Student residents of Eagle Village, an off-campus student apartment complex close to USI, are frustrated with the management and maintenance problems in their apartments.

Aubree Brown, sophomore public relations major, is a resident at Eagle Village who said she has had mold issues since moving in. She said there was mold in the vents when she moved in and, instead of fixing the issue, the employees spray-painted over it. As a result, she and her roommates got sick from the mold. Brown said management told her they would clean the air ducts, but she said they still have not fixed the issue. 

“It’s been a little rocky from the start,” Brown said.

Michael Hanes, freshman undecided major, said he has had a variety of other issues with his apartment. He said the carpet was torn,the floor constantly looked dirty because of the white specks of paint used on them and his window would not open or close. Hanes also said the shower’s water pressure was too high and he had to fix the shower drain himself. 

“You’ll have a shower going, and then 5 seconds in, the whole bottom layer is already filled with water, so I sat there with a coat hanger for like a half hour just jabbing out the drain,” he said. “It was disgusting.”

Hanes said he does not like having to make reports for multiple small issues, but the carpet tears and scratches were two things he reported.

“It was a little frustrating having to go through and do a damage report on every tiny little thing, even though they should have reported when all of those damages were there before,” he said. 

Hanes and Brown both said they have had problems with the locks on their doors. Brown said her roommate’s door would not lock while Hanes said his front door only locks if you pull the door first. 

“If you only have one free hand, it’s always annoying to have to put stuff down, pull the door and then lock it,” Hanes said. “It’s just a bunch of small things that I feel like they should have fixed but haven’t.”

Residents have also had issues with receiving keys on time from management. When Brown moved in, she  had trouble  getting her keys on time. 

Brown said her key was not ready when she was supposed to move in at 11 a.m. She was unable to move in until 2:30 p.m. because the employees were hand-making the keys.

Ian Klingler, senior radio and television major, said his only issue so far has been with management. He said when he moved in Aug. 14, management was swamped. He arrived at 5 p.m. to move in but saw other residents who had been waiting since 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to get their keys.

Hanes also said management did not have his key ready on time. He received the key 5 hours after his original move in time.

“Apparently, they had a ton of problems with making keys,” Hanes said. “They have lists of papers on everyone who doesn’t have a key. They were clearly scrambling around everywhere.”

Klingler said he thinks Eagle Village’s management is having issues of its own.

“I think they have gotten a couple more people, but I feel like the attitude is just not right,” he said. “You know, for Eagle Village, you’re supposed to be open and warm, and they are like, ‘Okay, you’re here. We’ll take care of you, and then you can just get out of our hair.’”

Klingler said this is his first year living at Eagle Village as he had previously lived at the campus apartments. He said living in the apartments on campus was cramped and he likes having his own space at Eagle Village. 

“I feel like it’s decent enough for someone to live there during their college life,” he said. “You get that sense of individuality, and the cost is cheaper. You don’t have to worry about parking because that’s taken care of. You can just easily drive, and it’s even an easier way to get to the Lloyd and get into town.”

While Klingler said parking was not an issue, other students said parking is an issue for them while living at Eagle Village.

“If you don’t get here by 5 p.m., you’re going to have to park a mile away,” Brown said. “There’s no parking remotely close. I don’t want to say Evansville is terrifying, but as a girl walking back to her apartment, it is a little scary.”

She said Eagle Village management offers VIP parking that allows residents to own a parking spot for $35 per month.

“Nobody wants to do that. It’s just crazy,” she said.

Residents also said they have had communication difficulties with management.

Hanes said he once received an email saying he could get $200 for referring someone to Eagle Village. He then received another email a few minutes later claiming the first email was not supposed to be sent out. 

“I was all excited thinking, ‘Yeah, I’m going to get $200 just for referring people,’” he said. “Yeah, that was fake.” 

Hanes said if he could change anything about Eagle Village management, he would “ask for them to be more talkative.” He said he only gets emails now and then promoting parties and get-togethers, but they never actually have them.

Hanes said he and his brother are roommates and have had issues handling insurance with Eagle Village management. He said they charge an extra $10 per month to use their insurance, so he and his brother have their own insurance. He said he sent proof of his separate insurance, but he was still expected to pay $10. He said he re-sent the email, and management responded to the original email several days later.

Hanes said he has also had problems regarding his post office box. He said he was not given information on where his post office box was, and many other people have the same number as his apartment. Hanes said this caused people to come to his apartment thinking he received their mail.

Klingler also said management could improve by responding more. He said his roommate had multiple questions to ask management, but when he called and asked, management told him they did not know. He said he had to do two months worth of calling and make a 2-hour drive just to get his questions answered.

“We don’t need to jump through three, four hoops in order to finally get that answer,” Klingler said.

Klingler said he can tolerate the slow feedback from management because he likes the open space Eagle Village offers. He also said he likes how residents can continue living at Eagle Village even once they graduate.

“Especially during Spring Break and summer, you are forced to leave the apartments, so at Eagle Village, you don’t have to do that because you are living there,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman coming in, a senior looking to exit or if you are 28 years old and not even at USI, you could still live there.” 

Overall, Klingler said he likes living at Eagle Village. He said he would recommend it to others but would tell them to be hesitant because of the management issues.

“I feel like it’s a good place to be,” he said. “I think it’s a lot better than USI housing because the cost is cheaper. I would say the only negative is management.”

Hanes said he would also recommend it to others because it is off campus and there are no room searches. 

Brown said despite the issues, she likes living at Eagle Village because it is off campus and she can have more responsibility. She said she would recommend Eagle Village to others.

“I would tell students to be very patient and understanding of management situations because they’re doing the best they can with very little help,” Brown said. ”It’s frustrating, but it’s also very stressful for them.”