Editor’s Note: after going to press, the Daily Herald confirmed that three former Weidner buildings (Spruce Meadows, Carlton Park, and 33 River Street) were purchased by Wingspan Dev. Capital Inc. The company officially took control of the buildings on Nov. 27. Tenants in those buildings received notes under their door outlining directions for rent payment, and contact numbers to voice any concerns.
Prince Albert tenants living in apartments owned by American-based rental company Weidner Apartment Homes are expressing concerns after the business’ rent payment ap stopped working, and the company put a “permanently closed” sign on their local office.
Ricky Ruszkowski is one of several tenants who noticed the sign at the company’s office when he went in to pay his rent on Thursday.
Ruszkowski said he’s been left in the dark about where he’s supposed to pay his rent with Dec. 1 quickly approaching. He also has no idea who now owns the building he’s living in.
“It’s been a circus show,” he said. “It’s embarrassing, absolutely embarrassing. I’ve never seen such a mismanaged (company).”
Ruszkowski has lived in Weidner-owned Cedarcrest Manor for 32 years. Second-party apartment rental sites like RentCafe or Apartments.com still show Cedarcrest Manor suites up for rent, but the building has been completely removed from the Weidner website. When the Daily Herald clicked on the Weidner link for Cedarcrest Manor, it led to a site with the message “page not found.’
Ruszkowski said he was in the gravel-hauling business for years, so he knows the challenges of operating a company, and Weidner did not live up to those standards.
He said rumours have been flying for years that Weidner was trying to sell the building, but residents were never able to confirm anything. The Daily Herald has not been able to confirm if the property is under new ownership.
Even if the building has been sold, Ruszkowski said it’s disappointing to see how the company handled the transition.
“How can they just walk away from all these buildings? Why weren’t they (plans) in place before these guys came out? Where’s the exit plan?”
Ruszkowski said he’s not worried about his own future with Cedarcrest. He’s confident a new company will come in and do a good job. However, he does feel for Weidner employees, some of whom he said were overworked.
“They’re caught in the middle,” he said.
Ryan Chapman is another Prince Albert tenant who noticed the Weidner payment ap, called the Resident Services Portal, was unusable on Friday.
Chapman said he hadn’t been to the company office, so he wasn’t aware it was permanently closed. While he can handle the uncertainty, he worried how it would impact others.
“I’m good to go, but the other people, I don’t know if they’re good to go,” he said. “It might be problematic for some.”
Chapman moved into a new Weidner apartment a few months ago. He described the tenants as a mix of seniors and newcomers, and said they are “cool people”. He also liked the local employees who managed the property, saying they were “trying their best” but less enthusiastic about the ownership.
Like Ruszkowski, Chapman has heard rumours a new company has purchased the building, but nothing has been confirmed.
The Prince Albert Daily Herald attempted to call the Prince Albert Weidner office on Friday. The call went to voicemail after one ring. The Daily Herald could not leave a message because the user “could not accept more messages.”
A call to Weidner’s Saskatoon office went unanswered.
Prince Albert is still listed as one of six metro areas on www.weidner.ca. However, clicking on the link reveals no properties in Prince Albert for rent.
As of May 2024, the site listed the apartments available for rent as Alderview on Branion Drive, Carlton Park on 28th Street East, Cedarcrest on 28th Street West, Forest Grove on Dunn Drive, Hillcrest on First Avenue West, Hilltop Towers on 32nd Street West, the Mews on Second Avenue West, Spruce Meadows on 15th Street East, Tamaron Square on 28th Street East, and Woodsmere on 32nd Street West.
