Letter to the Editor

February 21, 2007

To the Editor:

We are sympathetic to Mr. Quinn’s plight (“An insider’s thoughts on the Manor,” Jan. 31, 2007), and share his concerns about the Manor. However, we are also dismayed by the inaccuracies and unfair assessment of the current status of the Manor. First, what Mr. Quinn fails to acknowledge is the difficulty in implementing changes to a property the size of the Manor after over a decade of mismanagement. Mr. Quinn describes his first encounter with the building management and the rent discrepancy that ensued. What he fails to set forth is that this occurrence transpired long before the current management took over.

When we assumed management mid-November we were handed a large apartment complex that was in dire need of constant oversight and proper management. Almost immediately after assuming this role, we invested close to $75,000 in upgrading the buildings’ systems and we intend to invest more money over the next few months. Many of the incidents that Mr. Quinn describes preceded our management of the complex, and we have instituted the proper procedures to make sure that any work that needs to be performed is completed.

However, I would like to address the paramount concern of the students, their parents and this writer: security. One of the first acts after our assuming management of the complex was to replace the security force. After the unfortunate incidents, we increased the number of guards on security patrol and their hours. Ironically, Mr. Quinn mitigates this act and falsely states “that they were expected to be there for two weeks.” There is no basis for this false statement and in fact, Mr. Quinn deftly chooses to omit who he asked and who informed him of the expected tenure of the security patrol. On the contrary, I personally met with most of the students of the Manor to inform them of the new security procedures regarding access to the buildings during the night hours, and our plan for improving the security of the complex. Again, Mr. Quinn fails to acknowledge this action. As part of our effort to ensure the safety of the residents, I met with Captain John McCloskey, the Captain of the 35th Police District. During our discussion, we addressed the security needs of the complex and our desire to enlist the support and participation of the Philadelphia Police force. However, our determination to maintain a safe environment for our residents did not stop there. We have installed new locks to the back doors of the buildings, and keys to the doors are being distributed to the residents of the D and E buildings. The installation of the new intercom system is complete, and the gates to the complex and front doors have been fitted with new high security locks with restricted keyways. We are currently installing a state of the art security camera system.

Contrary to Mr. Quinn’s assertion, the current ownership and management of the Manor is concerned about the safety of its residents, and we are committed to implementing the necessary actions to ensure that we achieve that goal. We hope that the returning students currently living in the Manor choose to stay, and invite those students considering off-campus housing to choose the Manor. We see no reason why they shouldn’t.

Charles Wertman
The Manor Apartments Management
chesk770@aol.com