Blaer Roberts

My name is Blaer Roberts, and I live in Landmark Estates in Warren, Michigan. I moved up here from Georgia after my stepfather died to help out my mom and be closer to my kids. 

As a young father getting on my feet, Landmark Estates seemed like a good deal. The place was quiet and had big trees. I could imagine bringing my kids here. I bought this house because it was reasonable during COVID, and I came in with hope and a positive attitude that I could make the best of things.

Maybe I should’ve known better. When I came to buy the house, the manager said the one I had looked at was no longer available, and I ended up with the one next door. I can’t even list all the things that happened next.

The manager asked me to mow the grass and clean up trash in the community, and she offered to take money off my lot rent in return. It never happened. When I asked about the lot rent, she called me a liar. Then they started cutting down trees, and their crane truck drove into the side of my house and they dropped a limb on my home that caused a roof leak. They still haven’t fixed the damage, and I had to patch the roof myself.

But worst of all are the sewage problems. I have video of sewage backing up in our yards. There are times when every flush meant raw sewage backing up under my home. It happened all down this street. The company that came out to fix the problem said the whole sewage system in the neighborhood needed to be dug up and replaced. The owners refused and just did spot fixes, threw down some lime on the puddles of sewage in our yards, and walked away.

I still have hope. Owners with values and a vision could make this a good place for older people and young parents like me. But it doesn’t make a person feel good to have your kids come to your house, and the first thing they say is, “Dad, what’s that smell?”

These owners need to be forced to fix what needs fixing. And we need strong protections so no one goes through what we’re going through.