When I moved into Lakes of Northdale five years ago it was idyllic. We truly enjoyed living on a lake with ducks, river otter and natural beauty, less than ½ mile from North Dale Mabry. Everything was in close proximity whether it was restaurants, retail, church or Carrollwood Toastmasters now located across the street in the Northdale Center where the OWLS meet. We added to the natural beauty by purchasing a wooden bench and several hundred dollars in potted plants by our entrance way. We have treated this apartment residence as if we actually were owners rather than renters. It is not unusual to find tenants who have lived here for ten years or longer.
This understanding of “neighborhood” has changed drastically ever since America First Apartment Investors, Inc. agreed to be purchased by Sentinel Real Estate Corp. in late 2007. Property Managers have turned over three times and communications consist of edict by memo. Although Sentinel Real Estate is a major force in the real estate market they do not appreciate their customers i.e. tenants. Instead of welcoming tenants to the Sentinel family we were met with a bevy of memos about the need to have all plants (this is Florida after all!) removed from the common grounds despite the fact that in the majority of the cases the tenants had added to Lakes of Northdale’s value as a managed property, a place that was not just another rental with a cookie-cutter mentality. Several tenants had their plants removed without notice and destroyed. There was at least one senior citizen left in tears.
The new property manager once again issued a “final order” that all plants and other items had to be removed. No reason was given other than “that’s the rule”. Sentinel didn’t seem to understand the uniqueness of this development and that people living here had in some cases invested their hearts and their souls into places they each called “home”. For my family Carrollwood living isn’t what it was!
