Rogers Park Community Council

I give them five stars based solely on the service I received from Faye Walker, the housing director. The services were free, which is a bonus. I went to Faye to help me with a problem with Holsten Management. Even though she is extremely busy, she took a lot of time and effort to help me with a late fee Holsten unfairly assessed to me and others in my apartment building. Holsten was not willing to even hear us out and Nicole Redding, Holsten Management’s regional manager, was extremely uncooperative and untruthful, but Faye was the consummate professional. She really cared about our case against them despite the late fee not being astronomical. I say «our» because she really made it as much her own as it was mine. We were correct on principle, so we fought for what was right more so than the fee.
I had, in fact, paid my rent on time, and I had my bank statement to prove it. The building manager had been on vacation and her office was closed much of the time because her substitute was also managing the Belle Shore across the street full-​time, so no one was there to process the rent payments on time. When she came back from vacation, she explained that EVERYONE who paid via their bank’s bill pay had been assessed the late fee!
When Nicole Redding told Faye Walker that she had resolved the issue with me, Faye was delighted and called me to follow up. She didn’t have to do that, but took the time. When I told her that Nicole had only called to read legal clauses to me about late fees, repeating herself comically as if she were an automated phone program every time I made a point in my favor, Faye shared my outrage. No, the issue had not been resolved and the late fee stands because Nicole didn’t want to «set a precedent”(?!) and have to return everybody’s late fees (even though the only people who would know are me, Nicole, Faye, and Marica Zaric, the building manager at 5550 N. Kenmore). After that, we both realized that Holsten Management was beyond reason. Faye then helped me move on emotionally and make the best of my time there, also something she didn’t have to do. I take comfort in knowing that someone took up my cause and cared about it as much as I did, even though Nicole Redding/​Holsten Management ended up screwing us.