Apartment Review for River City Apt - Richmond, VA

I had a hard time believing the living conditions I pulled my son out of recently. His apartment in the Brooke at 2215 Monument Avenue had been one of Richmond's finer building once upon a time but is now in the latter stages of neglect that is almost horrific to believe. Broken windows, window sashes, unusable doors, trash and debris in common areas for weeks at a time, plumbing problems that went for over six months with no resolution, chipped and peeling paint everywhere, windows that would open but couldn't be closed fully. When I called River City Rents on his behalf, I was told in no short order that it was "none of my business since I wasn't on the lease--click...". When I went by their offices at 307 Stockton Street I wasn't admitted-- the place is more secure than Fort Knox. Obviously from the mood of other tenants I spoke with, the staff at RCR must work in fear of physical harm. When my son (20 year-old student) called, he was told someone would call him back... never happened. The whole situation reminds me of a verse from a Lou Reed song called The Boulevard... "Somewhere out there ther's a landlord laughing so hard, he wets his pants...". In this case, the landlord is only a couple of blocks away in one of the finest houses in Richmond. It's almost as if he wants to rub his tenants' noses in his opulence while they are subjected to squalor, rudeness, and financial dificulty from his lack of maintenance and concern. I have contacted an old college friend of mine who's an investigative journalist and he's delighted to follow up on my tip for a story. He was once nominated for the Pulitzer, so he's an amazing and thorough writer. It appears this type of treatment is very commonplace with RCR. Class action, anyone??