Havenwood Apartment residents are charged a monthly $1.95 recycling fee, added to all the other charges on their "water" bill.
A Havenwood resident emailed us with their complaint about the Havenwood recycling methodology....
Dear D/FW Renter's Alliance,
Thank you for being a voice for us renters, both in Havenwood and elsewhere. Some of what goes on with landlords seems downright criminal. I am a Havenwood tenant. I live on the de-forested south side of the property, where the new landlord clear cut the forest of trees before the city made him stop. The north side of Boca Raton was spared and still looks like a jungle when viewed from the southside from a 3rd floor apartment.
A lot of us are pissed off about all these new surcharges for what used to be included in the rent. That and the rent being raised by a large amount. $3.00 for an alarm that I don't use. $4.95 for natural gas to heat the hot water. How do they meter the sewage charge each month? The water I can understand, but sewage? How is that metered?
But, the "fee" that really annoys me is the most nominal charge, the $1.95 Recycling Fee. There is only one recycling bin on the property. It is located on the north side behind a security gate. For me to put recyclables in that bin I have to go through two security gates. For me, and most of the others I've talked to about it, it is too much bother, so we don't bother recycling.
This seems like a scam to us. If Havenwood serious about providing a recycling opportunity shouldn't there be recycling bins convenient to all those paying the fee?
Is there any sort of Fort Worth housing agency that complaints can be made to? Seems like someone should be monitoring things like this.
Thank you,
Soon to be ex-Havenwooder
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Dear Soon to be ex-Havenwooder,
You raise a valid point. Complaining to the city can be successful in righting a Havenwood wood, as witnessed by the saving of some of the trees from being slaughtered. We are involved with helping victims of a landlord in another area of Fort Worth where the landlord gave 133 apartment units a 30 day eviction notice. Local media is now covering that particular case of landlord abuse. The Havenwood situation is more subtle.
Thank you for your input, Soon to be ex-Havenwooder,
D/FW Renters Alliance
