'This is really disrespectful': Tenants angered over unresolved issues at Autumn Ridge apartments

LANSING — The management company for a 600-plus unit residential complex in south Lansing continues to face complaints as city officials and tenants press for faster repairs and rehabilitation of red-tagged apartments.

The complex has 618 units, 27 of which are currently red-tagged, Lansing spokesperson Scott Bean said in an email. Because of the red tags that prevent occupancy, numerous people say they are struggling to find places to live. Others, whose apartments aren't red tagged, told the State Journal they are angry that repairs to such things as lights, carports and furnaces aren't taking place.

"They're charging us a $1,000 for this place, then they're going up in rent and ain't taking care of these places they're supposed to be taking care of," resident Harvey Edwards said. "I'm just disappointed."

Southfield-based-Real Estate Service Solutions Company manages Autumn Ridge Apartments and Townhomes. The company called claims about the complex's condition false and characterized media coverage of the property as reckless, sensationalist and harassing. They said people who've been in the spotlight don't represent all residents and the majority of tenants are "very satisfied" with their homes.

City overwhelmed: 'All of us are culpable:' Lansing City Council grills Schor administration over red-tagged properties

"Contrary to narratives being created by certain individuals, Autumn Ridge addresses all maintenance issues as soon as possible," RESSCO said in a statement. "Similar to other apartment buildings of similar age, maintenance issues happen, and items will break or fail. However, our maintenance team always responds quickly to resolve any and all issues as soon as possible."

Issues at the complex go back to at least 2019 when Lansing Code Enforcement pink-tagged all units because they lacked valid rental certificates. The former owner, Shawn Stafford, filed two lawsuits against the city for racial discrimination, one in Ingham County Circuit Court and another in the U.S. District Court, but the claims were dropped and a settlement was reached with the city on Nov. 18, 2022, agreeing to allow inspections and get rental certifications to remove the pink tags.

Weathered pink tags from 2019 were still visible on most units on Sunday, although terms in the settlement called for the tags' removal, leading some residents to think they are living in legally uninhabitable apartments.

The lawsuit prevented the city from enforcing any code violations from 2019 until the settlement, Bean said. Bean said a certificate inspection took place at the complex in December. Autumn Ridge is appealing the findings and refusing to make the required repairs on the 27 red-tagged apartments, saying instead only seven units are red-tagged.

"…These 7 units are vacant and will not be rented until the units meet our standards, which is well above any City requirement," RESSCO said in a statement. "We dispute any other red tags as not legitimate or illegal and we intend to hold those responsible accountable."

Bean said if Autumn Ridge's appeal fails, and the company doesn't comply with code and building safety requirements, the city will pink-tag units again based on a follow-up inspection. When a dwelling is pink-tagged, the owner or agent has 30 days to complete the repairs. If the repairs are not completed in the allotted time, the property or unit is red-tagged.

"The City expects them to comply with code and building safety and provide safe housing for residents," Bean said in his email. "Unfortunately, they continue to play games with people’s housing. Mayor (Andy) Schor has instructed the City Attorney to do everything we can that is allowed under the law to compel compliance."

A unit can go from being pink-tagged to the more serious red tag if items noted on the rental inspection aren't repaired by the compliance date, Bean said on Feb. 5. Removing a red tag could result in a misdemeanor that carries a 93-day jail sentence, he said.

Rates at the complex range from $670 to $1,210 per month for one-, two- and three-bedroom units, according to the company's website.

From 2020: Lansing pink tags more than 800 apartments, pressuring landlord to meet codes

Rosalyn Williams, who's lived in a hotel with her 15-year-old son Tyrese since the city red-tagged her unit on Feb. 23, said she's not happy with her complex's management company, adding there were no such problems when she moved in nearly seven years ago.

"Every year that we signed our lease, they would come clean the carpets they would ask me if I want to upgrade any fixtures, and they were just really nice," she said. "But we don't even know who the property manager is now."

Williams said Consumers Energy shut off her gas after discovering a gas leak following a rental certificate inspection because Williams' heat didn't work properly. The shutoff resulted in the apartment being red-tagged, which forced her into a hotel while she's still paying rent.

"I called Consumers, and Consumers said, 'You have a gas leak,'" she recalled. "Thus, the drama began and they came back in without notifying me, but I have a camera so I can see it, and tried to fix it again. Consumers then shut the gas off from the outside."

Tiffany Jefferson said she moved to Autumn Ridge in 2020 with her husband and four daughters. She said there have been problems ever since. She has requested several times that dim sidewalk lights be improved and for street lighting to be added, but nothing has happened.

Autumn Ridge management said it is working with "the city's lighting department" to upgrade dim street lights, according to the company's statement.

Jefferson, who is now widowed, said problems have been exacerbated by the complex leaving a "vacant" tag in her mailbox which delayed mail delivery for several weeks.

"I am still trying to figure out if that is the office or if that's Post Office," she said. "I'm floored about it so I scratched out 'vacant' and put my name back in there."

Neither Williams nor Jefferson uses the garages or carports, saying they are falling apart and have caved-in roofs and rotting wooden exteriors. Several carports were blocked off with caution tape on Sunday.

RESSCO acknowledge in its statement that residents are not allowed to use damaged garages that will be demolished this summer.

Edwards and his family moved into his apartment on March 3 and immediately had to deep clean it due to a strong dog urine smell and paint on the floors. He said he was shocked to learn the city had tagged the entire complex previously.

"This is really disrespectful," he said. "You see all these people out here and it's sad."

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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at 517-267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Unresolved problems at Autumn Ridge angers Lansing tenants