Boardwalk Apartments

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Front.jpg

Location
805 and 819 H Street (across from the train tracks)
Contact
Leasing
Phone
916-222-4355

The Boardwalk is an 8-unit townhome complex located in 2 buildings at 805 and 819 H Street. These apartments were built on the former site of a plant nursery: Davis Nursery, a retail nursery owned by the Basinger family for more than 40 years. There is a unique gold-tipped variety of Deodar cedar in front (visible in the photo above) which was planted by nursery owner Tom Basinger. The apartments are located directly across the street from the freight train tracks. The freight train comes by a few times each day (much less frequently than Amtrak), typically only during daylight hours. The complex is close to bus lines, bike routes, markets, restaurants, and shopping centers. It's about 10 blocks from UCD campus.

The townhomes have either 3 or 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (depending on the unit). All units have: energy efficient features (i.e. soundproof dual-pane windows, high-grade insulation walls, new appliances), individual indoor washer & dryer, walk-in closets, heating & air conditioning, hi-speed internet (Cat-5) wire to every room, private covered porch area, mature trees, and unassigned parking in a lot. Overflow parking can generally be found in the street.

The following rates were listed here by a Boardwalk Apartments representative:

However, comments below indicate that management in fact demands additional monthly payments for utilities and for dedicated parking spots, a few of which are covered garage spots. Consider yourself warned.

A representative of the Boardwalk management archived all of the old, negative comments (now restored) in 2009, writing in the main entry that "Professional Home Builders is the manager of the complex since 2009." The representative [WWW]noted (see comment for Version 63) that Professional Home Builders is "a partnership corporation," which is not a legally recognized type of business entity. The term may be referring to a Limited Partnership, however there is no "Professional Home Builders" registered as an LP with the [WWW]Secretary of State.

The previous Boardwalk Apartments manager was Ali Ghorbanzadeh, who was also the Responsible Managing Officer of [WWW]Professional Home Builders Enterprises, Inc., an incorporated contracting company that was dissolved in 2006 upon the expiration of its contractor's license. The company is listed in the [WWW]Davis Business Directory as a General Building Contractor registered "outside of Davis". They share a phone number (the one listed at the top of this entry) with the expired corporation registered to Ali Ghorbanzadeh. Moreover, the contractor's license indicates that "This license is exempt from having workers compensation insurance; they certified that they have no employees at this time." This certification was made in 2002 and remained in effect until the license expired and the contractor's bond was cancelled in 2006.

In short, Mr. Ghorbanzadeh appears to still be the manager of the complex, albeit through the screen of an expired corporation.

Interestingly, there is no [WWW]business license listed in the city database for Boardwalk Apartments. It's not uncommon for the database to be all kinds of messed up, though, so this doesn't necessarily mean anything.

To learn more about rental housing in Davis, check out our Housing Guide as well as our Apartments pages.

Comments:

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2007-11-06 23:17:48   I lived there last year. I don't care how new the apartments are... it's not worth living there because you will have to deal with Ali, the owner and property manager. There's only one word to describe him: Smarmy. No wait - there's a second word, too: Evil. If you've had the misfortune of meeting or speaking with him, you'll know what I mean. Don't kid yourself and think you can avoid him after you've signed the lease; he frequently checks in on the apartments and will appear when you least expect it. Trust your instincts and look for another place. —sbyun

2007-12-12 01:37:39   How exactly does he check in? It may not be legal.

And is it just me, or is two grand a month pretty ballsy for an apartment with such a good view of the tracks? —MelissaH

2008-10-15 11:04:21   I've lived at the other house that Michelle and Ali manage and it was RIDICULOUS. We told them we had issues with cockroaches and they refused to pay to exterminate or even look at the situation because it was a "natural" due to the change in weather.

They also tried to tack on about $200 in fees a month AFTER we signed the lease, and actually whited-out something on the original lease we signed, and put HER OWN initial next to it and try to pass it off by saying "See! it was initialed!"

Avoid at all costs. —StephZhu

2008-10-30 21:30:54   LOL - I forgot about the extra fees. Want one of the 3 garage spots? $50 a month. Want to rent a washer/dryer? $50. Dog? You guessed it - $50. —sbyun

2009-02-04 16:36:08   I agree smary and evil sum up Ali's approach. Stay away from their properties if you have the option. FYI if you look up Michelle "Mahvash" Ghorbanzadeh she has lost her real estate license due to illegal circumstances. Check out the DRE website to find out more [WWW]http://www.dre.ca.gov/pdf_docs/rebspr06.pdf —violet45

same-ip-address.png Two or more of the following comments come
from the same IP address and may be the same person.

2009-06-13 13:21:23   These comments are NOT undated. I have lived in these apartments for a year and let me assure you that all comments above 3/19/2009 are both valid and accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if Gorban-family affiliates created the accounts that posted the positive comments seen below. Things here do NOT get fixed- Ali had made a list of things to fix the day we moved in... despite our efforts to remind him of this list, it is June and we have yet to see ANYTHING be done. However, he does not have a problem "dropping" in with future tenants to view the apartment. He has even invited himself in (using his own key) without any of us knowing to show our place. We only know this because one time my roomate was asleep in her room and woke up to him opening the door.
I know other tenants that he has dealt with and I know that he threatened to evict them if they did not pass an "inspection"- only he never showed up at their scheduled appointment and never followed through. They try to make these apartments nice, but the upkeep here is minimal- if you've driven passed it, maybe you've noticed the over-grown trees in front blocking the walkways. There are cockroaches roaming the premises and even bums have chosen the front dumpster area as a hang-out spot.
The bike parking here is poorly planned and not adequate to fit the needs of university students. Ali has made comments regarding "bikes being in the way"- but there is no convenient place to park them without "ruining the vegetation" (which he has complained about as well). Several locked bikes have been reported stolen from the back side of the apartment (4 this quarter to be precise). If you are up to dealing with all of the baggage that comes with the Boardwalk apartment, then this is your dream apartment complex. Otherwise, it is not worth living here- and you should probably find another place to live. —bbice

2009-08-30 23:27:29   I checked out violet45's DRE website reference. It says Michelle had her real estate license revoked in Sept 2005 for violations 490 and 10177(b). A little googling turns up that California Business & Professions Code, Section 10177(b), allows the Dept of Real Estate (DRE) to suspend or revoke a real estate license if the licensee is convicted of, or pleads guilty to, a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude. Section 490 allows the DRE to suspend or revoke a license if the licensee has been convicted of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the licensed profession. —sbyun

2009-09-23 11:18:37   I lived there and the place was pretty nice, but the train was really loud and came early in the morning. The worst part was the management, they were inconsiderate and rude. They would go back on their word and would not allow you to put anything outside your apartment if you lived in the apartments on the street. Overall I would not recommend these apartments because the places were over priced but more importantly Ali was a awful land lord! —davisalum19

2010-02-21 22:27:37   Potential renters: read the Older Reviews. "Professional Home Builders" is just the name of the company that has always been run by Ali Ghorbanzadeh. California Contractor's License 809113 expired in 2006, but was registered to a home address in El Macero with Responsible Managing Officer of Ali Ghorbanzadeh. The business phone at the time was 530.757.1747, which is the exact same number that is still used as the booking number for the Boardwalk Apartments (was until a June, 2010 update by Ali). Don't be duped by the claim that there is a new manager since 2009; even if they are keeping Ali behind the scenes, he's probably still lurking there.

Wiki editors: I suggest restoring all of the older reviews for the best accuracy.1 —sbyun

From the CA secretary of state: 

Entity Name: PROFESSIONAL HOME BUILDERS ENTERPRISES, INC. 
Entity Number:  C2374508
Date Filed:     01/28/2002
Status: DISSOLVED
Jurisdiction:   CALIFORNIA
Entity Address: 44431 S EL MACERO DR
Entity City, State, Zip:        DAVIS CA 95618
Agent for Service of Process:   ALI GHORBANZADEH
Agent Address:  44431 S EL MACERO DR
Agent City, State, Zip: DAVIS CA 95618

2010-05-24 16:38:26   This apartment complex is INFESTED with cockroaches. They are on the walkway in between apartments, swarming by the trash containers, and in the upstairs and downstairs of the units. We have had cockroaches all year, and are currently finding about 1 per day in our kitchen. At night, there are dozens on the walkways, especially near the recycling unit in the parking lot. We have had cockroaches crawl up drains in the kitchen sink, downstairs bathtub and upstairs bathtub. If you want to live here, be prepared to step on a lot of bugs. —DavisGrad10

2010-06-09 11:52:10   Thank you for your comment DavisGrad10. An exterminator has been ordered and cleaning the interior of units is the tenant responsibility. I can recommend a cleaner if that helps. —sritern

2010-06-09 12:00:03   Same person (user: sbyun) commenting for over 2.5 yrs. The comment of "he frequently checks in" applies to the person writing the post. It is unfortunate s/he had a bad experience, but the comments are outdated and is harassment/personal drama which is not necessary on wiki. —sritern

The following comment was initially deleted because it does not appear to be a genuine comment from a tenant. 2010-06-08 23:10:06   I am a happy renter and highly recommend this place! The new management, building amenities, money saved on energy efficient utilities, quite neighborhood with extra insulation and proximity to campus are all great. I agree parking is easy with additional shaded parking on the street. Have not had any issues with cockroaches. Any normal cleaning of sinks, mopping, vacuuming, etc. would prevent attracting insects. —ResonsibleStudent

2011-02-25 11:48:56   Does anyone know the sq footage of these apartments?? Both 3 and 4 bedroom total sq. footage? Thank you! —FranThompson

2011-03-13 18:03:15   DO NOT LIVE HERE. Everything that is said in the past comments is completely TRUE. YES these are nice apartments, BUT its not worth dealing with ALI. When we moved in our dryer has been broken. It takes 3 cycels to dry your clothes and ALI refuses to fix it. He even tried to blame it on us and has said he's going to make us pay for it. Our Washing Machine also BROKE. ALI came and said theres nothing wrong with it.

ALI is at the apartments almost every weekend harassing tenants. If you are checking out these apartments DONT BELIEVE THEM. They told us the train goes by once a day when it comes by 10 times a day with the first one at 6 am. ALSO They advertised a cheaper price on craigslist, but when it came time to sign the lease they gave us a higher price. These are just my experiences living here but if you don't believe me knock on any door at the boardwalk and ask the tenants about their experiences living there. —dhata

2011-05-03 13:37:13   I don't understand the awful reviews about Ali. He really is a very approachable manager. As a proper tenant, we did a thorough inspection of the apartment when we moved in and he fixed all problems with any appliances at the time. Even when we were the ones to break the garbage disposal, and he told use we would have to pay for the plumber, he ended up fixing it himself with no charge. I by mistake even underpaid my rent once, just a typo on the bank transfer. He contacted me and did not charge a late fee.

I am up before 6am every day and the first train does not come until just after 6:30am. I pretty much always find parking right in front of the apartments. I actually prefer to park on the street as apposed to the parking lot since the street is shaded. As far as cockroaches are concerned, I have never lived in an apartment/house in davis that did not have cockroaches at the very least outside the house. The one time I did find two roaches in this apartment, I contacted Ali and he put me in touch with the person to come spray the house and I haven't seen one since. Other than that, I might see one occasionally outside, but they are everywhere in davis.

He does come around the apartments to work on the garden and outside maintenance, but has never come inside our apartment without advance notice and permission.

For me its location is the best part, just a block from the Coop and three blocks from downtown. If I was staying in Davis, I would renew my lease. Even the girls who lived the apartment before us had been there for three years, I believe. —DTahiliani

2012-01-12 14:10:50   I have lived at this town-home complex for slightly more than six months, and in light of the many negative reviews of the dwelling and owner/operators, it seems appropriate to provide an account of my experience living at the Boardwalk Apartments, and particularly, to address some of the more sensational claims made in previous posts. First, I have enjoyed, tremendously, living at the Boardwalk Apartments. Ali has never related to me in the manner described above — I have found him and his wife Michelle to be fine, pleasant, reasonable people —nor has he ever entered my apartment without my consent. Second, I have NEVER seen a cockroach in my apartment. In fact, it should be noted that the cleanliness of my unit (I can't, obviously, speak as to the condition of the other residences) was the principal reason that I decided to live here. Second, while the train does often pass by this property a couple of times a day, most often it passes by during normal waking hours (between 8 and 5 o'clock)) and usually without much fanfare. I urge anyone reading this to be mindful of the fact that one's perception of what constitutes a nuisance is a fairly subjective sort of thing. Personally, I do not find the train operations to be burdensome in any way. Last, I have paid a mere $100 each month that I have lived here, for water, sewage, garbage and electrical service. In Davis, that is a very reasonable sum of money to have to pay for such services. As for the parking, Ali and Michelle have in place a policy that provides the tenants of each unit one parking space, at no additional charge. Also, those who renew their lease are afforded the opportunity to acquire an additional, assigned parking space if space becomes available. Upon reflection, I think one would do well to realize that this is a very fair policy. For those that are deliberating about whether to live at the Boardwalk Apartments, they absolutely warrant your consideration.—HoldenCaulfield

2012-01-31 13:55:02   Zombiek: I am not Ali or Michelle Ghorbanzadeh, or anyone that they happen to be closely familiar with. I provided an account of my experience living at the Boardwalk Apartments, principally, because I found your account of living at the Boardwalk, and your experiences with Ali and Michelle, to be so remarkably inconsistent with mine. They have treated me well, so I thought it right to tell the users of this wiki, and anyone else that happens to peruse this site, my story. It's that simple. I use the pen name 'HoldenCaulfield' as a way of protecting my identity, which, as evidenced by your 'handle' of 'zombiek', I should think you would understand. It seems that I live in the unit that you once occupied, presumably with an individual by the name of S*** B******* (his mail often fills my mailbox.) If, however, you are still unconvinced, then I suppose you could inquire as to the location of the IP address of this post. I am, as I was when I first posted on this page, on the UC Davis campus, using a UC Davis wireless internet network. You're not really going to suggest that Ali or Michelle have access to campus wireless networks, are you? —HoldenCaulfield

2012-03-02 15:20:20   im thinking of maybe moving back to Davis for this summer. Are there and sub-leasers for $500/mo or less room? I was a prior student and feeling like being around the energy again. Would not mind being back living in the apartment i was before. —ResonsibleStudent

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