FR
Fernando Romero
Jan 8, 2026
I had a nightmare experience living at Peppertree Apartments, primarily due to the unprofessionalism and harassment from the manager, Joe Banuelos.
Maintenance & Dishonesty: Within my first month, my microwave broke. Maintenance claimed they couldn’t enter, then told me I had to wait because they were going on holiday. I later found out the maintenance worker was there the whole week—they simply refused to answer the phone. When I went to the office to ask for help, Joe lost his temper and yelled at me.
Harassment & Management Issues:
Retaliation: After my discussion with Joe, he began leaving "3-day pay or quit" notices on my door, even though my payments were confirmed as successful through Domuso.
Hypocrisy: Joe frequently harassed our guests, claiming we were too loud, while he and his wife could regularly be heard fighting loudly, disturbing the peace themselves.
Parking: Management refused to deal with a car that consistently parked illegally behind ours, making it nearly impossible to leave our spot.
Move-Out & Deposit Issues: The move-out process was predatory. Joe forced me to pay an extra $200 for a "late fee" caused by a system refund I had already tried to resolve. He also threatened us with a $1,000 city trash fine, failing to mention that residents can call the city for free pickup.
Most importantly, they have withheld my money illegally:
I received an envelope that was already opened. It contained a spreadsheet of charges but was missing the refund check for the 12 days of rent I overpaid.
I emailed Joe regarding the missing check; he never responded. I had to go to the office in person to claim it.
He charged me $800 for painting after only 12 months, despite the walls being in perfect condition. He claimed the painting company "cancelled last minute" and promised a receipt. It has been 2 months—I have no receipt and no deposit.
Peppertree Apartments and Joe Banuelos took my deposit without providing a single legal receipt. Avoid this place at all costs.
If you value your peace of mind and your money, do not move here. The management is dishonest, aggressive, and will look for any excuse to keep your deposit and make your life miserable.