Not Welcome!

Last night my wife and I decided to again take our apartment building up on an offer that was made to us shortly after moving in… we decided to attend a board meeting. We had attended a meeting sometime during our first few months after being encouraged to do so by board members and management but haven’t been to one since. While we are not shareholders, the meetings have always been promoted as open to all residents but we really had no real motivation to attend until this month. Having handed in our request to terminate out lease last week and no hearing anything back as of yet we were hoping to at least get an answer.

Before heading down to the basement, we went up and finally visited with a couple of residents that we are very fond of. Regardless of the issues that we have had with the building, there are many great people that still live there as well as many that work there too. What we were able to confirm is that we were not the only people that have had issues and do not agree with how things are being managed. And this was coming from a former President of the board.

After catching up for about 20 minutes we all piled on the elevator with someone else heading to the meeting. We walked into the room and quietly shuffled into the back row not saying a word to anyone. We were there to listen not to cause a ruckus (other residents had already planned on doing so making there no need for us to say anything). My wife and I had just settled in and were chatting about other things that we needed to get done when the current president made her way to the back of the room.

It didn’t come as a surprise that we were asked to leave. After all, I didn’t bow and kiss her ring when we walked in the door. The new rule (declaration might be a better word) is that the meetings are only for shareholders… a complete change from our last experience nearly three years ago. Again, we were not there to make a scene so we got up, let our friends know what was going on, and made our way back to the apartment without any answers or even an acknowledgement of our formal request.

For now, we have to keep waiting until we receive notification. However, given the length of time that has passed, I am starting to plan on taking alternative action with regard to our lease. Nothing drastic, just putting all of the hard facts on the table and allowing them to speak for themselves. I guess we will just have to keep preparing and see what happens from here.

Three Years Later…

In addition to everything else that has been going on in our life recently, we have also been looking here and there for a new place to live. This really isn’t a surprise given the issues that we have had with our current residence especially over the past year. Well, we have finally found a place and we are busy packing the apartment. Between the other things that are on our schedule this month, we will be packing and moving everything about 45 minutes away in Chester Springs.

The new place will significantly shorten my wife’s commute to work while it will cut about 5 minutes \off of my drive despite being a few more miles each way. However, the biggest change will be the drastic increase in the amount of living space. The apartment that we have spent the last three years in has approximately 700 square feet while our new dwelling is 1400 square feet plus a finished basement. And, better yet, we will go from one bathroom to two and a half (those of you who are married understand the importance of this upgrade).

However, at the moment we are carrying two leases. We are attempting to ‘play nice’ in our request to terminate the lease for our apartment and hopefully that will come through. Although I am planning for the usual cluster that has become increasingly commonplace during our time living in the building. I guess we will have to wait and see if they want to play nice as well.

In the meantime, we are not going to let that stop us from moving forward (westward actually). There is a fresh coat of paint, new carpet, and a few other upgrades in the new place that we are looking forward to and I will have my own office and workbench area in the basement. The move has already begin with a few dozen boxes stacked in the corner and even more boxes packed and piled in the apartment. Once we have some more time, we will get a few movers and finish the job.

So, with the year coming to an end there is another change happening. We would have liked to have done this sooner but some things you can’t really plan for and you have to just let them happen. It’s not an easy time to move but nothing that we can’t make happen. And while no one enjoys the process of moving, we are looking forward to settling in to a new space and starting the next stage of our life.

Getting The Blood Going

I rushed out of the office having received a call thirty minutes prior that the RedCross arrived at the lodge early for our six o’clock meeting. While I was hoping that the traffic would agree with me I was not surprised when it took me an hour to get to Ardmore. Thankfully, she had already gotten out the lawn signs and I could see them from the entrance of the parking lot leaning up against her car. It made it very easy to greet her as soon as I got out of the car.

Tonight’s meeting was merely a formality to show her the space that we had to offer, review the goals of the program, and arrange for all the ancillary marketing items to be printed and shipped to me. While we reviewed all of the details we also took a few moments to chat and learn a little more about each other and our respective organizations. It didn’t take long before we found ourselves discussing the importance that freemasonry has played in both of our families and the excitement that we each held for the beginning of this partnership between my lodge and the Red Cross.

With all the details arranged for our Saturday, December 6^th (please leave a comment or email me for additional details), blood drive and each of us having other business that needed to be taken care of, we parted ways as I walked across the street to pick up the mail. Within moments of unlocking the lodge again, the few brethren that I usually see on Tuesday nights began arriving. There is still a lot of work to be done for the next meeting, remaining events, and the rest of the year so it is good that we ended our meeting when we did.

The next couple of hours evaporated and soon after I found myself back in the apartment waiting for dinner to finish cooking in the oven. After catching my breath for a few moments and hearing about my wife’s day, it was finally time for her to head off to bed and for me to get some additional work done before the morning. That was the plan… the plan that briefly got put on hold as we first had to find out what happened to the hot water.

After a long day for both of us, we are now left without hot water until at least the morning (around here that translates to a couple of days). For those keeping track at home, this is the second time that the building has lost hot water in the last five or six months (the last time being not long after the hot water heater was replaced). Nothing like a cold shower to get the blood going but I’d rather get my blood pumping in December rather than last night before bed. Glad that we have such a relaxing place to rest our dirty heads.

Stop The Timer!

Last week my wife and I had some time off for Rosh Hashanah and while I would have preferred to spend the day in reflection of the previous year and planning for the upcoming changes there were other things that had to be done. It is just one of those times that we had to take advantage of the time that we had and make sure that certain things got done. It had already been too long and we weren’t left with any other option. Finally, we were going to have access to our entire apartment as, after two and a half months, the work to ‘fix’ the leak was done. Albeit a halfhearted budget cut remedy, it was done.

In the middle of the afternoon, one of the guys from the building came over with the carpet cleaner, filled the reservoir with tap water and dish soap (the building refuses to pay for carpet cleaner) and proceeded to take his time going over the 6x6 area in the corner of our living room. In the past the building had brought in professional cleaners when there was a leak in the office but things have obviously changed. This time it took half a dozen letters to management, countless stops at the front desk, two work from home days, a day off, and more patience than I thought I had to make sure that the work was complete but it was finally done.

This process pretty much epitomizes the drastic changes that have occurred since my wife and I first moved into the building in late 2011. Nearly half of the apartments in the building have been bought and sold, the board has been completely overhauled, management has been outsourced, and only a handful of staff remains from the time our first lease began. One positive is that the only thing that hasn’t changed is our rent.

While the apartment has served its purpose, things have changed so drastically that it no longer fits our needs. This would be the case even if nothing had changed and the ‘luxury’ tag that people like to plaster onto the building actually meant something. And while things are holding together at the moment I am constantly thinking and worrying about that which is on the other side of the ceiling tiles and behind the surface of the walls. Having lived in, worked for, and knowing the guys still dealing with the various issues on a daily basis, I know what condition the building is in and it leaves me very uncomfortable. But, right now, I am happy that the work is ‘done’ and that we finally have access to our entire apartment!

Not A Happy Anniversary

There are some days that you mark on the calendar that you look forward to and there are other that you hope never some to fruition. Sometimes it is a major life event while other times it is just an annoyance that keeps frustrating you every day when you come home from work. Unfortunately, today we marked the latter of the two which I had been anticipating but hoping that I would be proven wrong. That’s right, for those of you that recall the gripes from the summer, the work on the leak is still not complete.

While the actual issue with the water seems to have been solved, or at least the band aid is holding up, and the painting was completed a couple of weeks ago, the building has yet to clean the space which we still have quarantined in our living room. Keep in mind that maintenance has not been in to check this ‘fix’ since they closed the ceiling so it is questionable whether or not the mend will hold. If it were a few little pieces and drips on the carpet I probably would have addressed this once the painting was done but this is a much bigger mess than what our vacuum can handle. This is the kind of job that requires professional carpet cleaning which the building manager had agreed to employ not long after this whole debacle began.

So now I have to burn another early morning and corner this woman in her office to at least get a response to the countless queries that have gone unanswered. While we had issues with the previous building manager it was never this bad and things continue to deteriorate the longer this management company runs the facility. Hopefully, this issue will be resolved soon but I lend that statement no more credence than the cliché of yelling fire in a movie theater.

With all of that said, there is a positive side to this whole thing in that it has motivated us, more so than before, to get the heck out and find another place to live. While we made an attempt in the spring, we will be successful this time around as our lease winds down to a close. Hopefully, if we begin looking a little earlier we can find a better place to call home not just a box in which we live. I guess we will just have to wait and see what we can find and hope that there are options available to us.

Yesterday Was A Bit Of A Mixed Bag

Doesn't look like much but this was after only 15 minutes
under a leak that had been 'fixed'.

Yesterday, I had to share the good news because the rest of the day was nothing short of a huge mess. Having taken a work from home day, I expected some progress to be made with regard to the leak in our apartment. Following a ‘discussion’ with management (yes, I actually was able to speak with the woman who was, until that point, merely theoretical), a plumber was called in lieu of maintenance who had called out for the day (no sure if it was because of a legitimate reason or just BS). Nothing was found but by the time that the night had overtaken the light, the problem remained.

Of course, we can’t just have one issue at a time as lodge duties beckoned in the evening and parking problems persisted (no progress on the electrical or parking lot issues at all as a poorly conceived plan has halted progress for at least two days). With the lodge items prioritized and the parking/electrical completely out of control, it was time to sit down during the relatively quiet evening and write another letter to management. So, once again, I share with you my correspondence which pretty much summarizes the entirety of the dripping experience.

Dear Building Manager,

I am writing to make you aware of the ongoing situation. While the plumber today did not find anything and the drip seemed to be slowing this afternoon, it has returned during the nighttime hours. This seems to be the ongoing pattern; slow in the middle of the day and constant at night. This is the pattern that has been in place since we reported the leak nearly a week ago (Wednesday, July 16^th).

To better visualize the problem I placed a piece of construction paper on the Tupperware container positioned under the drip at 9:00 pm and now, at 9:15 pm, you can see clearly in the picture (included with this letter) that this is not just an occasional small drip. The construction paper will be left in place so that the next time the issue is addressed it can be seen in person.

I would appreciate an update as soon as one can be ascertained. Preferably something different than ‘we have to let it dry’ which we have been told time and again since this issue was first reported. Obviously, we are well past the ‘couple of day’ drying time at this point.

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to call or email using the information above.

Regards,

Sean

So now, in the middle of the following day, I have approximately no update to share. With nearly a dozen visits to our apartment there is still work to be done and, no surprise, my patience is wearing out. While I will keep pushing these people to get things done this will be the last post of this kind as I have many other things that I want and need to put my energy into and record for the future. Don’t get me wrong, I may still approach the subject in a future post but not like I have been this past week. Time to step back and think about the good things, the future, and the many ways that life has changed. I will be returning to the positive I just can’t guarantee when or for how long but it will happen as there are too many thing going on that just deserve a good gripe.

Rocking The Boat In Crap Creek

I'm pretty sure that is not dirt that he is shoveling.

Well, another day and another cluster at our apartment building. Saturday was a wasted day as maintenance was in our apartment three times attempting to fix the leak leaving us behind on our errands and too tired to do much more on Sunday. After those unsuccessful attempts they agreed that a plumber needed to be brought in to address the problem… that was the plan until today when we were informed that they had entered our apartment without our permission to attempt to ‘fix’ the problem again. I am not sure as to whether they lied or management wouldn't approve the request; either way it is a huge load of crap. By the way, still no word from management about the situation nor an apology for previously ignoring my communications regarding our refrigerator.

On top of that mountain of crap we found out on Friday (luckily I read the notices posted in the mail room) that work will be done to repair the connection to the power grid beginning on Monday morning at 7:00 am. While the repair is necessary it should have never been required as the line was severed in the fall when they dug up the parking lot and lowered the new boiler into place. It wasn’t until a recent two day power outage that this became a priority. So what does this mean? Per the posted notice, residents that normally park in the garage under the building now have to park in the lot which is already at capacity. Translation: no parking spots available.

While we have rarely requested any maintenance work in the two and a half years since we moved in and we have not caused a stir in the building regarding little things that have come up here and there, this situation has put us over the edge. We are done with this building and we are done with playing nice and letting the little things go. So much so that I sent a letter to the management office and copied the president of the board. One of those correspondences when you summarize many of the issues that you have been letting go, the bag of crap if you will, all stemming from the most recent turd left at your door. Now, I post it here for all of you to enjoy (I removed the building name and all proper names).   

Dear Building Management,

On Friday evening I took note of the notice posted in the mail room regarding the repair work that will begin on Monday morning. While not required under House Rule 18, my wife and I would have appreciated a note placed in our door or in our box which was previously done as a courtesy prior to all major projects. This has previously been an effective means to keep us informed as we do not regularly enter and exit the building through the main lobby.

As I write this on Sunday afternoon all of the parking spaces in the lot are occupied. As I expect this to be the situation when I return home from the office tomorrow I am writing to inform you that if I, or my wife, are required to park in the shopping center across the street we will be holding the building personally liable for any damage, theft, or towing that may occur. Additionally, it is my hope that the building has received written permission from the shopping center to allow residents overnight (it remains unclear as to whether this has been received). Simply put, the parking arrangements outlined in the notice are unacceptable. Parking across the street will not work.

With regard to parking, there has been numerous issues that we have taken note of over the years and we have gone without bringing this to the attention of management or the board, until now. While most “contractors, workmen, and service persons” abide by House Rule 9.B.9 there have been numerous occasions when resident parking spaces have been occupied by service vehicles most notably in front of apartments A and B. I have yet to witness and rectification of these instances when they occur. This is in addition to the fact that, when my wife and I first signed our lease, we were given the verbal assurance that the parking spaces along the side of the building were reserved for the aforementioned apartments. While not outlined in the House Rules or our lease, it is disappointing when a verbal agreement is not honored.

There are a few residents that frequently use these spaces, the agreement of which they are certainly unaware, however that is not my concern with these individuals. What concerns me is that there are at least two apartments that park along the side of the building so that they can specifically use the emergency exit from the fire tower to enter and exit the building. In addition to this being detrimental to our own sleep as they discourteously slam the door behind them both late at night and early in the morning, they seem to be in violation of Lower Merion Fire Code (78-12.1, Section 5-2.1.5: “Locks, Latches, Alarms and Release Devices” and 78-26: Sections C.7 and D both pertaining to high-rise buildings).

Furthermore, additional consideration needs to be made regarding parking during large gatherings as we find ourselves in a similar situation that we are in now. This parking situation needs to be resolved (even three extra spaces like the ones occupied by the immobile vehicles near the dumpsters might offer some additional logistical leeway). There are more and more cars parking in the lot that are without a proper permit. For all visitors, parking tags or passes should be issued as well. As residents, it is our responsibility to have our permits displayed on our vehicle. All residents and employees should be issued permits, all others found in the parking lot that do not have a resident or employee permit, visitor pass, or are service personnel in the building should be towed!

Lastly, I would like to express my displeasure regarding the limited communication from the Management Office. When I recently attempted to contact management directly regarding an issue with our refrigerator I never received any communication back. I attempted to reach out through numerous means of communication (phone message, verbally through the front desk, and a note left at the front desk) as a courtesy before calling to have the service done but did not receive a single correspondence in return. While I don’t expect an immediate response, no response is simply unacceptable.

If you have any questions regarding the content above please feel free to contact me via phone or email. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

Sean

I am generally an easy going person. True I can let my passionate opinions shine now and again but, overall, I maintain a pretty even disposition. This stockpile of issues has recently ruined that for me and that fact alone has pissed me off. I guess we are just going to have to see how this thing plays out. All I know is that I am not going to just sit in my paddle less boat as the crap level in the creek continues to rise.

Just Above Our Heads

I knew that yesterday was going to be a long day and a late night at the office. I could tell by the times reserved on my calendar and the work that needed to be done that I wouldn’t be getting home at the usual time. With this fact in the back of my mind, the day was already beginning to drag as midafternoon came around to smack me in the face. In a series of texts from my wife, it was made very clear that the refrigerator was not the biggest maintenance problem in the apartment. When my wife got home she noticed the same subtle noise that we heard last summer in the office… dripping.

Off in the corner of the living room, the saturated ceiling tile was now bathing our bookcases in a stale staccato of water coming from one of the many possible sources in the maze of pipes hidden by the flimsy barrier above. After notifying the front desk, maintenance was in the apartment to assess the mess created by one of their many predecessors. Essentially, what happened was that the many cans of spray foam encapsulating the pipe had given way and the bucket semi permanently secured below this quality piece of craftsmanship was overflowing into our living room.

A couple hours later nearly all the foam had been chipped away and the totality of the failed fix was revealed. While I am not certain as to the exact nature of the issue, it was very clear that cutting corners was made a priority in the past and we should, hopefully, have a proper remedy to the problem. But that is going to have to wait as the area needs to dry, parts need to be purchased, and our patience needs to be tested further. Fortunately, while they were in the apartment, they called a service company to come out and fix the fridge… a problem that was consciously being ignored by the new management company, Camco, for nearly two weeks. After phone, verbal, and written messages there is no doubt in my mind that we were ignored. At the opposite end of the service spectrum, as soon as maintenance found out that the issue wasn't resolved, they took care of it right away.

So now, as we wait for the leak to be fixed (not just a finger in the dike), we are left assessing what needs to be cleaned, what needs to be thrown away, and whether or not we want to keep the furniture in the same places knowing what problems keep surfacing just above our heads. More work that I really don’t have the time or energy to deal with at the end of the day. Needless to say, we will definitely be resuming our apartment search in the new year as the problems and inconveniences are beginning to outweigh the rent at this point.