Mint Properties LLC

About 6 months ago, my apartment building in Minneapolis, which was previously owned by Stevens Court LLC was sold to Edina-based Mint Properties LLC. At first I was surprised, then disappointed that I'd no longer be able to continue the successful working relationship I'd already developed with the staff at Stevens Court. With all of the trouble we went through last winter, I was particularly concerned that there was no local office, but that our new ownership was located out of town.

So, I decided to wait and see. I have not been disappointed.

First of all, the improvements made last year to the building have been effective in reducing crime and improving quality of life for this resident, and I imagine others. I am filled with gratitude for the work of Jenny Carrier and her crew. There was not an abundance of obvious criminal activity this winter, no transients sleeping in the hallways, or any of that nonsense. Instead, we have a distinct and firm new ownership whose mettle I unfortunately had to test this winter.

In January, I noticed the distinct sound of a rodent in my ceiling. I figured it was a squirrel, based on the abundance of them in the neighborhood and their repeatedly proven ability to climb up the exterior walls. I did not, however, begin to panic, until I found an 8-inch mound of ceiling-stuff atop my refrigerator, and a clearly chewed hole in the ceiling.

I made several calls to the repair technicians, who over the course of about four weeks attempted to poison the squirrel, then decided to battle cold and icy conditions and effect repairs to the exterior of the building and to eventually patch and repaint my ceiling. Throughout the whole process the repair technicians (notably Kyler) and also the telephone operators at Mint Properties have been the modicum of professionalism and respect. In both cases that I needed to call the repair technician was on site within 30 minutes, which greatly eased my fears of having a remote management office. They've even gone so far as to call me at work in order to keep me appraised of the progress.

So, following my New Year's pledge to write about things I appreciate, here's my hat off to Mint Properties. Welcome to the neighborhood.