think anymore about this and cannot keep writing because I'm so angry.