Overall sentiment about Crestwood Village Five is strongly mixed, with two clear camps emerging from the reviews: residents who praise community life, safety, activities, and certain staff members, and residents who report serious governance, communication, and enforcement problems centered on the HOA/board and billing staff.
Community, facilities, and activities: Many reviewers highlight positive aspects of day-to-day living. The community is described repeatedly as safe and conveniently located between New York City and Philadelphia with good access to healthcare providers, stores, and churches. The clubhouse has received improvements and supports a range of social offerings: dances, parties, bingo nights (Thursdays mentioned), movie and game nights, group trips, arts and crafts sales, monthly flea markets, and active volunteer-led programming. Specific activity leaders (notably Debbie and Anthony) received praise for strong programming. Amenities called out as positives include a free gym, a library, free classes (first aid and technology), free bus service, and nicely landscaped grounds. Several residents explicitly state they love their homes and neighbors and find the HOA fees reasonable where everything (or many services) is included.
Staff and care quality: Experiences with staff are polarized. Multiple reviews describe professional, pleasant, compassionate, and extremely helpful office or front-desk staff; at least one resident reported consistently positive interactions over several years. At the same time, a prominent theme is repeated accounts of rude, nasty, domineering, or heartless billing and HOA staff. Complaints include threats, aggressive collections behavior, ignoring phone calls, and a lack of compassion when residents raise concerns. This split suggests variability in staff behavior across roles or shifts, or uneven resident interactions that produce strongly different impressions.
Management, governance, and financial practices: The most frequent and serious negative theme concerns HOA governance and enforcement. Numerous reviews allege an authoritarian or "dictatorial" board, frequent fines (commonly cited as $10/day, with an example total of $340), fines being assessed after work is performed, and withheld approvals or repairs until fines are settled. Residents report opaque bylaws, unclear rules about required paperwork and pre-approval for home modifications, and a culture in which permission is required for many changes. Several reviewers claim the HOA operates as a revenue center—using fines and extra fees to raise funds—and that maintenance budgets subsidize legal expenses. Some allege threats of lawsuits, collections actions, or other heavy-handed responses. These governance complaints are the most consistent negative thread and often drive residents to consider selling or to contact attorneys or county regulators.
Maintenance and property condition: Reports about upkeep are mixed. Many reviews praise nicely maintained homes and landscaping, while others describe areas needing attention—pressure washing, general cleanliness, trash issues, and an overall "ghetto" or gross appearance in places. Some residents feel rule enforcement is selective, with rule-breaking tolerated in parts of the community while other homeowners face strict penalties. This inconsistency contributes to frustration and perceptions of mismanagement.
Social environment and resident relations: For many, the community atmosphere and neighbors are highlights—friendly interactions, lively flea markets, dances, and volunteers create a supportive social life, particularly valued by seniors seeking retirement community engagement. Conversely, some residents report cliques, ostracizing of non-network members, privacy invasions by neighbors, and a sense of being targeted by association leadership. COVID-19 reduced social activity for a period, which some noted impacted the community's social vibrancy.
Patterns and notable specifics: Several specific, recurring complaints are worth noting: fines (frequently $10/day) being applied retroactively or punitively; repairs stalled until fines are paid; bylaws that restrict home modifications and require pre-approval; and a mix of very positive staff interactions alongside repeated allegations of abusive behavior from other staff members. Positive specifics include free programming and services, an active residents club, well-regarded activity leaders, and convenient transportation and healthcare access. Wildlife (deer and turkeys) was mentioned as a minor nuisance by a few reviewers.
Conclusion and implications for prospective residents: Crestwood Village Five offers many characteristics attractive to seniors — safety, social programming, clubhouse amenities, free classes and transportation, and close access to medical care and regional centers. However, the community is also repeatedly criticized for HOA governance practices, opaque rule enforcement, aggressive fines, occasional poor maintenance, and hostile interactions with some management staff. The overall picture is highly polarized: many residents are happy and engaged, while a vocal subset describes a hostile HOA environment that materially affects quality of life. Prospective residents should weigh the strong social and location benefits against governance risks, request written clarification of bylaws and fine structures, speak directly with current residents across different buildings, and consider legal or county resources if HOA practices appear problematic.
