Marina Grande on the Halifax — Attraction in Holly Hill

READ the lower starred reviews and let me tell you... they are TRUE! Having just moved into the building the security and management from day 1 have been nothing but unwelcoming, unfriendly, disorganized and don’t seem to have answers to anything. As I was hauling a suitcase to the elevator to my unit on the first night the security guard said “what are you doing here...” I live here... maybe a “hello,” first? You will constantly be stared at as if you are a criminal, even for simply walking your dog. talk about disorganized at its finest, no one is helpful at anything!!! If you have a question the front desk or management all get flustered and send for help (Even the most basic of questions). Many of them speak English as a second language which also makes communication difficult. The grounds are beautiful, but don’t look closely - the windows are seeping with black mildew/mold around them, just look up when your at the pools! The location is convenient but don’t drive outside the entry cus your immediately greeted with a trailer park and the complete “ghetto.” The management company prides itself on Covid precautions yet the gate attendants NEVER, not once have I seen in the dozens of times I’ve entered and exited the complex wear masks and stick their heads in your car to validate your ID breathing their germs all over the place. Oh, and even though the gate attendants never wear a mask, I was also told my siblings and parents were NOT allowed on property due to Covid regulations and no visitors that live outside of the property are allowed on property... REALLY? I mean I’m VERY concerned about Covid, I moved from Seattle and understand the danger - but this is my parents and siblings that I see almost daily... they aren’t allowed to visit my condo because they don’t live on property?! My own immediate family?

The management is extremely confrontational and will lie directly to your face. Then accuse you of being a liar when you confront them of why they gave you false, incomplete, contradictory or misleading information.

The building is PLUMP full of “Karen’s,” and “ken’s,” AKA people (often retired with nothing better to do) staring out their windows or watching your every move looking for something to complain about. I’ve seen it on multiple occasions, not just to myself! I’m a 30 year old white male, professional, and highly respectful and considerate of others, but I do not think it’s right to feel unwelcomed in your own home by micromanaging, unfriendly, arrogant and cocky property supervisors. The management sadly has made me angry/frustrated every time I see them. This is our home, not a jail. We aren’t criminals. They should be a service to us not out to get us.

It makes sense now why most of the units in the Building are unoccupied, sitting empty - the management is aweful! So, buyers BEWARE! spend your money elsewhere. Don’t be deceived by the views and amenities, you likely won’t feel comfortable living in an environment where you feel like a hostage and are always looking over your shoulder for the latest “karen,” or member of management/front desk/etc. to complain or report you for innocently minding your own business.

Would...

I visited a property managed by Castle Group this weekend - Marina Grande on Halifax - and had the most horrible experience with the front desk and security.

The property tried to convert parking spaces designated as handicapped spots to "special use." The handicap markings were painted over, but they still showed through, making them confusing.

The property is now on a towing campaign. The resident I was visiting was notified by text on Friday night of the towing campaign but missed the text.

There were apparent unintended consequences when they towed a car that was marked as handicapped, belonged to a wheelchair-bound person and contained medical equipment. It should be noted that the car's owner was a frequent visitor who regularly parked in those handicapped spots, and a board member had told the person that the condo owned an adjacent spot as he is permanently wheelchair-bound.

What was appalling was the lack of empathy, professionalism and basic human decency displayed by the security guard and property manager when explaining the medical situation that was created. The medical consequences escalated, requiring this man to call 911 and be transported by first responders.

When we tried to talk to Security and Property Management, we were met with defensiveness, eye rolls and curtness the entire way through. The security guard left out relevant information when relaying information to the property manager. Still, explaining the situation to the property manager fell on deaf ears. The guest at the property was further robbed of his dignity when he was told that it was "his problem to fix" in terms of how to retrieve the car and the medical equipment.

Even as the fire rescue arrived, we were told, "Rules are rules." The group of firefighters who helped us said this was not the first time they had experienced such a situation.

As a professional in the property management industry, I understand and empathize with all parties involved, but I am still appalled by how the matter was handled. As a human, I was heartbroken and sickened by what I witnessed.

The property management, Castle Group, and security at Marina Grande on Halifax can use training in life safety, sensitivity training, de-escalation, and customer service.

I will edit this as soon as I get the name of the security company because, just as this man was told he needed to be accountable, the Marina Grande on Halifax, the property management company (Castle Group), and the security company should be held responsible for escalating the situation and robbing this person of his dignity. It is two days later and I am still shook.

As the saying goes, "If I could offer less than one star, I...

Every resident is rude, racist, and annoying to deal with. I've lived here for 8 years, moving between apartments in both towers, and the bad residents outnumber the good about 20 to 1. The guards constantly find ways to cause issues with you, be it Christmas lights visible from your window, to outdoor furniture not matching the "aesthetic" of the buildings. The managers, Debbie Youngblood and "Raymond", are both obnoxiously stuck-up and passive aggressive. I have to post from an anonymous email just to make sure they wont track my IP and come for me in my sleep. If any form of dog waste is left behind on grounds, no matter how small, they will DNA TEST THE POOP and match it to whoever's dog it is in the buildings, then fine you, or worse... you'll have to email back and forth with the nimrods in management.

My close friend (at the time, a 21 year old woman) was assaulted in the hallway of Tower 2 by some drunk college fraternity boys from Embry Riddle around midnight on a Saturday, and the guards and management did nothing about it except chase him away. They refused to contact authorities and refused to investigate who they were there to visit with. And don't even get me started on Daytona Police Department.

The gym is the only redeeming factor about Marina Grande, but for the cost of an apartment in Dubai, is it really worth it to live here in the Third Reich just for a good gym and a sauna?

Don't let your realtor boast this place, you will regret it entirely, and if I feel I could be threatened legally by leaving a Google review, then you know that management is seriously backwards! I'm already in the process of moving out because I have been targeted far too much for very minute things such as: -"Moving furniture after 4PM on a Wednesday" (it was a boxed office chair, and it was 4:15PM)" -"Keeping an unregistered animal on grounds" (i pet a stray kitten in the parking garage) -"Violating parking policy" (I parked in an open spot then some rich frat boy complained that he couldn't take TWO spaces for his Porsche because of my car) and other hits such as -"swimming in pool past curfew" (the pool closes at 10, I swam at 9:30, the gates are left unlocked and open all night) -"violating dock policy" (I went for a walk down the Docks, turns out its only for people who park their boats there, even though it's about 7 feet from my first floor condo) and my favorite case, in which a very apparent sewer gas leak was smelling up my guest bathroom, but management and maintenance claimed it was just "the Asian neighbors cooking cats or something"

Seriously avoid...