As many students prepare to move into apartments for the first time, one individual is expressing frustration with her expiring lease.

Catherine Hawkins, a junior and resident of College Park Apartments: “The Club,” signed a lease from Aug. 1, 2006 to July 31, 2007. She said she did not move into her new apartment until Aug. 12, 2006 but was charged for the full month.

“I originally wanted to move in on Aug. 1, but College Park management said that my apartment would not be ready by the first, that the big move-in day was the 12th, and that if I really wanted to move in early, I would have to move in ‘as is’ and not have a clean/painted apartment, which means my three other roommates would not get a clean apartment,” she wrote in an e-mail.

“I questioned why I paid for a full month and not a prorated amount. College Park told me ‘they could not give me an answer at the time,’” she said.

At the time of lease signing, many students become so excited at the prospect of moving into a new apartment that charges go unnoticed.

“Because this was my first apartment, I figured the rent could be reduced in July or they would give me a refund for August,” Hawkins said. “This past month is when I realized that they might be ripping me off.”

Most apartment complexes such as College Park: “The Club” require a period of time at the opening of a lease term to allow past residents time to vacate their apartments. This is the point in which the cleaning and preparation for new residents is done. For residents who wish to forego a refreshed apartment, they can move in as early as the first day of the lease term.

Ryan Clark, a senior from Augusta, opted to move in on Aug. 1, 2006.

“I don’t think that a prorated first month is necessary because when you move in to the apartment on the 12th, you get a fully cleaned and repainted unit.”

Hawkins didn’t agree and said she plans to send a formal letter to the College Park leasing office after being denied what she felt was an adequate explanation. She said she hopes College Park will give her a full reimbursement for the time she was not admitted into her apartment.

“I will go to a lawyer to get this resolved if they don’t come up with any answers soon, because I sent them a formal letter requesting a refund sometime last week. I’m still waiting,” she said.

Courtney Redmond, regional leasing specialist said: “The move in day for residents at College Park: ‘The Club’ is Aug. 11. No changes have been made.”